At first, Thomas Moorehead planned to work in education. When he ventured into the auto sector in 2001, he was at the height of his professional success. And it paid off since his business, Sterling Motorcars, became the first African-American Lamborghini and McLaren dealer in the United States and the first African-American Rolls Royce dealer worldwide.
Furthermore, it has continued to prosper over the years. James Bradley, the owner of the Bradley Automotive Group and Moorehead’s mentor, taught him the basics of the automotive business. Bradley exhorted him to seize the chance and told him that doing so might make him a millionaire.
Moorehead moved up the success ladder. Using his savings, he participated in several dealer training programmes until he established his first dealership in 1988. In 2001, he finally opened Sterling Motorcars.
Moorehead’s stellar reputation and commitment to excellent customer service attracted Rolls Royce’s attention, making him the company’s first-ever African-American dealer worldwide. Since then, Rolls Royce has expanded its lineup to include the Mini Cooper, McLaren, and Lamborghini. It has grown to become the largest and most prominent luxury car retailer in Delaware, Southern Pennsylvania, and the Washington Metropolitan Area.
“Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward. If you want to get into this business, you have to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way to the top.”
Sterling Motorcars allegedly made $632.2 million in revenue last year, ranking second among minority-owned businesses in the Greater Washington area.
Furthermore, Moorehead, raised in poverty, never forgets to give back to the community by funding the college education of deserving youngsters. Since 2004, he has given hundreds of high school students around $400,000 in scholarships through the Joyce and Thomas Moorehead Foundation. He also regularly gives to HBCUs, including Grambling University, Bethune Cookman University, and Howard University.
