(7/29/05) Owings Mills, MD – Norma Predmore looks back to 1985 as an important year for the Predmore’s family business, Predmore Motors & RV Sales, Inc, located at 1404 N. 26th Street in Quincy.

Open to innovation and always looking for new opportunities, in 1985 Norma recognized a need in her community for low-cost, high quality used vehicle rentals, and she decided to open a Rent-A-Wreck franchise alongside her used car lot. Looking back twenty years, Norma recalls what prompted this trend toward diversifying her product line. “I was getting so many calls from people who wanted to rent cars,” said Norma, “I’ve always liked the Rent-A-Wreck name and the value I could offer my neighbors and customers.”

Soon after Rent-A-Wreck of Quincy opened alongside their Predmore Motors car dealership, Norma and son Mike further diversified their business by offering RV sales and service with Nu-Wa HitchHiker 5th Wheels. These additional businesses have allowed the Predmore family to offer car rentals, RV sales and service, and quality used vehicle sales from the same location, which now also features a shuttle transportation service that carries customers to locations within a 300 mile radius of Quincy.

Norma and Mike continue to thank their loyal constituency that has developed over the years with her slightly used but well maintained car rental service, “We are very thankful for the repeat customers who are almost like family to us now,” they said.

Norma is quick to point out that they don’t rent wrecks, as the name jokingly implies. The vehicles they rent are simply used. “Everyone drives a used vehicle everyday: their own. If they are unable to drive their personal vehicle, then Rent-A-Wreck provides them with a valuable service. It’s an economical alternative.”

Norma and Mike take pride in the history of Rent-A-Wreck, a company that celebrated it’s 30th anniversary three years ago. Founded by a young southern California entrepreneur who pioneered the concept of renting “clunkers”, the idea gained widespread popularity as movie stars, such as Paul Newman, Henry Fonda and Ringo Starr rented the older cars in order to preserve their anonymity. Today, Rent-A-Wreck locations worldwide rent newer model cars, trucks and vans that are a far cry from the “clunkers” of yesteryear.

Rent-A-Wreck of Quincy and Predmore RV and Shuttle Service can be reached locally for reservations by calling (217) 222-7055

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