Old Car Dealers in the Detroit Area

[catch22]

Back to Plymouth now:
Mercury dealer on Forest Ave., west side at least from '64 to about '68 or '69 was West Bros. Ford dealer at the time was Leo Calhoun. Both buildings long gone.

West Bros.dates back to at least 1962 at that location. My dad bought a '62 Meteor there. I think they became Hines Park L-M.

Calhoun moved out to Plymouth Road east of town and is now Blackwell Ford.

[douchy]

The furniture building IS the Allison building. There is a ramp inside for driving cars up to second floor. I called there and spoke to a worker and he told me all about the old car dealer. I am 99% certain that Edelbrock was in the same building.

[shovelhead]

That building was used as the body shop. The main dealership was to the east [[Starkweather) I was supposed to go to work there in the parts department in the fall of '70, but the G.M. strike put a freeze on hiring at that time. I previously worked for the Parts Manager at Rathburn before it closed.

catch22, wasn't Calhoun on Main, about where the Mayflower had the "Annex"?
My parents bought their '64 Parklane convertible at West Bros, it was on display in the showroom. They originally were going to buy a "Breezeway" that was on the floor, but she went in to get the paperwork to go to the bank, it was being cleaned up and in it's place was the convertible. That was it! She promptly cancelled the buy on the hardtop and bought the convertible.

[BULLITT65]

The furniture building was the body shop. Unless they changed the address, my original invoice from JIM EDELBROCK CHEVROLET, has the address as 345 N. Main st. Plymouth MI. [[not 331, which is shown in the furniture store pic). I have a service invoice from early 1970 and it has the address still as 345 main st., but had changed hands and was Lou LaRiche Chevrolet. Then the year after that Lou LaRiche moved to his current location.

[catch22]

catch22, wasn't Calhoun on Main, about where the Mayflower had the "Annex"?
My parents bought their '64 Parklane convertible at West Bros, it was on display in the showroom. They originally were going to buy a "Breezeway" that was on the floor, but she went in to get the paperwork to go to the bank, it was being cleaned up and in it's place was the convertible. That was it! She promptly cancelled the buy on the hardtop and bought the convertible.

I think so ... but my memory is a little fuzzy on that. I didn't become a regular customer of Leo Calhoun until I bought a used '67 Ford Cortina around 1971 [[as was typical with any English car of that period, I was on a first-name basis with the guys at the parts counter). By then, they had moved out on Plymouth Road.

[reddog289]

What great info on here. I thought Wayne had the dealers, But it figures Plymouth& Northville had then also.I myself have been in the Allison/Edelbrock property. Only cause I had a truck and I had to haul a chair.
With the Buick dealer at 7mi/GR ending up in the hands of Bob Sellers, It is like a circle. From what I know Sellers Pontiac was in OLD Redford.
Bullitt, I am working on that scanner/printer so BEAR WITH ME. Thanks to all.

[kathy2trips]

Looks better today, with the brick frontage!

Oh, YEAH! That is gorgeous!

I hate it when people paint brick! That, and spray stucco. Ewwww. That building is BE-U-tiff-full! Keep it just like that!

[lpg]

North Brothers Ford was at Fort and Cicotte in Lincoln Park. I remember going there with my parents when they purchased a new 1957 Ford Fairlane 500. The repair garage was located where Auto Zone is now. The other showroom was where the Lincoln Park Post Office is now. The post office stored plastic bins in the repair building after the dealership moved. Some kids got into the building and shot off fireworks and set fire to hundreds of those bins. It turned into a major fire.

[reddog289]

Funny thing I was thinking about North Bros Ford today. Was having my truck fixed there and was in the lobby reading about the history of the dealership.There was is a ghost sign on the side of the wall of their old building in Garden City.
I was also wondering about the Armstrong Buick that Shovelhead mentioned. Was that the one that ended up on PlymouthRd in Livonia?

[shovelhead]

Same Armstrong Buick.

Ellsworth Ford, wasn't that the dealer in Garden City before North Bros.?
My late uncle worked there as a tech in the 50's, later for North Bros., then as Service Manager. IIRC, he went to Crestwood Dodge in the mid 60's, then by '67 to Gorno Bros. Ford. Retired in about '75.

[reddog289]

With the Armstrong Buick question answered, I am throwing this out there. As in the case of Armstrong Buick , I belive they were Livonia Buick for a while before John Rogin bought the building. With dealers like Taylor Ford and Taylor Chevy Are they named after there cities for a reason such as GM or Ford ended up with them or because the "new owners" just decided that?. I miss the old Ray Whitfield Ford and Walt Lazar Chevrolet commercials

[SMRJim]

Glenn Pontiac, Grand River & Prevost, sold out to Porterfield Wilson.
Across Grand River, General Transmission's building was previously a Packard dealership.

Glenn Pontiac is the one I was going to mention. I lived right down the block on Prevost, just before Eaton. I remember as a kid watching the car-haulers park on our street and unload the cars. I was fascinated by that as a youngster. I think Porterfield Wilson took over around 73 or 74 maybe. Great Western Auto was across Grand River from the Pontiac dealership. Besides being an auto parts place, they sold bikes. Got my bikes there when I was a kid, as well as tire patch kits, etc. Still remember the smell of that store. Slighly off the subject I guess, but it is auto-related...

Had some friends who worked at General Trans back in the mid-late 70s, but the Packard dealership was a bit before my time.

[econ expat]

Livonia Buick was operated by Poe [[minority dealer group that also had the former Dexter Chevrolet) for awhile.
Generic Dealer names- Chrysler has done this for a long time, GM and Ford try to do same- prefer not to have owner's names on the dealership.One of the 'ideas' Saturn used was to name dealerships by location rather than owners, like Toyota and Honda.
Taylor Chevrolet- I had heard that this dealership was also backed by GM, 'sold' to a minority dealer start up. It's probably part of the agreement that GM picks the name of the dealership?
Palmer Pontiac was mentioned- there was no 'Mr or Ms Palmer' operating that dealership either. When Porterfield Wilson's estate signed off, GM took back the dealership. Named it after somewhat nearby Palmer Park. The 'dealer' [[babysitter for GM until a buyer could be found) was Don McIntyre of Superior Pontiac.
And... lots of dealerships keep the same name long after the original owner is gone anyways.

[lpg]

Walker Buick was on the corner of Dix and Southfield in Lincoln Park across from the Sears Shopping Center. They also sold Datsun cars and trucks. Later became Zubor Buick. Zubor moved to Taylor on Telegraph. The old dealership was demolished.

Flannery Ford took over the site of the old North Brothers Ford and ran it several years before the site was torn down and the new post office was built.

Genthe Motor Sales was a Chrysler Plymouth dealer located at Fort and Buckingham also in Lincoln Park. It is now a Mickey Shorr car stereo store. I remember being hit by one of their drunken salesmen while crossing Fort street in my car.

Stanford Dodge was on Fort Street and Council at the very north end of Lincoln Park. My cousin bought his first convertible there. The building is still there.

Walt Lazar Chevrolet is where my 1977 Monte Carlo came from. Still in the family after all these years.

[KENSINGTONY]

A little more background on the Dexter Chevy story.The Poe group took over when Mr.Slatkin no longer wanted the franchise and GM wanted a minority dealer principal in there..They ran it for a while,but gave up and the location reverted to Motor Holdings,the GM dealer arm.Motor Holdings ran it for a while but the higher ups in GM had decided that the location wasn't viable so it was decided to shut down the location.But the guy that GM sent in there to run it started to make the place turn a profit.Despite his pleadings and a willingness to buy the place,GM said no and away the location went.

[econ expat]

Be careful what you wish for.....

There was a successful 'small town' Chevy Dealer in Flat Rock.
In its last years, the owner publicly complained that GM was holding him back
and he was the best candidate to buy Dexter Chevrolet which was for sale.He said Detroit needed a minority dealer there, not the little town he was in. GM relented, and Harrell ended up with Dexter Chevrolet.
Never saw a dealership slide downward so fast. Not sure if it was because Slatkin's customer base left or what.
Being owner of a huge dealership, of course Harrell also bought a mansion in Palmer Woods- the one that um the contractors accidently set afire.
AFTER Harrell, Poe took over and tried to revive the dealership, that didn't last long. What was it called? WestSide Chevy or something like that.
Irony- the lady that took over the Flat Rock dealership eventually closed it, but only because she did well enough to expand and buy Stewart's in Woodhaven.

[lpg]

A good friend of mine worked for both Ray Ridge Chevrolet in downtown Trenton [[Now a N.A. Mans showroom for home improvments) and Stu Evans Lincoln Mercury in Southgate on Fort Street.

Bistran's Downriver Chrysler Plymouth was on Eureka in Wyandotte in 1968. It's where I purchased my new 68 Road Runner. They later moved to Fort and Quarry Road in Southgate. After it closed it sat empty for several years before being torn down. A credit union sits on the site now.

South Pointe Dodge was on Telegraph where Century Dodge is now. I bought a new 75 B-100 van there.

Century Dodge had a place in Fort Street in Wyandotte. It is now National Machined Engine and Janet's Closet [[A whole nother story).

[reddog289]

Thanks for clearing the air on the names of some of the dealerships.
I remember the whole Dexter Chevy deal. I sorta grew up around the 7/Evergreen and anytime we went up Burt Rd to 8Mile I would look at the new Chevys outta the back seat then graduated to stopping to look at the Camaros. I can recall when Mr Harrrel took it over and all the signs were changed . Then the whole deal about the fire at his mansion and the well short lived WestSide Chevrolet. Isn't the main showroom one of those import/liquidation stores and a Popeyes Chicken in the old car lot.
I get a kick when I drive down Fort St and see the National Machined Engine store with a "CLOTHING " store in the back. Not having been familar with Fort St till recently the "Father in law" has a good memory of the dealers down there.
Didn't Zubor end up with the old Harvey Buick dealership on Telegraph? I do remember the Zubor on Southfield. If my memory is correct I belive it was pretty small.

