Partners reunite to take over Car Pros

Hubert Little and Klint Kelly have been in the auto business most of their adult lives. And even though both were doing very well in current positions, the lure of owning their own store was too much to let pass by.

So when Little heard that Joe and Linda Page of Car Pros Auto Sales were looking for majority partners to take over the dayto-day aspect of the business, he called his old buddy and co-worker Kelly to leave the Metroplex of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and relocate to Albuquerque to become an owner.

“It was starting to be time to transition out of the business,” Joe Page said. “We were looking for somebody who wanted an opportunity. We wanted to be able to visit our grandchildren who are scattered all over the country. We weren’t planning on working until we died.”

That’s not in the plans for Little and Kelly, either, as they try their hand at ownership.

“We’re putting our lives on the line to get a bigger piece of the pie,” Little said.

The two new partners met decades ago when they worked for the same auto-leasing outlet.

“When I started at Auto Flex Leasing, I couldn’t get much help,” Little said. “But Klint took me under his wing and really helped me.”

The two then convinced ownership to let them create a used-car business and it really took off under their guidance.

Now they’re looking to weave their magic on N. 4th Street, adding some freshening such as a new coat of paint, a coffee bar and a drive-up credit report service.

“You’ll be able to pull right up front, give us your information and then can go home if you want and we’ll call in an hour or so to tell you what you can get,” Kelly said. “It’s something I’ve never seen before.”

While the new partners are bringing in some new ideas, the plan is to keep the same successful formula of offering a range of premium brands and entry-level vehicles at below-market prices, Little said.

“And we want people to know that Joe and Linda are still going to be here as much as they want,” Little added. “They’re still going to be around.”

GLEN ROSALES/FOR THE JOURNAL Joe and Linda Page, at left, recently sold a portion of their stake in Car Pros Auto Sales to auto sales veterans Hubert Little, third from left, and Klint Kelly.