Old Car Dealers in the Detroit Area

[p69rrh51]

Designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. Sales & Service Building-Thomas J. Doyle dealer of Dodge Brothers Motor Cars. 2270 East Jefferson built 1922-1923 Detroit, MI. Demolished: Date unknown to me

Images from Indiana University's Building a Nation: Indiana Limestone Photograph Collection, circa 1923, and a 1923 issue of Michigan Architect and Engineer.

[p69rrh51]

Designed by Albert Kahn. Stark Hickey Sales and Service Building, 8461 Grand River built in 1929 Detroit, MI.

[p69rrh51]

Designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. United States Motor Company Sales and Service Building, 2959 Woodward Avenue built in 1911 Midtown, Detroit, MI. Includes a rendering featuring the building from a 1911 edition of the Detroit Times.

[softailrider]

All of the above, fantastic photos.

[Researcher]

Does anyone have any memories or information about World Sports Car Center at 17333 Livernois Ave. or its owner Delevan [[Dell) Lee? The same goes for Dick’s Auto Repair at 7144 Fenkell Ave. and its owner Richard [[Dick) Londergan. Photos would be gold to me.


Also, can anyone tell me if used car dealers in the late 1950’s typically registered and put Michigan plates on cars they had brought in from out of state to sell.

[shovelhead]

Quote: Also, can anyone tell me if used car dealers in the late 1950’s typically registered and put Michigan plates on cars they had brought in from out of state to sell.

I doubt it. Michigan was a plate to owner system even back then, not a plate to vehicle like California is. Once a vehicle was sold the plate no longer would be valid for use on that car, only subsequent vehicles titled under that person or company name after being transferred at a Secretary of State branch. Unlike today where some dealers are allowed to issue Michigan license plates all sales and transfers had to be done at a S of S office only.

I remember in the late 70's there was some legality regarding restrictions on dealer plate usage. As I was in management and assigned a company car the "D" plated cars were only to be used to demonstrate cars. The company cars we were assigned were registered in the dealership name with either regular passenger or commercial plates if a pickup.

Supposedly if the vehicle was driven on a daily basis it was to be registered in the dealership name and cars with dealer plates were only to be used on an occasional basis,to demonstrate. Not that all dealers followed those rules, it was cheaper to get dealer plates vs. registering and transferring plates around car to car as sold.

Our parts delivery vehicles once were sidelined for a full day as the office clerk in charge of company vehicle registrations forgot that the trucks were due the end of February, come March 1st we were at a standstill. Believe me if I could have put dealer plates on them that day I would have, my phone was nonstop irate wholesale customers, it took us two days to catch up after that fiasco.

[lpg]

Quote: Also, can anyone tell me if used car dealers in the late 1950’s typically registered and put Michigan plates on cars they had brought in from out of state to sell.

I doubt it. Michigan was a plate to owner system even back then, not a plate to vehicle like California is. Once a vehicle was sold the plate no longer would be valid for use on that car, only subsequent vehicles titled under that person or company name after being transferred at a Secretary of State branch. Unlike today where some dealers are allowed to issue Michigan license plates all sales and transfers had to be done at a S of S office only.

I remember in the late 70's there was some legality regarding restrictions on dealer plate usage. As I was in management and assigned a company car the "D" plated cars were only to be used to demonstrate cars. The company cars we were assigned were registered in the dealership name with either regular passenger or commercial plates if a pickup.

Supposedly if the vehicle was driven on a daily basis it was to be registered in the dealership name and cars with dealer plates were only to be used on an occasional basis,to demonstrate. Not that all dealers followed those rules, it was cheaper to get dealer plates vs. registering and transferring plates around car to car as sold.

Our parts delivery vehicles once were sidelined for a full day as the office clerk in charge of company vehicle registrations forgot that the trucks were due the end of February, come March 1st we were at a standstill. Believe me if I could have put dealer plates on them that day I would have, my phone was nonstop irate wholesale customers, it took us two days to catch up after that fiasco.

Wife worked at AAA for 45 years. She remembers when all plates expired for passenger vehicles March 31. Lines of people around the building. Fun times.

