Cunha Pontiac, Berkeley, CA.
Bob Longpre Pontiac, Monrovia, CA.
Hine Pontiac, San Diego, CA.
Bryant Pontiac, Covina, CA.
Union Park Pontiac Inc., Wilmington, DE.
Sholl Pontiac, Evanston, IL.
Brownell Pontiac Co., Birmingham, AL.
Art Bridges Pontiac, Hayward, CA.
Milner Pontiac, Tulsa, OK.
Mike Salta Pontiac, Long Beach, CA.
Allison Pontiac, San Jose, CA.
Bert Adams Pontiac, Joliet, IL.
Bob Longpre Pontiac, Westminster, CA.
As a Berkeley native I recognized the name Cunha Pontiac but it didn’t seem as familiar as another local dealership, Doten Pontiac. So naturally I did a little Googling, and Walter Cunha worked for Doten before briefly having his own Pontiac store. An interesting guy; a Berkeley High grad who was a singer, but was given advice by Bing Crosby to go to college, with a break as an Army officer in WWII, then went on to law school (at Berkeley) but moved into sales as a Pontiac company regional rep. Then he worked for Doten before opening his own store.
As for Art Bridges, whose store is also shown in this post, I had several warranty issues in my own brief foray into Pontiac ownership in 1981, and at the suggestion of the regional service rep switched from the Fremont dealership where I bought the car, to getting warranty work done at Bridges a few miles north of me.
This is Walter Earle Cunha. The dealership was five blocks from Bancroft and the entrance to UC Berkeley. Most of all it was 1 12/ blocks from People’s Park. Ooo, that must have been fun from 1964 and onward a bit. Was just in Berkeley this Saturday to wander the campus for photos. As soon as I drove down Haste, for Underhill, I saw rebar soaring into the sky and knew People’s Park was now gone after decades of fighting over it by UC and the denizens.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/walter-cunha-obituary?id=15207638
The location today which is Telegraph and Parker.
Wow, the dealership was actually on Telegraph Avenue? Back in my days as a Cal student, I remember Maggini Chevrolet’s old showroom on Durant, just north of Shattuck.
For years this Indian stood proudly over Superior Pontiac in San Antonio. Even after Pontiac entered the history books, he remained as the location morphed into a Hyundai dealer. He was removed some years ago.
AI details….
The large Native American statue formerly associated with McCombs Superior Pontiac dealership in San Antonio underwent significant changes recently:
Removal from original location: The 26-foot fiberglass statue, originally installed in the 1960s at the Pontiac dealership (later relocated to Loop 410 in 1977), was removed in July 2023 during renovations at what had become McCombs Superior Hyundai. Hyundai’s dealership standards reportedly influenced the decision.
Relocation controversy: After months of uncertainty, the statue reappeared in March 2024 at Jourdanton High School (50 miles south of San Antonio), whose teams use “Indians” and “Squaws” as mascots. The school district announced it had “acquired” the landmark but didn’t disclose financial details.
Cultural criticism: Native American advocates like Ramon Vasquez condemned the move, arguing the generic “Chief” depiction (likely modeled on Pontiac-brand imagery rather than local tribes) perpetuates stereotypes and fails to honor actual South Texas indigenous heritage. The school district’s Facebook announcement emphasized pride in local history while facing criticism about cultural sensitivity.
The statue’s journey reflects ongoing tensions between nostalgic marketing symbols and evolving cultural perceptions of Native American imagery.
I was a little surprised to hear that it was relocated to a High School. Here in the PNW a number of Schools had used Native themes for their mascots, but most of them have changed them over the last decade or so. Some of them had large Totem poles which were also removed.
Where is Dwayne Hoover’s Exit 11 Pontiac Village, Midland City, Indiana?
All of those older ethnic/cultural/sociological names and associations seemed pretty innocuous in the past, even if they might have been somewhat derogatory, or at least insensitive. DeSoto was named after a Spanish explorer and conquistador, and the terms “Safari” for a station wagon, and Apache for a Chevy truck, might have negative connotations. Names like Explorer, and Expedition are less culturally charged. I don’t take offense unless offense is specifically intended, but it’s nice to see the move away from that kind of stuff.
