Photos of Vintage Auto Dealerships, Repair Shops, and Gas Stations

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Here is another really nice (to my eyes) Olds dealership, photographed also in 1971. Edward Oldsmobile at 530 East McDowell Road in Phoenix AZ, 1971 -- perhaps @azblackhemi can chime in? AFAIK, these buildings have been replaced by new non-automotive buildings.

 
former Franklin dealer, 2 Howard Street, Ansonia, Connecticut.

Built 1922, picture ca. 1926, non-descript brick over cinderblock architecture, compared to the limestone clad, reinforced concrete "palaces" like their target competitors Packard and Cadillac built.

This construction was affordable (a sales/service box with concrete floor, tiny, pedestrian showrooms and outdoor parking) prevalent post WWI and buildings like that are all over US by the thousands by the wannabe car companies and auto service industry.

Franklin (the standalone OEM car business, other parts of it are still around today - see post #2,087) lasted about 30 years, never really converted to mass production, and not into spending big cash on marketing.

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Still there 100 years later. Been many auto-related businesses this whole time.
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ex Franklin dealership, 226 Allen St, Albany NY. Built mid- 1920's, a fairly large facility, more "palatial" (could have had regional duties in the Franklin universe).

Usages since Franklin (ca. mid- 1930's) unknown. Added onto, painted over, boarded over, etc ... typical of urban "white elephants" that survived

ca. 1926
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today
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amazinblue82 said:
Franklin lasted about 30 years, never really converted to mass production, and not into spending big cash on marketing. Never seemed to figure out the car biz was about scale economies.
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The Franklin company actually lived on... Becoming Franklin Air Cooled engines after car production ended and a group of ex-employees bought the company. Republic Aviation owned it for a short time until Preston Tucker (of Tucker cars) bought it in 1947. It stayed in Syracuse and the Tucker family owned it until 1961. Aero Industries bought it and then the government of Poland bought in 1975 and moved it to Poland.

The other Franklin company, a machine shop that H.H. Franklin was partners in was Young and Franklin. That company still exists and sells hydraulic helicopter parts. I was offered a job there about 30 years ago. I gotta a pretty good story about that interview... But it really needs to be told in person. I have a couple good interview stories... From both sides of the desk.
 
Local place. Lakeland, NY just a bit northeast of where I live.

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Long gone... Now location for a Byrne Dairy convivence store/gas station.

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Big_John said:
The other Franklin company, a machine shop that H.H. Franklin was partners in was Young and Franklin. That company still exists and sells hydraulic helicopter parts. I was offered a job there about 30 years ago. I gotta a pretty good story about that interview... But it really needs to be told in person. I have a couple good interview stories... From both sides of the desk.
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Noted. Making plans for the next time we meet!
 
ayilar said:
Here is another really nice (to my eyes) Olds dealership, photographed also in 1971. Edward Oldsmobile at 530 East McDowell Road in Phoenix AZ, 1971 -- perhaps @azblackhemi can chime in? AFAIK, these buildings have been replaced by new non-automotive buildings.

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I remember it well. Used to be a lot of locally owned car dealerships in and around downtown Phoenix as Edward Oldsmobile was but now it's all major conglomerates in large auto malls on the outskirts of Phoenix. Buying a new car is no longer the exciting experience it once was.
 
ayilar said:
More on the history of Reed Brothers Dodge on this website, created by the founder's granddaughter: Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012

Your second photo is the glass shop that the family added in 1947:

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Hey @ayilar .. sure about that? :poke:

I think the "glass shop" is IN the dealership building.

My rationale is the '61 Polara is asserted to be parked outside the showroom. The RED BOXES show the facade .. and it looks like the building in both photos ... BUT

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CONTRARY to my theory, because I cannot confirm with EVIDENCE in the photos, is the GREEN BOX. That relative position of brick, grate, and showroom (there is a car visible thourgh the window) glass doesn't appear in any building picture.
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BUT, STILL when adding the wording in your article suggests those Reed cats just added "glass" to their product/service offerings AT the ONE dealership they had in Rockville

:)
 
former Brownell Pontiac, 2900 Ave E, Birmingham AL. Neo modern industrial, brick/limestone over reinforced concrete, looks like 1930's or so.

Way too big (nearly 25K sq. ft.) for personal reuse. looks like whenever its retail OEM biz ended, it was industrial, automotive repair/painting, and warehouse property.

In an urban)residential area that has had better days it seems.

Love that old Poncho sign.

1965
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Today
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