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

#335 by @Big_John

I am gonna go out a limb and let the local California guys (@MrMoparCHP ) blow me outta the water:poke:.

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Several sources have this picture dated in 1960.

There is still a dealer at 900 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica. Its an Audi dealership now. To me, the SAME building, remodeled cosmetically over the past six decades, is still there.

I conclude by structural shape, footprint, and relative architectural/builder ease of turning the 60's Dimmette building into the 2022 Audi building. Thoughts?

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I had initial reservations due to the landscaping in front that the showroom may have been torn down and rebuilt.
But when looking at it closer you can see where it had been filled it.

I'm always amazed at how different scale and perspective can look so different when comparing vintage picture to current even from the same point of view.
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Alan
 
MrMoparCHP said:
I had initial reservations due to the landscaping in front that the showroom may have been torn down and rebuilt.
But when looking at it closer you can see where it had been filled it.

I'm always amazed at how different scale and perspective can look so different when comparing vintage picture to current even from the same point.
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Alan
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agree.

i didn't look that close at the greenery... I used the light pole, near the corner Santa Monica and the side street, to "eyeball" its position relative to the building.

except on the side street where the trees are now .. i drove Pegman down that street to eyeball length of building (~4 late 50's Imperial car lengths) and whether the new windows fit the "footprint" of the old windows. both points looked about right.
 
Circa. mid 1950's
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2022 - Building is still there in my estimation. Obvious reused/cosmetic remodeling on exterior (bugs me though when they paint the multi-color bricks in the "as built" design. Kinda like changing vehicle color for no really good reason.

To me, that brick tower amidships (for signage) is a tell-tale, post WWII auto dealer architectural feature. My guess mid-century modern thematic basis, very common post WWII style up till the 1970's
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Exclusive Plymouth Dealers

@Big_John's post in another thread. Dont think its in this thread.

Nohing disctinctiive.. big boxes with brand/corporate colors in this era just like everybody else. If it has an architectural style, I dunno what it is

Question .. is this the last store of the Dell "empire"? 1020 W. Genessee in Syracuse, list as the last Dell franchises to close in 2008? If so, that's a strip mall now.

looks like mid-60's vintage judging by what's in the showroom.

source: New life planned for former Sam Dell property in Syracuse

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Stickin' neck out again. Its cool, got some days off so I'm fasting for massive quantities of food and football.

Though I will have to go on the lam if Ohio beats Michigan Saturday - I got too many bets out -- writin' checks my butt can't cash -- that we'll beat the Columbus team.:)

circa. mid-late 1960's. Braedens Pontiac-Cadillac, 105 Vernon St., Roseville CA. Don't recall those two brands dualled-up that often. Ton of signage on this one.
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Today .. judging by the arced roof with windows, and proximity to the street, I'd say the original building is largely still there.
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amazinblue82 said:
Stickin' neck out again. Its cool, got some days off so I'm fasting for massive quantities of food and football.

Though I will have to go on the lam if Ohio beats Michigan Saturday - I got too many bets out -- writin' checks my butt can't cash -- that we'll beat the Columbus team.:)

circa. mid-late 1960's. Braedens Pontiac-Cadillac, 105 Vernon St., Roseville CA. Don't recall those two brands dualled-up that often. Ton of signage on this one.
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Today .. judging by the arced roof with windows, and proximity to the street, I'd say the original building is largely still there.
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That brown Bonneville looks as good or better than the silver Sedan DeVille to me. And you could almost get the same amount of luxury in a Bonneville Brougham as you could in a Sedan DeVille.
 
amazinblue82 said:
Question .. is this the last store of the Dell "empire"? 1020 W. Genessee in Syracuse, list as the last Dell franchises to close in 2008? If so, that's a strip mall now.
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Yea, the story is that Sam Dell Jr., actually Salvatore Delianio (or something like that) put the dealership up his nose. Sam III was pretty gung ho to get the place back on its feet, but the hole dug by his father was too deep.

It was said to me by people that worked in the business that Dell was one of the few dealerships that owned the inventory outright, not the bank.

I guess you could call that a strip mall. Dollar store, vape shop and an Aldi's grocery store. In the back is a United Auto Supply, not surprising since the guy that owns this place and the huge United warehouse also owns the restaurant around the corner and most of the property there. They also are a distributor for Rock Auto.

FCBO related content; I looked at a car for @ayilar a couple years ago. If you stood in the back of Sam Dell's lot, you could throw a rock and hit the garage where it had been kept for years. My late son's pizza shop was right behind Dell too.

For Sale - https://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/d/1970-dodge-polara-convertible/6765971007.html

For Sale - 1970 Polara Ragtop
 
carlover said:
That brown Bonneville looks as good or better than the silver Sedan DeVille to me. And you could almost get the same amount of luxury in a Bonneville Brougham as you could in a Sedan DeVille.
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Im a Bonneville fan roughly '65 to '70 or whenever the skirts came off.

plenty luxurious enough, but sporty too. Couldn't get a console in a Caddie. Then again you couldnt get a stump pullin 500 cubes in a car that rode as if on a cloud like Caddies late in that era.

:thumbsup:
 
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