The Pilot · August 2026
A note from the founder
Dave canceled on me three times before this interview. Not because he didn’t want to do it. He had 50 cars to prepare for Lancaster, drivers to dispatch and titles to chase. He is 70 years old, works seven days a week, and when you ask him about it, he tells you he’s on vacation. He means it.
I’ve known Dave my entire career. He taught me that presentation is everything, that the deal you eat today is the relationship you keep tomorrow, and that a handshake still means something in this business. He was the only person who could have been the subject of our pilot.
MATTHEW C. HAIKEN
Founder, The Car Business
The Pilot · Dave Jacobs
The Jacobs Rules
Fifty years of lessons from a one-man operation that wholesales roughly 3,500 cars a year. One of the greatest entrepreneurs you’ve never heard of.
Dave Jacobs on set · August 2026
At a Glance
Presentation Is Everything
“Presentation, presentation, presentation.”
“Everything in life is in presentation. You gotta present any business. You gotta present it the right way.”
Be a Straight Shooter
“Can’t be a liar, and you gotta be a straight shooter, and you gotta be a worker.”
“Everybody wants to do business with straight shooters.”
Work Every Day
“Hard work. You gotta be consistent. You can’t work one day a week.”
“I don’t need a vacation. I’m on a vacation every day.”
Know Your Number
“If you have a good memory, you know what a ’19 Honda Accord’s worth. I don’t need to look at a book.”
“I put a number on a car, and I stand by my number.”
The $21,000 Decision
A number from memory. A decision he stood behind.
Midway through our conversation, Dave’s phone rang. A dealer wanted a price on a 2024 Honda HR-V with a damage report on the Carfax and worn tires. The book said $23,300.
Dave did not open a valuation tool or consult a guide. He said $21,000 from memory—and stood behind the number.
“That’s for me to know.”
Protect the Relationship
“I made money on other cars, and you’re gonna sell me another car next week, so I eat it.”
“It always can’t be your way. But at the end of the year, if you’re a winner, then you’re a winner.”
The loss on one car can be the price of preserving a profitable relationship. Dave evaluates the entire relationship, not merely the individual transaction.
Cash Flow Is the Business
“That’s the reason why I buy cars, ’cause everybody needs cash flow.”
“Everybody loves a laser beam check. I don’t care how big or how small.”
“I’m not in the car business. I’m in the money business.”
Dave Jacobs
Be a Seller
“You gotta be a seller. You can’t hold back. You gotta sell everything.”
“If you don’t sell, people aren’t gonna be in your lane bidding on your cars.”
Dave traded through the Gulf War, September 11 and the 2008 financial crisis. Survival, to him, means continuing to move the metal.
Stay Close to the Work
“I always like to be a one-man operation. I do everything. I know if I make a mistake, I have no one to blame but myself.”
“I just like working on small profits on a large volume.”
Teach the Right People
“I only mentor people that I wanna mentor.”
“Anybody that’s a gentleman. And has good ethics. Ethics is number one.”
The Question for the Next Guest
“Why are you successful? Because it’s not going to work for me every day. Every day, it’s going on vacation for me.”
Dave Jacobs does not work for an audience, a following or recognition. He works because he loves the action. The Car Business exists to make sure careers like his are placed on the record.
The Car Business