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

Former Mack Truck dealership, 121 12th Street, Des Moines, IA.

Built 1924, 27,000 square feet, converted to residential lofts/apartments. $7 Mllion dollars spent on the renovation. Seems low given all the electrical, HVAC, and plumbing that had to be done.

Big windows/lotta light is cool. $900 to $2,100 per month rent, studios, one and two bedroom, 500 to 1,200 sq. ft. i like them, except I aint into the whole "Better Homes & Gardens" look personally. And no place for the "fleet" obviously.

Building, is brick, wood, and steel truss construction of the era (most were transitioning to reinforced concrete), stylish limestone trim, but essentially a "box" typical of urban showroom, service center, office building design or early auto industry.

Clearly a property size, and historical significance, that only a commercial reuse made economic sense to even try. See what its next 100 years if life brings

sources: Photos: Hubbell converts Mack Truck showroom into apartments, Hubbell converts former Mack Truck showroom into downtown lofts, https://www.station121dsm.com/, https://www.apartments.com/station-121-des-moines-ia/dw1d9ql/

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amazinblue82 said:
Can't find this building, it is (was) somewhere in west-central Kansas (Garden City, roughly near Grant Ave. at Main Street per some sources).

Dealership belonged to the Walters brothers. They were a Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge dealer.

Raimon G. “Bud” Walters, Jr. died with over 400 cars, and they were all auctioned back in 2018. Some might have ended up belonging to members.

source: Auction of nearly 400 cars from man's estate expected to draw thousands

View attachment 673134

What did he have?

source: Sullivan Auctioneers, LLC Auction Catalog - Raimon G. “Bud” Walters, Jr. Estate Auction Online Auctions | Proxibid

Examples:

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Click to expand...

Just a repost to capture local newspaper article with caption under the picture.

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Raimon G. "Bud" Walters Jr. poses in front of his car dealership with his crew. A sale of his estate will be on Sept 17 and 18 near Garden City and Deerfield. [courtesy] The Hutchinson News

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Source:
Auction of nearly 400 cars from man's estate expected to draw thousands
 
circa 1970, former Townsend Pontiac, 6300 Broadway, Merriville IN. Be damned if it isn't still there .. guess far enough outta Gary and surrounds stayed relatively undeveloped.

Built somewhere in the 1960's, probably been many things of 50+ years, and still an auto-related business today. Too much for a hobby house, though I still keep looking.

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Another commercial reuse of an early urban "big box" brick/reinforced concrete retail car dealership. Pricey condos.

These always get my attention for some reason .. I know why. Generally spacious, couldnt be duplicated for 10x the money, two stories, etc. OTOH, bad (e.g. hard to get residential zoning unless you through $$$ milliions at it), heavy environment remediation (usually a private investment showstopper), no/bad HVAC/sprinkler systems, "rough" neighborhoods, etc.

Here the former Brownell Pontiac, 2201 Sixth Ave., Birminham AL. At some point, converted to residential housing.

circa 1965
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Circa mid 1990's
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Parkersburg WV, 1959

I haven't figured out what the guys with the little lanterns and the coal bucket is all about. I think they are railroad men, but it is West Virginia and coal mining is big there.

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