For Grant Cabral, some of his earliest memories of the family business have nothing to do with selling cars.

“I remember visiting my grandpa’s office and wanting gumballs out of the antique gumball machine, wanting a soda out of the old Coca-Cola machine, and sitting outside their office on the bench looking out on Yosemite Avenue and all the cars on the lot,” Grant says. “I’d play behind the desk or run around the dealership checking out cool sporty cars, Jeeps, lifted SUVs, or anything new that came in, like the Plymouth Prowler.”

That dealership story began in 1957, when Grant’s grandfather, Bill Cabral, helped launch the business under the original name, Cabral Western Motors. What started as a local family operation eventually grew into Cabral Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, a dealership that has remained family-owned and rooted in the Central Valley for generations. 

Today, Grant carries on that legacy alongside his father, Don Cabral. “Some people say it’s hard working with family, but I find it fun,” Grant says about working alongside his dad. “Most people lose touch or aren’t able to see their parents every day after college or moving away. I get to interact with mine almost every day, and it doesn’t get tiring or old. If anything, we bond more over business and everyday life.”

Grant says both his father and grandfather instilled the same core values in him from an early age.

“No one is going to do it for you. Go out there and go get it. Treat everyone the way you would want to be treated. Show respect, have fun, and make things happen.”

Before building the family dealership, Bill Cabral sold vehicles at Mike’s Manteca Ford. Over the years, he built a reputation for relationships that extended far beyond the sale itself. “He had lifelong customers and employees at the car lot,” Grant says. “People still come into my office and tell me stories about my grandpa. Hearing how happy they were with everything he would do for them showed his character. That’s something we still strive for today by going above and beyond for our people.”

While honoring tradition, Grant has also brought a new generation of ideas into the business. After spending time living and working in San Francisco, he introduced monthly food truck nights at the dealership inspired by the city’s popular Off the Grid gatherings. “It brought new people to the store and created a fun community atmosphere,” he says.

Grant has also helped modernize systems and marketing while working alongside his father on the dealership’s new Jeep standalone showroom and service expansion.

“It means a lot to continue the family legacy,” Grant says. “I wasn’t always sure this was what I wanted to do, but after moving away and working in different industries, I eventually came back to automotive.”

Now a father himself, Grant says family remains at the center of everything. He and his wife are raising their two children, Bodie, who is 2 years old, and Soleil, celebrating her first birthday in June.

“A personal goal for me is for Cabral to hit a milestone like 100 years, always family-owned and locally owned,” he says. “Not many places can say that.”

Above all, Grant says the goal remains simple.

“We want customers to feel like this is a place they can trust to do business with. Our old slogan was, ‘You’ve got a friend at Cabral,’ and we mean that.”