Robert Lee Bell
2012 Hall Of Fame Inductee
MADA is proud to recognize Robert L. Bell (1933-2011) as our third inductee into the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Foundation Hall of Fame. Mr. Bell was born in Alexandria, Virginia and as a teenager was selected to be a Senate page. He proudly served in the Korean War and upon his discharge attended the University of Virginia. Bob married his childhood sweetheart, Rosemarie Carter, in 1951. Their union produced five daughters, 19 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren with two more on the way.
Bob began his automotive career in 1956 as a management trainee at Ford Motor Company upon graduating from college. He worked at Ford as a field manager and retail manager for six years before opening his first dealership, Academy Ford in Laurel, with his friend, Tom Lynch. In 1979, Bob came to Baltimore and opened Bob Bell Ford in Glen Burnie. From that came the Bob Bell Automotive Group that today includes 7 franchises at 4 locations around Baltimore. Several of his son-in-laws and grandchildren are now involved in running and managing the family business.
Always involved in the Association, he served as a MADA Board member. Bob represented Maryland in 2001 as the TIME Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year nominee and was selected as one of the top five finalists that year. He was a true leader in our local industry.
Bob was active in his community, serving on the Civic Works Board, the Catonsville Community College Advisory Board and the Automotive Service Education Program. He was involved in the Baltimore Police Athletic League, the Baltimore Reads Literacy Program, and Serial 13, a program which supports police officers. He also donated a waiting room to the Upper Chesapeake Health Care Center.
Famous for playing the piano in a pink tuxedo, Bob became one of the best known automotive dealers in Maryland. He loved high performance cars, was an avid sports fisherman and won the White Marlin Open in 1992.
