Some happy customers of mine in 1993
Photos of Vintage Auto Dealerships, Repair Shops, and Gas Stations
- Thread starter ayilar
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Some happy customers of mine in 1993
Going back to OKC dealerships, this eBay seller has a number of very nice photos that he makes from originals. AFAICT, they are reproduction of photos in the public domain.
Here is another photo of the Chrysler dealership in my above post -- what a beauty!
Here is another dealership in OKC, Greenlease Moore (Cadillac and Chevrolet):
And here is a period photo of the Shamrock, TX gas station that I started in the OP:
Here is another photo of the Chrysler dealership in my above post -- what a beauty!
Here is another dealership in OKC, Greenlease Moore (Cadillac and Chevrolet):
And here is a period photo of the Shamrock, TX gas station that I started in the OP:
sixpkrt
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Back in 2019 I visited the Packard Museum in Dayton, OH which that was once the location for the dealership. The museum has is displayed as if it was an actual dealership when in business.
The cars on display are either loaned to the museum or have been donated.
Inside there is a large room dedicated to Packard memorabilia, as well as a sales manager office, waiting room and garage area made to look as it did in the 1920's.
The cars on display are either loaned to the museum or have been donated.
Inside there is a large room dedicated to Packard memorabilia, as well as a sales manager office, waiting room and garage area made to look as it did in the 1920's.
sixpkrt
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This one started out as a Buick dealership.....
Never been to this city. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 621 Elizabeth Street. 1950-ish as a Ford dealer, then 2016 as a Toyota dealership, then "urban renewal" by 2020
source: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2009/10/28/more-art-deco-ford-dealerships
source: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2009/10/28/more-art-deco-ford-dealerships
I cant find this building here .. i have put it here at least twice before. Several searches are not turning it up.
The former Michigan Central Depot, built in 1913, fell into disrepair and often used to reflect Detroit's urban decay. Lots of plans - demolish, reuse, demolish, film movies there (2002 "8 mile" movie, 2007 "Batman v. Superman" movie, etc.,) for over 30 years since the last AmTrak train left in late 1980's.
historical photos: Michigan Central Station - Old photos gallery | Historic Detroit
Then Ford Motor Company bought it about five years ago .. one of country's largest reclamation/reuse of an historic structure. Seems to be going pretty good, and the whole project (including the depot) costing almost $1 Billion.
1930's-50's - the "Heyday". Back (south side) of the building where trains were, then the front (north side) of the building
2010 -- after years of decline, windows gone, roof nearly gone, almost every bit of copper in the place vandalized...
About 2018 -- after Ford started on project. Put the windows back in, get it electrified, pump water out of a 60,000 sq. ft. sub-basement nobody knew was there - then fill it with concrete to stabilize the building, and all the gargantuan tasks to renovate/reclaim this 110 year old building.
The Future - again the backside (North direction to the left) where the trains were, then the front (looking south to Canada across the Detroit River)
2022 - Four years In. about 2:30 minutes from a local TV station about 8 months ago
The former Michigan Central Depot, built in 1913, fell into disrepair and often used to reflect Detroit's urban decay. Lots of plans - demolish, reuse, demolish, film movies there (2002 "8 mile" movie, 2007 "Batman v. Superman" movie, etc.,) for over 30 years since the last AmTrak train left in late 1980's.
historical photos: Michigan Central Station - Old photos gallery | Historic Detroit
Then Ford Motor Company bought it about five years ago .. one of country's largest reclamation/reuse of an historic structure. Seems to be going pretty good, and the whole project (including the depot) costing almost $1 Billion.
1930's-50's - the "Heyday". Back (south side) of the building where trains were, then the front (north side) of the building
2010 -- after years of decline, windows gone, roof nearly gone, almost every bit of copper in the place vandalized...
About 2018 -- after Ford started on project. Put the windows back in, get it electrified, pump water out of a 60,000 sq. ft. sub-basement nobody knew was there - then fill it with concrete to stabilize the building, and all the gargantuan tasks to renovate/reclaim this 110 year old building.
The Future - again the backside (North direction to the left) where the trains were, then the front (looking south to Canada across the Detroit River)
2022 - Four years In. about 2:30 minutes from a local TV station about 8 months ago
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Vintage Chrysler Corp dealership pics
One of my favorites revisted .. but not a happy ending for reuse. Distinctive appearance of dealerships as I remember them in the 60's. BIG street signage that grabbed your attention, giant window showroom walls, etc.
