Old Car Dealers in the Detroit Area

**reddog289** · May-30-09, 01:00 AM

If I were older then 2 back in 71 maybe I would be of more help. There are dealerships I remember in Plymouth, Yet the ones back in the 50's,60's and 70's escape me cause of my age.
I used to make deliveries for the dry cleaner I worked for back in 86/87. AnnArbor Rd and Plymouth for that matter is different as night and day for the most part.
Crossing I-275 you had Don Massey Cadillac,Hines Park L-M,. At Mill St /Lilley Rd . There was Colony C-P and across the street Dick Scott Buick. When you hit MainSt you have Dick Scott Dodge. And last up by Sheldon Rd there was Sunshine Honda.
But in 20 some years things have changed.A new Saturn dealer and a new location for the Honda dealer,DickScott Dodge got a new showroom, While his Buick dealer moved in with Bob Jeanotte,and that building became a Jaguar dealer,a Mitsubishi dealer to ? as to what it is today. And Colony got the Jeep and got rid of Plymouth as It became Fox Hills, and is gonna be a memory like Allison/Edelbrock Chevy. Whew that was a scan of my brain.
On Friday it seemed I drove everywhere and to tell you this was after work I was still thinking of the old dealers that once lined the streets I drove.

**shovelhead** · May-30-09, 07:20 AM

At least in'64, Don Massey was Beglinger[[?)-Massey Olds-Cadillac, on the corner of Main and Ann Arbor Road. Jack Selle Buick was east of there on A2 Road, and Berry Pontiac was on the west side of the intersection, second building as the first corner lot was the Daly's Drive In.

The Laird's Glass building on Main was a dealership also. Before they owned it though. I was told, can't remember what car.

Back to the Edelbrock question, I remember my uncle bought a '67 Impala coupe that year, it had a Ernest J. Allision license plate frame on it. At least until '72 the frame was on it, that stuck in my memory as I was working at another Chevy dealer at the time.

About Novi's car dealer history, in the late 60's, on Old Novi Road was a Chrysler Plymouth dealer, Wheaton's if I remember correctly. It caught fire, sometime in late '68 or early '69. Novi lost a police car in it. Today the concrete slab is still there, about half way between South Lake Drive and the "new" Novi Road, on the west side.

**econ expat** · May-30-09, 08:18 AM

Novi was going to be the 'New Frontier' for alot of NW Detroit dealers.

Mulligan, Redford Chrysler, ?? Dodge[[before Luv/Kelel),?? AMC, Dean Sellers and Rosedale Olds all were planning to move.
Ford even built a new L-M Dealership across from 12 Oaks for Mulligan. When Mulligan's business deal in Detroit went bad, Ford tried to unload the Novi place on every other dealer around. Shuman's elected to stay put and sell Chryslers, Mach was forced out, sold to McDonald, Sellers opted to stay put vs. pay the high rent, OGreen also sold out, etc. Noone wanted that place in Novi - it was impressive, though. The Car Dealership that never opened...Part of it was eventually converted into a restaurant, part of it sold to the adjacent hotel.

Dealership buildings used to be a little more unique, but it's still easy to tell if a building housed a dealership, not many businesses had a large garage area behind a showroom front.

Alas, I have no info about Allison/ Jim Edelbrock in Plymouth either.I can usually spot a former dealership bldg, but most of the buildigs in Downtown Plymouth have looked like retail store fronts for a long time.

