polara71
Old Man with a Hat
That would make a great garage for someone with a larger collection , like Wyatt or Billy Fury.
Photos of Vintage Auto Dealerships, Repair Shops, and Gas Stations
- Thread starter ayilar
- Start date
Its about 120 by 50, so 6,000 sq ft. Clear span a plus too. The neighborhood around it it vanishing tho.
Note "War Declared!" sign.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
On unsafe tires .
This picture must have been made either in December, 1941 or January, 1942. Though that appears to be about a 1936 model car. Don't know which make.
Early 1960's, a downtown and gas stations. Broadway Street, looking easterly, in downtown Townsend, Montana.
Wasn't sure I found it at first as its wasn't a clear enough day on Google Earth to see the mountains down the street.
Plus the gas stations (the Conoco is gone but the building that WAS a 50's vintage, two-bay, corner lot gas station/repair facitily is still down there near the water tower on the right) are gone as are many of the specific businesses..
Same view easterly on Broadway with a little more elevation and the mountains are there.
Another view, from 1947, easterly on Broadway. The "town talk" bar on the left is in the 60's pic too, but the water tower is not. Good air in the 40's so you can see the mountains.
Wasn't sure I found it at first as its wasn't a clear enough day on Google Earth to see the mountains down the street.
Plus the gas stations (the Conoco is gone but the building that WAS a 50's vintage, two-bay, corner lot gas station/repair facitily is still down there near the water tower on the right) are gone as are many of the specific businesses..
Same view easterly on Broadway with a little more elevation and the mountains are there.
Another view, from 1947, easterly on Broadway. The "town talk" bar on the left is in the 60's pic too, but the water tower is not. Good air in the 40's so you can see the mountains.
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14 S. Cameron St, Harrisburg, PA. 1920's and then today. Interesting looking old brick building (limestone accents typical of 20's architecture) on the right that is still there
Oh yeah, that's the same town in the modern picture. Must just be misty/hazy in the background which is why the mountains don't show.
Never heard of Bay brand of gasoline. There is a company by this name in Houston but currently doesnt have its own brand.
815 Ashman Street, Midland Michigan.
Picure looks to be mid 1960's, assuming the Poncho is contemporary. Architectural is mid century modern, with "star" shaped canopies, that swept the country in gas station AND car dealer (and other businesses) '60's designs.
Pretty robust structure to have survived 60 years ini the snowbelt. Could be because building looks to have been remodeled (enlarged 2X? until the canopies) in its past.
Still there, currently a auto detailer.
Today
815 Ashman Street, Midland Michigan.
Picure looks to be mid 1960's, assuming the Poncho is contemporary. Architectural is mid century modern, with "star" shaped canopies, that swept the country in gas station AND car dealer (and other businesses) '60's designs.
Pretty robust structure to have survived 60 years ini the snowbelt. Could be because building looks to have been remodeled (enlarged 2X? until the canopies) in its past.
Still there, currently a auto detailer.
Today
As you say, that one is "pretty robust". When I look at some of the architecture on these posts, I always think about how it wouldn't survive a winter.
This one is pissin me off a bit. A fantastic piece of Americana, it was a "way station" getting to Califormia for decades.
sources: Cool Springs on Route 66, 1920s Route 66 Gas Station, Cool Spring, Arizona
Cool Springs Camp Gas Station, 8275 W. Oatman Rd, Kingman, AZ (actually about 20 miles west of Kingman).
Built in 1920's, bypassed when Route 66 got usurped by I-40 somewhere in the 1960's. Fell into disrepair (its kinda in middle of nowhere), it was a poster child for the decline of Route 66.
So much so. it got blown-up
in a POS Hollywood movie (Universal Soldier, 1992). Bought by a real estate guy early 2000's, and key to the resurrectioin of Cool Springs Camp along old Route 66 restoring the gas station.
Unknown year, predates I-40 opening though (looks like the 1930's)
The original, a dilapidated set using the actual building abandoned for decades, was blown up in the movie.
20 years of rebuilding/started with what little was left - pillars and some foundation stone . after Dolph Lungren lit a match in the movie.
sources: Cool Springs on Route 66, 1920s Route 66 Gas Station, Cool Spring, Arizona
Cool Springs Camp Gas Station, 8275 W. Oatman Rd, Kingman, AZ (actually about 20 miles west of Kingman).
Built in 1920's, bypassed when Route 66 got usurped by I-40 somewhere in the 1960's. Fell into disrepair (its kinda in middle of nowhere), it was a poster child for the decline of Route 66.
So much so. it got blown-up
in a POS Hollywood movie (Universal Soldier, 1992). Bought by a real estate guy early 2000's, and key to the resurrectioin of Cool Springs Camp along old Route 66 restoring the gas station.Unknown year, predates I-40 opening though (looks like the 1930's)
The original, a dilapidated set using the actual building abandoned for decades, was blown up in the movie.
20 years of rebuilding/started with what little was left - pillars and some foundation stone . after Dolph Lungren lit a match in the movie.
