St. Claire Motor Co., showroom with new ’58 models.
St. Claire Motor Co. location in San Jose CA, circa 1956.
1957.
1965.
1966.
New location at Steven Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara CA, June 1966 (closed in Jan. 2018).
Related CC reading:
Vintage Dealers: A Cadillac-Oldsmobile Dealer, From 1956 To 1966
– Posted on May 6, 2024
Interesting, logical team up. Back in my youth in Johnstown, PA (population 50,000 with another 50,000 in the suburbs) GM was represented by Hallman Chevrolet, Salay Cadillac/Pontiac, Pristow’s Oldsmobile/Renault (later added Datsun), and a Buick dealership who’s dealer name I’ve forgotten.
This was interesting because ‘supposedly’ if you had one GM dealership back then you couldn’t have a second. The Hallman multi-state chain of seven dealerships consisted of Hallman’s Central Chevrolet in Rochester run by Maynard Hallman, five other dealerships run by his five sons, and the Johnstown store run by my father.
Obviously teaming Cadillac with another GM marque to provide more sales wasn’t all that rare, at least in areas that weren’t big cities.
The picture dated 1957 should probably be dated 1956. Those appear to be all 1956 Oldsmobiles in the showroom. While at the end of 1957 you could probably see 1958 models, I doubt you would still see all 1956 models in an Oldsmobile showroom even in January 1957.
I think you’re right – and the poster on the showroom window says “Ohhh Those ’56 Oldsmobiles!“, which was part of Olds’s late-1955 ad campaign.
Interesting they took photos from the same angle in several years.
This building looks older to me than 1956; did it have a previous use? The elaborate incandescent lamp chandeliers especially look older than that; by 1956 nearly all dealership interiors were lit by fluorescent tubes.
As far as I can tell, that building was built in the mid 1920s as a Cadillac franchise (TF Kilmartin). I wouldn’t be surprised if St. Claire purchased the business from the original owner at some point.
For sure looked like a “20’s era” building to me.. Could be the aged pics too but the building appears quite “run down” by “1956-7”.
Here’s one more picture too – from the 1980s. (with a Peugeot and Mercedes photobombing the shot). With the Spanish-tile roof, it’s definitely a more customized structure than most current dealership buildings.
It looks like the Cadillac dealership moved a few blocks away in about 2000, at which point a BMW dealership took over the former Cadillac lot, and that’s probably when the building was razed. It’s likely that the BMW and Cadillac dealerships and at some point fell under a common ownership. I’m not positive it’s the direct successor to St. Claire, but there’s now a Cadillac dealership again right next to the BMW dealer – called Stevens Creek Cadillac (current address is 4355 Stevens Creek Blvd.).
The older St. Claire building is long gone. It was used as an Olds dealership (Carl Nelson Oldsmobile and then Merry Oldsmobile) after St. Claire moved, but has since been torn down for an apartment building.
I remember it well, from when we lived not far away in Los Gatos.
“Merry Oldsmobile”, lol. Wonder what they used as their advertising jingle…
The dealership in small town Indiana where my aunt and uncle bought their new 55 Olds Holiday hardtop also sold Cadillacs. When the Hydramatic in the Olds failed and the car went to the dealer for a transmission rebuild they were given a new 58 Cadillac demonstrator to drive home! It was a shock to see a luxury car in our working class family at the time, even for a few days, and as a car-crazed kid I climbed all over it – a pale green (Acadian Green?) Sedan de Ville – to soak in the details. Most likely there were not enough Cadillac buyers in our area at the time to sustain a single brand dealership.
In many areas, there were Buick – GMC dealers, especially in rural areas. This allowed mom to get a “respectable car” for the church ladies while dad could get a pickup truck like the rest of the country gents.
Anyone remember Barrie Cadillac-Oldsmobile on Long Island?
In my hometown , in wstrn PA; Cadillac and Chevrolet were sold through the same dealer. The “Olds” dealer’s” lot adjoined “Kelly Chevrolet Cadillac”.
It was owned by the “Trostle’s”.
In the “70’s” it took on the “Toyota” as well.
My brothers, separated by “15” months in age, bought a “67 Ford from “Trostle Olds” in “72”.
I bought my Ford Ranger at Frontier Ford on the next block. It’s still there under the same name. San Jose is big enough to have three “auto rows”. This Stevens Creek area straddles the Santa Clara line so some of the Stevens Creek dealers are in one city, some in the other. The other two auto rows are in outlying areas and probably newer.
Cool pics. Does anyone recall Shepard Cadillac-Oldsmobile on Oakland, SF?
My ’68 Calais was purchased from this dealer.
If anyone has any info or knows of any dealer related memorabilia, love to hear from you.
Shepard Cadillac was founded by HW Shepard, who had been Cadillac’s branch manager for the San Francisco area, and wound up purchasing a dealership himself in 1951 (Oakland Cadillac-Oldsmobile). Through the 1950s & ’60s Shepard operated a few locations – Oakland, Berkeley and Menlo Park. The Oakland dealership was at 24th & Harrison Sts. In 1970, Shepard sold his Oakland franchise – it became Pat Patterson Cadillac, and continued at that location until the mid 1990s, at some point becoming Bill Cox Cadillac-Buick. So your car was from one of Shepard Cadillac’s last years.