**lpg** · May-30-09, 09:40 AM

I just found several matchbooks from Walt Hickey Ford fom 1977. The back says "Better idea cars from Ford". The front has Walt Hickey Ford-16600 Fort St.-Southgate-282-3636 printed on it. It's where my wife and I purchased our 1977 Mustang II. By far the worst car we have ever owned. We picked up the car and it died in front of Starvin' Marvins on the way home. The start of a bad relationship with the car and FoMoCo

The used car lot behind National Machined .Engine still has the OK used cars sign from when Genthe Chevrolet was across the stret

**reddog289** · May-31-09, 01:56 AM

Good info on them dealers,including more on Plymouth. Seems like the dealers there move out of the central business area like all the dealers moved out of Detroit. This old car dealers thread has got me thinking that I need a digital camera.
After driving around again today I noticed that Canton has only "import" car dealers, yet the only Indian motorcycle dealer around that I know of.
Kelel Dodge on Grand River I belive turned into West Star Dodge then moved to Telegraph and became Bruce Campbell Dodge. Got to go tire kickin with my Uncle back in the early 80's. My Uncles car buying habit is to buy the first year of a new model. So there we are at Kelel Dodge back in 83/84 and there is the new Daytona sitting out there. Were checking it out then we leave. Go back home, Well Grandpa needs to get groceries. Get in the Impala head down 7mi, Uncle stops at Stark Hickey looks at the T-Birds, I wander over to the Mustangs. Saying buy ME THIS CAR, Grandpa says get a drivers licence first,Get back in the car go up Grand River to Great Scotts get the groceries go home, drop Grandpa and the groceries off. Uncle says lets go for a ride, End up at 12/Telegraph Cini -Lopez Dodge? look at Daytonas, Back in the car and down to Grand River again. Go north till we get to GR/ Orchard Lake stop at Romanos Pizza place the order, go across to Town &Country Dodge. Look at Daytonas. Back across the street get the pizza head home. But wait there is Farmington Hills C-P just pass Middlebelt. Stop there look at a Plymouth Laser. Get back in the car head home.I ask why we didn't stop at Dexter Chevy, Uncle says "We got a Chevy". This plays out every weekend and every day I spend at my Grandparents till Sept of 1984. Go to Grandparents and in the garage is a black 84 Dodge Daytona. Bought from none other then John Colone C-P-D in Pinkney.

**shovelhead** · May-31-09, 07:43 AM

I remembered this morning, the subsequent dealer to Berry Pontiac in Plymouth was Bruce Craig Pontiac.

Remembered a Town & Country Dodge story just now.

At 19, I was test drove a used car from them, a '70 Dodge Polara. White in color.No markings or lights,except that the comedians at the dealership left the rectangular "RADAR" decals on the front fenders.
Ex Farmington P.D. car. All I'm going to admit to is that while testing it out on old I-96, cars exceeding the speed limit would very quickly slow to the posted limit. Probably didn't help to pace myself alongside them also so the "offender" would look out his side window and see the "RADAR" there!

Didn't buy it though, two year old Dodge, 900 bucks, [[lot of money in '71 though), A/C inoperative, shot tires, and worse, NO RADIO! How could I listen to WABX?

**lpg** · May-31-09, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by shovelhead

I remembered this morning, the subsequent dealer to Berry Pontiac in Plymouth was Bruce Craig Pontiac.

Remembered a Town & Country Dodge story just now.

At 19, I was test drove a used car from them, a '70 Dodge Polara. White in color.No markings or lights,except that the comedians at the dealership left the rectangular "RADAR" decals on the front fenders.
Ex Farmington P.D. car. All I'm going to admit to is that while testing it out on old I-96, cars exceeding the speed limit would very quickly slow to the posted limit. Probably didn't help to pace myself alongside them also so the "offender" would look out his side window and see the "RADAR" there!

Didn't buy it though, two year old Dodge, 900 bucks, [[lot of money in '71 though), A/C inoperative, shot tires, and worse, NO RADIO! How could I listen to WABX?

Were you a WABX Air Ace ??? Still have my air aces T-shirt.

**douglasm** · May-31-09, 05:19 PM

Anyone remember the name of the Chrysler/Plymouth dealer on Woodward just north of 10 Mile? When Race Motors [[Ferndale) went to Edsel, memory says Hodges got a C/P dealership called Northwood Motors. When it became Hodges Imports [[Renault/Saab/Puegot), this dealership I can't remember the name of opened.....

