Former Charlotte auto dealer Louis Harrelson dies

One of Charlotte’s best-known auto dealers has died.

Louis Harrelson died Thursday night, according to his family.

Harrelson, 87, was in the auto business in Charlotte for over 60 years. He was the owner of Harrelson Ford but sold many other makes of automobiles during his career.

Brooke Harrelson said her father was born in Mullins, S.C., and was a football player at the University of South Carolina in 1948 and 1949. He was a team captain whom teammates nicknamed “The Judge.” Harrelson said her father was also a drill instructor in the Marine Corps and a Golden Gloves boxer.

In 2010, Harrelson sold all seven of his dealerships after a conviction on fraud charges. He was fined and sentenced to probation.

“He would never steal a dime from anyone,” Brooke Harrelson said. “He took a plea deal to keep other people from going to jail.”

Harrelson was a father of four and a grandfather many times over.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 9:47 PM with the headline "Former Charlotte auto dealer Louis Harrelson dies."