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Liquidation of Tutwiler Cadillac Dealership Facility including 6 Cadillacs....

Started by 79 Eldorado, April 05, 2020, 03:17:14 PM

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79 Eldorado

This is unfortunately in the past now...looks like it was January 29th of 2020..at least Wed lines up with 2020. What was the history of this place? Did any of the membership have close contact with them? When I look at the amount of dust on some of the cars, especially ones with open hoods, it looks like something suddenly happened; they went home one day and never came back... sad to see something like this and just wondered what happened.

Here's the link:
https://www.clofa.net/pdf/auction-012914-complete.pdf

I will capture a couple of their photos so you can see what I mean... Wow our site allows attaching a pdf if anyone wants to see everything.

Scott

Big Apple Caddy

I don't know much about the dealerships but apparently it closed in September 2012, about two years after losing its Cadillac franchise during the GM bankruptcy/reorganization. After losing its franchise, the dealership was renamed Tutwiler Automotive and sold/serviced used cars for a couple of years before going out of business.

Based on the PDF name, I'm assuming the auction was January 29, 2014.

79 Eldorado

Good catch on the PDF name/date! When I saved it I didn't catch the date code. Thanks for pointing that out.

I did search this site a just after I posted for Tutwiler and I think I recall someone said it opened in 1950. There were quite a few references to them.

There was a small place in the city I work, not a dealer, which closed last year after the owner died. He was really well respected for being able to diagnose issues without parts guessing.

Scott
PS: I typo'd "24th" originally above but I was checking the 29th for day of the week so I corrected the typo.

76eldo

That dealer prepped half of the 1973 Eldorado Pace Cars.
The cars were sent there and to another area dealer to be used at the track and other festivities. 
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Rich S

I wonder how a Cadillac dealer franchise is "lost during the GM bankruptcy/reorganization?"
Rich Sullivan CLC #11473

1971 Eldo Conv., 2013 CTS Cpe

BlackCads

Quote from: Rich S on April 05, 2020, 06:54:49 PM
I wonder how a Cadillac dealer franchise is "lost during the GM bankruptcy/reorganization?"
After the 2008 financial crisis GM pledged to make its operations more efficient. This was part of the bail out agreement.
This included closing marginal dealerships and consolidating territories. It was survival of the fittest.
The idea was to create a leaner and more profitable group of dealerships.
Here in New England we lost a number of Cadillac dealerships after the reorganization.

76eldo

East. They called in the floor plans so the dealers either had to pay for their inventory or close up.
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: BlackCads on April 05, 2020, 07:05:46 PM
Here in New England we lost a number of Cadillac dealerships after the reorganization.

A number of markets lost dealerships during that time; about 1/3 of the 1,400+ U.S. dealerships ended up being eliminated.  Most dealers fought to keep their franchises but many lost in arbitration.

A few years ago, then Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen wanted to cut even more franchises (up to 400 of the smallest dealerships) but very few dealers accepted the buyout offers.

79 Eldorado

It seems like March 8th 2010 to August 5 2010 was really rough too... Here's an Edmunds listing of everything which closed alphabetical and by state:
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/gm-dealerships-closing.html

The Cadillac dealer closet to me closed sometime after 2003 but I think it was before 2008. I couldn't find it online but there were remnants of their facebook page; basically a title is the only thing which loaded. They were David Cadillac, Oldsmobile, GMC. Across the street was Mike Smith Pontiac (also sold Buick). When David Cadillac closed the GMC went across the street. Oldsmobiles ended production in 2004 and I think they may have survived that. The building is still vacant.

Scott

BlackCads

The largest metro Boston area Cadillac dealer used to be called Cadillac Village (in Norwood, MA). They sold Cadillacs, Hummers and Saabs.
They lost Hummer in 2009 and Saab in 2011.
Thankfully they were able to survive under new ownership and are now called Norwood Cadillac. They completely re-built their facility and so far have been able to survive with just Cadillacs.

Barry M Wheeler #2189

There were two Cadillac Dealerships in Indy. Freida Lockhart was the first female Cadillac dealer (I believe) in the USA. That dealership was evidently doing better than Tutwiler. The Indiana Region had several shows at the dealership. The cars were (as usual) priced the way most dealerships priced the older stuff that came in. (An exception was the nice 1976 SDV I bought for $1500 that never made it to the lot when I was selling cars in Lafayette. One of our members still has it.) I think one time we had a meeting there and the manager let our folks go out and check out the cars out back.

Previous to Tutwiler taking the franchise, the place was known as Hoosier Cadillac. They had the main showroom on Meridian Street at Fall Creek Blvd, and the Service building on Illinois St. one block to the west. When Tutwiler took over, they moved the showroom to that area. Back in the day when they did such things , they had a black gentleman raise and lower the service door for you.

I had just purchased the my 1953 Series 62 sedan from my boss's dad and had driven to the dealership to have it checked out. As I pulled up to the door, he came up to my window and asked, "Why are you driving Mr. Seiter's car?" Evidently, he knew who drove what. I remember, there was a black 1957 CDV that if it were in for service and it rained, it sat in a bay till it stopped raining. We had at least one of those cars when I was at the dealer in Lafayette, IN. also.

