Lynch Motors, Lincoln-Mercury, Santa Monica, CA.
Foothill Motors, Lincoln-Mercury, Pasadena, CA.
C.B. Knickerbocker’s Inc., Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln-Taunus, Santa Ana, CA.
Gene Gabbard, Lincoln-Mercury-English Ford, Stockton, CA.
Phil Schuss, Lincoln-Mercury, Oxnard, CA.
L & B Inc., Lincoln-Mercury, Babylon, NY.
S & R, Lincoln-Mercury-Comet-Triumph-Fiat, Rockville Center, NY.
Lancaster, Lincoln-Mercury-Comet, Lancaster, PA.
Meindl Motor, Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Montpelier, OH.
Doran, Lincoln-Mercury, Dallas, TX.
Empire, Lincoln-Mercury-Jeep, Spokane, WA.
Clem Guider, Lincoln-Mercury-Comet, West Palm Beach, FL.
Here are two Lincolns that were originally sold at Lynch Motors in the ’60s:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-lincoln-continental-sadan/
https://www.thewestcoastclassics.com/1969-lincoln-continental-mark-iii-2-door-hardtop-c-1830.htm
And here’s a Cougar sold by Clem Guider:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-mercury-cougar-xr-7-6/
Lynch Motors is now Santa Monica Subaru. A few years ago the building was remodeled and a facia was removed, probably dating from the late 60’s. The outlines of the neon signs were still visible on the original exterior wall.
The names ‘Lincoln-Mercury’, went so well together. The strength of the words, and brand histories, and meanings. Phonetically, and the letter shapes, were visually attractive.
Even when they made bad products in the 1970’s, ‘Lincoln-Mercury’ still carried plenty of weight (pun intended).
Nice period Mercs! But I’ll take the ’58 Firedome/flite in Lancaster, a virtual twin to the one we had!
btw that’s a ’68 Caprice 4dHT in the foreground.
The dealers were trying hard to set up Comet as a separate make. Everyone knew it was Mercury’s compact. The dealers must have known it was silly, but they had to follow the rules.
Doran in Dallas also had a Chevrolet dealership, my Dad’s ’55 Bel Air 2 door hardtop came from there. He bought the car used in Georgetown, while going to college at Southwestern.
In Winchendon, Massachusetts there was a Ford/ Mercury ( No Lincoln) dealer called Gale Ford Mercury! It wasn’t much bigger than a gas station! I’ve never seen that combo before! Also in Londonderry,NJ there USE to be a Ford/Chrysler/Plymouth dealer! All three brands in the same showroom! I’ve forgotten the name and it was sold and now is Ford only!
The L-M dealership building in Lancaster, PA still exists at 1009 N. Prince St, looking very original. Next door is a former Buick dealership, now Horsepower Enterprises, a vintage car shop. The building front has the original Buick lettering. My aunt bought her 1961 Continental, in Columbia Blue, from Doran on Lemmon Ave. in Dallas.
I love seeing the Taunuses up front and center at Knickerbocker’s in Santa Ana. There weren’t too many of those left on US roads when I started really noticing cars in the early Sixties … I think there were more Vauxhalls and certainly English Fords.
Thanks for the gorgeous photos. Amazing buildings, stunning cars. Another great time-warp. Cheers
A small Lincoln-Mercury dealer across from the Northshore Mall, at 1 Cross Street, Peabody, MA 01960, Commodore Lincoln-Mercury, went out of business when Ford pulled the plug on the Mercury Division in the early 1990’s, as it didn’t have any other car lines to supplement the business when Mercury disappeared. The site was bought by the Kelly Auto Group, where it served as the Kelly Dealer Group’s FIAT store for while, until the FIAT dealer was relocated to Herb Chamber’s Chrysler-Dodge store after Kelly sold the FIAT dealer to Herb Chambers in the late 1990’s. All of the deanship buildings on the site were demolished after the FIAT brand was transferred to Herb Chamber’s control, and the site now serves as a storage lot for the Kelly Auto Group’s dealerships along Andover Street in Peabody and Danvers, such as the Kelley Group’s VW dealership at 72 Andover Street (MA Route 114) in Peabody or the Kelly Infiniti dealer at 151 Andover Street, Danvers, MA.
The only Mercury dealers in NZ sold outboard motors it didnt exist as a car brand after 1948, Lincoln evaporated with WW2, prior to their demise those were Fords from Ford dealers
A beautiful shot of Foothill Mtrs. from 1954! One Lincoln Capri coupe with three Mercurys on the showfloor; The Merc in the middle–the pale yellow one I bet is a Monterey Sun Valley with a dark green metallic roof! Oh, to have been a fly in that showrrom back then…..
So many lovely Mercs ! .
Others too but those dealers all looked well planned out .
-Nate
The Lancaster PA building is still there, selling classic cars now, and there’s another dealership across the street:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/u4epbS54VqMS1ygf7
Comet was originally slated as an Edsel. That’s why it was an orphan, then adopted by Mercury.