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Since 1923, Vogler has been helping the people of Southern Illinois with their vehicle needs.

Introducing
SKY
ACTIV®
TECHNOLOGY

Our philosophy is that if it's not worth driving, it's not worth building. So in our quest for better environmental performance, our goal was to reduce fuel consumption and emissions without compromising driving performance.

To get there, we started with a clean sheet of paper and engineered every major component of the automobile to work together in efficient harmony. The result is something revolutionary.

click to learn more!!!!

USA Today Drives and Reviews the Mazda3 Skyactiv


Zoom-Zoom!

Coming soon to Vogler Mazda....



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The History of Vogler Motor Company

THE BEGINNING
In 1923 Vogler Motor Company was founded by Edwin W. Vogler.  After several jobs in the retail industry, and a stint in the Army during World War I, he learned that the Ford dealer in Carbondale was for sale.  He purchased it from Davis Brothers and opened the doors under the new name, Vogler Motor Company, on September 30, 1923.  He built his business not with an education in business but, with the motto of his first advertisement in the Carbondale Free Press; 'SUPERIOR SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMER'.  That principle is still followed by Vogler Motor Company today.


EARLY DAYS

Model  "T"'s at that time were shipped to Carbondale in box cars in a partially assembled condition.  Axles, wheels, tires, radiators, headlights, etc., were added at the dealership.

GROWTH
In 1926 Mr. Vogler purchased the property on North Illinois Avenue, replaced a 19th century flour mill with a $100,000 Ford Agency.  The facility featured structural steel, poured concrete floors, brick sidewalls and a significant area of plate glass.  In 1948 the building was designated as an atomic bomb shelter under the National Civil Defense Program. 

The North Illinois location now houses the Carbondale NAPA store.  The Dealership has moved to its current up-to-date facility across from University Mall.  That?s quite a change from a pretty simple start so many years ago. 

In 1936, Vogler Motor Company expanded its operations to include a wholesale parts operation with door-to-door contacts and deliveries covering 5 states.  During the war years when parts were hard to obtain, with the many contacts across central USA, Vogler Motor Company was able to help their parts customers keep their cars and trucks running during a difficult period.

In the mid to late 90's, the Big Three weren't the only game in town.  New competition had entered the game.  In an effort to remain competitive, in 1999 Vogler Motor Company added the Mazda franchise to their list of products.  It seemed like a good fit then and continues to be.

PAST & PRESENT OWNERS
The men who started this ball rolling came from fairly diverse backgrounds. 
  • Ed Vogler, Sr.; was the eldest son of a first generation immigrant family.  Mr. Vogler's education did not   include a business/marketing degree; in fact he left school early to help with the family finances. 
  • Ed Vogler, Jr.; graduated from Harvard with a degree in chemistry, assisted the founder of the Polaroid camera and later helped develop specialized military equipment during WWII. 
  • Don Vogler graduated from West Point and flew bombers in WWII, then came back to Carbondale to help in the car business in the late 40's.  
  • Frank Black; was a local man just selling Fuller Brush products while his wife finished her degree in education.  Frank began in 1958 and became an owner of the company in the late 70's. 
  • Dennis Rathjen, (Sales) and Bryan Black, (Parts), both started with Vogler Motor Company in the 70's and bought into the company in 1986.

What started way back in 1923 continues today.  That's a long time for a business to exist in today's market.  The things that made that possible;
  • customer service,
  • dedication to quality service,and
  • a no pressure sales process,
are traditions that continue today.  Current owners, Dennis Rathjen and Bryan Black, will be certain that it continues into the future.
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1170 East Main Street
Carbondale, IL  62901
888-856-4774

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