[Researcher]

Quote: Also, can anyone tell me if used car dealers in the late 1950’s typically registered and put Michigan plates on cars they had brought in from out of state to sell.

I doubt it. Michigan was a plate to owner system even back then, not a plate to vehicle like California is. Once a vehicle was sold the plate no longer would be valid for use on that car, only subsequent vehicles titled under that person or company name after being transferred at a Secretary of State branch. Unlike today where some dealers are allowed to issue Michigan license plates all sales and transfers had to be done at a S of S office only.

I remember in the late 70's there was some legality regarding restrictions on dealer plate usage. As I was in management and assigned a company car the "D" plated cars were only to be used to demonstrate cars. The company cars we were assigned were registered in the dealership name with either regular passenger or commercial plates if a pickup.

Supposedly if the vehicle was driven on a daily basis it was to be registered in the dealership name and cars with dealer plates were only to be used on an occasional basis,to demonstrate. Not that all dealers followed those rules, it was cheaper to get dealer plates vs. registering and transferring plates around car to car as sold.

Our parts delivery vehicles once were sidelined for a full day as the office clerk in charge of company vehicle registrations forgot that the trucks were due the end of February, come March 1st we were at a standstill. Believe me if I could have put dealer plates on them that day I would have, my phone was nonstop irate wholesale customers, it took us two days to catch up after that fiasco.

Thank you, shovelhead. All that is useful information. Do you know if Dealer plates were in use in the late 50's?

[Researcher]

Thanks for your comment, Ipg. Am I right to assume that way back then a current year tag could be bought before March 31?

[shovelhead]

Thank you, shovelhead. All that is useful information. Do you know if Dealer plates were in use in the late 50's?

Yes, in fact a Google search showed up a Michigan dealer plate for 1919.

[Researcher]

Yes, in fact a Google search showed up a Michigan dealer plate for 1919.

Ha! That settles that. Thanks

[lpg]

Thanks for your comment, Ipg. Am I right to assume that way back then a current year tag could be bought before March 31?

Wife says yes.

[Researcher]

I would like to find out to whom a 1957 tag was registered. The Michigan Dept. of State records people say they keep those records only 4 years. Does anyone know if that is really true?

[Researcher]

Question for shovelhead. You said,

Quote: Once a vehicle was sold the plate no longer would be valid for use on that car, only subsequent vehicles titled under that person or company name after being transferred at a Secretary of State branch.

Does this mean that people selling or trading in cars typically removed the tag they were given at registration in order to re-register and use it on their next car?

If a person selling or trading in a car did not remove his tag, wouldn't the dealer remove the previous owner's tag, since it was worthless on the car?

Finally, would there be any significance to a used car dealer leaving a tag on a used car when it was sold--if that was legal? Perhaps to give the appearance that it was a registered car while in transit?

[shovelhead]

Plate to owner, person named on the registration is the owner of the plates. Plates to vehicle, plates are considered a permanent part of the vehicle, the stay with the vehicle regardless how many times it is sold as long as it remains registered in that state. Like California does.

Plate to owner, under certain circumstances a plate may be transferred, immediate family members only at least in Michigan. At any other time, once a vehicle is sold the plate is no longer allowed to be used on that vehicle, if so it is considered improper plates, a ticket and maybe a tow and impound.

Dealers, well the plates should be removed before sale, once they have acquired the vehicle any and all plates are invalid on it. Again, unless it is owned by the person named on the registration the plates are not valid on it.

[Researcher]

Shovelhead, please check your PMs.

[BULLITT65]

this thread has been going more than 10 years. Unbelievable. I am still holding out hope that someone either has a Jim Edelbrock license frame from Plymouth Michigan, or I will settle for a Berger Chevrolet license frame. Send me an email if you have either: BULLITT65@aol.com thanks!

[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.

