History of Bill Page Honda
By Dave Conway, from an interview with Bill Page, Sr., November 2001
Anyone remember back to 1950 when there was a stop sign at the intersection of Route 50 and Annandale Road? When Seven Corners was an intersection with no bridges? When the Westlawn neighborhood along Route 50 was still the Westcott Nursery, and homes were just starting to be built? That was when the Bill Page family first arrived in our area.
In the late 1940s at a Pontiac dealership in Bethesda, William H. Page was a successful sales manager who wanted to branch out on his own. Buick was interested in establishing a new dealership in the Falls Church area, and Bill took advantage of the opportunity. In 1950, he bought the land where Bill Page Honda currently operates and started a Buick dealership. A few years later, he bought the land where McDonald's is today and sold used cars there.
Over the years, the dealership switched from Buick to Ford, Pontiac, Pontiac/Honda, and today Honda. Bill Page also has expanded, with dealerships in Richmond, Virginia and in Florida.
When one of Bill Page's sons, William J. Page (Bill Page, Sr.) was 14 years old, he started working at the dealership during the summer. Bill Page, Sr. has been there ever since, as has his son, Bill Page, Jr.
According to Bill Page, Sr., the keys to his success are:
A good, stable market;
Treating employees well (many have worked for Bill Page for more than 30 years); and
Taking care of customers, which leads to good, repeat business.
Back around 1950, someone bought the commercial property east of Bill Page Buick with the intention of opening an auto dealership. That plan never materialized, and the owner sold it to someone else who was an acquaintance of Bill's. Bill Page saw an opportunity to expand and diversify with a property next to his own, so he bought it.
Bill Page moved his used car sales to this new property where the Westlawn Supermarket currently operates. He leased the former used car lot to McDonald's for 20 years, then sold it to them.
By the early 1960s, Bill Page decided to build the Westlawn Shopping Center. In 1962, he moved his used car lot to the north side of Route 50 across from Chili's, where it continues to operate today. In 1965, the Westlawn Shopping Center opened as a single building from the Westlawn Supermarket down to where Joseph's Coat is today. In 1968, he added the Post Office, a stand-alone building for George's Radio & TV (later Luskin's), and a small gas station.
In 1970, Bill Page opened a Toyota dealership that currently is owned by another son, Raymond Page. Raymond also owns the foreign car dealership next door.
Bill Page, Sr. is working on plans for the Westlawn Shopping Center. He has vacated the old Luskin's building, and he knows that both the Post Office and the Westlawn Supermarket want to expand. The property is a prime location, which should make it attractive to other tenants, too. According to Bill, it is too early to even hint at what changes might take place. There are many factors at play outside of his control that could lead to very different outcomes.
The Bill Page family has been a successful, stable fixture in our neighborhood since the first house was built in Westlawn. They have supported Westlawn Civic Association events in the past, and many residents have bought cars from them. Don't hesitate to stop by and introduce yourself as a Westlawn resident.