Lost Packard Dealerships aplenty

If you happened to check the Making of Modern Michigan photo archive after we mentioned it in our recent post, and if you happened to search for dealerships as we did, then you probably saw a preponderance of Packard purveyorships in the results. Why so many Packard dealership photos and so few of the other makes, we can only guess, but we can also appreciate them with a sampling here.

To start with, the above photo depicts Koeppel Auto Sales in Jamaica (Long Island), New York, in 1940. Koeppel apparently still exists out on Long Island, though in Jackson Heights instead of Jamaica.

The information for this photo, which came from Packard’s files, has more on the car itself than on the dealership:

1917 Packard parked on street in front of Packard building. Inscribed on photo back: 12-cylinder, 88-horsepower, 135-inch wheelbase, 2-35 second series twin six, special victoria. Note 1930 seventh series Packard standard eight in show window at left, 1929 sixth series reflected in showroom door. This photograph said to have been taken outside the Packard dealership in Savannah, Ga.

And, in fact, many of these seem to come from the same source, because they all state more about the cars than the dealerships.

1921-1922 Packard top raised, storm curtains in place, in front of Packard dealership, male kneeling to place license plate at front, another male standing at his side. Inscribed on photo back: Packard 116 first series single six (produced 9/1/1920-4/20/1922) 6-cylinder, 52-horsepower at 2400-rpm, 116-inch wheelbase, 5-person touring car (body type #190), note double-bar front bumper, photographed in 1935 in front of a British Columbia Packard dealership.

1922-1923 Packard in front of Packard dealership with owner Thomas Allen. Inscribed on photo back: Packard 126, first series single-six, 6-cylinder, 54-horsepower, 126-inch wheelbase, 5-person sedan (body type #221), 10/25/1929 Mr. Thomas Allen, Model 1-26 sedan delivered 2/9/23, mileage-79,160, motor overhauled at 30,000 miles, nothing since excepting carbon & valves, setting Packard at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This nighttime photo from 1925 depicts the Packard dealership at 574 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit, an address that now appears to belong to the Renaissance Center. I’ve read of renumberings in Detroit in the 20th century, though, so the location may not be the same.

Technically, there’s a Detroit-area dealership in the background of this 1928 photo, which depicts a pair of special radio vans built for the U.S. Department of Commerce on 106-horsepower, 143-inch wheelbase chassis.

We at least know the name of this dealership: Ster & Machen. But no location.

Inscribed on photo back: Packard super eight, fifteenth series, model 1502, 8-cylinder, 135-horsepower, 139-inch wheelbase, 7-person touring sedan (body type #1014), note 1937 license plate #210-100, license plate frame, pelican emblem, fender wells, 6-wheels, white sidewall tires.

This 1924 photo of Benj. F. Stephens, Inc., in Brooklyn, is kinda neat for the town truck converted from a Packard sitting out front. Stephens and his wife were rather prominent around New York City at the time, but we’ve yet to discover a location for the dealership.

Apparently in 1940, even Ottawa, Illinois, had a Packard dealership, albeit a small one.

This has to be one of the most beautiful dealerships we’ve yet seen in the Lost Dealerships series. All that we know of it is that it was photographed here in 1927 and that it was located in San Francisco.

UPDATE (22.April 2009): Aha! Thanks to commenter Rapid Robert, we now know that this building housed the Earl Anthony dealership, located at 901 Van Ness Avenue (Live Search view), and that it currently houses British Motor Car Distributors and remains largely intact.

A little glimpse of 1930s New Orleans.

note: Ford Model T sedan at left, 1903 Packard seventh series, sedan at curb, 1930 Packard seventh series, models on showroom floor.

The owner of this Boston dealership, photographed here in 1929, certainly wanted everybody to know what he sold and exactly how much it’d cost.

note automobile at right; 1924 Packard 233, second series six, 6-cylinder, 54-horsepower, 133-inch wheelbase, 7-person sedan (body type #228).

UPDATE (22.April 2009): Kit Foster pointed out in the comments that the building pictured above housed the Alvan T. Fuller dealership, located at 1079-1083 Commonwealth Avenue (Live Search map). Thanks, Kit!

Click on the photo to embiggen, and you’ll see mention in the lower corner that Albert Kahn designed this Newark, New Jersey, dealership, photographed here in 1930. You may recall that Kahn designed another noteworthy Packard building.

A very non-standard Packard dealership in Phoenix, photographed in 1928.

automobile; 1928 Packard 533, fifth series six, 6-cylinder, 81-horsepower, 133-inch wheelbase, 2/4-person runabout (body type #322)

And the least likely location for a Packard dealership: Semaran (Semarang), Dutch East Indies, here photographed in 1930. Apparently this display pavilion belonged to the Fuchs and Rens dealership.

note: 1930 Packard standard eight, seventh series, model 733, (export model, see “Packard” script on radiator), 8-cylinder, 90-horsepower, 134.5-inch wheelbase, open car; touring or phaeton.

And these only scratch the surface of what’s there on the MMM site. If you’re a true Packard fan, you’ll want to check out the rest.