Old Car Dealers in the Detroit Area

**econ expat** · December-04-09, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

Any info about Ryanal Brothers and/ or Dick Green Chrysler Plymouth?

Dick Green relocated from the east side of Detroit to west suburbs. Can't remember for sure if he ran the dealership at Grand River/Middlebelt in Farmington, but I think he ran a Dodge or Plymouth dealership on Ford Rd in Garden City/Westland in the early 70's also.

**reddog289** · December-04-09, 01:55 AM

While reading this, I get reminded of stuff I forgot.I remember the C-P DEALER in G.C.Except the name. Ed Carpenter Dodge was located on Mi ave where the road leads to Dynamite Park. I did work around Plymouth and Farmington around the time when Action became Olson Olds As I recall Olds was killed off not too long after. As for the AMC/Renult dealer in Plymouth, Thats a new one, as I got my drivers licence around the time AMC merged with Chrysler. As I think of it, There was a time when Bill Brown Ford, had a big presance on Plymouth Rd. Used Cars on Plymouth/Wayne Rd, Storage at Farmington/Plymouth, and the Main Lot, Plymouth and Hubbard. Well Bill Brown Ford is still well represented on Plymouth Rd.
I was kinda lucky in the way, I got to see all of the dealers on Plymouth rd in Livonia, that were around back in 87. As well as the DSR signs still in place at the Shelden Center Shopping Mall, The paint was starting to peel from the Perry's Drug Store. That showed the Cunninghams Green underneath it.. When I drive down that road I can picture it 20years ago. Like I do Wayne, Howell and Detroit.

douchy · December-04-09, 08:07 AM

douchy · December-04-09, 08:12 AM

**EastsideQT** · December-04-09, 05:39 PM

I purchased my first new car, a 1970 Buick LeSabre for $5,500 it was loaded [[air, power steering, automatic shift, vinyl top,and an 8 track tape deck) at Krajenke Buick in Hamtramck...there was also another one on the borderline of Grosse Pointe Park and Detroit on Kercheval.

**luckycar** · December-04-09, 06:01 PM

There is a small Don Foss lot on Cesar Chavez/Oakland Ave. in Pontiac.Just up the road from our lot.

**Whitehouse** · December-04-09, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by douchy

Edelbrock Chevy was Allison Chevy, and before that the Bonafide Garage.

The building today, Plymouth Furniture Refinishing.

Quite amazing to see that the building is actually looking better now than in the dealership days!

**9936Sussex** · December-04-09, 07:40 PM

I have a receipt for a car purchased by my dad in 1941. He purchased a used [[1940) Ford Tudor from Russ Dawson, 16231 Woodward, Highland Park. He paid $587.00 for it. Wish I had the car today.

**red-ryder** · December-07-09, 09:27 PM

todays WAYNE AUTO WORLD USED CARS 33133 michigan ave, wayne, michigan was DON MASSEY USED CARS in the 1950's and 1960's.
don massey became part owner of BEGLINGER OLDSMOBILE........in the late 1960's
don massey told me he was the 13th used car dealer to do business at 33133 michigan, the FIRST successful dealer at that location! prior to that don massey was a employee of kaiser-fraser.
when he sold his dealerships.......[.numbering at least an even dozen, at different times]................
for 100+ MILLION DOLLARS he was indeed the number one cadillac dealer in the united states!
the man is a very colorful, larger-than-life character!
not bad for a lawrenceburg tennessee farm boy!

littlebuddy · December-08-09, 12:15 PM

When I lived in Dearborn, my family lived next door to the Husaks, who owned Husak Brothers Dodge in Dearborn. I was pretty young back in the early60's so I am not sure about all the details. Does anyone remember them?

**econ expat** · December-08-09, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by littlebuddy

When I lived in Dearborn, my family lived next door to the Husaks, who owned Husak Brothers Dodge in Dearborn. I was pretty young back in the early60's so I am not sure about all the details. Does anyone remember them?

I think H "USA" K Brothers Dodge was located in Detroit, on Michigan Ave near Lonyo/Central. The building was a large Mexican bakery last time I was in the area.

Mickey Husak is still in the business. Saw his name as the new car manager at Taylor Chrysler, interviewed in a Detroit News story when nearby Century Dodge closed.

