Charles B. McLean

One way or another, Charles B. McLean believed in giving car shoppers a sweet deal.

With that in mind, Mr. McLean introduced young saleswomen in candy-striped smocks after moving his Seaside Buick dealership from La Jolla to Clairemont 34 years ago.

He also became known for his bold advertising, a no-haggle, set-price policy, a 30-day money-back guarantee on new purchases and a 24-hour rescue wagon for motorists in distress.

Charlie was not afraid or ever hesitant to take the path less traveled and be very successful along the way, said Doug Fields, director of retail activities for General Motors Corp. He had a passion for our business and a focus on customer satisfaction that bordered on an obsession to ' do the right thing. '

Mr. McLean, who expanded his role in the auto industry by pioneering Saturn dealerships to San Diego County in the early 1990s, died Thursday at San Diego Hospice. He was 78.

The cause of death was complications from esophageal cancer, which was diagnosed in 2001, said daughter Reina Mooney.

Until last year, when he faced the additional health challenges of Alzheimer ' s disease and a hip replacement, Mr. McLean was a familiar site in his Seaside Buick office.

I respected him for his different ideas, said Bob McClellan, owner of McClellan Buick Pontiac GMC. He didn ' t have a very good location in La Jolla, but after he moved to Balboa Avenue, he was very successful beginning in about 1975 or ' 76. He outsold us all.

Some of his newspaper ads took up a quarter page, with the prices of practically every car listed.

Mr. McLean ' s dynamic strategy helped him survive an industrywide crisis beginning in October 1973 that led to a surge in the popularity of economy cars: the Arab oil embargo.

The price for a 42-gallon barrel of crude oil climbed from $1.30 to $12 during the embargo.

At the height of the crisis in the United States, drivers of vehicles with odd-numbered license plates were allowed to buy gasoline only on odd-numbered days. Motorists with even numbers were limited to even-numbered days.

For about 10 years, Mr. McLean got a jump on his competition by enlisting national radio personality Paul Harvey as his on-air spokesman.

General Motors honored him as a Best in Class and Select Sixty dealer, and he received an excellence award from the Automobile Club of Southern California. In 1998, he won a Better Business Bureau Torch Award for marketplace ethics.

Five years ago, Buick Motor Division designated Seaside Buick a flagship dealership, honoring it for years of consistent sales and service.

Reaching out to the community, Mr. McLean sponsored an adopt a family program at Christmas, along with blood drives, toy drives, CPR training and driver training for seniors.

Mr. McLean, a Pacific Beach resident for more than 30 years, was born Sept. 18, 1927, in Casper, Wyo.

He won a Wyoming state swimming championship in high school and attained the rank of major in an ROTC program.

While attending Casper College, he was drafted into the Army. After two years, including duty in Japan and Korea, he moved to San Diego to attend college.

He wanted to be an optometrist, but he found out he liked selling cars more, Mooney said.

Mr. McLean began his automotive career in San Diego with Pearson Ford. Then he sold used cars at Grihalva Buick on El Cajon Boulevard at 34th Street.

Richard Grijalva, who would change his surname to its original Spanish spelling, promoted Mr. McLean to sales manager after a month.

In 1964, Mr. McLean bought Seaside Buick from Grijalva. Over the years, he would employ each of his children at either Seaside Buick or one of his Saturn stores.

It was part of a family atmosphere that he also tried to extend to his employees, Mooney said.

At the suggestion of a close friend, Mr. McLean began taking ballroom dance lessons from Reina Lickert in the 1960s. He fell in love with his teacher and married her in 1968.

Mr. McLean is survived by his wife, Reina; daughters, Reina Anne Mooney of La Mesa, Margie Zuidema of Poway and Drina Lickert of La Mesa; sons, Lloyd L. Lickert of San Diego and Anthony McLean of Escondido; a brother, Neil McLean of La Jolla; and 11 grandchildren.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Brigid ' s Catholic Church, 4735 Cass St., Pacific Beach.

Donations are suggested to the Scripps Health Foundation, P.O. Box 2669, La Jolla, CA 92038-2669. They will benefit the Stevens Cancer Center in memory of Mr. McLean.





Image: /images/utbullets/utbullet.gif Jack Williams: (619) 542-4587; jack.williams@uniontrib.com