The Former Car Dealerships of CV – Part 4

These columns on the past car dealerships have taken on a life of their own. I’ve never gotten such an overwhelming response to my columns before. What I thought was going to be a two-column series is now blossoming into probably a five or six-part series due to the many memories I’ve received and tales of dealerships I didn’t even know about.

There have been some very interesting stories that have come to me, but I think this one takes the cake.

In line at Ralph’s the other night, I met my neighbor John Von Weien, who relayed a memory from his childhood. In the ’60s there was a car lot on Foothill Boulevard, just east of Briggs Avenue (across from the 76 Station). We both thought it was the used car lot for Ed Priester Chevrolet. Priester had a promotion to draw customers to the used car lot that involved a wrestling bear! The trained bear was muzzled and anyone was invited to get in the ring with him and try to pin the big black bear. John remembered that his uncle gave it a try and was pinned by the bear immediately. Apparently, the bear was trained to simply get within grappling range, enfold his smaller opponent in a “bear hug” and fall on top of them.

There were several wrestling bears that traveled the country for promotions back then, including “Terrible Ted” and the famous “Victor the Wrestling Bear” who included a few film and TV credits in his resume as well.

Just down the street to the west, in what had been Paola Oldsmobile at 2865 Foothill (today’s Antique Store), was a Toyota dealer. Carl Schumacher writes: “Bob Smith Toyota was originally Hightower Motors (Toyota dealer) and I think they were located near or where the library is on Foothill Boulevard. Before he became a Toyota dealer Vern Hightower had a used car lot on South Brand in Glendale.”

Sure enough, a newspaper ad from 1972 shows that Vern Hightower’s Toyota City at 2865 Foothill was selling near-new Toyotas for between $1,000 and $2,000.

Carl Schumacher further writes: “I also remember that where Bonners is at 6935 Foothill Blvd. in Tujunga was a Chrysler products dealer. Also I think Bell Chevrolet was on Foothill Boulevard in Tujunga just east of the Pep Boys store.”

Jeremy Burnham wrote in to say: “I thought about Robert Hall Chevrolet in Tujunga and do not remember reading about it in the prior columns. It was located at 6467 Foothill Blvd. in Tujunga. (They ripped out grape vines to put it there.) I do not remember the exact year it was established but I do know my father bought a brand new white 1957 Chevrolet Model 210 there from a salesman named Mr. Hinkel. The name of the dealer was later changed to Fred Bell Chevrolet. I believe there is a Public Storage facility located there now.”

Indeed, that same 1972 newspaper has an ad for Robert Hall Chevrolet who “Sells for less,” offering the ’72 Vega for $200 below dealer invoice in a “Final spectacular close-out.” Anyone who remembers the Vega knows that what was “spectacular” about that car was its reputation for problems!

Jeremy Burnham continues: “Also there was a small Studebaker dealer in Tujunga on Tujunga Canyon Boulevard just above Foothill (but not on the corner of the two streets where Chase Bank is located). The address would be approximately 9828 Tujunga Canyon Blvd. I know for a fact they were there in 1962 because they provided the cars for the Verdugo Hills High School summer school driver training classes that I took. I do not recall the name of the dealer but the dealership existed for several years. The cars the school used had signs on them saying ‘Driver Training’ and ‘Courtesy of (that name) Studebaker dealer.’ At the time I lived at the corner of Haines Canyon and Day streets just a few blocks above the Studebaker dealer. My parents owned a 1953 Studebaker Land Cruiser purchased new somewhere else at that time.”

I’ll continue next week with this very popular subject.

  mike lawler