About Us

Thank You for Choosing Paul Miller Ford

We've been proud to serve the people of central Kentucky for three generations, and we're honored that you're here. You're only a click away from finding your perfect vehicle, scheduling a service appointment, or starting the financing process. If there's anything we can help you with, please don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to taking care of you and your vehicle.

Our Story:

In 1953, Paul E. Miller bought a Ford dealership on Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky. More than 70 years later, that dealership has evolved into the Paul Miller Motor Company: a 27-acre campus with three dealerships, body shops, an upfitting service, an auto glass repair company, dent repair service, and truck service. We're now in our third generation of Miller ownership and leadership. Every business in the Paul Miller family is devoted to providing a five-star experience to every customer and continuing to build a relationship with every person who walks through the door. "We're working together as one Motor Company to support our community and make our employees' and customers' lives better," says JP Miller, grandson of Paul E. Miller and Paul Miller Motor Company CEO. That commitment to service and community has helped us achieve more than 70 years of success, and we look forward to continuing to grow, innovate, serve, and build more relationships with our community in the years to come.

Then and Now: Three Generations of Service at Paul Miller Motor Company

Many things have changed since 1953, but the core values the company was founded upon remain the same, and have been vital to the dealership's success, then and now.

Early Days and Founding Values

Paul E. Miller, universally known as Mr. Miller, led his dealership by example, taking time every day to talk to employees and customers alike. "Mr. Miller was a real customer-focused person," says Harold Rainey, who worked at the dealership since its Main Street days. "He would get out in the showroom and meet everyone there." Mr. Miller was a forward thinker who did things his own way. When he moved his dealership to a larger location on the east side of Lexington in 1965, Ford Motor Company thought it was a terrible location, assuming customers wouldn't venture that far outside downtown. Mr. Miller's legendary response: "That's tough, because I've already bought it." More than 50 years later, the high-traffic location is thriving, proving Mr. Miller's intuition correct. Since the dealership's inception, Mr. Miller understood that Paul Miller Ford's success was deeply tied to the community. Mr. Miller brought in Nick Clooney, then a local news anchor, to serve as the Master of Ceremonies at Paul Miller Ford's "Safety Shindigs," aimed at Lexington's youth. Paul Miller Ford also established a lasting relationship with University of Kentucky Athletics. Adolph Rupp, legendary head coach of the UK men's basketball team, drove a Ford from Paul Miller, beginning a tradition of UK's coaches driving cars provided by the dealership. Beyond UK Athletics and dealership events, Paul Miller Ford also supported other local causes, from providing vehicles to daycares to donations to local hospitals and charities. "Mr. Miller did a lot of things people never knew about," says Lee Beall, Paul Miller Motor Company’s previous longtime CFO. "He just went out and did good. That's the type of person he was." That strong commitment to service and doing the right thing was one of the hallmarks of the customer experience at Paul Miller Ford, from the earliest days of the dealership onward. One of the memorable slogans from Mr. Miller's era, "Sit on hard chairs and save hard cash," spoke to the straightforward, personal approach customers could expect at the dealership. "Customer experience has become a buzzword, but we've been doing it for a long time," says JP Miller. "If my grandfather and father didn't get customer experience right, we wouldn't have been able to keep our doors open. Staying focused on our customers has been a major part of our success."

Second Generation Success

John Paul Miller, the second-generation Miller to lead the company, guided the dealership to even greater prominence in the Lexington community. It was under his leadership that the dealership became known as "Kentucky's Big One," a phrase that's still familiar with locals.

It was during John Paul Miller's time that Paul Miller Ford's relationship with the University of Kentucky turned into a formal partnership. The dealership created a special-edition Ford Explorer for Coach Rick Pitino, complete with his signature on the doors, and made the vehicle available for order to customers. At the same time, the dealership began featuring UK coaches in its commercials, a practice that continues today.

Twenty-First Century Tradition and Innovation

JP Miller took over leadership of the company in 2006. Under his guidance, the dealership has evolved to meet the needs and challenges of the auto industry in the twenty-first century, while staying true to its founding values: community involvement, customer service, and taking care of its employees.

Paul Miller Ford hosts and sponsors dozens of community events each year. "We've stayed very committed to giving back to our community," says JP Miller. "That's been a part of our family for a long time, and it's in the DNA of our company." JP Miller has also continued the tradition of supporting the University of Kentucky, bringing the dealership into the Coach Calipari era with multiple Coach Cal Mustangs and commercials and social media videos starring all three UK head coaches. The legacy continues now with Coach Pope joining the Paul Miller Family. The dealership's current tagline, "Your True Blue Dealer," is a nod to its membership in the Big Blue Nation. The dealership's commitment to customer service hasn't changed under JP Miller. Today's Paul Miller Motor Company is devoted to providing a five-star experience to every customer and continuing to build relationships with every person who walks through the door.

That commitment to service and community has helped Paul Miller Motor Company achieve more than 70 years of success, and have positioned the company to continue to grow, innovate, and build more relationships in the years and decades ahead.