The first successful American gasoline-powered automobile was built in 1893, by brothers Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea of Springfield, MA. This was a full three years before (Henry) Ford and (Ransom E.) Olds built and drove their first gasoline-powered cars in 1896. By 1896, George V. Arth Sr. was nearing the 20th anniversary of his carriage shop, George V. Arth & Son.

George V. Arth Sr. immigrated to the Bay Area in California from Alsace Lorraine, France, in May of 1877. Later that year, he had established his own business, Oakland Carriage Manufacturers.

In the course of his life, George Sr. witnessed the birth of the automobile and with it, the future of his business and family legacy. Ultimately, Oakland Carriage Manufacturers became George V. Arth & Son and, as the motorcar found favor with the American public, evolved from the carriage trade to the automobile repair industry, eventually becoming a collision repair facility.

George V. Arth & Son now handles a volume of 80-90 cars per month and does $1.6 million in annual sales. They have been in their current facility since 1963 and Arth is considering the future. They have deep roots in the business community and have a longtime involvement with the East Bay Auto Body Association, in which Ron Arth has been active for 15 years and on the board for 10 years, with his father before him.

If you are one of, if not the oldest auto body shop in the country, you have spent a long time building a strong reputation. George V. Arth & Son has long held the reputation for a quality job at a reasonable price. People know this company and it has been there for generations of customers. Arth feels it is important for the business to keepup with the times, constantly training its staff and updating its resources to continue that reputation. He prides himself on an “upfront involvement in a family-owned business,” saying that this involvement is very important to his customers.

Considering the business has been in continuous operation for 125 years, it’s hard to disagree with him.