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San Francisco Car Dealerships

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Ellis Brooks Auto Center [gone]
San Francisco, CA

2008:
2014:
The Ellis Brooks Auto Center was established as Brooks & Cuneo in 1936. It was a Reo dealership at that time. In 1937, it became Ellis Brooks. The dealership moved several times before moving to this building in 1963. The company began selling Chevrolets in 1955. These facade signs were built then or shortly thereafter. I don't know when the rooftop sign was built. When the dealership moved here in 1963, the signs were moved as well. In 2011, Ellis Brooks moved to a smaller building nearby. The letters on the rooftop sign were removed and replaced with letters for the new Nissan Infiniti dealership. The other signs on the building were removed. I believe Ellis Brooks saved the neon "OK" sign. There were plans to restore and display it inside the new location. However, I have not seen it there.

This building was constructed around 1904. In 1915, it housed Earle C. Anthony's Chalmers dealership. In the 1920s, Anthony began selling Packards as well. A succession of other dealerships sold Studebakers, Pierce-Arrows and other makes. In 1935, James F. Waters began selling DeSotos and Plymouths here. The Waters dealership remained here until 1963, adding other makes over the years. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Don Lee Cadillac Building
San Francisco, CA
The Don Lee Cadillac Building was designed by Weeks & Day and completed in 1912. It remained a Cadillac dealership, under different names, until the 1960s. The building began housing the AMC 1000 multiplex theatre in 1998. In 2020, the theatre became the CGV Cinema. For more, see this website. [map]

former Bentley of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

2014:

2020:
The Bentley of San Francisco dealership was built in 1937 for the Ernest Ingold Chevrolet dealership. It was designed by John Elkin Dinwiddie. Around 1971, the building became home to George Olsen Cadillac which later added Oldsmobile, Buick, and GMC. In 2016, the building began housing a Tesla dealership. The building and details were painted white. The clock was also repainted. For more, see this photo. [scan thanks Alden Jewell] [map]

Earle C. Anthony Packard
San Francisco, CA
The Earle C. Anthony Packard dealership was designed by Bernard Maybeck and completed in 1926. It remained Anthony's Packard into the 1960s. The building now houses British Motors. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

former Jackson Garage
San Francisco, CA
The Jackson Garage was built in 1914 as a parking garage. The building has been used as a repair shop since 1945. It has housed Phaedrus BMW Maintenance and Development since 1979. [map]

Century Garage
San Francisco, CA
The Century Garage was not built as a car dealership but I'll include it here anyway. The building was constructed in 1919. The spiral staircase features winged wheel symbols. The building now houses an Avis Car Rental. [map]

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