**luckycar** · May-31-09, 08:21 PM

I belive this was Mason C-P.They used to park the cars under and around the Zoo water tower.We would go and ride our bikes to the Zoo and then stop and see what cars were out back.Many a RoadRunner with bird crap on it!

**reddog289** · June-07-09, 02:38 AM

Heard some thing about

**reddog289** · June-07-09, 02:44 AM

As I was gonna say, I hear 3dealers on Plymouth are gonna close. Yep thats not good.

**99gprix** · June-07-09, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by shovelhead

After Packer left Detroit, mid 70's, this was after the ad campaign "Detroit , I'm Here For Good", he built the dealership on Opdyke, so you are correct. The northern Michigan dealership you spoke of was Superior Pontiac Cadillac in Flint.

You are kinda correct on Packer. Jim Causley built the place on Opdyle rd back in 76 or 77. He asked GM for a Buick franchise and GM said no. When Causley was told this, he left the construction unfinished. Packer bought it with no floor in the building, and finished it quickly, to move from Detroit. The current owners bought it in 90 I think.

**shovelhead** · June-07-09, 01:41 PM

I could be wrong on some of the details on Packer as I was out of Pontiac dealerships at the time. Us Chevy guys were in our own world, if someone sneezed across town at say, Gene Bell Chevrolet we knew about it quickly. Our own little grapevine.

When I was leaving the Pontiac "world", going to Chevrolet dealers, the guys that I worked with tried to talk me out of it as I would have to deal with trucks, and they were no fun with all the different models, including the "big boys", C40's through Titan 90's. Actually, once I learned them, they were a breeze. Still like the medium duty line, even though I left a medium franchise last year and went back to passenger cars.

**99gprix** · June-07-09, 03:29 PM

The only reason I know that, is cause I work there

The service drive used to have no doors on it, and snow would pile up inside during bad blizzards!

**56packman** · June-07-09, 11:29 PM

Does anyone have any pictures or memorbilia from Taylor Chevrolet in Walled Lake? my 1963 Chevy II came from there, still has the sticker in the glovebox and I have the warrenty/maintenance coupon book that was in the glovebox when I bought the car in 1980 [[for $100).

**shovelhead** · June-08-09, 12:12 AM

Taylor's Chevrolet was on the shore of Walled Lake, Walled Lake Drive south of Pontiac Trail in downtown Walled Lake. Later purchased by Dick Morris and moved to Haggerty Rd. and Pontiac Trail. The old location was unique IMO being on the lake shore.

The only thing that I know of is a clock on the wall of a one room school house around the corner. The building is used for community events of some sorts. I don't remember who has the ownership of it, but you could find out and probably see the clock.

This is a generic type of advertising clock, probably from the 50's. Neon ring, with the dealership name on a insert below the center behind glass. There is/was a identical one inside the Starting Gate Bar/Restaurant in Northville. The difference being is it is from Grand River Chevrolet, Grand River at Warren. They closed up sometime in the 50's I think.

BTW, just heard about a Studebaker dealership at Grand River and Schaefer in the 1950's. Have to find the name out though.

**reddog289** · June-08-09, 01:00 AM

While on the subject of Studebaker dealers. I recall hearing that the vacum cleaner shop on Wayne Rd in Wayne was once one also. I have a book about Olympia Stadium and there is a picture of GrandRiver looking to the west. You can see a Studebaker sign hanging from a building.Which would make it around Warren ave,I think.

**reddog289** · June-08-09, 01:29 AM

Had to revisit the old site to check out a few things,I now know where Berlinger Olds/Cadillac was before they moved to the corner. B.J. Ratigan was the C-P dealer in Livonia.Which as it looks will be in this tread as Livonia C-J.
I read in the Livonia Observer about the 3 dealerships on Plymouth Rd in Livonia that are to close. It all seems that they were profitable and doing ok.
Someone said late last year that things were gonna change, Well sure enuff they were right.

**reddog289** · June-09-09, 01:59 AM

Well it is D-Day for some Chrysler dealers. Good luck to those affected.