The site of the dealership was eventually redeveloped, but the building’s facade was preserved; it’s now the facade of a Whole Foods market (current address is 230 Bay Place).
Excellent, many thanks Eric for the back story. Ron 🙂
That is a sweet looking Calais! I love it. Have you written about it here?
How’s Cadillac doing in the US these days? I’ve been meaning to ask…
The strangest pairing that I remember was Boyle Chevrolet Cadillac in Moses Lake, Washington. My aunt, uncle and grandparents lived there and as a kid we would drive out from Wisconsin. I loved cars and would visit the dealerships when I was there. The other GM dealer in town was Don Swanson Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick. I haven’t been out there in about 50 years. I wonder who else remembers them.
Other than urban areas with a broad enough affluent customer base to support a stand-alone Cadillac dealership, granting dual Cadillac-Oldsmobile franchises made sense. Although the price gap between a Ninety-Eight and the Series 62 typically was $600-$800, the optioned-up Ninety-Eight could close in on the Series 62 price. Oldsmobile buyers were already somewhat upscale since they had already bypassed Chevrolet and Pontiac. They were primed to be moved up the Sloan ladder as they became more prosperous.
The other GM dual dealerships made less sense: either Chevrolet or Pontiac with Cadillac seemed a price and social standing leap a tad too far. Whereas Buick crowded Cadillac’s territory both in price and prestige at times during the Roadmaster/Limited/Electra years. Dependent upon profession and community standing, a Buick Roadmaster or Electra was considered more appropriate to present a prudent, conservative image in one’s transportation, a Cadillac simply to showy.
In Boston there was Fuller Cadillac-Olds. Alvan Fuller, a former governor, is often credited with originating the Washington’s Birthday car sales promotion. The building is currently owned by Boston University.
In the 1950’s Boston’s Commonwealth Avenue was the auto row. My father would take me to see the new cars during the promotion. Fuller’s showroom was the most impressive one.
In my area it was Cadillac- Pontiac Dealerships .
The Cadillac offered the finest , and most stylish, while Pontiac, the Sport – Performance- Family, choices.
We knew Cadillac owners , who also drove Pontiac Wagons , or had Firebirds from the same ” car store ” .
One odd , we smart kid’s into cars , thought it strange ; was an Oldsmobile, Buick Dealership!
It didn’t have many cars , but presented well .
Oldsmobile & Buick seemingly so similar in appeal , and models.
I. the late 70 s , a 98 , and Electra stood gracefully together in the showroom.
I waa always into Cadillacs , since I rode in a fabulous 59 Olympic White Convertible as a tiny boy .
Its red leather interior was so hot , and fragrant in the sun .
An unforgettable experience.
It was very grand to see these Dealerships in their glory .
” A car for every taste , and purse ” , the legendary GM slogan .
In Rochester New York from 1936 on it was Valley Cadillac at 333 East Avenue and farther down was their used car building. I am 69 but as a young person I frequently went there and as a Cadillac lover I studied the cars. I now own a 1968 DeVille convertible, I remember them on the showroom floor.
The strangest combination I’ve ever seen offered at one dealership was in 1967 at Spartanburg, SC when my Dad was looking to purchase an Oldsmobile store. In addition to Olds, the dealership also had the Plymouth and AMC/Rambler franchises! It was a dilapidated old dealership so my Dad ended up purchasing the single-line Oldsmobile dealership in Greenville, NC with a 3 year old facility. We took on Datsun in 1969 and sold the business in 1987. Great years to be an Oldsmobile Dealer, sans the 1977 engine swap followed by the Diesel Disaster🙄
Beverly Hills Cadillac, in Hollywood, California circa late 60’s, where if you were a celebrity it was expected of you to go there to pick up your Eldorado and then quickly drive it around the corner and park it with all the other Eldorados at The Friars Club on Santa Monica Boulevard, making sure that you told your fellow thespians that the car was as fully optioned as theirs was.
One of the first multi GM dealers I remember was Arnold Palmer’s dealership in Latrobe, PA that sold everything except Chevrolet.
The other Cadillac dealers had separate showrooms even if they had another franchise, like McKean Cadillac and Oldsmobile. Cadillac was in the suburb of Monroeville while Olds was in the city of Pittsburgh.
I grew up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh near West Liberty Ave Auto Row.
Starting down near the Liberty Tubes The first GM dealer was Downtown Pontiac heading South was Rohrich Cadillac, Miller Chevrolet,Massey Buick, Dormont Oldsmobile I would visit the show room daily checking out the Rocket 88’s when delivering the News Paper in the mid 50’s and finally Walker Pontiac..
Ken D
My dad bought a used 55 Series 62 2 door in 1959 at Bob Spreen Cadillac-Oldsmobile in Huntington Park on Pacific Boulevard. At the time he was working at G. M. Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly in South Gate. Because he was a GM employee, he got an employee discount. That’s the only way he could afford something like that.
Not long after dad bought that car, Spreen had a brand new dealership built on the former site of a strawberry farm at the intersection of Florence Avenue and…….Studebaker Road!
That was out “Where the freeways meet…In DOWNEY” You can watch the original television commercial from the late 60s on YouTube. It was an often played spot on local L. A. Television. When Spreen moved to Downey he dropped the Oldsmobile line. Downey in the 1960’s had many residents that were professionals. Doctors, Attorneys, and the like. Selling those cars in that part of town was no problem.