Car dealerships

[nichols]

We've been talking in the ModCom about historic auto dealerships in L.A. County. I actually started a thread over in the car section about it, but after four years we only have 16 candidates? Is that really all that's left?

Casa de Cadillac
14401 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
1949, Randall Duell

CRESTVIEW CADILLAC
2700 E GARVEY AVE South,
WEST COVINA, CA
1962

CLIPPINGER CHEVROLET
137 W SAN BERNARDINO RD,
COVINA, CA

Felix Chevrolet
3330 S Figueroa St, Â
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Built 1939 as Tupman Motors (Ford)
Became Felix Chevrolet in 1959

Nelson Dodge (Formerly Nelson PONTIAC)
3462 Peck Rd,
El Monte,CA

Crenshaw Motors (Ford)
5140 Crenshaw Blvd.,
Los Angeles

Tate Cadillac
Pomona, CA

Norman Ford
Pomona, CA

Massey Chevrolet Cadillac
10700 Studebaker Road
Downey, CA 90241

Reynolds Buick
345 N. Citrus Ave., Covina
c. 1965

Pasadena Ford
1365 N. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA

Alberston Olds/Chevrolet
Washington/Sepulveda
Culver City

Star Chrysler Jeep
1401 South Brand Boulevard,
Glendale, CA 91204

Glendale Dodge
1101 S Brand Blvd
Glendale, CA

Downey Ford
9500 Lakewood Blvd.
Downey, CA 90240

Ray Vines Chrysler - Plymouth, 1963
4201 E. Willow St.
Long Beach

[babyblue65bird]

I've always thought Rydell Cadillac / Oldsmobile on Reseda Blvd was pretty cool in a 60s modern sort of way. And isn't there a pair of glass and steel dealerships on Topanga that have some architectural provenance?

[nichols]

Any more info on these?


Rydell Cadillac, 1965
8400 Reseda Blvd
Northridge, CA


Livingston Pontiac, 1968
6133 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA

[nichols]

Say, Gnomus... want to take some pictures?

[babyblue65bird]

[babyblue65bird]

As was the neighboring Honda dealership, which was unfortunately demolished in 2003


https://digital.lib.washington.edu/arch ... res/10678/

[Gnomus]

Chris, Re: photos -- what do you have in mind?

Also, I shot this in early June.



The address matches Ray Vines Chrysler-Plymouth down in Long Beach. It's Worthington Cars and Trucks now, and LoopNet has the property listed for $4,650,000, if you're in the market.

[nichols]

That's fantastic! I'd love to see images like that on each of the remaining dealerships. We're trying to prioritize the best of what remains. Casa seems to be holding the number one spot.

[Chrisgreen]

Here is the beautiful sign pavilion at Crestview Cadillac, at 2700 E Garvey Ave S, in West Covina, CA.


And this is the 1970s era corporate GM signage at Crestview. These are less distinctive but also becoming a rarer sight these days...


We visited Reynolds Buick this weekend, also in West Covina.
The original sign is still there (with newer stuff tacked on) and the original space-age flying steel buttress building.... I think it should be high on the list.

Also nearby is great signage at Clippinger Chevrolet. Both are on Citrus Ave.

[modfan]

[nichols]

THANKS, I think Tate moves up closer to the top of the list....

Tate Cadillac
896 E. Holt Ave., Pomona


Weber & Cooper Lincoln Mercury
Ontario


Richard Hibbard Chevrolet
191 S Indian Hill Blvd
Claremont, CA

[nichols]

Chris, I love Reynolds, it's sort of a prefab all-steel thing and completely unique. Didn't they make a nice contribution to our ModCom Wayne McAllister exhibit years ago? Did you happen to shoot it from the front? I think it dates to 1965.

[Gnomus]

Here's a shot of Felix Chevrolet that I also posted in the Modern Transportation thread.



Looks like I'll be going up into the Valley on Friday. I'll try to shoot Casa de Cadillac, Rydell Cadillac and Livingston Pontiac while I'm in the area.

[nichols]

That's great! M-M also reports there may be some more in Canoga Park along Sherman Way...

Here's the parallel thread:
http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3183

[Chrisgreen]

[Gnomus]

Debra Jane Seltzer of Agilitynut.com sent me this in response to a question about some info she had on Ray Vines:

[Futura Girl]

[nichols]

Star Chrysler Jeep (1956)
1401 South Brand Boulevard,
Glendale, CA 91204

Glendale Dodge (1959)
1101 S Brand Blvd
Glendale, CA

[Gnomus]

Today: Casa de Cadillac. Chris's OP has the date as 1949; their website says the business was established in 48. Did they open the lot before the building was completed?





I wish I could cut down that damn palm tree!



Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to any of the other dealerships on the list, but I shot a lot of businesses along Ventura Blvd.

[nichols]

Those are great! Tax assessor says '49 and this article came out on 10/10/48 saying they had just broken ground.

[Gnomus]

Padding their resume. Nothing new there!

[modfan]

Is that a real recent pic of Casa?

The Saab and Hummer lettering is gone (actually now it's back to
the way it originally was)

[Perks]

You can see a faint shadow of the old "Hummer" sign on the first picture. The local Hummer dealership is now on Van Nuys Blvd. and is no longer owned by the Casa Automotive Group. Guess they wised up and removed the SAAB sign while they were at it.

[nichols]

What do we think of Crenshaw Ford? In this case, does signage alone make a building? It's a very smart streamline moderne structure that had an intact interior. Does losing all that signage negate its importance?

2006

2007

today


Crenshaw Ford
5311 Crenshaw Blvd.,
Los Angeles

http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=8528

[Gnomus]

Modfan, I took those pictures about six hours before I posted them, so yes, they're pretty recent.

[nichols]

Pasadena Ford
1365 N. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA

(by the way, please consider my pictures as placeholders until we get better ones)

I imagine this would make a pretty great feature on the new and improved modcom.org site.

[Chrisgreen]

[Gnomus]

I shot this today in South Gate; the address is 2440 Firestone Blvd. It looks like it might have been a dealership at one time, with the showroom to the left, repair bays on the right, and a bit of room in the middle to display cars.

Now the showroom is filled wall-to-wall with engines salvaged from Japanese cars.

[nichols]

2440 Firestone is a GREAT building, but like it's cousin at Wilshire and La Brea was a Firestone tire outlet. So, while absolutely incredible and preservation worthy, but kinda disqualified for this particular list. I was there this weekend and noticed what I believe is the Firestone plant on the north side of the street.

[nichols]

Gonzales (Massey) Cadillac to close.


Casa de Gonzales is latest auto dealership to close
by Christian Brown, Staff WriterAug 28, 2009 | 283 views | 3 | 2 | |

DOWNEY PATRIOT

Casa de Gonzales Cadillac and Chevrolet is the latest Downey auto dealership to close. Downey Ford shut down in January. Courtesy www.RoadsideArchitecture.com
DOWNEY – Since declaring bankruptcy on June. 1, General Motors Corp. has struggled to find its footing, leaving hundreds of dealerships that sell its brands fighting to keep their doors open. Soon Casa De Gonzales Cadillac and Chevrolet of Downey will become the latest GM dealership to shut down...

http://www.thedowneypatriot.com/pages/f ... s_1st_left