Cadillac Dealerships in California During the 1940's

[zogman66]

I understand that Don Lee was the premier seller of Cadillac-LaSalle's in both Northern and Southern California. The main hubs were in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I am very interested in knowing what other dealerships in Northern California were doing business during the 40's. Did Don Lee own these other dealerships or were they independently owned?

Tim Herzog

[Big Apple Caddy]

Attached is a short article from June 1948 regarding Cadillac taking over the San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles interests of Don Lee Inc.  It mentions that Lee's dealerships in Burlingame, San Diego and North Hollywood would continue to operate.

[jsanford]

J J Jacobs was the Cadillac dealer in Sacramento from the 1930s through 60s.
H.W. Shepard went on to be a Cadillac dealer in the SF Bay area with dealerships in Berkeley and Palo Alto.

Jeremy

[Rob Troxel]

How about Shirey Cadillac in Pasadena? 60s 70s

[Chris Conklin]

There was Thomas Cadillac in Los Angeles, Casa de Cadillac is still here in the valley.

[jagbuxx #12944]

I believe Thomas Cadillac started in Los Angeles about 1965/66. They were in San Pedro prior I believe.
Symes Cadillac in Pasadena may have started in the late '40's.
Dealer guru Tom Hall may chime in..

[jsanford]

George Paddleford Olds cadillac in Palo Alto.
St. Claire Cadillac Olds in Santa Clara/San Jose.
Talmadge "Babe" Wood Pontiac Cadillac in Santa Rosa.

Jeremy

[zogman66]

Any idea when dealerships started to make license plate frames with their names on them? Since the frames from 1940 to 1955 are very unique  in size and in appearance in California,  (rounded corners) is it possible that Cadillac did make adjustable frames for cars of these years just for California?

Tim H.

[srk1941]

I have a 1940s dealer license plate frame with "Cadillac Corner" in Vincennes Red. It was in Oakland.

[bongo7777]

I understand that Don Lee was the premier seller of Cadillac-LaSalle's in both Northern and Southern California. The main hubs were in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I am very interested in knowing what other dealerships in Northern California were doing business during the 40's. Did Don Lee own these other dealerships or were they independently owned?

Tim Herzog

Our 1942 62 Series Club Coupe was ordered by Don Lee Inc. San Francisco and shipped to Grissom Motor Co in Salinas.
I can't find much about either of these dealers. 
Graham.
Melbourne, Australia.

[35-709]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lee_%28broadcaster%29

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/l/lee_don/lee_don.htm

[Tom Hall 7485]

Mr. Herzog, during 1940-1948, Don Lee, Inc. was Cadillac Division's customer and had responsibility for all of California.  Don Lee, Inc. held both the northern California and southern California territories as two separate distributorships run by the same company.  As you say, the hubs were San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively. 

Don Lee, Inc. had the power to nominate new Cadillac retailers in those territories, including themselves, subject to GM's approval. 

There were maybe 27 authorized Cadillac dealers in Don Lee, Inc.'s northern California territory during the 1940s.  The great majority of them were not owned by Don Lee, Inc., but they were supplied new cars and new parts by Don Lee, Inc.  Cadillac Division was not selling directly to the smaller dealers in California at that time.  Most authorized Cadillac retailers of northern California had to get their new cars and new parts through Don Lee, Inc.  Consequently, most new car records for 1940-48 mention only the distributor, Don Lee, Inc., or a vague reference to the distributor based at San Francisco (Don Lee, Inc.), but not necessarily a smaller Cadillac retailer who may have bought the car new from Lee, such as T. F. Kilmartin of San Jose.

Cadillac Division took over the northern and southern California distribution territories for 1949 as well as the lucrative retail stores at Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco and 7th Street in Los Angeles.  The Burlingame dealership was, AFAIK, the only one in northern California that Don Lee, Inc. kept, and they did not keep it more than a few years.  By 1953 it was Rector Motor Company.

[bongo7777]

Hello Tom,
Thank you for your very informative post. I am sorry I only just saw it today.
Very interesting.
My 1942 Cadillac 62 series Club Coupe was invoiced to Don Lee Inc. and sent to Grissom Motor Co in Salinas Calif.
It stayed in that area for most of it's life except for a few years in Pennsylvania and then "home" to me in Australia.
Thanks again.
Graham.
Melbourne, Australia.

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

This is from a retired Buick friend whom worked in the sf bay area many years at a Buick dealership.

I never followed Don Lee but I do know about Charles Howard. Back then GM franchised distributorships. They in turn would sell both cars and parts to dealerships. Charles Howard of Sea Biscuit fame had the Buick distributorship. His territory was every thing west of theMississippi river. He started with a bicycle shop on Van Ness Ave that turned into the Howard Motor Company. In his day he was the richest man on the west coast Dealerships paid him for the cars and parts, not GM. One problem with the system was the rare or low production cars were not released to dealerships and had to be purchased from him. This created friction between the two. The dealership I worked for bought cars and parts from him back in the 40's until the distributorships were abandoned. The dealer principle worked for BMD at the time and was part of the crew to inventory the parts when the Howard Motor Company closed.
     I have car and parts invoices from the Howard Motor Company to my dealership I can let you see via e-mail if you would like. 1948 sounds about right for the closers. Also keep in mind there were not window stickers or retail prices until 1958. I also think GM did not dictate wholesale prices to dealerships. The system made a some men like Howard very rich.

http://www.prewarbuick.com/features/charles_s_howard