Studebaker Dealers

[Guido]

quote:Originally posted by lstude

I found this check in a 1930 Dictator parts book.

I have never heard of this dealership (perhaps the Depression took them out). I will ask around to see if anyone knows of them.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful" and real Studebaker horsepower lives

See pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/user/GuidoSalvage

Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond, Goochland & Louisa, Va.

[wmsteve]

Randy G.

I just want to THANK YOU for this site!!!

Steve

[Swifster]

While going thru the junk yard in Plant City, FL, I found the following decal on a scrap '64 Challenger...



So I looked up Carr's Import Motors at the local library. I found that in 1958, Carr's was located at 807 S. Collins in Plant City. I don't know why the dealership moved one block over, but there is a recent Internation House of Pancakes there now.



In 1964, this dealer's address was 715 S. Collins (one block to the north). This building still stands as a pawn shop. It should be noted that at the time, S. Collins was a 2 lane road and not a 5 lane as it is now.







Like most import stores at the time, it appears that the service department was no more than a large garage. It's still there.



Carr's Import Motors
715 S. Collins St.
Plant City, FL


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2125.60)

[scott.rodgers]

I didn't see this in the topic (I may have missed it) - what was Frost and French's original address (when they were near Wilshire and Western)? I live a block from there and I never knew anything about them...

Scott Rodgers
Los Angeles
SDC Member since 1989
'60 Lark HT
'63 Wagonaire

[Roscomacaw]

I went to the nearby town of Tulare, California yesterday. As I was leaving town, I spied the city library and thought I'd have a look. The main reason I wanted to stop was to find out if they had a file of old newspapers on microfiche as does Visalia's library. I'd never seen mention of Studebaker dealer in Tulare, but had always assumed there must've been one.
Well, the nice ladies in the reference section of the library were all too happy to help. In a hearbeat I had old city directories and phone books laid out in front of me. There were dealerships for every other make of car and truck listed, but none for Studebaker IN Tulare. There were Stude dealers listed that were in Visalia, Porterville and Hanford, but none in Tulare.
I thanked the gals for their help and said that this venture had answered my question as to who had been the Stude dealer (no one)in their town. One gal said: "Hold on a minute, will ya?" She was punching numbers into the library's phone. After someone answered, she explained (to this someone) that she was trying to find an answer to a patron's questions. Then she handed the phone to me while saying: "This is my husband. He's lived here his whole life and ought to know if there was ever a Studebaker dealer in this town."
So, I explained to the guy that I was trying to find out whether or not there'd been a Stude dealer here during the last years of Studebaker's manufacture. "Noooo..." came his thoughtful reply. "I don't recall any Studebaker dealers in Tulare after the war."
"I see." I answered. But before I could ask about BEFORE the war, he offered: "Of course, my dad and a friend of his sold them from their place before WWII. The place was called The City Garage, I think. Anyway, they dissolved the business and both joined the service - didn't pick it back up after they got out."

I thanked him for the information and that was it. I handed the phone back to his wife and as I did so, she asked: "Well?"
I said, "Appearantly, your father-in-law was a Studebaker dealer before world war two!"
"Oh gosh! That's right! I'd forgotten all about that. Of course, that was some years before we got married."

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[JRoberts]

I have been researching Studebaker Dealers in my town of Fayetteville, North Carolina. I spent some time looking through city directories a our main library yesterday found some interesting stuff. I am very lucky in that the last dealership in town was at least partly owned by a member of our chapter! He has given me some names of dealerships prior to his father establishing his dealership in the late '30's! I also accidentally ran across the name of a company that was an "agent for Studebaker cars." The pamphlet in which this was found was published in 1919. I even have a copy of an advertisement for this establishment and a photo of it! No photos of the later dealers but one of the oldest, kinda cool I thought. Sometimes you just stumble upon this stuff as Mr. Biggs has found.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[Roscomacaw]

Yeah, as I've mentioned before, I lucked into a copy of the centennial edition of the local newspaper a few years ago. It was dated June of 1960 (this town had incorporated in 1852!). In that paper was an ad from the dealer at that time - Switzer & Jordan. The neat thing about finding that old paper and ad was the footnote to the ad. It said: "Studebaker - the one product name that has appeared in the Times-Delta for 100 years."
I don't know when the first Studebaker auto was offered here, but I'm guessing it was almost as soon as they were built with the the Studebaker name (maybe even when badged as EMFs). I need to spend more time going thru the papers of that era.
The earliest dealership I've read about so far is one that was operated sort of as a satellite dealership by the dealer operating out of Fresno at the time. And that particular dealer was a real promoter of the marque - organizing a "Studebaker Driver's Club" and putting on all sorts of endurance and obstacle runs to prove the Studebaker's worth. Heh - they did a Visalia to Los Angeles run in 1917 that if true, was done faster than you can do that trek today![:0]

Edit: BTW, at the same local swap meet where I found that old newspaper some years ago, I just found (last Sunday) a Studebaker Tire Carrier wrench such as was supplied with 2R (and maybe M?) trucks. It was laying on a table with a bunch of other wrenches and pliers. For a buck, I gave it a home![^]

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[raoul5788]

How about the Ansonia Garage in Ansonia CT or Eliason Motors in Hamden CT?


Chip

[Loy]

Kerr Motor Company in Lubbock TX.
New 1952 police cars arrive for the Lubbock Police Department.



Loy Daniel
High Plains Chapter SDC

[BobGlasscock]

Hey Loy! Good to see you post here. Hope you become a regular, and am looking forward to meeting you and the other club members at the next meeting. Give me lots of notice!

'50 Champion, 1 family owner

[Roscomacaw]

Did you drive one of those, Loy?[:I] Nice to see you here. Keepingt up your correspondence with Buford?[:0]

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[Hanson Motor Co.]

This is a photo of the Harry Stephens Studebaker/Oldsmobile/GMC Trucks dealership on the 300 block of South Walnut Street in Bloomington, Indiana. Stephens is still in business in Bloomington selling Honda automobiles. I don't remember there being a Studebaker dealership in Bloomington in my youth during the 60's. Stephens was selling only Oldsmobile at that time.
This building housed the Honda motorcycle dealer during the 60's and early 70's. It later was used as storage for a nearby Dry Cleaners.
The building was torn down in 2006.
[img][/img]

[BobPalma]

quote:Originally posted by Hanson Motor Co.

This is a photo of the Harry Stephens Studebaker/Oldsmobile/GMC Trucks dealership on the 300 block of South Walnut Street in Bloomington, Indiana.

Nice to see you posting here, Tim. Welcome to The Stude Forum! (You'll like the August Co-Operator coming up; photo of me & Ralph with his '50 Pace Coupe at Bean Blossom, emphasizing the Studebaker connection!) BP

[Hanson Motor Co.]

Thanks Bob, I look forward to my August Turning Wheels!
Sorry I didn't get all four of these pictures I posted lined up vertical instead of horizontal. Thought all four pictures were pretty cool, notice the lazy S on the parts counter.

[george o]

Check out the Studebaker sign in the Hanson Motor post(top right corner). Never seen one like that before

George o