D-Patrick has deep roots to the Evansville business community. 

Way back to 1934, when Joseph E. O’Daniel partnered with George Ranes Sr. to form O’Daniel-Ranes Oldsmobile in downtown Evansville, Indiana. With the expansion in mind, the O’Daniel family grew its business within Evansville, and to other cities such as Omaha, NE, Louisville, KY, Bloomington, IN, and Fort Wayne, IN.  Dealerships in both Fort Wayne and Omaha are still owned and operated by members of the O’Daniel family.

In 1964, Joe O’Daniel’s son, D. Patrick O’Daniel, joined the family business at the Key Ford dealership in downtown Evansville. He began his career as the company’s Chief Accountant and was later promoted to General Manager of the Ford Dealership, before purchasing his own dealership in 1971.

The new company, called D-Patrick, Inc., sold and serviced Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz vehicles on Green River Road on Evansville’s east side. D. Patrick later purchased Key Ford Honda, moving it to Green River Road before adding BMW, Porsche, and Audi to the Green River Road location. D-Patrick eventually purchased O’Daniel-Ranes Oldsmobile Nissan. The Nissan dealership was moved to the Green River Road location. General Motors later discontinued the Oldsmobile brand.

In 1987, D. Patrick’s son, Mike O’Daniel, joined D-Patrick. Two years later, D. Patrick’s son-in-law, Ray Farabaugh, joined D-Patrick. In 1998, after completing the NADA dealer candidate program and filling multiple management roles within the dealership, Mike O’Daniel and Ray Farabaugh purchased D-Patrick, Inc.

D-Patrick has since added the Lincoln franchise to the downtown Ford dealership and moved the Honda dealership to the Division Street Auto Plaza. The Ford dealership in Boonville was also purchased as well as the expansion of the D-Patrick Body Shop and Glass business to be one of the largest in the Evansville Area. In 2014 D-Patrick Nissan moved from its’ Green River Road home of 20 years to a brand new completely green-built facility with over 400 vehicles and 16 state of the art service bays.

D-Patrick, Inc. employs the finest dealership staff, offers the best service and sales experience, maintains the greatest selection of new and used vehicles and offers the best deals in the tri-state area. The D-Patrick service, body and glass shops offer the highest quality repairs available anywhere.

Mike O’Daniel said “We provide our factory-trained master technicians with the latest technology and diagnostic equipment to ensure your vehicle is completed in a timely manner and repaired correctly…the first time”.

Lincoln Beachey Flying Machine 

by Pat Sides

The man seated in the “flying machine” is Lincoln Beachey,  the pioneer aviator who visited Evansville in 1912. The occasion was the second annual aviation show held at the Tri-State Fairgrounds (which was later developed into Akin Park).

Beachey is pictured (left background) as he is being sworn in on June 6 as a mail carrier for the United States Post Office, which afforded local residents the opportunity to have mail delivered by air for the first time. 

Although not visible in this picture, the fairground had a huge grandstand capable of seating the thousands of spectators who witnessed the death-defying aerial stunts that had transformed Beachey into an international sensation.