Whitney Car Parts: A Legacy of Automotive Accessories and Mail Order History

For enthusiasts deeply entrenched in automotive culture, the name JC Whitney resonates with a unique blend of nostalgia and a vast catalog of car parts. For years, JC Whitney was synonymous with automotive accessories and parts, particularly for those looking to maintain or customize their vehicles. Having spent time working at JC Whitney’s corporate headquarters in Chicago, I can offer a unique insider’s perspective on this iconic company, especially during its later years, and reflect on its enduring impact on the world of Whitney Car Parts.

While it feels unusual to cite Wikipedia, it’s relevant here as I contributed to the Wikipedia article on JC Whitney, giving me a unique insight into its history. JC Whitney’s story began with Israel Warshawsky, a Lithuanian immigrant who established a scrap metal yard on Chicago’s South Side to escape religious persecution. To make the company name more approachable in America, he chose the less foreign-sounding name, JC Whitney. While Israel laid the foundation, it was his son, Roy Warshawsky, who truly propelled the business into a national phenomenon in 1934. Inspired by the success of Chicago’s mail-order giant Sears and Roebuck, Roy envisioned expanding beyond Chicago by tapping into the burgeoning mail-order catalog industry for Whitney car parts.

Vintage JC Whitney advertisement from July 1950 showcasing early offerings of Whitney car parts and accessories.

Roy Warshawsky initially promoted the business through classified ads in magazines such as Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. These vintage ads, many of which can be found in the Google Books magazine archives, marked the humble beginnings of a mail-order empire focused on Whitney car parts. These early advertisements were crucial in establishing JC Whitney’s presence in the automotive parts market.

The 1950s marked a significant period of growth for JC Whitney. The advertisements evolved from small classifieds to full-page spreads, signaling the company’s expanding reach and product offerings. With the widespread distribution of its now-iconic catalog, JC Whitney was well on its way to becoming a household name for Whitney car parts and accessories.

A 1954 Popular Mechanics ad highlighting JC Whitney’s growing catalog of Whitney car parts and accessories, appealing to car enthusiasts.

The JC Whitney catalog itself became a cultural artifact. Its pulp paper pages, dense with tiny print and minimalist line drawings, offered a fascinating glimpse into the automotive trends and needs of the 1950s and 1960s. This era represented the golden age for JC Whitney and its vast selection of Whitney car parts.

An advertisement from the JC Whitney catalog featuring a range of Whitney car parts, including engine components, demonstrating the breadth of their offerings.

During this peak period, JC Whitney still offered a substantial range of “hard parts,” essential replacement components like alternators, brakes, body panels, and even complete engines. These Whitney car parts, typically made of steel or iron, were crucial for vehicle maintenance and repair. However, their weight and low profit margins presented logistical challenges.

A JC Whitney catalog page showcasing various Whitney car parts and accessories, emphasizing both functional and aesthetic automotive products.

However, it was not solely the hard parts that cemented JC Whitney’s fame. The company became truly iconic for its extensive array of quirky and innovative accessories. Unlike hard parts, these accessories were inexpensive to manufacture, purchase, and ship. In later years, many were sourced from China, further increasing profit margins. Some of the most popular Whitney car parts accessories boasted gross selling margins exceeding 50%.

An advertisement for whitewall tire paint from JC Whitney, exemplifying the affordable and aspirational Whitney car parts accessories offered.

The effectiveness of these novelty accessories was almost secondary to their appeal. While customers might have been skeptical about the longevity of paint-on whitewalls, JC Whitney was selling an aspirational dream: the idea that anyone could afford to customize their car with stylish features, regardless of budget. This democratization of car customization was a key aspect of the Whitney car parts ethos.

JC Whitney ad promoting dual headlight conversion kits, a classic example of Whitney car parts designed to update older vehicles with modern styling cues.

Whenever automakers introduced new styling, technological advancements, or safety features, JC Whitney was quick to offer Whitney car parts that allowed owners of older vehicles to emulate these upgrades. Whether it was adding the quad-headlight look of a 1958 model to a 1957 car or installing a third brake light on a pre-1986 vehicle, JC Whitney catered to the desire for automotive upgrades and personalization.

A humorous JC Whitney advertisement for a VW hand starter, showcasing the wide range of Whitney car parts, including practical and unusual items.

JC Whitney’s diverse product range and unconventional marketing approach appealed to a broad spectrum of customers, bridging various automotive subcultures:

Those with limited budgets who needed affordable Whitney car parts to keep their older vehicles running. Items like the VW hand starter catered to this practical need.
Customers seeking to enhance their cars with styling elements and features found on more expensive models, using Whitney car parts to achieve a customized look.
Individuals wanting to personalize and customize their vehicles, utilizing Whitney car parts for unique modifications and upgrades.

A JC Whitney catalog cover from October 1952, representing the era when Whitney car parts and accessories were widely accessible and popular among car owners.

JC Whitney welcomed everyone. The brand transcended income disparities, offering Whitney car parts like third brake lights or continental kits to anyone who desired them, regardless of their financial situation.

This successful formula continued for decades. However, by the 1970s, challenges began to emerge. Rising fuel costs, complex vehicle electronics, and stricter emissions regulations made it increasingly difficult for average car owners to perform DIY repairs and maintenance. This trend impacted the demand for certain types of Whitney car parts. Interestingly, JC Whitney actually filed for Chapter XI bankruptcy in 1979, a fact surprisingly unknown even to many within the company at the time. While they successfully reorganized, it signaled the beginning of a period of turbulence.

A JC Whitney magazine advertisement from May 1992, illustrating the shift towards accessories and away from hard Whitney car parts in later catalogs.

By the 1980s and 1990s, the catalogs reflected a noticeable shift. Lower-margin hard Whitney car parts gradually disappeared, replaced by a growing selection of inexpensive, often Chinese-made accessories. The familiar tiny print and line art remained, but the product quality of some Whitney car parts declined.

Roy Warshawsky retired in 1991 and passed away in 1997. In 2002, Roy’s last surviving sister sold the company to The Riverside Company, a private equity firm. JC Whitney was no longer a family-owned business and, while still based in Chicago, its direction was changing. Industry speculation suggested the sale price was around $60 million, for a company with $170 million in sales, down from peak sales exceeding $200 million in the 1990s.

In 2006, Riverside attempted to revitalize JC Whitney. They acquired Stylin Concepts, a truck accessory catalog company where I worked, and merged it with JC Whitney under the umbrella of Whitney Automotive Group (WAG). Riverside aimed to consolidate the automotive aftermarket sector, using JC Whitney as the primary vehicle. They brought in a young executive from Dell to boost eCommerce capabilities and created a VP of Mergers and Acquisitions role. The company relocated to a new, modern office on Michigan Avenue, attempting to cultivate a startup atmosphere with a relaxed dress code and trendy office amenities.

Although Roy Warshawsky was no longer with the company, his influence was still palpable. His collection of antique gas pump globes and automotive memorabilia adorned the office, alongside photographs of his classic car collection. The main conference room, housing these artifacts, was still known as “Roy’s Garage,” a testament to his enduring legacy within the Whitney car parts business.

We explored various strategies to rejuvenate the business, many of which were long-term initiatives:

Install Pro: Recognizing that JC Whitney traditionally served the DIY market, we aimed to tap into the DIFM (Do It For Me) segment. We established a network of installation shops, allowing customers to purchase Whitney car parts and installation services together. However, this initiative lacked sufficient investment in installer network development and marketing.
carparts.com: JC Whitney faced increasing competition from online retailers with lower overhead. Carparts.com was launched as a no-frills website to compete on price, offering discounted Whitney car parts with limited customer service and strict return policies. However, it generated minimal profit.
Sears Partnership: We partnered with Sears to create and manage the auto parts section on sears.com, with JC Whitney handling fulfillment. However, the financial benefits for JC Whitney were limited.
Acquisition Attempts: Significant resources were invested in exploring potential acquisitions, but none were successfully completed.

The core challenge was that while these expansion efforts were underway, JC Whitney’s core business – the catalog and Whitney car parts sales – was declining due to neglect. The flywheel effect, which had once driven consistent growth, was losing momentum.

The 2008 financial crisis further complicated matters. Credit markets froze, halting M&A activity. Worse, JC Whitney was attempting to reposition itself upmarket just as consumers were becoming more price-sensitive during the recession. Companies like McDonald’s and Walmart thrived in this environment. JC Whitney, a brand historically associated with affordability and Whitney car parts for the masses, was moving away from its core identity at the wrong time.

Ovaltine product image, used to illustrate the aging brand perception of JC Whitney, similar to other once-popular but now less relevant brands.

The JC Whitney brand itself was aging. Despite minimal investment in branding, it was becoming less relevant to newer generations. Common reactions when I mentioned working at JC Whitney were, “My Dad used to buy from you,” and “You guys are still around?” This indicated a growing disconnect with contemporary consumers and their perception of Whitney car parts.

The core JC Whitney business continued to decline. The customer base aged, and sales dwindled to around $120 million. New generations of car owners turned to online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Google for their Whitney car parts needs, bypassing JC Whitney.

Managing decline proved more challenging than managing growth. JC Whitney’s revenue was shrinking, but its cost structure remained geared for a much larger business. Cost-cutting measures were insufficient, leading to increasing debt. The company became heavily leveraged, relying on delayed vendor payments to sustain operations. Suppliers became hesitant to extend credit or provide products, signaling the imminent end.

In the summer of 2010, Riverside announced its intention to sell WAG. The hope was to find an “angel investor” to revitalize the brand for the 21st century. However, the ultimate outcome was the worst-case scenario: US Auto Parts, a direct competitor, acquired Whitney Automotive Group for $27.5 million on August 17, 2010. This price, while seemingly low, was arguably reasonable given the company’s liabilities and break-even financial state.

Following the acquisition, US Auto Parts swiftly reduced staff, including the WAG executive team. I was among those who remained to oversee the closure of the Cleveland and Chicago offices and the migration of JC Whitney systems to US Auto Parts’ platform. US Auto Parts managed the acquisition professionally and provided fair severance packages.

US Auto Parts was not to blame for JC Whitney’s demise. The company’s decline was self-inflicted, and US Auto Parts merely acquired the remnants. However, the acquisition proved costly for US Auto Parts. JC Whitney’s financial situation was worse than initially assessed, and US Auto Parts’ stock performance remained sluggish for years afterward.

JC Whitney persists today, but primarily as a storefront for US Auto Parts. Beyond the name, there is little connection to the original Chicago-based company and its legacy of Whitney car parts. The Chicago office is closed, though the La Salle distribution center and outlet store remain under US Auto Parts ownership. The once-iconic general print catalog is largely discontinued, with only specialized catalogs for Jeep and Truck parts remaining. Specialty catalogs for Classic VW, Motorcycle, and general Auto Whitney car parts are no longer published.

Postscripts

July 16, 2020: US Auto Parts Network (now CarParts.com) announced the closure of jcwhitney.com and the cessation of all print catalogs. JC Whitney would continue solely as a private label brand for select CarParts.com accessories.

October 2023: Jcwhitney.com was relaunched as an automotive lifestyle blog designed to drive traffic to carparts.com. While print catalogs remain discontinued, a print magazine is now offered, providing a physical format for JC Whitney content.