Did Bob Longpre actually own two Pontiac dealerships in southern California, or did neighboring cities redraw their boundaries? Interesting that Mike Salta might be another example of multiple store ownership, as there was a Mike Salta Pontiac near Honolulu, Hawaii back in the ’70s.
And to the McCombs Superior Pontiac/Hyundai stores in San Antonio, was it owned by longtime Ford/Toyota dealer Red McCombs? I read his autobiography a few years ago, and it doesn’t mention any ownership of a GM store. Edsel, Subaru, and later Toyota, plus the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Vikings, but not Superior Pontiac.
From what I can tell, Longpre’s Monrovia dealership came first – he opened it in 1950, and then sold it to a business partner named Peter Savage in 1966. That dealership was then known as Savage Pontiac. Shortly afterwards, Longpre opened the Westminster dealership. So, the two dealerships were owned by Bob Longpre, but not at the same time. The two places are about 35 miles apart.
And it sure looks like the Westminster building is still standing – now a Honda dealer, but under the Honda corporate appearance, it seems to be the same structure.
Address is: 13600 Beach Blvd., Westminster, CA:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jo4SVk3ztDwA3Ys66
My best friends father was the finance and administrative officer at Bob Longpre in Monrovia. Mr. Garcia was an absolutely wonderful man
My parents bought the car I learned to drive in there. It was a 1961 Ventura, red in color, that I love to this day.
My oldest brother bought a 1962 Ventura and a 1964 GTO there. My third brother bought his first car, a used 1960 Nash Rambler at Longre’s.
Seeing this photo brings back wonderful memories of my younger days.
There is a lot interior decor to behold in that Bryant Pontiac showroom but nothing beats the beautiful white on red 1963 Grand Prix. Not the colors I would have chosen (make mine all midnight blue) but very sleek car for the time and one that still does it for me.
Union Park maintained the Pontiac sign until Pontiac ceased business.
Now Union Park Honda and new building
Those Pontiacs were beautiful then as they are now especially those GPs from the 60’s. My personal favorite that got my blood red hot for cars is the ’63 GP which is still one of (if not) my favorite car.
Growing up and still living in Castro Valley, CA, I know that area well in Hayward. Art Bridges Pontiac was located on the ” old” Auto Row on Mission Blvd, close to downtown. Interesting factoid ( to me, anyway) is that my family was shopping for a second car in 1964 and we considered a Pontiac LeMans, and a new Mustang. The Mustang won, and that car became my high school graduation gift in 1971.
By then, most dealers had moved to the south end of town, except the GM makes and some independents for some reason. The Bridges Pontiac building is still there, having a recent mild renovation to a Goodwill store. Directly across the intersection was a Edsel store and down the street was Lew Doty Cadillac and further south was Turner Buick.
Biggest surprise for me is that not a single one of these displays the then-current Pontiac arrowhead logo adopted in 1959. Many still have the “Chief Pontiac” logo that was mostly phased out by then.
I’m from the San Diego area and remember the Hines Pontiac dealer. I’m sure that is where our 1970 LeMans came from. The car I remember most was our 1964 Catalina station wagon. It belonged to my grandparents first and then we got it. It was affectionately called The Tank. My grandparents also had the dealership in Huron South Dakota, Parsons Pontiac way back in the day. I still have a top salesman ledger that my grandmother was awarded, probably a first for a woman!
So many “Bunkie Beaks” to enjoy ! =8-) .
-Nate
Recognize the Allison Pontiac showroom in San Jose, CA – it was on Stevens Creek Boulevard at Kiely Boulevard. Directly across the street was Smythe Buick – on the north side, which was a Santa Clara address.
Later, the Pontiac dealership became a Century Chrysler-Plymouth dealership, and today it is Stevens Creek Toyota.