They sure don’t build car showrooms like they used to, not if this one is anything to go by. This Maddux-Lincoln dealership was at 9230 Wilshire Blvd (and later became a Hillcrest Motor Company which sold Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles.) I really love the attention to detail in a building like this. You don’t often see that in modern buildings, but they add so much urban texture, even if most of it goes unnoticed—consciously, at least. LA History Trivia Time: Jack Maddux who owned this dealership also owned Maddux Air Lines, which operated from 1927 to 1929.
Just stunning. Sure takes you back to the Golden Era and where the stars bought their vehicles. No thought given nowadays to detail such as this. Now open parking lots with streamers to enhance car buyers.
Here’s a bunch of CA auto showrooms including info on your pics, Martin.
http://www.roadarch.com/showrooms/ca.html
Thanks, Martin.
Jean
Simply beautiful! Thanks Martin for sharing this piece of history. I remember it when it was Hillcrest but not previously. Your friend, L
There is a Lexus dealer there, now. Do they at least share the same bones, or was the magnificent Art deco totally destroyed?
https://www.google.com/maps/place/9230+Wilshire+Blvd/@34.0670636,-118.3932325,3a,75y,179h,82.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRoG5jmjO4iaWNubvZJ2GlQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x68d82596d34c73f3!6m1!1e1
Ed – I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s a fairy safe bet that the razed the whole thing and put up something sleek and bland.
The reason I asked was a close look at the Lexus dealership shows a single, tall, window in an odd location to the right of the second story. An attribute that isn’t covered in your photos of the mail building, but also not one that would be expected in new construction.
Ah, I see what you mean. The main reason why I doubt it is because in the old building, the main door appears to be dead center, but in the Lexus version, it appears to be off-set to the right.