The spot where Tutwiler's dealership was is now part of the Meridian Street/I-465 interchange and no trace of it remains.

(Oh, I bought a pair of NOS 1941 Cadillac Series 61 Stone Guards at Hoosier in 1958 for $6.50 each.)
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

cadillacmike68

Look at all those manuals. I would have been a bidding war on some of those!
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

Barry M Wheeler #2189

Mike, When the Lafayette dealership moved "out in the country," from downtown, they had all the manuals in a pile and the service manager told me "take all you want, they're trash to us." And again in the 90s when they went computer, I had more mint 1988 Cimmaron shop manuals than were needed for the entire country. I think I sold a lot of them to a Lincoln guy who filled his trunk and as I recall, I got $110 for the trunk load. (There wasn't much "good stuff" in that lot.)
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: 79 Eldorado on April 05, 2020, 10:52:24 PM
It seems like March 8th 2010 to August 5 2010 was really rough too
Quote from: BlackCads on April 06, 2020, 10:46:32 AM
They lost Hummer in 2009 and Saab in 2011.

The late 2000s to early 2010s were a bad period for domestic car brands and dealerships in the U.S.  In addition to GM eliminating dealerships, Chrysler cut about 25% of its dealerships plus the Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Mercury brands were all discontinued.

Cadman-iac

Quote from: Barry M Wheeler #2189 on April 07, 2020, 07:41:01 AM
Mike, When the Lafayette dealership moved "out in the country," from downtown, they had all the manuals in a pile and the service manager told me "take all you want, they're trash to us." And again in the 90s when they went computer, I had more mint 1988 Cimmaron shop manuals than were needed for the entire country. I think I sold a lot of them to a Lincoln guy who filled his trunk and as I recall, I got $110 for the trunk load. (There wasn't much "good stuff" in that lot.)

I have to laugh at this, I had the same thing happen in our dealership. I've still got 3 or 4 of those Cimarron manuals in a box full of others, mostly Olds and some Fisher body manuals.
When we went to computers, the manuals were basically just tossed out,  except for the really old ones.  Then when we moved locations, the owner told me to take what was left. He said he didn't want anything in the new building that wasn't going to make him money.
He spent millions on a new building and location,  and he lost the franchise 5 years later. We had Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and GMC.

Rick
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

D.Yaros

Tutwiler Cadillac, Indianapolis:  TRUE STORY

When in college, in the mid-to-late 60s I had an Oldsmobile that was crunched a bit in a mishap.  I needed an estimate and wanted the highest dollar amount  possible.  So, I figure take it to a Caddy dealer.  That dealer was Tutwiler.  The estimate was considerably higher than an earlier one I obtained elsewhere.

I told the body shop guy I needed a second estimate to submit to the insurance co.  His response, "No problem."  He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a pad that bore the name of an Indy Pontiac dealership and wrote up the needed second estimate for me!
Dave Yaros
CLC #25195
55 Coupe de Ville
92 Allante
62 Olds  

You will find me on the web @:
http://GDYNets.atwebpages.com  -Dave's Den
http://graylady.atwebpages.com -'55 CDV site
http://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaros  -Saved 62 (Oldsmobile) Web Site
The home of Car Collector Chronicles.  A  monthly GDYNets newsletter focusing on classic car collecting.
http://www.scribd.com/D_Yaros/

chrisntam

Quote from: D.Yaros on April 08, 2020, 05:37:50 PM
Tutwiler Cadillac, Indianapolis:  TRUE STORY

When in college, in the mid-to-late 60s I had an Oldsmobile that was crunched a bit in a mishap.  I needed an estimate and wanted the highest dollar amount  possible.  So, I figure take it to a Caddy dealer.  That dealer was Tutwiler.  The estimate was considerably higher than an earlier one I obtained elsewhere.

I told the body shop guy I needed a second estimate to submit to the insurance co.  His response, "No problem."  He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a pad that bore the name of an Indy Pontiac dealership and wrote up the needed second estimate for me!

Helpin' a brutha out!

8)
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

TonyZappone #2624

Scott Kent:  Where were the dealerships that you referred to?  Was it Lockport, N.Y.?  The names seemed familiar to me
Tony Zappone, #2624
1936 Pierce-Arrow conv sed
1947 Cadillac Conv cpe
1958 Cadillac conv
2016 Cadillac CT6 Platinum
2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle

79 Eldorado

Quote from: TonyZappone #2624 on April 09, 2020, 02:28:36 AM
....Where were the dealerships that you referred to?  Was it Lockport, N.Y.?  The names seemed familiar to me

Tony,
Exactly! They were on the Southeast and Southwest corners of Rt 78 (Transit Rd) and of Rt 93. I attached a Google map image. Mike Smith is still shown as Mike Smith Buick and David Cadillac was on the East of Rt78 just across the street.

Scott

TonyZappone #2624

I grew up in Orleans County and traveled that route to the University of Buffalo, when I came home to visit.  I remembered those names
Tony Zappone, #2624
1936 Pierce-Arrow conv sed
1947 Cadillac Conv cpe
1958 Cadillac conv
2016 Cadillac CT6 Platinum
2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle