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Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:18 pm

Took these pics of what used to be Moses Volkswagen in Texarkana, TX in May 2008.
My parents, and grandparents had all bought VW's from this store back in the 60's.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:19 pm

The dealership I bought my 74 Beetle from, back in 74, is now a Acura dealer.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:22 pm

the big one here is a postal building now

Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:37 pm

The Volkswagen dealer in Santa Clarita, CA is now the used car lot for the adjacent Nissan dealer. You can see the VW emblem poking through the "Nissan Pre-Owned" banner they slapped on the front of the building two years ago.

No great loss, though, as this dealer never sold an aircooled VW. Judging from their lot in the year before the VW dealer closed, they made most of their income from selling used cars of other makes anyway.

If they couldn't sell yuppiefied VWs in this bedroom community, they can't sell them anywhere.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:24 pm

Maryland Volkswagen is now a roofing company.

The other big VW dealer in town is now a Toyota dealer.

The last one still sells VW's, but they are mostly Toyota, BMW and Subaru.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:34 pm

GeorgeL wrote: The Volkswagen dealer in Santa Clarita, CA is now the used car lot for the adjacent Nissan dealer. You can see the VW emblem poking through the "Nissan Pre-Owned" banner they slapped on the front of the building two years ago.

No great loss, though, as this dealer never sold an aircooled VW. Judging from their lot in the year before the VW dealer closed, they made most of their income from selling used cars of other makes anyway.

If they couldn't sell yuppiefied VWs in this bedroom community, they can't sell them anywhere.

You must be new here! ;-)

The old VW dealer in the SCV was Kirchner VW, at the intersection of San Fernando Road and Magic Mountain Parkway. The repair bays and quonset hut for parts storage are now Alert Auto Repair. There is a car rental outfit using the old showroom space.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:44 pm

The one in my town (mankato mn) Is now a appliance store. It was built sometime around 1962-1965. It looks almost the same as the building in the first place. I'll get a picture some time if i can.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:03 pm

What was once Midfield Volkswagen, and where my '67 Deluxe Bus was serviced in the 70's, the only records I have from it, became a Dodge dealer in the 80s. Now it is an empty building and lot.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:10 pm

KTPhil wrote: GeorgeL wrote: The Volkswagen dealer in Santa Clarita, CA is now the used car lot for the adjacent Nissan dealer. You can see the VW emblem poking through the "Nissan Pre-Owned" banner they slapped on the front of the building two years ago.

No great loss, though, as this dealer never sold an aircooled VW. Judging from their lot in the year before the VW dealer closed, they made most of their income from selling used cars of other makes anyway.

If they couldn't sell yuppiefied VWs in this bedroom community, they can't sell them anywhere.

You must be new here! ;-)

The old VW dealer in the SCV was Kirchner VW, at the intersection of San Fernando Road and Magic Mountain Parkway. The repair bays and quonset hut for parts storage are now Alert Auto Repair. There is a car rental outfit using the old showroom space.

I'm a noob, only been here for 19 years... :)

Did Kirchner go under, or did they move?

Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:24 pm

Kirchner went under in about 1987 or so; you just missed them!

They didn't move, they just closed and sold off the site and equipment. Gary of Alert Auto moved there in '88 and had some of the old VW Diagnosis equipment (I ended up with the sign over the diagnosis bay). It was years later that Valencia VW opened, catering solely to water cooled. They didn't even have fuel hose for my T3 by the early 1990s.

I brought a square to Kirchner for a check out before I bought it. For $50 thery told me I needed two CVs, a steering box, and a vacuum modulator for the tranny. I lowered his asking price by $600 and settled for $400 less. Best $50 investment I made! Sad to see the dealer go.

