A few days ago we talked about the excitement the arrival of new models used to cause back in the day. In that post, I showcased a few Chevy showrooms. For today, the excitement belongs to the wild and exuberant Buicks of 1959. And as the showroom above shows, the whole matter was quite a ritual filled with expectation. Just look at the crowd in the photo below if you need further proof.
The few pictures in this post all belong to the same dealer; Moore Buick in Walla Walla, Washington. Also, pay attention to Moore Buick’s Lubricare service stations in the last photo. Its condition is probably closer to reality than the otherworldly promo Lubricare snapshots I posted a while ago.
The flower arrangements are a very elegant touch. Plus, they add a nice aroma to mask the smell of oil and rubber, and they help fill out the space.
The General Motors of Canada dealership in the small town I grew up in, had a similar art deco exterior. They didn’t sell Buicks though, they were a Chevrolet/Oldsmobile dealership from the 1930s until the early 1980s.
Same location from August 2022: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9005775,-76.252801,3a,75y,180.41h,83.38t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sZZBGt_i0xg7kx_zkQDUPdg!2e0!5s20220801T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
I love art deco car showrooms. This was the Buick dealer near where I grew up, though the showroom was built as a Dodge dealership, and they switched to Buick in about 1960.
Sometime in the 1980s, the Buick dealer built a larger showroom across the street, and used this art deco building for its new Isuzu franchise. It was demolished about 15 years ago.
Dealership photos are always fun, but the “new car” ones are especially exciting. I’m a Ford guy, but that 1959 Buick really appeals!
Here’s eBay’s sole souvenir today of this dealership: https://www.ebay.com/itm/304984729134?hash=item470281a62e:g:xS8AAOSwALFkjJZE&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwIUw2H3FSMJ1c9LYAwgXF32aglQ8A9nMGKa7zo%2BqAYx34f3tlsJZ8HUfXF51%2Bu3zVvK%2F3DCtuExuzFHcVt9tca7gWH7B6G35gqwAhoF3ciVOWM3dXewn1ZnHFjsww%2BlKeNad9LOVcDKal5SbnX9Xm2Is0ldeqwoCK3%2BaS%2FJiNp3QydnNgzVtoUGxSTaeGwfWDgN99fuv%2BWBWaZJvpEVb7sHTLRzmanOf4Bb8Ln6x07yvmW3uatujikaJxJ7OGzu3EQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6q2tsv_Yg
$222 for a vintage license plate frame!!
I think the occasion for these photos was likely the dealership’s grand opening – Moore Buick moved into this building early 1959. Prior to that, the building served as a Dodge dealership (photo below), but that dealership merged with another in 1958 and subsequently moved.
A grand opening would also explain the spotlessly clean service bays.
And here’s a view from the inside at the grand opening – with the ceremonial ribbon cut by a man with a sword. No wonder there was a big crowd. There was also a Grand Opening event with prizes.
What’s with the guy’s pants who’s cutting the ribbon?
It looks to me like he’s wearing a traditional Japanese outfit similar to a Hakama. The swordsman’s top also seems to have a transliterated Japanese name on it “Taizan Yama…” so my guess would be that he was a local martial arts expert brought in for the occasion.
But that’s just a guess – I’m not familiar with martial arts, etc., so I may be off-base here.
Happily and maybe surprisingly the building does still exist today, albeit not being used for the same purpose. Still glad to see Art Deco buildings that haven’t been unceremoniously razed to be replaced with style-free strip malls.
https://google.com/maps/place/215+E+Main+St,+Walla+Walla,+WA+99362/@46.0693213,-118.3387828,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x54a26a6270ef2585:0x9a98cd391cc57c0a!8m2!3d46.0693176!4d-118.3362079!16s%2Fg%2F11s4wdmxjc?entry=ttu
GM mastered the art of Hollywood-style Grand Premieres in the 30s. This Chevy film was sent to dealers, not to the public. It trained the dealers to run a year-long campaign of carefully planned and phased anticipation for the Big Event.
https://archive.org/details/0799_Chevrolet_Blankets_the_Nation_08_29_53_00
In the 3rd photo of just the dealership, I think I see an Opel. The nose is pointed at us and looks to be a ’59 Rekord. It is just behind where the name “Opel” is painted on the window.
What an odd looking vehicle, just like the rest of the ’59 Detroit offerings (’58 also true IMO).
Still looks sharp to my eyes .
A musical tribute :
-Nate
This reminds me of something I saw at a car show in Bellingham, WA a few years. That’s a lot of 1959 Buicks!
Moore Buick Company had its grand opening at 215 E Main on Jan 21, 1959, followed by a total liquidation auction two years later
https://wallawalladrazanphotos.blogspot.com/2017/10/moore-buick-company-had-its-grand.html
My father’s first new car. Here we have teen parents, living in an attic, with a newborn and a toddler, getting their mom to sign a car loan for a 1959 Buick. He just signed up for a job at US Steel that paid $75 a week, and buys this. My mom’s German parents threw a fit over that decision, as any in-laws would.
My dad’s favorite car, ever. It was all he’d talk about. We sat through many slide photos of that 1959 Buick LeSabre after he spent hours washing waxing and detailing ever one of the grille’s faceted rectangles – 45 in all so that it gleamed. Legendary.
He had it repossessed by the bank when the responsibilities of life, marriage and children sapped his wallet. We ended up with a used Pontiac Tempest, too small for our family.
As you can imagine, I cannot be unbiased about a 1959 Buick, having heard how beautiful and perfect it was throughout my life.
I’m not a big fan of the 59 Buick today but as a kid who hated that ugly tub of a car – the 58 Buick – I thought the 59 was a huge improvement and pretty stylish at the time. My older cousin had a new 59 Olds convertible and I thought it and a neighbor’s new split-grille Pontiac were the most handsome of the GM 59’s.
’23 SEMA Battle of the Builders winner started with a very good base this year.
Love the outhouse .
-Nate