Old Car Dealers in the Detroit Area

[MikeM]

You might have missed it, but the second response after your question was from Viziondetroit:

the location of the Ed Davis dealership is at Sexter and Elmhurst. It is owned by the State of Michigan and is a community center. I worked there in 2002 and even though they made some mods on the inside, you can still tell what was there and so forth like the service dept, show room etc. The lots are still outside where the cars used to sit. The building is in very good condition and serves the community well.

He spelled Dexter incorrectly, but it was at the southwest cornr of Dexter and Elmhurst. Then just beyond halfway down the first page, I posted a scan of his Yellow Pages ad, after Ryanal and Dick Green.

[Detroitej72]

I posted a scan of his Yellow Pages ad, after Ryanal and Dick Green.

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

[econ expat]

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]

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.

[DetroitDutchgirl]

I found this pic of Carpenter's from the Wayne Historical Society, circa 1950s? Former location was on the north side of Michigan Ave. where New Hope Baptist Church now stands.

[EMG]

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

Raynal Brothers closed down a long time ago - in the 80s.

[douchy]

[douchy]

[EastsideQT]

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]

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

[9936Sussex]

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]

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!

[douchy]

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.

[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?

[econ expat]

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.

[rhusak]

LittleBuddy..
Where in Dearborn did you live? I am Ron Husak and my family lived on Rosalie Street... My Uncle Walters Family lived on Lapham Street. My Uncle MIckes family lived in River Oaks in Dearborn Heights.. Which ones did you live by?
Ron Husak

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?

[reddog289]

So Ron, Then I think that Husak Dodge was in the round building which became a bakery then?. Good info. I love this thread.

[turkeycall]

My father bought three new cars from Fisher-Record Chrysler/Plymouth on Kercheval in Grosse Pointe:

1950 Plymouth Deluxe - 2 door
1956 Plymouth Savoy - 4 door
1961 Chrysler Newport - 4 door [quite possibly the ugliest - or, at least the homliest vehicle I had ever seen]

He bought a 1978 Chrysler newport 4-door, but I can't remember if Fisher-Record was in business then.

[rhusak]

RedDog..
Yup, that was our last store...
I was in Detroit a couple of weeks ago [[I have my mother in laws house up for sale in Dearborn) and drove down there.. I live in Conifer Colorado now.. Even did some business with Warholik <sp> Tire on McGraw and Wyoming.. They have been there forever and we did quite a bit of buisness with them when we had the dealership..
Some of the old buisnesses have hung on.. Even bought some GREAT Kielbasa from the Markowitz Polish meat market across the street from the old store.. They have been there forever as well..
I stumbled on this thread by accident.. It is pretty neat!
Ron Husak

So Ron, Then I think that Husak Dodge was in the round building which became a bakery then?. Good info. I love this thread.

[shovelhead]

rhusak,

Armstrong Buick on Michigan Avenue? They were on Grand River east of Schaefer from what I remember near Rollie Barrett Chrysler. Or did they have two dealerships?

[Dino]

Way after this thread was started, but I found some of my grandfather's old receipts from HUSAK BROTHERS in the early '60s. Awesome to see. I didn't know he owned a pickiup truck in 1960, but I just learned that fact. My dad always told me how "Grampa" loved his Studebakers, and the Husaks were he favorite guys. Another family tradition is the WARHOLAK sons/brothers just east of Wyoming on McGraw. It was SO much fun to see this thread tonight. Here is an image from one of the receipts. I have many more, but they're no more interesting than this one.

[alangbr]

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.

[rhusak]

alangbr..
Well you got some of it right.. I am one of the sons of John one of the origional brothers. Thier origional store was on Michigan avenue just east of Lonyo. Thier body shop was about a block further east across the street from the showroom.. In 53 they moved to a larger facility on Michigan and Martin which was Jerry Beilfields old place when he moved to Michigan and Lonyo.. In 1957 we had a Desoto Plymouth dealership in West Dearborn. The showroom was right across the street from the Stanford Chevrolet store. We had it only the one year and did quite well.. My folks were approached by Ford and they bought that building from us and put in [[Guess What?) Edsel.. Thast store eventually became Les Stanfords Corvette building.
We also had Packard and Mercedes Benz with the Studebaker Franchise.Thery were part of Studebaker from 55. We also added a American Motors Franchise in the Old Armstrong Buick Store which was right next door. We dropped Studebaker in 63 when the production left the US. That meant we also had toi give up the Mercedes Line.. We could have kept them but would have had to become exclusive. You simply couldn't sell enough Mercedes in our part of Detroit to make a living in those days so we let it go. IT was then we became Dodge Dealers.
After a fire in the 66 67 range the building was greatly damaged.. It reopened but was significantly smaller and we felt we had to move. We moved further down Michigan Avenue west of Lonyo just across the side street from Beilfield. The dealership stayed open till 79. When it closed it was the last Dodge Dealer left within the city limits of Detroit! Tough times even then in the motor city!
Ron Husak

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.

[KENSINGTONY]

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?

[Cincinnati_Kid]

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