**red-ryder** · December-02-09, 11:32 AM

mentioned earlier was flat rock car dealerships...........

van riper-hall chevrolet was there in the 50's and 60's

an old building near telegraph and vreeland had an old sign costea willys...can't remember the
'active' dealership. in the late 50's there was a rambler dealership...but dont remembe rthe name
in that location.

dick lutz ford was on telegraph just south of the railroad underpass, in flat rock

clarence bell ford was on michigan ave in wayne, later it became spitler-demmer ford....now jack demmer ford

ed carpenter dodge was on michigan ave

r.f. hutcherson/ hutchinson was an old time ford dealer. got in hot water w/ henry ford I [himself]
[himself] showed-up one day brought an inventory-group with him and after [himself] was satisfied-- several hours later--- with the 'inventory' a chek was written and r.f.hutcherson/
hutchinson...WAS NO LONGER A FORD DEALER!

at glenwood and wayne road there was a 'short-lived' edsel dealer..........spitler edsel?

in the mid-50's romulus had george hollis chevrolet.

mark chevrolet going backward was see FRANK chevrolet, jim davis chevrolet, paul mc glone chevrolet [ paul mc glone chevrolet moved into the city of detroit......i don't remember exactly where.]

my dad bought a 40 ford from dashaw-moning in lincoln park.......just after WWII.
anyone remember/ have knowledge of this dealership?

how about shalla chevrolet?

red ryder

**jackie5275** · December-02-09, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by shovelhead

Taylor's Chevrolet was on the shore of Walled Lake, Walled Lake Drive south of Pontiac Trail in downtown Walled Lake. Later purchased by Dick Morris and moved to Haggerty Rd. and Pontiac Trail. The old location was unique IMO being on the lake shore.

That dealership building was a Chrysler dealership in the 70s. I want to say it was called Walled Lake Chrysler Plymouth. My dad bought his 1974 Newport from there [[for a whopping $4500.00). I don't remember when, but I want to say it was vacant for a while. In the late 80s or early 90s, a restaurant was put in that building. I don't know if it's still open. I'd have to research that. Also, I think the Chrysler dealership became Schuman Chrysler which is somewhat north of downtown Walled Lake on Pontiac Tr. I'd have to research that too.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · December-02-09, 01:48 PM

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.

**Ray1936** · December-02-09, 02:55 PM

Birwood said, "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."

Joe May Chevrolet was originally called "Northwest Chevrolet" when it was first built around 1949. And Avis Ford was originally called Frost-Avis Ford going back into the thirties. Around 1953 or so, Frost and Avis dissolved the partnership, and Avis forged ahead on a new idea....renting cars. It became Avis Car Rental.

Yeah, Livernois avenue. Sucker's Row. Bert Baker, Chief Taker.

**jgavrile** · December-02-09, 04:32 PM

I have a couple to add.
Krause Brothers Chrysler /Plymouth on Schaefer and Puritan
Also there was a dealership in Mcnichols, just west of Schaefer it was a Kaiser Fraser dealership then it became a Studebaker dealership then it turned into a sports trophy saleroom. Can't remember the two names of the dealers though?? Maybe someone can come up with the names??
Coon Brothers Nash on Telegraph and Plymouth
Gene Merollis Chevy , I think was on Joy Rd. west of Southfield. Great commercial

**DetroitPlanner** · December-02-09, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by reddog289

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.

Topps was the name of the store next to the Farmer Jacks on Telegraph. I can still remember walking up to the store on Joy and Warwick with my dad to pick up the Impala Station Wagon back in the 70's. I used to think that Matick had a huge operation there because they had several lots in the area along Joy, and a collision shop next to the Cake Store/Piedmont Appliance.

Topps was much like a K-mart. They had another store at Joy and Greenfield and I guess several more in the metro, though I was a little Planner when they went out of business I only knew Joy Rd, Plymouth, Chicago, Grand River/Greenfield, Grand River/Oakman and Downtown back then.