First 1966, then 2011 when it might have had a chance as a vacant building to become something else, then 2021 land reuse but the building gone apparently finding no alternative usage as a structure. Location is 16213 County Rd @ Roberts, Los Gatos, CA (near San Jose)
One of my favorites revisted .. but not a happy ending for reuse. Distinctive appearance of dealerships as I remember them in the 60's. BIG street signage that grabbed your attention, giant window showroom walls, etc.
First 1966, then 2011 when it might have had a chance as a vacant building to become something else, then 2021 land reuse but the building gone apparently finding no alternative usage as a structure. Location is 16213 County Rd @ Roberts, Los Gatos, CA (near San Jose)
Stumbled across this.
One local publication, just in one city -- Great Barrington, MA (The Berkshires) -- looked around at all the things that used to be car dealerships but have found "adaptive usages" as different things.
Recall changes in auto dealerships overall the past 25 years. All the various restructurings with the American manufacturers unraveled what have been a staple of the dealer footprint.
A bunch of small stores in lots of places all over the country were closed, and then these sprawling, standardized stores came into vogue. You needed really deep pockets to build such a place as a dealer .. lotta folks didn't have it.
Anyway, look around any city big or small at the local real estate. Even if you are not from that city, betcha you can spot architectural cues on certain buildings that are something else now that likely once were a vehicle dealership.
Some will be obvious, others less so due to additions/demolitions one the site.
Nine examples and "what they were before" follow just from one small town in MA in this article from 2018.
source: Bygone car dealership buildings find new uses
One local publication, just in one city -- Great Barrington, MA (The Berkshires) -- looked around at all the things that used to be car dealerships but have found "adaptive usages" as different things.
Recall changes in auto dealerships overall the past 25 years. All the various restructurings with the American manufacturers unraveled what have been a staple of the dealer footprint.
A bunch of small stores in lots of places all over the country were closed, and then these sprawling, standardized stores came into vogue. You needed really deep pockets to build such a place as a dealer .. lotta folks didn't have it.
Anyway, look around any city big or small at the local real estate. Even if you are not from that city, betcha you can spot architectural cues on certain buildings that are something else now that likely once were a vehicle dealership.
Some will be obvious, others less so due to additions/demolitions one the site.
Nine examples and "what they were before" follow just from one small town in MA in this article from 2018.
source: Bygone car dealership buildings find new uses
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Going on in another thread with @PeugFra @Big_John @68 4spd Fury contribution below
Exclusive Plymouth Dealers
1523 South Salina St, Syracuse NY .. a distinctive architecture converted and reused many times since the 1950's per eyewitness reports.
I added the last two photos from 2022 to see if it was still there.
If I passed this building's architecture it yells out "vehicle dealership" -- a curiously-shaped front end that looks altered (odd little windows, non-matching brick), connected to a "big box" backend.
Exclusive Plymouth Dealers
1523 South Salina St, Syracuse NY .. a distinctive architecture converted and reused many times since the 1950's per eyewitness reports.
I added the last two photos from 2022 to see if it was still there.
If I passed this building's architecture it yells out "vehicle dealership" -- a curiously-shaped front end that looks altered (odd little windows, non-matching brick), connected to a "big box" backend.
That section of Syracuse has gotten a little "rough" over the past 60+ years.Going on in another thread with @PeugFra @Big_John @68 4spd Fury contribution below
Exclusive Plymouth Dealers
1523 South Salina St, Syracuse NY .. a distinctive architecture converted and reused many times since the 1950's per eyewitness reports.
I added the last two photos from 2022 to see if it was still there.
If I passed this building's architecture it yells out "vehicle dealership" -- a curiously-shaped front end that looks altered (odd little windows, non-matching brick), connected to a "big box" backend.
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To give you an idea, this is the Sears store a little farther down the block. It has sat vacant since 1974.
My high school was a little farther down the road. Vacant since 1975. The vocational section in the rear (where I spent most of my productive time) is still going.
Automotive content... The replacement school was built where the Franklin auto factory was.
The Franklin factory in better times
The Brown-Lipe-Chapin factory was down the street from the Franklin plant. This place is still standing and has been renovated.
The place was built in 1906 and designed by Albert Kahn, who went on to design Henry Ford's factories amongst others. I understand a duplicate of this building was built in Detroit.
It was one of the first buildings with reinforced concrete construction.
As I understand it (I've read a few versions of the history), they expanded to a larger building across the street. Another reinforced concrete building with 21" think floors. It became a GM plant in 1933 and then the home to Porter Cable and then Rockwell when P-C was bought by them. It sat vacant for a bunch of years, too expensive to knock down. It was then bought and renovated. My business was in the 4th floor of that renovated building, at the corner shown in the last pic.