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1931, kids' sidecar race. Lustgarten in Berlin, Germany
Newport Chevrolet, 211 E. Main St., Hominy Oklahoma, ca. mid 1950's..
Still there, however, sometime between this '50's date and 1965, the building on right was razed, and a bigger one (looks to be almost 2X the Newport building) added to the left.
The original building measures approx. 100 ft. by 80 ft, or ~8,000 sq ft. Has appearance of clean span construction as well
1965, basically has the configuration that the site kept till today.
Porter Chevrolet Cadillac Oldsmobbile, Fentress at W. Washington streets, Paris, Tennessee. Still looks like the building is "bisected" by different businesses.
Today
Today
Detroit is FULL of these. This one 17500 Grand River, Detroit, MI
Bg, relatively affordable (concrete pad alone, if one were trying to build new, would exceed purchase price of whole building today), looks nice from the satellite view, etc. One check of area crime rates tends to disappoint, however.
22,000 sq.ft., $530,0000, but smack dab in the "rough" part of town. 50% more space than I am looking for for a "hobby house" tho.
50 years ago? beautiful part of the city, its coming back yes, but still a ways to go.
ASIDE: I am still jonesin over that ex-buick dealer (Galbraith (?)) in Rock Island, IL. (I posted in this thread back in Jan. this year).
1950's
Today
Catecorner across Grand River from the old Haney Buick above was another dealership back in the day. Can't find what it was though..
Now, an HHS office (but it had been many other things the past 40 years to my recollection). Remodeled, you can still see it's retail automotive "bones", at least on the right side .. not sure what's going on with this thing tho..
UPDATE.
This building WAS the former Carrail Museum
I left for Europe about the time Richard Kughn (died 2019 at age 89, multi-millionaire, worked with Alfred Taubman the real estate billionaire, saved Lionel Train Company, globally known Concours-level car collector), so i was outta the Detroit car scene to never really return, built this conference center (could be rented for private functions only) and put his personal train and car collection in it.
The big reason I didnt recognize it (and still cannot name the dealership) is Kughn turned THREE contiguous but separate buildings into one BIG, 38,000 sq. ft. space.
That's why the facade looks funny .. ex-showroom windows on one end, class block replacing some other design on the other end. It was a car dealer, something else, and a bowling alley that were turned into ONE building to house Kughn's childhood passion for trains and classic cars.
Richard Kughn, 08/01/1930-06/08/2019 - Model Train Journal
Bg, relatively affordable (concrete pad alone, if one were trying to build new, would exceed purchase price of whole building today), looks nice from the satellite view, etc. One check of area crime rates tends to disappoint, however.
22,000 sq.ft., $530,0000, but smack dab in the "rough" part of town. 50% more space than I am looking for for a "hobby house" tho.
50 years ago? beautiful part of the city, its coming back yes, but still a ways to go.
ASIDE: I am still jonesin over that ex-buick dealer (Galbraith (?)) in Rock Island, IL. (I posted in this thread back in Jan. this year).
1950's
Today
Catecorner across Grand River from the old Haney Buick above was another dealership back in the day. Can't find what it was though..
Now, an HHS office (but it had been many other things the past 40 years to my recollection). Remodeled, you can still see it's retail automotive "bones", at least on the right side .. not sure what's going on with this thing tho..
UPDATE.
This building WAS the former Carrail Museum
I left for Europe about the time Richard Kughn (died 2019 at age 89, multi-millionaire, worked with Alfred Taubman the real estate billionaire, saved Lionel Train Company, globally known Concours-level car collector), so i was outta the Detroit car scene to never really return, built this conference center (could be rented for private functions only) and put his personal train and car collection in it.
The big reason I didnt recognize it (and still cannot name the dealership) is Kughn turned THREE contiguous but separate buildings into one BIG, 38,000 sq. ft. space.
That's why the facade looks funny .. ex-showroom windows on one end, class block replacing some other design on the other end. It was a car dealer, something else, and a bowling alley that were turned into ONE building to house Kughn's childhood passion for trains and classic cars.
Richard Kughn, 08/01/1930-06/08/2019 - Model Train Journal
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1950's, Bower Buick, 201 Hilgrove, La Grange, IL. Still there, buiilding obviously repurposed, but basic footprint appears UN-changed since 1951.
If you didnt know it was a dealership, you wouldnt know it was -- very little gives it away.
I am inclined to conclude this is the remodeled structure in what was a small city "downtown", may even an early "strip mall" (contiguous spaces, with firewalls, for different businesses and parking in back) 70 years ago
Today
If you didnt know it was a dealership, you wouldnt know it was -- very little gives it away.
I am inclined to conclude this is the remodeled structure in what was a small city "downtown", may even an early "strip mall" (contiguous spaces, with firewalls, for different businesses and parking in back) 70 years ago
Today
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67newport
Old Man with a Hat
Detroit 1964
67newport
Old Man with a Hat
Orlando, Florida. Reportedly, the arm moved up and down.
