West Caldwell freelance writer and blogger Steve Maginnis recently posted an interesting set of pictures to Baristanet’s Flickr page: The Lost New Automobiles Dealerships of Montclair, New Jersey. Although some, like DeCozen, have relocated, others, like the Ford Dealership on the Montclair-Glen Ridge border, simply went out of business. Maginnis generously agreed to letting us feature his photographs on our site.
The following description refers to the picture, posted June 20, of a white fence on Elm Street.
The last remaining new car dealership in Montclair, New Jersey, a Volvo dealer, closed its doors recently. This got me thinking of all of the new car dealers that once proliferated in this town, and how they all disappeared over the past thrity years. So I went around Montclair with my trusty Peugeot bicycle (you can’t but any Peugeot products, cars or bicycles, anywhere in America anymore) and Nikon Coolpix and snapped pictures of all the sites of all the new car dealerships in Montclair that I remember.
There may have been more dealerships than that – Cadillac, possibly, and maybe at least one or two for brands that went out of business entirely (Packard, et. al). If anyone has more information about this or about the lost dealerships I feature here, please let me know.
I start to feature them here today on Flickr, in recognition of GM’s bankruptcy filing.
Let’s start here.
This is the building that one housed Carole Chevrolet, a dealership on Elm Street. After the Apple Pie Division’s Montclair location closed around 1980 or so, the building remianed dormant for awhile, than was converted into a condominium apartment building called Arbor Gate.
The presence of a Toyota parked in front is nothing short of sad irony.
“I remember when my father would consider a new car purchase and take me to the car dealer when I was a kid,” Maginnis told us. “I thought it was cool to go and see the new car models, especially the all-new cars being introduced in any given year. I remember how virtually every domestic make and a few European ones seemed to have a dealership in Montclair.”
Be sure to check out Maginnis’s descriptions of the other photos on Flickr. It’s a poignant scrapbook of the state of the US economy.
Where have all the car dealers gone?
There used to be a Lotus dealer on Glenridge Avenue but my memory is failing as to exactly where it was. Pretty sure it was on the corner of Greenwood Avenue, where they have karate classes now I think.
Where have all the dealers gone?
Long time passing…
Where have all the dealers gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the dealers gone?
Recession kicked them, one by one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Is it me, or is EVERYONE now labeled: “freelance writer and blogger”?
Talk about a low bar to entry.
I read that and think one of two things: 1) out of work “journalist”; or 2) someone with too much time on his or her hands.
My dearest Prof: Some of us are very successful freelance writers, thank you. Did you have a bad experience with a writer in your lifetime? Why put “journalist” in quotes? I’d be happy to send you my CV.
BTW, when I read “prof,” it reminds me of the saying “Those who can’t do, teach.” However, I would never say that about you. That would be negative and impolite.
I once asked a rookie running back for the New York Giants what he thought was the biggest difference between the college and pro games; he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of $100 bills. That, prof, might just define the difference between a freelance writer and a casual contributor to one or more blogs.
The “free” in “freelance” should be silent.
The irony — it burns!
When everyone’s an expert …
Sky High Property Tax
Lower new car sales
Sky High Insurance costs
are the 3 biggest reasons dealerships close.
Clairmont Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac & GMC Truck on Blmfd. Ave. in West Caldwell is closing !!!!
Elite Ford on Washingtion St in belleville is closed
Wyman Ford in Maplewood is closed after 75 years
Nutley Buick is done
ALL Saturn stores will close next year, when GM kills off Saturn – I think the date is 12/31/’2010. All Pontiac stores will end 6/31/2010
As of 1949, here were the auto dealers (in addition to Clairmont Cadillac, which came later and was in the building where Bobbi Brown et al are now located.) Trust me on this.
- Blauvelt Pontiac 217 Bloomfield Ave
- Brennan Motors, Inc. Hudson Sales -Service-Parts
654 Bloomfield Ave. at Valley Rd.
- DeCozen Plymouth Chrysler 665 Bloomfield Ave.
- Fisher Cadillac 1 Greenwood Ave. (see above note)
- Robert Kayser Ford 369 Bloomfield Ave.
- Lane Sigrist Packard 125 Glenridge Ave.
- Montclair Sales Co Studebaker 125 Glenridge Ave
- Lindsley Chevrolet 12-14 Elm St.
- Dockery Sullivan Lincoln Mercury 10 Elm St.
- North Essex Buick 10 Lackawanna Plaza
- Frank A. Reeve Oldsmobile 161-171 Glenridge Ave
Those were the days!
I just added more pics, all of the places “artist” mentioned.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70626467@N00/