B.J. “Red” McCombs began his career as a salesman in the automobile business in Corpus Christi in 1950. In 1953, he opened a holding company with one subsidiary, a used car dealership. Within a year he opened a second lot, an insurance agency and became a partner in a home-building company. In 1957, McCombs became the youngest Edsel dealer in the U.S. In 1958, he relocated to San Antonio where he became a partner in a struggling Ford dealership, then became sole owner of Red McCombs Automotive. During the next several years, McCombs not only continued to build the dealership, he set sales records and established a reputation as an aggressive, effective dealer. Today McCombs owns or co-owns 30 dealerships. He is a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and FarneyMcCombs Oil Corporation in Houston. His other business interests include ranching and finance and insurance operations.