San Antonio luxury car dealer Ken Batchelor has died

Ken Batchelor, who served as longtime partner and general manager of San Antonio’s Ken Batchelor Cadillac, died peacefully on Wednesday, KSAT reports, citing a statement from his family.

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support during this incredibly difficult time,” a statement from the family said. “Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers.”

While not as fabled as San Antonio car dealers B.J. “Red” McCombs, Batchelor was a longtime fixture in the local dealership business and made a name for himself by highlighting his dealership’s commitment to exceptional service. The dealership that at I-10 and Huebner Road that once bore his name is still in operation as Sewell Cadillac of San Antonio.

Batchelor got into the car business in 1969 after Carl Sewell — another prominent Texas car dealer Batchelor met during his time in the U.S. Army Reserve — invited him to work at Sewell Village Cadillac in Dallas, according to KSAT.

A decade later, Batchelor, with Sewell’s help, went out on his own and opened his namesake Cadillac dealership. Batchelor’s store would go on to win Cadillac’s Master Dealer Award 38 times, KSAT reports.

In November 2024, Ken Batchelor Cadillac changed its name to Sewell Cadillac.

While Batchelor was known for presenting an affable media and marketing image, his personal life wasn’t without hardship.

His ex-wife, Martha Batchelor, was gruesomely murdered inside her North Side apartment in 2013. The alleged perpetrator, Bradford Hudson, was finally apprehended in Northern California six years later but died while out on bond and was never put on trial.

The death of Batchelor’s ex-wife played a large part in his daughter Kendall Batchelor’s defense as she faced a 2023 intoxication manslaughter charge. Her defense team argued her history of substance abuse was result of trauma from her mother’s murder.

Kendall Batchelor is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for the road accident that claimed the life of a 49-year-old David Belter.

Funeral arrangements for Ken Batchelor are pending, and the family promised to share addition details as they become available.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.