Our History
Prior to 1958, Robert (Bob) H. Richardson was a salesman for a Buick-Oldsmobile dealer in Davenport, Iowa. Selling vehicles was in Bob’s veins and he had the goal of owning his own dealership. In 1958, the opportunity presented itself for Bob and a business partner, Larry Shike, to begin the purchase of Belsky Motors in Dubuque Iowa. Belsky’s was the local Buick-Cadillac dealer located at the corner of eighth and Iowa. In 1963, the ownership transfer was complete and the dealership was officially Shike-Richardson Inc.
In 1968, the partners built a new dealership on the west end of Dubuque on John F. Kennedy Road. The dealership represented Buick, Cadillac and Opel. The new dealership was constructed on farm land, and was located adjacent to the areas first in-door mall.
1976 was an exciting year for Shike-Richardson Inc. with the addition of Honda Motor Cars. Honda was known for building two wheeled transportation but was in its early years as an import car company. Some of the first Honda models to arrive at the dealership were the 600, AA600, and S800 all small, economical transportation.
In 1980, Bob agreed to purchase Larry’s stake in the business. The company became Richardson Motors Corp. To help with the transition and daily operations, Bob brought his eldest son Hugh into the business. Hugh operated and grew the business adding the GMC franchise in 1997. The addition of GMC filled the dealerships portfolio allowing it to offer a vehicle to everyone.
The dealership is currently operated by Hugh’s son Chad Richardson and has an ever growing inventory of new and used vehicles to fill its client’s needs.
