Iconic Car Dealer Al Piemonte Dies At Age 83

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 27, 2014 4:45PM

Auto salesman Al Piemonte, known to generations of Chicago television viewers for his promise of hassle-free car sales in his commercials, died Christmas Eve at age 83. Mr. Piemonte had a recent battle with pneumonia.

In a time when auto dealers across the area used teenage boys and singing salesmen, Mr. Piemonte simply touted putting customers into cars they could afford and made his Ford dealership in suburban Melrose Park one of the most recognizable (and profitable) in the area.

"If you need 'basic transportation,'" Mr. Piemonte famously declares in this 1986 commercial, " we bring in 30 to 40 cars with dings and dents a week."

Mr. Piemonte also had the "Al Piemonte Challenge."

Mr. Piemonte was the subject of a recent lawsuit alleging he and his wife funneled portions of more than $6 million in cash reserves for personal use.