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

[amazinblue82]

Former Esso Station, built 1957, 1600 E. 3rd. St., Little Rock, AR. Recently offered for sale at $233,000, listed now as "off the market" (dunno if sold).

Stumbled across the "before" photo on Wiki -- obscure thing to be there but it was.

Typical again of a property like this in an urban setting, mid-sized city, decent neighborhood (across from state capitol building). Three bays, office/baths, brick with baked enamel finish (may be intact or painted over), remnants of original corporate colors, ~2,000 sq.ft. (30' x 65').

Maybe (maybe not because the "islands" for the gas pumps are gone) still has tanks in the ground (if so, limited alternative usage), and needs enviromental assessment in any sales transaction.

sources: Esso Standard Oil Service Station (Little Rock, Arkansas) - Wikipedia, 1600 W 3RD ST, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 | RE/MAX

Example (not this building) of 60's builds .. less distinctive but still using brick constructions with baked enamel exteriors, at least 2 bays, with outdoor-entry bathrooms.

 

[Big_John]

No idea where this is, but the caption says it's restored.

 

[amazinblue82]

No idea where this is, but the caption says it's restored.

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1198 E. Sprague St, Winston Salem, NC. Advertised as the "last of its kind". Built sometime in the 1930's.

source: The Last Shell Oil Clamshell Station

August 2021 per Google Maps

Excerpt:

"Although Winston-Salem, North Carolina is known more for tobacco than oil, it is home to the last Shell Oil clamshell station in the United States.

Located on the quiet corner of Sprague and Peachtree Streets, the station sits abandoned, its two tall pumps now no more than curiosities.

In the 1930s, a local distributor of Shell called Quality Oil built seven stations in Winston-Salem and one in the nearby town of Kernersville.

Joe Glenn and Bert Bennett, who had acquired the distribution, erected the clamshells as advertisements; their quirkiness intended to draw customers."

 

[Big_John]

This one was on E. Adams St in Syracuse. Parking lot now.

I found this while looking for local stuff. It's a little bit of a stretch for the architecture, but the trucks are so cool.

 

[Big_John]

Franklin dealer. No location given.

This was on W. Genesee St in Syracuse. It was a dance studio recently. Note Desoto!

1970 Mercury dealer postcard on Erie Blvd in Syracuse.

W. Genesee St in Syracuse. I've read that the painted sign is still on the building but I haven't seen it.

Another W. Genesee St. dealer.

 

[Big_John]

Port Byron, NY

What it looks like now.

More Syracuse, corner of Milton Ave and Onondaga. Was Ted's Service, then Ted's Bar & Grille, then grocery store, now restaurant again. I don't know how much, if any of the original building is left.

 

[Big_John]

I've been looking for this one. This Ford dealership belonged to my buddy's father (one of the "sons") Camillus, NY. Note cars on 2nd floor.

A little later, actually across the street.

The first place is a bank now.

Second place now.

If any of you guys are into collecting pocket knives, the former Camillus knife factory was next door to the first place and across from the second place. Your Boy Scout knives came from here.

 

[Big_John]

Jack Priest Chevy here in Marcellus on a typical "not summer" day.

Now.

 

[SGT FURY]

Niles Buick Santa Rosa California
I worked at Chrysler dealership next door in mid 80s
There was a 66 Gran Sport white with red interior parked in back lot. A customer repair car in the 60s that was never been picked up

 

[amazinblue82]

A few twists & turns here. reflecting the evolution of the industry in the architecture.

source: This Neighborhood Station Was Big Surprise to the Dealer

In 1935, on the southeast corner of Van Dyke @ Six Mile in Detroit, Rivard Brothers had a combo shop -- a Ford new car dealership, and a Hi-Speed (see post #7) gas/service station (it had a "lubritorium") done in art deco corporate style.

In 1948 Ver Hoven Chevrolet takes over Rivard and starts selling Chevies.

In 1950, Ver Hoven buy everything next to south of the old Rivards, tears down everything, including the old Rivards they just bought a year earlier, and builds a "state of art", 37,000 sq. ft. dealership in 1950.

Ver Hoven closed this location in 1980. Location was subdivided (typical fate of literally dozens of these cavernous, ex-dealerships all over Detroit metro areas and suburbs) into several diverse, smaller businesses.

I remember this location as Ver Hoven Chevrolet in the late 1970's -- neighborhood was pretty "tough" even then. I was gone for 15 years but have passed by the location many times since then..

1935 - Rivard Brothers

First Ver Hoven dealership in the old Rivards

Verhoven's brand new Chevy dealership

2021 - The site currently in the subdivided Ver Hoven;s dealership

 

[amazinblue82]

Link to a different but related thread by @PeugFra for this particular dealership story of Raynal Bros. located @ 9103 Chalmers Ave, Detroit

Exclusive Plymouth Dealers

circa. 1970

Mid- 1980's

Today

 

[amazinblue82]

As I eyeball different areas, I saw this one in Indianopolis, 3454 W, Washington Street.

An auto dealer/repair business, 2,900 square feet, $350,000 sale price (~$120/sq.ft.), appears to be in "broom clean" condition (needing little in improvement investments perhaps), and looks like a viable residential/commercial part of town.

A lot of what you are paying (sale or lease) though for in any "urban" area is "frontage" (good line of sight/ease of sccess for drive-by traffic). That tends to only make sense if you plan to run a business at the site.

I do not have such a plan so I would like to be more off the beaten path.

source: LoopNet

My point for posting this ordinary looking, utilitarian architecture here.

I continue to look around at these properties in various areas. I already own space for everything I have -- but its in the "snowbelt" (I am liable to be snowed out December thru March) where I will not be retiring.

I like old stuff, be they cars or buildings, with character. I don't gravitate toward things everybody else has .. never have. That's why this thread has my keen interest so looking forward to things people post up.

The economical solution for me to stay in the hobby after retirement (even after I down-size my footprint), and not burden heirs after I am gone, seems to one of two options:

1) a structure that combines residence with my car hobby,

or,

2) a property that has a traditional residence and an "out-building" (insulated, climate controlled, on a slab, ~5,000 sq. ft. or so for what will be left of the "fleet" plus storage space), on 3-5 acres of land, like friend of mine has (its out in the sticks tho) below.

 

[Big_John]

As I eyeball different areas, I saw this one in Indianopolis. 3454 W, Washington Street.

An auto dealer/repair business, 2,900 square feet, $350,000 sale price (~$120/sq.ft.), appears to be in "broom clean" condition (needing little improvement investments perhaps), and looks like a viable residential/commercial part of town.

A lot of what you are paying (sale or lease) though for in any "urban" area is "frontage" (line of side for drive-by traffic). That tend to only make sense if you plan to run a business.

I do not have such a plan so I would like to be more off the beaten path.

source: LoopNet

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My point for posting this ordinary looking, utilitarian architecture here.

I continue to look around at these properties in various areas. I already own space for everything I have -- but its in the "snowbelt" (I am liable to be snowed out Dec thru March) where I will not be retiring.

I like old stuff, be they cars or buildings, with character. I don't gravitate toward things everybody else has .. never have. That's why this thread has my keen interest so looking forward to things people post up.

The economical solution for me to stay in the hobby after retirement (even after I down-size my footprint) seems to one of two options:

1) a structure that combines residence with my car hobby,

or,

2) a property that has a traditional residence and an "outbuilding" (insulated, on a slab, ~5,000 sq. ft. or so for what will be left of the "fleet" plus storage space), on 3-5 acres of land, like friend of mine has (its out in the sticks tho) below.

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A few years ago, on another forum, one of the members had bought an old brick school. From the pictures, it looked like a 2 floor, typical middle or elementary school.

He gutted sections of it for his living quarters and then for his shop. He said there was way more room than he would ever need and wasn't using a lot of the rooms which would lead me into thinking "rental apartments", but I don't think he was going that way. He never finished it, an ugly divorce made him sell everything, including the school and his cars and we never heard much from him after.