The Marcellus street side of the GM plant. We were just above the added on structure (now gone) and if you ever read the Porter Cable history, we were one floor below the bowling alley for employees.
The place was built in 1906 and designed by Albert Kahn, who went on to design Henry Ford's factories amongst others. I understand a duplicate of this building was built in Detroit.
It was one of the first buildings with reinforced concrete construction.
As I understand it (I've read a few versions of the history), they expanded to a larger building across the street. Another reinforced concrete building with 21" think floors. It became a GM plant in 1933 and then the home to Porter Cable and then Rockwell when P-C was bought by them. It sat vacant for a bunch of years, too expensive to knock down. It was then bought and renovated. My business was in the 4th floor of that renovated building, at the corner shown in the last pic.
The Marcellus street side of the GM plant. We were just above the added on structure (now gone) and if you ever read the Porter Cable history, we were one floor below the bowling alley for employees.
MrMoparCHP
Old Man with a Hat
Maybe not so vintage
Lompoc, new Chrysler dealer about 2003
That lasted about 3 years
About 6 years later someone tried again just around the corner about a 1/4 mile away, its fate wasn't much different, about 3 years, currently vacant. This location didn't even have a service bay, that was across the street at the Honda dealer (same owner)
2018, the interesting thing is where the hotel to the left is was a Ford dealer new about 2003 and torn down about 2006
Alan
Lompoc, new Chrysler dealer about 2003
That lasted about 3 years
About 6 years later someone tried again just around the corner about a 1/4 mile away, its fate wasn't much different, about 3 years, currently vacant. This location didn't even have a service bay, that was across the street at the Honda dealer (same owner)
2018, the interesting thing is where the hotel to the left is was a Ford dealer new about 2003 and torn down about 2006
Alan
When built in 1923, it was the second largest office building in the United States. The Albert Kahn-designed General Motors Building, former GM world headquarters. When GM bought a skyscraper in downtown Detroit (about three miles south of this location), they moved out in 1997.
Located at 3044 W. Grand Blvd in Detroit, it is 15 stories tall, in four "wings", sheathed all in limestone, and has 1.4M square feet.
Today, the building is called "Cadillac Place" (named after the founder of Detroit in 1701) and reused as the home to many State of Michigan offices. Nearly 100 years old, still going strong
source: Motor City Landmark: The General Motors Building
1921
1922 - Opening Day, with the iconic "General Motors" signage that stayed up until late 1990's when GM moved out
1950's
Today as Cadillac Place, GM signage obviously gone. Outwardly looks the same as it was when built.
Located at 3044 W. Grand Blvd in Detroit, it is 15 stories tall, in four "wings", sheathed all in limestone, and has 1.4M square feet.
Today, the building is called "Cadillac Place" (named after the founder of Detroit in 1701) and reused as the home to many State of Michigan offices. Nearly 100 years old, still going strong
source: Motor City Landmark: The General Motors Building
1921
1922 - Opening Day, with the iconic "General Motors" signage that stayed up until late 1990's when GM moved out
1950's
Today as Cadillac Place, GM signage obviously gone. Outwardly looks the same as it was when built.
Ford Motor Company's plant in Highland Park, MI (essentially a former city outside Detroit that finally become enveloped by the growing city). Another Albert Kahn-designed facility, built in 1910, it located at Woodward Ave @ Manchester.
Part of a large 100 acre complex, 60 acres was enclosed factory space under roof, there was also two administrative offices (one is still there) and a power plant (long gone)
It was the largest complex in the world at the time it opened and the location of the first assembly line in the world (building the Model T). All kinds of other automotive manufacturing history was made here .. truly helped create the world as we know it today.
Today, kinda empty, and would be obsolete as an vertically-integrated industrial complex 100 years later.
A lot of structures have been razed, but the four story, 40,000 sq. ft. office building on Woodward easily visible though a little beat up (somebody used to conduct tours of whats left of the site) but I don't believe much else is going on (could be wrong - havent been there in a decade).
Some of the area around the site is getting built up, but Highland Park is still a "tough" neighborhood in the immediate vicinity.
source: Highland Park Ford Plant - Wikipedia
1910's-20's The complex
Top photo is southwest looking toward northeast. Woodward is main drag cutting diagonally across bottom on photo. The two admin. buildings and the powerplant are facing Woodward.
1970's - northwest part of complex. facing Woodward Ave. where remaining admin. building stands.
Today - What you can see from Woodward Avenue by the remaining admin. building. Take Pegman back there and a few things remain but a lot of stuff it gone.
