LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Rusty and Dawn Herlocher are pictured with some of the many thank-you notes Rusty has received over the years.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS
Rusty Herlocher’s Auto Sale offers quality service and has been in business for over 40 years. The car lot is located along Jay Street in Lock Haven.

LOCK HAVEN — Rusty Herlocher and his wife, Dawn, have seen a lot in their almost 42 years in the car sale business.

The couple first opened Rusty Herlocher’s Auto Sale, located along Jay Street in Lock Haven, in 1982. At the time, the space that currently houses the office and a car lot, was a service and detailing garage.

“When we started, every inch of this lot was a garage. Our inside wall was Lindsay Place’s outer wall,” Dawn said. “It had two stories with a ramp to get upstairs.”

Rusty noted the building originally housed the trolleys that made their way up and down Lock Haven in the 1900s.

The car lot itself was located on East Main Street. However, in the late 1990s the couple were approached by a firm that wanted to purchase the property to place homes. That area is now the home of Lock Haven Commons.

“We got a call that the car lot fit the criteria for this housing. We didn’t intend to sell but they were really interested in the property,” Dawn said.

Dawn said the decision to sell came at the perfect time. The business did a lot of detailing work for Central PA Auto Auction, but that changed.

“God works in mysterious ways. About that time, Grant Miller called and said they were opening up their own shop and wanted to let us know,” she said.

On top of this, about six months later Rusty was faced with a cancer diagnosis.

“Had we not decided to sell the lot, I don’t know what would have happened. It all fell right into place,” Dawn said.

Soon enough, the business saw changes with the demolition of the building to make way for a lot that Rusty could sell vehicles from.

Rusty said car sales has been his livelihood for a long time — having worked for Chevrolet companies.

Although the car sale business has changed since Rusty and Dawn first began, it’s a way of life.

“The car business has changed very drastically,” Dawn said.

Rusty noted sales throughout the area have gone down since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People just aren’t buying cars quite like they used to,” he said.

However, that doesn’t stop Rusty from offering a range of makes and models at his small lot for people to consider.

“We don’t hustle like we used to. It’s different but Rusty and I say we were in the business when it was fun,” Dawn said.

Rusty Herlocher’s Auto Sale buys, sells and trades a variety of brands from Jeep, Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, Subaru and more.

“We’ve always tried to treat people fairly,” Dawn emphasized. She gestured to the wide range of thank you cards that decorate the couple’s office, noting the frequency they receive these.

“I’m proud of Rusty. For that many people to sit down and write a thank you note is really something,” she said.

Rusty Herlocher’s Auto Sale is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday by appointment.

Dawn encourages anyone to stop in and chat about cars and more.

“I always say, the coffee is on so stop in,” she said.