Reverse Bailout; Calif dealer dumps GM "There's no car people left"

[luckycar]

Come to my place.

[shovelhead]

That might have been before my time, I can't remember Detroit Harley-Davidson when it was actually in Detroit. Only place I can remember Detroit Harley-Davidson being is on Van Dyke in Centerline.

I remember the old Motor City Harley on Joy Road. ABC Harley was in some crappy building in Pontiac, I can't remember which street though.

Roy's Harley Davidson was in Pontiac in the 60's. I think it was on Montcalm but I can't be sure.

Does anyone remember Cookie's Harley Davidson in Ypsilanti, late 60's maybe into the early 70's?

Detroit Harley Davidson, the "real deal" on the Lodge Service Drive was a experience. The original store was on 12th. I had the address saved but lost it along with a recent photo of it [[about 2004) as it was at the time a plumbing supply. Woodward 1-9576 was the phone number.

I worked at Motor City in Farmington Hills part time late 90's to mid 2000's. Some of the Detroit crew still worked there. Sadly now have passed.

Detroit's building ended up as a body shop, now torn down for Motor City Casino's expansion.

Some history on Detroit Harley Davidson on the web. Check this out for a start.
http://theoldmotor.com/?tag=motor-maids

[shovelhead]

The first GM dealership that I worked at was Rathburn Chevrolet in Northville, this was mentioned in a thread a little over a year ago:http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...light=rathburn

Mr. Rathburn wanted to retire and transfer the ownership to his sons. At that time, 1970, GM wanted upgraded facilities which equaled spending for newer and bigger buildings. Also, at the time was a policy not to allow dealers of the same brands within five miles of each other at least in this area. And to phase out dual line dealerships, this being one of them. LaRiche was about three to four miles away in Plymouth.

Rathburn was a Chevrolet and Oldsmobile franchise, even though they had not had a Olds on the floor since about 1967.

Anyhow, Chevrolet was agreeable if they dropped Oldsmobile officially [[IIRC) and built a new and expanded facility. The Rathburns argued that the business they did could not justify the expenditures that Chevrolet required. Chevy then pulled the plug, giving them ninety days to close up.

Now GM has come full circle again promoting multi-point franchises. At one time in my career I worked at a five line GM store, everything but Cadillac.That was in the rural southwest in the 1980's.