I found this picture in my local newspaper's blog section this morning. I wish I had that sign hanging in my shop!

 

Very Cool! I'd take that '52 98 off of the used car lot.
It's neat to see that people did actually run wide whitewall back then, at least in the mid-fifties.
There looks to be a left-over '54 Starfire in the window, unless that's not the showroom.

 

twintracks:

I believe that is a 54 98 4-door in the showroom. The 54 Starfire was basically a 98 convertible. Photo must have been taken in late 54 since the car outside is a 55.

 

I wish we still had dealers like that. They just had more character and I daresay the business owners had much more personal integrity. These mega-dealers now just turn me off.

The Chevy dealer in South Boston Virginia was very much like this one until GM forced his hand two years ago and told him to keep his franchise he'd have to make close to half a million dollars worth of appearance upgrades. At age 63 and neither kid interested in continuing the business, he gave up his franchise and retired. Do you blame him?

And the GM mega-dealer 30 miles away got the area's franchise. They are, to be kind, lacking in integrity.

 

That's very cool.

I found this one when I lived in Brooklyn.
It's especially cool because "Herbst" is MY last name.

(and I checked...not relation unfortunately.)
-Pete

 

Wouldn't it be great if we got service at the "service stations" today...my local one still does the windshield.....cool pics

 

The dealership in the picture that I posted changed hands a few times over the years, and was a Cadillac/Buick/Oldsmobile dealership before they moved to a different location in the mid-90's. It is a Cadillac/Buick/GMC dealership now.

I bought my first family car from the dealership in 1992, a used 1986 Ford Taurus. My parents bought two new Oldsmobile Cierras from them in the late 80's / early 90's.

The original dealership building in the picture is now a bar.