[BULLITT65]

Very cool pics and memories. This thread has been going since 2009!! So I am bumping my original request for pics of JIM EDELBROCK CHEVROLET items. A set of license frames where originally on my car with 1969 Michigan license plates CA5002, but they have not turned up yet* So I have been on the hunt. My car was serviced at Berger Chevrolet [[ in Grand Rapids), so I would be glad to find a set of those as well

[RGK20m3]

I worked at Redford Sales and Service [[Chrysler Plymouth) from 1/74 to 12/79, it was a former Nash/International dealer [[the chimney still had Nash on it and there was a dealer sign in the rafters above service); the owner Hugh McVeigh also owned the CP franchise in Walled Lake [[the Car Store, it was right on the water). He sold property at Twelve Oaks Mall to Ford Credit, who built the dealership that never opened.
I recall Dameron becoming Dick Green West, but not Farmington Hills. I worked at Porterfield Wilson Pontiac in '72 [[formerly Glenn Pontiac).
Grew up in the area, recall Dean Sellers Ford, Bob Sellers Pontiac, Armstrong Buick, Rosedale Olds, Dwyer Imports, Emmert Chevy. I worked for a very short time at Kelel Dodge; Naiff Kelel was a retired Army general and the dealer principal at Greenfield AMC- Kelel became Luv Dodge, which relocated to Telegraph and became Bruce Campbell Dodge. There was a Chevy dealer that opened at I-96 and Telegraph in an old supermarket [[Matick?), also Coon Bros. AMC/Jeep at Plymouth [[became Snethkamp).

[shovelhead]

RGK20m3,
When you were at Porterfield Wilson I can’t remember the parts manager’s name? He helped me “beat” a defective equipment ticket in ‘71 for exhaust noise as the car I had was factory equipped with a low restriction exhaust system and the cop was looking for reason to ticket a hippie that day, no DB meter, just his opinion.

The Glenn/Wilson building at Grand River and Prevost has been torn down, the only signs of what it was is the showroom floor is still there, a checkerboard pattern and one single post hoist is still in what was the service department area.

Further down on Grand River east of the Northwest Precinct on the south side was a Dodge dealer [[?) that was later the site of Kar Kraft Collision. Do you remember what dealer that was probably around the early 70’s.

I think that’s where I went in with a broken clutch fork in the summer of 1970 looking for a replacement. When he asked me what it was out of I said “I think it’s from a 62 Chrysler”. He said with an attitude “You don’t know what car you drive?”

I replied “Ok, it’s a 54 Chevy” He said “I don’t have Chevrolet parts, go to Emmett down the street” again with more,of an attitude.

I answered “When it’s got a Chrysler drivetrain in it you do!” which it did, 383 and four speed……

[RGK20m3]

I don’t recall the parts manager’s name at Porterfield Wilson, I do recall he was a nice guy. I worked their spring through fall of ‘72 and remember the checkerboard floor.
If I recall, 12th precinct was on Schaffer, 14th was on Grand River…Dodge dealer was probably what became Kelel, which was on the south side of GR, west of Evergreen. I might know the name if I heard it. The parts manager at Redford had a sign “make me smile from ear to ear by giving me the make, model, and year”.

[shovelhead]

14th Precinct was Schaefer north of Grand River, my late uncle was assigned to that one late 40’s/early 50’s. 16th was Grand River and McNichols. Funny story,1969, a friend pulled onto westbound Grand River from Westbrook, first side street west of Redford HS in front of a eastbound car. Got broadsided, car he was driving ended up it the 16th’s driveway, he ended up in Mt. Carmel. Went by there later that afternoon, scrapes in the pavement and glass was still in the driveway apron.

That Chrysler dealer was east of McNichols on Grand River, wasn’t Kelel,this was before they opened.

[RGK20m3]

Only Chrysler dealers on Grand River that I can think of were Rollie Barrett [[down by Joy I think), Redford Sales by Lahser, and Dameron by Middlebelt. There was Town and Country Dodge in Farmington [[J.P. McCarthy owned it, was moved to Clarkston in late 90s), and Kelel/Luv near Evergreen after about '75- don't know what was at that location prior but believe it was AMC.

[shovelhead]

Im trying to remember too. Motor City Dodge, late 60’s west on Grand River near Schaefer. Mulligan Mercury Grand River near Evergreen.

I’m positive there was a Dodge dealer in that area before the Kelel/Luv days this was 1970.