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

Pontiacs

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amazinblue82 said:
A century ago. A "dealership row" in small town Midwest.

Nothing architecturally distinctive here, but it reflects small, urban transitions in dealerships and brands in the "wild wild west" days of the early car business: 111-121 E. Sherman Ave, Hutchinson, KS.

Hang on. There's a story here.

111-119, Taylor Motors, Chalmers (went outta business in 1923) and Ford brands. ca. 1912.

Taylor moved into this building in 1910 when he started selling Fords. Taylor Sr. left this business (he went into gas station business) to his son, who sold it to a couple OTHER guys.

Those second guys grew it some more, outgrew this building and moved someplace else in Hutchinson. They then sold this building to a couple OTHER cats named Ragland and Kingsley.
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ca. 1930, Ragland & Kingsley., expanded on Sherman and occupied 113-121 E. Sherman.

By 1940, the car selling in this location was over.
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These buildings have been all kinda things since. Facades are different but all still there. If you didn't know what they were, you wouldn't know it.

Total space here is bigger than it looks. ~20K sq. ft.
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According to my father, his father worked at the Hupmobile dealership in Hutchinson. Hupmobile bought the Chalmers auto company, so the dealer in the pic, Taylor Chalmers may be that dealer.
But, from what I can find, the Hupmobile dealership was owned by a man named Dobrinski, so my speculation may be incorrect. Dobrinski left Hutch in 1927 the same year my Grandfather died.
 
Former Hightower & Cromer Packard, 338 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA. Here in 1926 shortly after construction. Many things over the years, but still there. Remarkably well preserved facade.

Now a restaurant in front, and micro-brewery in back. 20K sq. ft. Original floor & ceiling rafters, ceramic tile interior walls, remain in restrurant

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Monkish Brewing
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Body shop. Note the newspaper masking, no mask and not painting in a booth.


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Arlington, VA

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It's replacement. Gotta say it's nice they stayed with the circular design, and it does have some architectural style.

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From what I read, this rare "Muffler Man", actually called a "Corey" stood outside a bar in New Castle, IN for many years after its stint in front of a Sunoco station. It's now undergoing restoration and will be in front of an unnamed muscle car museum.

Cool advertising icon!


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While not really "vintage", I thought this pic of this assembly line display of the body being dropped on the chassis at the national Studebaker museum in South Bend was interesting.

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amazinblue82 said:
neat one.

Former Bresee Chevrolet, 201 W. Willow St, Syracuse, NY.

sources: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...rolet-dealership-in-syracuse-new-york.368737/, Sealing a deal made a decade ago, Bresee agrees to end 89-year-old car dealership and sell to Driver's Village

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advertised to be 1927 Chevrolet's being delivered - colorized version below
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Today
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They were in a pretty cool building for years in Liverpool, NY (suburb of Syracuse) before they closed. An old friend worked there for years and retired when they closed.

I wish I could get a good pic of that building. There's a tanning salon and various other businesses in there now.

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