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Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:55 pm

Harter VW at 5100 Chiles Road in Davis, CA, the home dealership of my 71SB is currently an empty building. I took the 71 there when I bought it in Davis last May for a photo:

Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:35 pm

In 1971-72 I worked for South Bay Volkswagen as a line mechanic and Unit repair mechanic. Located on Pacific Coast HWY in Redondo Beach Ca. In 1972 the dealer became King Harbor Motors. The site is now the location of the main public library for Redondo Beach.
http://www.cwdriver.com/wp-content/uploads/1275751824.jpg

Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:58 pm

whatever happened to metro motors in seattle?

Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:31 pm

34FraserNash wrote: Pape-Cross in Eugene (later Vollstedt): Now a Subaru dealership, a Honda dealer before that. Remodeled beyond recognition.
Jack & Cee, Eugene: Now a photography-supply store
Siegrist in Springfield: Now an equipment rental company. The round VW "lollipop" signs are still used, but with the rental company's logo instead of the VW logo.
Williams-Wilson in Eugene: Now a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership
Riverside in Eugene: Now a Mazda dealership.

Edit: Pape-Cross and Vollstedt were in the same building. For some reason, I thought Williams-Wilson and Vollstedt had the same building.

Jack & Cee was the first VW dealership in Lane County and the the second in Oregon, franchised in '53. It was sold to and then became Pape-Cross in late 1965 and relocated to new facilities on Coburg Rd in early '66. The building was purchased by Dot Dotson's Photo, my current employer, and mildly renovated inside and out. There is no leftover VW memorabilia in the building at all except the painted signs under the siding. :(

During a storefront remodel in '97 (AKA "the beginning of the end" for the structural stability of the one-time VW showroom.)

What the storefront remodel was all about and how the lot looks today

There was also a Neuman-Strong VW dealer in the area for awhile and may have been in the same building as Siegrist. I don't remember Williams-Wilson...

Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:10 pm

Victoria motors of Victorville, CA is now a Kentucky fried chicken. Nothing is left of the original building.

Thu Apr 18, 2013 12:11 pm

Stateside Motors in Jamestown NY turned into a Toyota Dealer in late 72, then eventually moved across own. The building is now a Body shop

Today

Fri Jul 26, 2013 2:40 pm

Anyone got any early pictures of Guy Gardner VW Porsche in Fresno?

Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:38 pm

Dochak VW in Geneva, NY(which I believe closed in the late 70s-early 80s)is now a Kost Tire.

Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:04 am

Columbia Heights Motors by my house which closed around 1990 or so is now a Savers thrift store...

Tue Oct 08, 2013 9:12 am

Sadly, Ogner VW in Canoga Park, CA is no more... a Vallarta supermarket is there now.

1980:

Today:

Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:09 am

Ashton Motors, early 1960s.

As Quay Motors, very late 1970s.

"today", at least according to Google Maps. It's a furniture store now if I recall correctly. Before that it was a bicycle store, of all things. I called in back then when I saw a Kombi in the carpark. It belonged to a 17 year old who was minding the store. He was a fan, so I asked him if he knew this was a dealership back in the day. He didn't. I asked him if he could open the door behind the counter. He said he had the key, but had never been out there. He was in for a surprise... The workshop is still there, all the hoists *and the tools* are there, never touched since 1986 when my grandfather sold it. :(
I assume the workshop is still intact back there.

Here you can see the service bays.

Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:43 am

Abbes in Livermore is now a heavy equipment rental place.

Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:41 am

My Dad bought my Ghia at Bob Smith VW in Hollywood. I'm pretty sure he was the 2nd owner.

Can't find any vintage pics, but went in May and took some current ones.

It's now a parking lot.

I clearly remember my parents buying both the Ghia, and our 81 Diesel Vanagon here, getting on the 101, and going home to Whittier.

Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:52 am

This was Ashton's used car lot. Formerly Rowley's Motors site for the same purpose on the corner of South Terrace and Alma Street, Fremantle Western Australia. Would have to be late 50s from the look of the cars.

I believe it's been a carpark for Fremantle Hospital every since it was sold by Ashton's. I've parked there many times, in my '56.

Tue Nov 05, 2013 10:15 am

Hal Casey Motors located at 5160 Camp Road, Hamburg, NY.

When still a VW dealership.

Now an Enterprise Rent-A-Car, at least there is still a chance that VWs will be here.

Wed Nov 13, 2013 12:00 am

swhitcomb wrote: My Dad bought my Ghia at Bob Smith VW in Hollywood. I'm pretty sure he was the 2nd owner.

Can't find any vintage pics, but went in May and took some current ones.

That's definitely Hollywood, looking east from Cahuenga Blvd. As many Californians know, the round building in the middle of the picture is the famous Capitol Records building. The building on the right, which opened in 1925, has scaffolding supporting letters that say HOTEL KNICKERBOCKER. That hotel has quite the interesting history. http://www.seeing-stars.com/landmarks/KnickerbockerHotel.shtml

Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:13 am

Randall wrote: swhitcomb wrote: My Dad bought my Ghia at Bob Smith VW in Hollywood. I'm pretty sure he was the 2nd owner.

Can't find any vintage pics, but went in May and took some current ones.

That's definitely Hollywood, looking east from Cahuenga Blvd. As many Californians know, the round building in the middle of the picture is the famous Capitol Records building. The building on the right, which opened in 1925, has scaffolding supporting letters that say HOTEL KNICKERBOCKER. That hotel has quite the interesting history. http://www.seeing-stars.com/landmarks/KnickerbockerHotel.shtml

That's exactly where it is. My Dad worked a few blocks away at the old KTTV studios off Sunset and the 101. A few years later he worked even closer, for a company called TAV on Vine street. It was right around the corner at 1541 N Vine.

A few years ago I stumbled across an episode of CHiPs where they were chasing a dumpster down Cahuenga and right past Bob Smith on You Tube.

Mon Dec 02, 2013 10:22 pm

The former site of College Volkswagen, 5120 Lincoln Ave., Cypress, CA. I bought some parts from there at least once. Now it's the Cypress Pointe Senior Community apartments. http://www.apartments.com/California/Cypress/Cypress-Pointe-Senior-Community/14308?resp=true

Here is how it looked in an aerial shot from 1972. The dealership is on the south side of the street.
http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?lon=-118.0441&scale=2&lat=33.8312&year=1972

Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:57 pm

Anyone familiar with Columbia Volkswagen in Marrietta, Georgia?

Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:39 am

so i currently work for the area vw dealer in orlando florida and didnt realize that the old A.J. Pierson Sales & Service dealership was litterly across the street from one of our favorite eateries been working here 2 years and finally found out. it's about 1.4 miles from the current vw dealership

now a Caribbean restaurant

and the cool part is that the old neon sign is installed above my service bay in the service department of David Maus VW - Orlando Florida