Chuck Hutton, Dodge Plymouth, Memphis, TN.
Claude R. Short, Dodge Plymouth, Santa Monica, CA. (Mr. Short talks to Lawrence Welk –on the convertible’s passenger seat– in this promo shot).
Dodge Plymouth Dealer, Banning, CA.
Pine Motor Co., Winchester, VA.
Reed Brothers Dodge, Rockville, MD.
Carbone Dodge, Utica, NY.
Killington Motors, Rutland, VT.
Killington Motors, Rutland, VT.
Carl Burger Dodge, La Mesa, CA.
Is that a new Dodge outside the Pine Motor Co?
Interestingly, the Pine Motor Co. building not only survives, but most of the signage is intact too (though not the hanging blade sign). The building right now is used as a marijuana dispensary, but in addition to that business’s signage, you can see the building still prominently says Pine Motor Co. Plymouth Dodge.
Pine Motor opened that showroom in 1940 (the business was located elsewhere before that) – I’m not sure when they closed, but it wasn’t too recently, so the surviving signage is surprising.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ddukj1fPrSPfWhvc9
That’s really strange that they’d leave such prominent signage up for a long-gone car dealer. How many people looking for the dispensary drove by thinking it’s a car dealer and thus the wrong building?
Amusing that two of the pictures here are of Killington Motors in Rutland, Vermont. On Friday’s Vintage Postcards snapshots, there was a picture of downtown Rutland, with a Fiat in the photo, and I posted an ad from Killington Motors, since they sold Fiats in the late 1950s.
I don’t believe they kept the Fiat franchise past 1960, but Killington stayed in business until 1978 selling Oldsmobiles and Dodges, eventually selling the business to another owner.
Below is a then-and-now comparison of the location – StreetView link here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rA4ScGMqVt8XJeTB8
Wow, they expanded into a U-Haul business!
Aha! So that’s why a Fiat was there!
Perhaps it’s the product of so many years of living in Texas, where everything is bigger, but what these old photos always reveal is just how small dealerships were back then. Many seem barely one step removed from being service stations or mechanic’s shops, and kind of low-budget, fly-by-night operations.
I’m old enough to remember small town dealers with space for 1-2 cars in downtown storefront operations, even in the suburbs of Chicago, up through the 1970s and early ‘80s. By the 1990s, it seems every dealer moved out to spacious new edge of town locations and of course the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies resulted in the closings of thousands of marginal dealerships everywhere.
Does anyone know when the manufacturers began to require a uniform corporate look and more spacious and modern quarters? It would seem that Volkswagen was the first to achieve a certain level of uniformity, back in the early 1960s.
Claude Short Dodge was a Santa Monica Blvd. landmark for years, finally closing around 2000 after 70+ years. The location is now Santa Monica BMW, not surprising given the area these days. The old showroom in the picture was a victim of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. I bought a new Ram pickup off them in 1989, it was a good dealership.
I enjoy trying to identify unnamed dealerships in these vintage snapshots sets, and it appears that the Banning, California dealership here was Larry Lawrence Dodge-Plymouth at 1481 W. Ramsey St.
From what I can tell, the building itself was built in 1950 and first used as a Buick dealership. Larry Lawrence lasted only a few years (begun business in 1955, then out of business by 1958). The building was used as a Chrysler dealership again in the 1960s and ’70s, but it’s unclear whether those businesses were related to this one or not.
Corporate conformity in marketing is vital, for promoting a car brand. While I do love the idea of the novelty and uniqueness, of every community having its own version of each manufacturer’s dealerships. It was inevitable, dealerships would soon all look very much the same. I am surprised it did not happen sooner, in the 1940’s or 1950’s. As opposed to the 1960’s and 1970’s, for the domestic makers.
Occasionally in local towns, the Chrysler dealership would be more impressive, than the Ford dealer. GM was consistently, the largest, and most impressive.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy these old photos of car dealerships. I can remember during the 60’s when seemingly every small town in Wisconsin had a Ford and a Chevrolet dealership. I lived near a village of about 1,500 people called Waterford. The Chevrolet dealership had one new car in the corner of the very old service department and typically about 5 or 6 new cars across the street in a small lot. I do remember going with my father to the introduction of the 1970 models. They closed the service department for a couple of days and had 4 new cars in the building. The dealership had been a Hupmobile dealership dating back to 1923. The building was torn down in the 90’s
I am old enough to remember when new car dealerships covered their showroom windows before new autos were shown. Now, no drama when new cars are introduced.
Sad. Going to new car introductions was once a family affair. There are no
new car introductions, no one cares as this years autos just look like last years autos.
Can remember some ‘”wrapped up” cars , sitting outside, at the “Lincoln Mercury” dealer too.
Would a been “early 70’s.
The “Utica NY” dealer looks like one of numerous “corner bars” in ((back then)) “wstrn PA”. Like that “shiny, Corvair” parked up front!
I’ll be darned if that photo of Claude Short doesn’t look like George Reeves on the passenger seat talking to Mr. Short. At least facially.
I remember Claude Short Dodge. I used to see their license plate surrounds all over the place. I’m more of a Ford man so I spent a lot of time at Santa Monica Ford, Walker-Buegie Ford and Lynch Lincoln Mercury stores. Speaking of the Northridge earthquake, I was 4 miles north west of the epicenter. It was live changing.
Dodge was Lawrencw Welk’s first sponsor. No matter how successful he became he a,ways drove a Dodge.
There’s a photo of Welk behind a Dodge with a vanity plate that read:
“A1 AND A2”
https://www.instagram.com/shalom2013/p/C1VKxw8LvqD/
Note the Claude Short banner around the plate.
Priceless!!
Those trucks at Killington Motors looked old even when they were new!
Would anybody remember mr.norms in Chicago on grand Ave he did a lot of after market too
does anybody have any pictures of G K Hardt Ramblet Jeep in Santa Rosa Ca about 1984. i was Parts and Service Manager at that time
Those ’59 Plymouths still look good to me .
I too remember tiny showrooms of most dealerships .
-Nate