Take Pegman east on Manchester and some of the original buildings that have reused are still there. Looks like somebody is trying to preserve the office building and part of the factory right behind it.
The Green box is the two -structures right off Woodward, the Orange lines show the area that to be full of factory buildings. The LONG Green line is Manchester ST.
The site is bounded by Woodward Ave (west), Conrail RR Lines (north), Oakland Ave. (east), and Manchester (south).
Part of a large 100 acre complex, 60 acres was enclosed factory space under roof, there was also two administrative offices (one is still there) and a power plant (long gone)
It was the largest complex in the world at the time it opened and the location of the first assembly line in the world (building the Model T). All kinds of other automotive manufacturing history was made here .. truly helped create the world as we know it today.
Today, kinda empty, and would be obsolete as an vertically-integrated industrial complex 100 years later.
A lot of structures have been razed, but the four story, 40,000 sq. ft. office building on Woodward easily visible though a little beat up (somebody used to conduct tours of whats left of the site) but I don't believe much else is going on (could be wrong - havent been there in a decade).
Some of the area around the site is getting built up, but Highland Park is still a "tough" neighborhood in the immediate vicinity.
source: Highland Park Ford Plant - Wikipedia
1910's-20's The complex
Top photo is southwest looking toward northeast. Woodward is main drag cutting diagonally across bottom on photo. The two admin. buildings and the powerplant are facing Woodward.
1970's - northwest part of complex. facing Woodward Ave. where remaining admin. building stands.
Today - What you can see from Woodward Avenue by the remaining admin. building. Take Pegman back there and a few things remain but a lot of stuff it gone.
Take Pegman east on Manchester and some of the original buildings that have reused are still there. Looks like somebody is trying to preserve the office building and part of the factory right behind it.
The Green box is the two -structures right off Woodward, the Orange lines show the area that to be full of factory buildings. The LONG Green line is Manchester ST.
The site is bounded by Woodward Ave (west), Conrail RR Lines (north), Oakland Ave. (east), and Manchester (south).
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We probably ought to give the Albert Kahn bio.
Albert Kahn (architect) - Wikipedia I wish they listed other locations, like the Syracuse building.
and they are still in business! Albert Kahn Associates | Detroit Architecture
Albert Kahn (architect) - Wikipedia I wish they listed other locations, like the Syracuse building.
and they are still in business! Albert Kahn Associates | Detroit Architecture
Another Albert Kahn building, the Ford Rotunda.
I went though this with my parents, just a few months before it burnt in 1962.
I went though this with my parents, just a few months before it burnt in 1962.
I have considered something like this for a long time. Never stopped moving around the world to stay in one place long enough. Retirement approaches so maybe i have chance.
This is a gas station converted to a private residence. As these are peoples' homes most addresses are not listed. If it was shown, I would not list it anyway.
I had this idea a few years back for a place in Clawson MI .. I put it here somewhere but again can't find it. I gotta look it up again and see what became of the building.
Anyway, a lotta dough put into this joint .. my place would be a little less stylish and probably have space for couple vintage cars. Reuse projects I am told tend to consume a buncha lettuce ...people wind up spending remodeling funds they saved from not building a structure.
I think I have to put a pool table where the red "cat" is ...
This is a gas station converted to a private residence. As these are peoples' homes most addresses are not listed. If it was shown, I would not list it anyway.
I had this idea a few years back for a place in Clawson MI .. I put it here somewhere but again can't find it. I gotta look it up again and see what became of the building.
Anyway, a lotta dough put into this joint .. my place would be a little less stylish and probably have space for couple vintage cars. Reuse projects I am told tend to consume a buncha lettuce ...people wind up spending remodeling funds they saved from not building a structure.
I think I have to put a pool table where the red "cat" is ...
300rag
It's Not Going to Shift Itself
Baxter Springs KS. Pic taken in 2008...
300rag
It's Not Going to Shift Itself
well, it still available .. just like it was five years ago.
The issues back then 1. environmental, and 2. zoning.
Used to be several types of automotive business (gas station originally, auto repair businesses, and most recently a body shop. All sorts of stuff could have been spilled there. Also, zoned commercial so that would preclude it from becoming a "residence".
Not handled five years ago, current listing says environmental has been addressed "depending on usage". That means theres still a problem for certain businesses. And then zoning still commercial.
Built in 1936, 4,400 sq ft, some 16 ft, most 11 ft.. Mostly open space, bathroom, some offices, etc., but not suitable for a residence (assuming zoning could be worked) without a buncha work and lettuce at least equal to property asking price.
Could park a bus inside though..
Probably still not to be .. but I am gonna keep looking for something.
