In the early days of the automobile, auto manufacturers didn't have the resources to have stores in every town in America. People couldn't just get a vehicle i

In the early days of the automobile, auto manufacturers didn't have the resources to have stores in every town in America. People couldn't just get a vehicle in Atlanta from Detroit if they didn't have a way to get there. Dealers both organically popped up, and some manufacturers actively engaged with local dealers to get their cars out to a broader audience (e.g. Ford with the Model T). But as those manufacturers and dealers grew, they then had the resources to operate at broader geographies, and dealers lobbed for franchise laws to "protect local businesses", etc.