I also have an old friend that built a huge shop behind his house. He had a half dozen cars stored in one room (with room for at least another half dozen), a fairly complete machine shop in another room and then a room for body work with anchors in the floor for pulling frames. He had it for sale for a while and I think the big reason it didn't sell was the train that ran through the back yard. He was going through a divorce too, but they reconciled and last I knew, it was off the market. Funny thing was that just down the street from him was another big backyard shop but the accompanying house had burnt to the waterline and they were selling at a pretty reasonable cost. I actually gave it some thought... but the train running through the backyard and a busy road just don't do it for me.

 

[ayilar]

Here are two photos (courtesy of @Welder guy ) of what seems to have been a good-looking dealership owned by Ed and then his son Don Zumwalt in Santa Rosa, CA.

According to this Google Maps 2021 street view (screenshot below), the building is still there but is now used by a dry cleaner. The service dpt seems to be an independent repair shop. Some of the clean all-glass lines that I find so appealing in the original building have been lost to the relocation of the building entrance:

 

[amazinblue82]

Coming up on seven years since I posted this. Didn't have any legs -- wound up (seemingly) to irritate some folks (look at the rich pr**cks buyin houses for their cars).

Car Condos

I may have started it out that way cuz I didn't wanna seem like "one of those guys". Well, I wasn't then and still aint one of those guys.

But anyway this "car condo" place is still going strong, twice the size it was back then. High rollers mixed in with regular folks -- diggin' cars is what they have in common for sure.

I post it -- again -- because the architecture of individual "condos" is stuck in my mind as elements I would employ to "reuse" a former dealership/commercial building (how to use the space with high ceilings, clear spans using interior lofts, big overhead vehicle access doors, already climate controlled perhaps, etc.)

The 1930-1940 "indoor" dealerships (see posts #72 and #76) were originally constructed that way .. big, high ceiling open "showrooms" with a two-story interior facing the showroom. That would keep costs down for interior fitment for living space if zoning permitted.

.

 

[Big_John]

All these dealers and gas stations got me thinking about the toy versions. This one is very similar to the one I had.

 

[Big_John]

Coming up on seven years since I posted this. Didn't have any legs -- wound up (seemingly) to irritate some folks (look at the rich pr**cks buyin houses for their cars).

Car Condos

I may have started it out that way cuz I didn't wanna seem like "one of those guys". Well, I wasn't then and still aint one of those guys.

But anyway this "car condo" place is still going strong, twice the size it was back then. High rollers mixed in with regular folks -- diggin' cars is what they have in common for sure.

I post it -- again -- because the architecture of individual "condos" is stuck in my mind as elements I would employ to "reuse" a former dealership/commercial building (how to use the space with high ceilings, clear spans using interior lofts, big overhead vehicle access doors, already climate controlled perhaps, etc.)

The 1930-1940 "indoor" dealerships (see posts #72 and #76) were originally constructed that way .. big, high ceiling open "showrooms" with a two-story interior facing the showroom. That would keep costs down for interior fitment for living space if zoning permitted.

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Carlisle was supposed to be building something similar, but I understand it didn't happen. I remember thinking the price tag being pretty high, too high for the general area.

 

[SGT FURY]

Zumwalt Chrysler Plymouth Santa Rosa Ca. lot posted above
I worked there from 1984-88
I walked that lot in picture every morning with keyboard unlocking new cars. Then again at closing.
There was a round painted over sign on back of service department. When they were painting building I got permission to climb up and remove sign. It was a porcelain double sided valiant sign.
Very well preserved by being painted over!!
I remember a unsold never titled black fuesy imperial parked on side of building with engine problem.Was later sold to used car buyer.

The former Santa Rosa Dodge dealership is right behind this dealership still standing. A construction company now

 

[SGT FURY]

At Zumwalt CP . I had (borrowed) some documents from the records room. !!!
I still have some of the good ones.
Have the window sticker and sales doc from a yellow 440 4v Superbird that was sold there.
It did not sell til 1971 $5001 was the final sales price. You will see the salesman name in top corner. Pete Magrini a former pro baseball player turned car salesman. I had asked him if he remembered Superbird and he answered yes they
nicknamed it the unsellable Yellow Banana.
I sent many invoices to Hamtramck site

 

[ayilar]

@SGT FURY — any 1970 convertible C-bodies that you remember ?