Text by Patrick Bell.
Thomas Jefferson Goad (1885-1970) began his journey in the automobile business in Mineral Wells, Texas around 1908. He expanded to the surrounding counties and in 1924 moved to San Antonio, where he opened a Cadillac-LaSalle dealership. Sometime before World War II he also opened an Oldsmobile-Cadillac shop in Austin. He actually had two, but I could not determine if one succeeded the other or if they were two separate stores; they were only about 1.2 miles apart. Information is scarce and sketchy, but with some digging I found bits and pieces that I have put together as best as I can to go along with today’s images.
First, this gallery of the Austin shops is from “The Portal to Texas History” at the University of North Texas, and is what we are focusing on today. All of the photos except one are of the facility located at 1214 West 6th Street.
The lead photo showed a nice, but not ostentatious, showroom with room for five or six cars. It was air conditioned, and furnished with a small organ and fresh flowers, probably for a special event. This photo was dated August 10, 1951, so you know it was hot outside. In the right lower corner, an Oldsmobile 98, facing this way a Cadillac Fleetwood Series Seventy-Five, followed by a Cadillac Coupe that could have been any of the three series offered, with an Oldsmobile Super 88 Club Coupe on the end.
This was the same showroom almost a year later, on July 16, 1952. Two new Oldsmobiles were on display; the light one looks like a Ninety-Eight 4 door sedan, and the dark one a Super 88 Coupe.
Here was the 2nd and Guadalupe Streets location in an image dated May 27, 1949. This building no longer exists. On the far right, a ’40 Oldsmobile with a boat on top. On the left I am unsure of the coupe, then a ’46-’48 Dodge 4 door sedan, and a ’41-’48 Chevrolet 4 door sedan.
A group of salesmen on the showroom floor surrounding an Oldsmobile 98 De Luxe Convertible Coupe on August 3, 1951. The car with the dark top in the background was an 88 4 door sedan.
A new ’51 Cadillac 4 door sedan giving us the staredown.
And the facility on West 6th Street in a photo dated October 17, 1951. This one still exists and has been repurposed into an Art Gallery. I see two Oldsmobiles and a Cadillac in the showroom, with the same plus two ’50 Fords parked on the street. Parked along the service drive were a ’51 Oldsmobile 98 4 door sedan, a ’50 or ’51 88 2 door sedan, and two pickups.
Another group presumably of salesmen, this time from October 19, 1956. Outside to the right was a new Cadillac Series Sixty-Two Sedan with factory air conditioning, and an Oldsmobile 88. On the left traveling down the street was a ’56 Ford, and parked across the street a ’51 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe 4 door sedan.
Here is a view of the used car lot taken on January 19, 1956. On the front row from the left were two ’54 Cadillac’s including a sedan with factory air, and a coupe. Then there were four ’55 models; two coupes, a Series 62 convertible, and perhaps another coupe. In the left background, a ’55 Oldsmobile Super 88 4 door sedan.
And another view of the used car lot from four years earlier on January 8, 1952. On the front row were three Oldsmobiles; two ’50 models in the first and third position, and #5 was a ’51 model. #2 was a ’51 Studebaker 4 door sedan, and #4 was a ’50 Plymouth. On the far right a ’49 Cadillac sedan. In the second row I see a ’46 or ’47 Chevrolet and a ’42-’47 Cadillac. Parked along the right edge was a ’50 Cadillac with a ’51 or ’52 Oldsmobile Super 88 De Luxe Convertible Coupe to its left.
One more used car lot view about six months later on July 16, 1952. There were three Chevrolets on hand with a black ’51 on the second row, a ’50 4 door sedan first on the front row, and third was a ’49 or ’50 model. A ’51 Hudson was in the #2 spot, and three Oldsmobiles completed the line; two ’51 models and a ’49 or ’50 on the end. Also in the second row was a ’49 or ’50 Mercury, and the convertible parked against the building I can’t see well enough to ID. Across the street on the right edge was a ’46-’51 Jeep Station Wagon.
The whole gang was present for this photo shot on December 15, 1951, with the showroom decorated for the Christmas season. The Oldsmobile to the left is either a ’51 or ’52 model, I can’t see the grille well enough to tell.
Mr. Goad sold his Austin and San Antonio dealerships around 1964. He and his wife apparently never had children, but I have found there were at least two of his nephews in some kind of partnership with him. Thomas Lloyd Goad (1920-2016) joined the company in San Antonio after WWII, later managed Goad Cadillac in Corpus Christi, eventually becoming the owner until he sold out in 1974 and retired. Byron Donald Goad Sr. (1908-1982) also got his start in San Antonio before purchasing Goad Motor Company in Victoria from T. J. and T. L. Goad in 1953. I found evidence of it surviving at least into the mid-eighties.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
The organ in the top photo immediately got my attention. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an organ – or any musical instrument for that matter – in a car showroom. I bought a VW in 2007 when they were doing that “buy a car, get a free VW-customized electric guitar” promotion, and even then they didn’t have one of the guitars on display. (Mine, which I still have, just showed up in a box at the front door one day). The tall box to the right of the organ may be a Leslie speaker with rotating tweeter horns, which give the sound a chorus or vibrato effect you’ll instantly recognize if you listen to ’60s or ’70s rock or R&B. I can’t figure out what the other nearby box with the slanted front is, which is also in the second photo. Looks like a really old TV, or a diagnostic meter I’d expect to be in the service department.
I believe that first photo is of the showroom ready for its Grand Opening celebration – and I can just picture a Cadillac dealership’s grand opening in 1951 featuring flowers and organ music. From what I can tell, Goad moved from the Guadalupe St. location in August, 1951.
First pic has a “funeral/solemn occasion”, vibe.
Wow, that’s a whole lot of well fed people . times must have been pretty good .
-Nate
The picture of the salesmen take me back to a time when my parents bought Pontiacs from the same salesman at the same dealership. As for my friends dads and neighbors who were salesmen, it seemed like they stayed at the same dealership forever.
Patrick, I agree with JT, sure looks more like a funeral than a celebration. The way the ladies are dressed, their dark hats, probably with veils, the way they are sitting quietly, and those flowers got funeral written all over them. They just don’t look like happy flowers. Got to search August 10, 1951 and see who may have died.
Thanks for a great history of a dealership that appears to be a responsible family of owners and family of employees. Americana doing well.
T J Goad had almost the same lifespan as both my grandfathers. Dad’s dad (1885-1966). Mom’s dad (1886-1965)
The one you say, “can’t see the grill well enough to tell” is a 1952
I would have thought that A/C would have been extremely popular in Texas and other hot parts of the country during this era. I know A/C was very expensive, but someone buying a Cadillac in those days had real money since there were no 6-8 year loans or cheap lease deals as there are today to get people in more car than they can really afford, and after experiencing A/C coolness on a hot Texas day, I would think it would be very difficult to get back into a non-A/C car.