It was an old dealer; there since the early '60s at least. It was prior to the "concrete block and glass wall" style VW insisted on for new dealerships.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:37 pm

I was wondering this just last night and what I did was toss the old addy from my cars invoice into google maps and found the street view on Atlas Motors in San Francisco its still Atlas but seems to be just a repair shop for import cars now.
J.S. Motors in Folsom PA is now a rite aid

Jenewein Motor Cars in NJ is now Linden VW

Autobahn Motors in Trenton NJ is now a HVAC supply store but still looks the same on the outside

You can move street view around some to get about the right look as some of the pics in the tech stuff for dealers on the Samba .

pretty cool stuff for the bigger cities

Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:40 pm

I don't know what it was called, but there was a VW dealer on Cumberland Hill Road in Woonsocket, RI when my father was growing up. For much of my youth it was an ice cream parlor in the front, car service in the other half. Later it became a few failed small restaurant/diners. In the later years you could read the VOLKSWAGEN bleeding through the white paint. A few years ago they tore it down and built a Honey Dew and sandwich shop.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:08 pm

Here in Nawthun Vahginya:

Lee Volkswagen in Springfield (where my SingleCab was the parts truck) is still a VW dealer - Springfield Volkswagen (real original, I know). Joe Heishman's is now Porsche of Arlington (sells Audis, too I believe) and H.B. Lantzsch is now Fairfax Volkswagen/Honda. Both of these dealers were selling VeeDubs in the '50's.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:08 pm

Sherman VW in Decatue Illinois will soon be a BW3's.... thats Buffalo Wild Wings to those who don't know. Went from VW's to Isrinhausen Imports who sold just about any import to vacant lot for 17 years to being renovated into BW3's lol

Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:09 pm

Cars, Inc, 1440 Locust Des Moines, Iowa, is now a parking lot for condo's.
Gary Lilly VW, 1271 8th st. West Des Moines, Iowa, is still a car dealer, but I don't know what make. (according to google satelite.)
Jimmy Nantista VW, 5356 NE 14th St. Des Moines, Iowa, is now a construction equipement rental place.
I don't even know who the dealer in the Des Moines area is anymore. Jordon VW sold out last year, and the new dealer wants nothing to do with the Air cooled.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:28 pm

So many have closed in the San Fernando Valley (Cali). From memory (there may be others):
Competition Motors on Ventura Blvd in Woodland Hills
Ogner VW on Roscoe in Canoga Park
Reseda VW on Reseda Bl in Reseda
????? VW on Roscoe Bl in Panorama City
Not sure about City of San Fernando dealer

Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:49 pm

My '62 SC was originally unloaded in New Orleans, and sold at a VW dealership in Starkville, MS. I guess it's no longer there, I can't find any info on it.

The only clues I have are a painted - over dealership sticker on my decklid that has a faint VW symbol and Starkville, MS on it. Can't read the name...

Edit: after closer inspection (and some guesswork), it looks like Glass' VW in Greenville, MS...real hard to tell, though.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:59 pm

I think it would be cool to go through all the closed buildings that used to sell cars and parts and just see if there is anything left. Im sure something is left behind like old signs or something that would be cool.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:05 pm

Culito wrote: My '62 SC was originally unloaded in New Orleans, and sold at a VW dealership in Starkville, MS. I guess it's no longer there, I can't find any info on it.

The only clues I have are a painted - over dealership sticker on my decklid that has a faint VW symbol and Starkville, MS on it. Can't read the name...

Edit: after closer inspection (and some guesswork), it looks like Glass' VW in Greenville, MS...real hard to tell, though.

Hey, both of my Buses came through New Orleans as well. Most VWs sold in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and west Tennessee came through New Orleans since Int'l Auto Sales there was the distributor for those states.
And, my '64 was sold new at Glass Motors in Greenville, Mississippi. I have the original owner's ID card from that dealer and it doesn't have an exact address, just says Highway 82 East, Greenville, MS.

Oh, and I know you said it's hard to tell what the sticker says, but if there's anyway you could get a picture of it or a pencil rubbing or something, I'd love to see that.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:16 pm

the old local VW dealer is now owned by Sonnen. so now instead of vw's, you buy Audis and Porsches there. The new vw dealer is owned by a guy named Hansel. He is a complete dick face. From what I have heard, customer service at the dealer is below par, even for a vw dealer. :?

btw, im looking for any and all Henry Veale Volkswagen dealer frames :wink: