More Lost Packard Dealerships aplenty

When we posted the photos of the former Packard dealership in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a couple weeks ago, we had no clue we’d end up finding a motherlode of Packard dealership information at PackardInfo.com, but that’s precisely what happened (thanks, Len!). With that inspiration, we not only went back to more thoroughly investigate the Packard dealerships in our previous massive post on the topic (leading to concrete identifications of several), but we also decided to investigate the rest of the Packard dealership photos we found on the Making of Modern Michigan photo archive. So brew yourself a cuppatea, Packard patriots – we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.

We’ll start with the above-pictured dealership based in the Bronx. From the MMM description:

building sits on corner, “Packard” sign on top of building, sign above door reads “Compare! the new 1934 Packard with America’s other fine cars,” several people on sidewalk in front of building, cars parked on streets. Inscribed on photo back: Packard Motor Car Co., branches/dealerships/agencies, corner of Cortona Ave., Bronx, N.Y., banner on Cortona Ave. side; “Riding Quality safety performance, the new 1934 Packard is your standard of comparison,” sign on utility pole “George Washington Bridge,” automobiles extreme lefts; 1932 Packard 902, ninth series, standard eight, 8-cylinder, 110-horsepower, 136.5-icnh wheelbase, open car, right; 1931 Chevrolet, 5-person coach.

On PackardInfo.com, we see five dealerships in the Bronx, none of them listed with a Crotona Avenue address (there is no Cortona Avenue in the Bronx, but there is a Crotona). Of the five, only the Packard Motor Car Company of New York (Bronx branch), at 606 E. Fordham Rd., lies on a street that intersects Crotona. And at that corner of Crotona and Fordham, there’s one building, a New York State DMV branch building, that appears similar, though horribly defaced by a remodel.

Next up, a very art deco dealership in Texas. From the MMM description:

front of building, crowd of people at door, “Packard” above door. Inscribed on photo back: Packard Motor Car Co., branches/dealerships/agencies, 2300 Ross Avenue Dallas, Texas, exterior, show windows left to right; 1940 Packard 110 or 120, eighteenth series, model 1800 or 1801, 6/8-cylinder, 100-120-horsepower, 122/127-inch wheelbase, convertible coupe (body type #1389/1399), special furniture display.

PackardInfo.com lists three Dallas Packard dealerships, but only one on Ross – Packard Dallas, Inc., at 2222 Ross, which we can see is the same place from a postcard included with the PackardInfo.com listing. However, neither Ross Avenue address turns up the same building. It appears there’s been a lot of new construction in the area, so I’m assuming the building has been torn down.

To Pittsburgh for our next dealership. From the MMM description:

front of building sits on corner, water tower in background, cars parked on street, “Packard” sign above door, cars in show windows, “Freedom Gas” station across the street. Inscribed on photo back: Packard Motor Car Co., branches/dealerships/agencies, Packard Motor Car Co. of Pittsburgh, 4709 Baum Boulevard Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Too easy. This would be the Packard Beck Company, and the building still stands today, slightly modified, and housing Mercedes Benz of Pittsburgh.

Tulsa had a dealership, too, though MMM isn’t making it as easy to locate it:

building sits on corner, Packard cars parked on streets, “Packard” written above each window. Inscribed on photo back: Packard Motor Car Co., branches/dealerships/agencies, newly redecorated and enlarged facility Tulsa, Oklahoma, cars in showroom; (corner) 1937 Packard six, fifteenth series, 6-cylinder, 100-horsepower, 115-inch wheelbase, coupe, on street (left) 1937 Packard one twenty, fifteenth series, model 120-C, 8-cylinder, 120-horsepower, 120-inch wheelbase, 2/4-person convertible coupe (body type #1099), on side street (right) 1937 Packard one-twenty, fifteenth series, model 120-C, 8-cylinder, 120-horsepower, 120-inch wheelbase, 5-person touring sedan (body type #1092) plus two club sedans.

But PackardInfo.com lists just one Tulsa Packard dealership, Parrish, Inc., located at 1200 S. Boston Avenue. That intersection now looks barren.

To Wichita now, whose Packard dealership MMM describes as thus:

Packard dealership in Wichita, Kan. in 1941 showing front of building, cars parked on street, “Packard” sign above door, sign on right side of building reads “Packard, you find better used cars traded on better new cars,” convertible in front left corner show window.

PackardInfo.com lists just one Wichita Packard dealership, the Packard-Wichita Motor Company, at 232 South Broadway. Like Col. Klink, I see not-zing there.

MMM has duplicates of this 1928 photo in the database, one of which says the dealership is in New York City, the other of which says it’s in Chicago. From the descriptions, we believe it’s the latter:

file photograph of a Packard dealership, front of building, “Packard” written at top of building, man standing at right corner of building, cars parked on street. Inscribed on photo back: Packard Motor Car Co., branches/dealerships/agencies, Packard Motor Car Co. of Chicago, Ill., (Hubbard Woods Branch), cars in show windows left to right; 1928 Packard sedan, 1928 Packard roadster.

And, indeed, PackardInfo.com shows the same photo in the listing for the Hubbard Woods Branch, located at 925 Linden Avenue. The building seems to have changed little over the years, losing only its Packard lettering and crowning balustrade.

Oddly enough, the NYC dealership described in the duplicate of  the Chicago photo is also described in the above photo. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a 1932 Packard seven-eights left side view, parked on street, chauffeur and male standing at door shaking hands. Inscribed on photo back: Packard 904, deluxe eight, ninth series, 8-cylinder, 135-horsepower, 147.125-inch wheelbase, 7-person sedan limousine (body type #515), note 1937 New York license plate E 5C-1, chromium plated radiator shutters, deluxe equipment, 1937 “One-Twenty” touring sedan parked in front of subject car, 1937 super-eight coupe roadster in show window, setting in front of Packard Motor Car Co. of New York, Packard Building, Broadway & West 61st St., New York City.

The address of 1861 Broadway, as listed in PackardInfo.com (it’s also the address for Packard Motors Export Corporation), only puts us on the corner of Broadway and W. 61st. But a 2006 article in the New York Times tells us it was on the northwest corner of the intersection from the time it was built in 1907 (by Albert Kahn) until the early 1960s.

Boise had a Packard dealership, too, though finding it is going to be problematic. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a Packard dealership in Boise, Idaho in 1938 showing front of building, car parked on street in front, top of building reads “Motor Center, Packard Motor Cars, Shire Motors, Inc.,” car coming out of “washing” door, car on lift in “lubrication center.”

However, on PackardInfo.com, we see no dealership under the name “Shire Motors.” And we only see two dealerships in Boise, one of which, Motor Center, has an address, 822 Front St. If indeed Shire Motors was located there, as we can assume from the Motor Center lettering on the front of the garage, then it’s been long demolished.

Out to Portland, Oregon, for this well-lit dealership. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a Packard dealership in Portland, Ore. in 1940. Building sits on corner, “Packard” sign on building, taken at night, cars in show windows with lights on.

Of the two Portland Packard dealerships, this one appears to be Packard Portland, Inc., at 1333 W. Burnside Avenue, and the building is little changed. They even kept up the big Packard sign, though now changed to Parking.

MMM gives us the location of this one:

Packard Co. file photograph of a 1937 Packard three-quarter left side view, top folded, parked on street in front of Packard dealership, two females in front, car is decorated for a parade. Inscribed on photo back: Packard super eight, fifteenth series, model 1501, 8-cylinder, 135-horsepower, 134.375-inch wheelbase, 2/4-person coupe roadster (body type #1019), note 1937 University of Florida plate #5-242, Rotary International float, Labor Day Parade Palm Beach, Fla., setting: in front of Packard Palm Beach Co.

And PackardInfo.com gives us the address, 915 S. Dixie Ave., but the building’s long gone.

And in Charlestown, West Virginia, another easily-discovered location. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a 1936 Packard left side view, top raised, parked on street in front of Packard dealership, male handing keys to male driver. Inscribed on photo back: Packard one twenty, fourteenth series, model 120-B, 8-cylinder, 120-horsepower, 120-inch wheelbase, 2/4-person convertible coupe (body type #999), note “Kroger” insignia on door panel, setting: in front of J.B. Ruby Motor Co., Charleston, W.Va.

J.B. Ruby has an entry on PackardInfo.com, where it lists the address as 1311 Virginia St., and the only difference between the photo above and the building still at that address is the removal of the Packard name from above the door.

Now we’re getting into dealerships that require a little more legwork. MMM describes this Indianapolis dealership:

Packard Co. file photograph of an Indianapolis, Ind. Packard dealership, 1941, building sits on corner, “Packard” above door, cars in show windows, awnings above windows, lamp post on corner.

PackardInfo.com lists four dealerships in Indianapolis, three of which have addresses. Of those three, Packard Indianapolis, Inc., at 1510 Meridian St., and Sullivan Motor Sales, at 660 Virginia Ave., look like they might have housed this dealership, but we can’t say conclusively that they did.

In Kansas City, Missouri, we see a dealership with plenty of used cars to gawk at. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a Packard dealership, several cars parked in lot at left of building, cars in show windows, canopy over entry way. Inscribed on photo back: Packard Motor Car Co., branches/dealerships/agencies, Kansas City, Missouri 1930, automobiles; used car lot from left, Ford model T, 4-cylinder, 4-door, 1925 Cadillac V-63, 8-cylinder, landau sedan, Chalmers sedan, 1925 Packard 243, second series eight, 8-cylinder, 84-horsepower, 143-inch wheelbase, 7-person touring car (body type #245), showroom from left; 1930 Packard 8-cylinder, 1930 Packard 745, 8-cylinder, 106-horsepower, 145-inch wheelbase, Dietrich 5-person convertible sedan (body type #1602), 1930 Packard.

And there were three Packard dealership locations in KC, MO, but after tracking down the addresses of each, none of them look even close to this one.

We’re beginning to think that PackardInfo.com has entries on every Packard dealership that ever was, but that’s not the case with Trinkle. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a 1935 Packard three-quarter left front view, parked on city street, Mr. Harry S. Trinkle looking under hood. Inscribed on photo back: Packard one twenty, model 120, twelfth series, 8-cylinder, 110-horsepower, 120-inch wheelbase, 5-person touring coupe (body type #894), Packard Motor Car Co. branches, distributorships, dealerships, agencies, Trinkle Motor Sales, New Albany, Ky., Harry S. Trinkle.

There is no New Albany, Kentucky – New Albany, Indiana, is right across the river from Kentucky – yet PackardInfo.com carries no listing for New Albany, Indiana, nor for Trinkle. Odd.

Absolutely nothing to go on here. From the MMM description:

Packard Co. file photograph of a 1936 Packard left side view, parked on street in front of Packard dealership, two men standing at driver’s door. Inscribed on photo back: Packard eight, fourteenth series, model 1402, 8-cylinder, 130-horsepower, 139-inch wheelbase, 7-person limousine (body type #915), note bumper guards, Packard deluxe emblem, 6-wheel equipment, twin mirrors.

And that’s it. No city given, no address visible on the building. Anybody recognize the building?