Ford didn’t just block a dealership sale—they got hit with an $18 million penalty for it. A judge says the automaker “engaged in deceit and fraud” to keep two Arkansas businessmen from buying a Ford franchise. Now, Ford’s caught in a scandal that’s sending shockwaves through the dealer world.
Ford’s Arkansas feud exposed in court
The case goes back to 2018, when Auto Dealership Partners LLC—run by Larry Crain Jr. and Heath Campbell—tried to buy a Ford and Chrysler dealership in Benton, Arkansas. The price? $4 million. But Ford exercised its right of first refusal and shut the deal down. ADP said Ford used the clause unfairly, just to block them.
Turns out, they had receipts.
In an internal email, a Ford regional manager wrote: “The buyer, as feared, is Larry Crain, Jr. His family is nearly entirely responsible for our failures in Little Rock. I can’t imagine a circumstance where he could (or should) be approved.” That email helped swing the case…