[econ expat]

Zubor almost changed names when it was on Southfield.
Heinz Prechter bought into several downriver dealerships, with plans to eventually build a new auto mall near the newspaper building and Holiday Inn along I-75.
When the plans were cancelled, the little Buick dealership was moved to Harvey Buick on Telegraph Rd. Times do change. He also owned the Pontiac dealer on Fort Street, but did not 'merge' Pontiac and Buick.His little Cadillac dealership in Wyandotte did merge into Bill Rowan Olds.
Zubor family still runs the Buick dealership,even added Pontiac/GMC
Poe now owns the Pontiac and former Bill Rowan in Southgate.

[lpg]

With summer coming soon you may have the chance to see the owner of National Machined Engine wearing some of the fashions he sells in the "STORE". I have seen him washing a motorhome wearing a bikini top [[complete with inflated rack) and a little tennis skirt. I was sent there once by a friend to look for part of a gasket set and saw the owner up close. Never again.

Ray Tessier operated the Pontiac and GMC dealership in Southgate. My inlaws bought their 86 Gran Prix there

Another building on Fort Street in Southgate housed 3 different dealerships over the years. Walt Hickey Ford, remember his picture as the "Mayor of Hickeytown". had the building 1st. My aunt purchased her new 64 Ford Galaxie there. I saw my first Shelby Cobra there. It later moved further south on Fort next to the old Southgate MJR theater. Walt Oben took it over as Southgate Ford. Southgate Ford moved across the street to its new location and the Fort George Drive-in, MJR theater and the old dealership were torn down. The Meijer store is there now. It was followed by Dick Genthe Chevrolet. A buddy bought a 69 SS396 Nova there. He stayed until his new dealership was built on Eureka near Dix. Finally it was Hileman Motors. They sold Honda motorcycles. It was torn down and a phamacy built. It is a Family Dollar store now.

[birwood]

From what I recall from the 50's and 60's,
Joe May Cheverolet at Grand River & Meyers next to Avis Ford. Avis Ford later moved to Joy Rd & Penrod, then changed the name to Pat Milliken.
A few blocks west of Meyers at Sorrento was Stu Evan Mercury.
Rollie Barret was up around Schaefer.
Bill Brown was around Schaefer & Fenkell.
Dean Sellers was on Grand River a few blocks west of St. Marys of Redford.
There was a Chevy dealer on the corner of Puritan & Schaefer....CRS the name.
George Matick was on Joy Rd around Piedmont.
Leo Adler was out Grand River near Telegraph across from the cemetery.
Livernois was used car row..remember the TV ads for King Auto Sales along with the Earl Schieb " I'll paint any car, any color for $19.95"

[SMRJim]

From what I recall from the 50's and 60's,
... Dean Sellers was on Grand River a few blocks west of St. Marys of Redford.
... George Matick was on Joy Rd around Piedmont.

Dean Sellers relocated to the suburbs long ago, I think it's still in business. I think it was right across from Edison grade school when it was in Detroit, a block or two east of the old Norwest theatre. Can't remember where they're at now - Troy maybe? I think that George Matick is still at Telegraph and Schoolcraft - bought my first new car from them back in 83, right after I hired in at Chevrolet Engineering Center, and they were at that location then.

[econ expat]

Dean Sellers relocated to the suburbs long ago, I think it's still in business. I think it was right across from Edison grade school when it was in Detroit, a block or two east of the old Norwest theatre. Can't remember where they're at now - Troy maybe? I think that George Matick is still at Telegraph and Schoolcraft - bought my first new car from them back in 83, right after I hired in at Chevrolet Engineering Center, and they were at that location then.

Dean Sellers was one of the last [[if not THE last) dealers to successfully relocate to the suburbs- they moved to Troy and took over Turner Ford on Maple, early 80's.
George Matick was a fairly 'new' dealer in Redford when you bought your car, I think they moved to Schoolcraft/Telegraph about 1980. Interesting move- they had limits on how close he could be to other Chevy dealers,so he had to settle for an abandoned Topp's Department store and share a parking lot/ building with Farmer Jack's for over 10 years.

[reddog289]

Now I really want my scanner to work. In the 1971 Flat Rock Speedway program theres an ad for HICKEYTOWN, U.S.A.
Hickeytown USA no1 16600 FortSt Southgate DU2-3000 AV2-3636
Hickeytown USA no2 1011 S.Monroe St. Monroe CH1-4300
Walt Hickey Ford
As for Matick Chevrolet. I had been wondering what was in there present location besides the Farmer Jack. I knew before they moved from Joy Rd, There was a Trade Center type deal going on next to the Farmer Jack. After Matick moved out of the Joy Rd building it became a U Haul store from what I can remember.

[BULLITT65]

Wow, you guys sure remember alot of history when it comes to dealerships, to bad nobody grew up in Plymouth, close to Allison Chevrolet to remember when it changed hands.