**alangbr** · December-08-09, 02:25 PM

Husak was at Michigan and Martin. I can remember them as a Studebaker dealer then a Dodge dealer. I know in the mis 60's they were a Dodge dealer.

douchy · December-08-09, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by red-ryder

todays WAYNE AUTO WORLD USED CARS 33133 michigan ave, wayne, michigan was DON MASSEY USED CARS in the 1950's and 1960's.
don massey became part owner of BEGLINGER OLDSMOBILE........in the late 1960's
don massey told me he was the 13th used car dealer to do business at 33133 michigan, the FIRST successful dealer at that location! prior to that don massey was a employee of kaiser-fraser.
when he sold his dealerships.......[.numbering at least an even dozen, at different times]................
for 100+ MILLION DOLLARS he was indeed the number one cadillac dealer in the united states!
the man is a very colorful, larger-than-life character!
not bad for a lawrenceburg tennessee farm boy!

Ive seen dealer plate from Massey Olds and Massey Buick on eBay, out of state Massey Dealers. Was that 12 just in Michigan or the US.

**KENSINGTONY** · December-08-09, 05:33 PM

To fill in about the inquiry on the 4th about the Buick dealer in Grosse Pointe Park-I know that by 1948 it was Harry Turner Buick.He sold to Tom Rousseau[[one of the founders of Chicken delight) in 1960.Mr.Rousseau became ill with cancer and died in 1963.His widow sold the business to Dick Krajenke.It stayed there until Thanksgiving weekend 1977 when it moved to the old Shalla/Ritter/Crispin Chevy building on Harper.Mr.Krajenke sold to the business to Jerry Mickowski circa 1983.Ol' Jerry proceeded to run it into the ground and it was gone in 1990.How do I know this stuff?My dad[[and grandfather) started working for Harry Turner in 1948,Tom Rousseau promoted Dad to service manager in1961,and I ended up working for the same franchise starting in June of 1977.Can anyone fill in the dealership's history pre 1948?

**kathy2trips** · December-11-09, 04:13 AM

Brick rocks!

**Meddle** · December-11-09, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by kathy2trips

Brick rocks!

What does that mean?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · December-17-09, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Growing up in NW Detroit in the Eight Mile/Meyers Rd area in the mid 60's, there was a former car dealer in what is now Ideal Conversions right next to a Hospital, a Enterprise car rental store and a Burger King, a half a block down from the now defunct Northwestern Dodge. Can anyone tell me what dealer it was?? Thx.

Nobody could come up with anything on this dealer? Oh well........

**reddog289** · December-18-09, 03:32 AM

If the Don Massey Used Car dealership is the one I am thinking about, Then when I was young it was Hall Dodds, Another name in Detroit Car Dealer history.My folks bought 2 cars from them. One of them ended up as my first car.. I have to look at the sign today when I drive by.

**econ expat** · December-18-09, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Nobody could come up with anything on this dealer? Oh well........

There was a Volvo dealer there in the 80's, not sure what cars were sold there in the 60's.

**srki** · December-19-09, 11:03 AM

buiding on 8 mile was Auto Village Volvo until 1988 when Ideal Customs moved in. I believe it was originally built by Marv Tamaroff in the 60's

**Cincinnati_Kid** · December-19-09, 05:00 PM

^^ Thank you both for the reply. I knew it was a dealer there, just didn't know what kind.

**KENSINGTONY** · December-22-09, 12:05 PM

Mel Farr had a store there too but it wasn't a Ford dealership.

**BULLITT65** · February-08-10, 01:46 AM

Hey thanks for the pics of Allison Chevrolet, and then the furniture building, does anyone have a pic of 345 main st. in plymouth Mi.? or a pic of the dealership when it was Jim Edelbrock Chevrolet? there is a corvair on ebay this week that had a ship date of 10/68 going to Edelbrock Chevrolet, and I know by my invoices that Lariche took over in mid 1970. Anyone???

**jmpatrick** · February-08-10, 08:17 AM

My Father bought his new cars at Raynal Brothers Dodge, the last one in 1974. I believe we took a cab to the dealership on Chalmers [[near Harpo's) to pick up the 74' forest green Monaco Brougham station wagon. He still has that car in mint condition. The thing I liked the most was the tube system they had that ran from office to office. They would put documents in the carrier and put it in the tube and WOOOSH...it would go wisking away. Just like a bank drivethru...but way better.

**56packman** · February-08-10, 08:37 AM

I noticed the other day that the Don Massey location on Grand River and Seven Mile, the former Dreisbach and sons store was all empty and closed looking. That was one classy dealership in its day, the round showroom floor facing Grand River was a turntable. Truly the end of an era with that closure. Audette Cadillac on Orchard Lake Rd. has hardly any cars out front, but a big banner saying that they are open.