Evening view in May of 1968 of Steven Motor Company, Chrysler and Plymouth dealers. Neon and backlit plastic signs on building and posts, new Plymouths in showroom window and on outdoor lot, used car department beyond. Steven Motor Co. had been at 2705 South Tacoma Way since late 1959. They had previously been in the downtown Broadway area for decades. Color photo ordered by Action Color Advertising, Portland, Oregon.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1960-1970; Plymouth automobile; Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1960-1970; Signs (Notices);

Dick Lewis Pontiac-Cadillac, Olympia, detailed view of A-framed showroom taken on May 21, 1964. Naturalistic landscaping, gluelam beams anchored in water feature, Cadillac in window, abstract mural and service wing in background. Photograph ordered by the Weyerhaeuser Co.

Automobile dealerships--Olympia--1960-1970; Automobiles--Olympia--1960-1970; Dick Lewis Pontiac-Cadillac (Olympia);

Dick Lewis Pontiac-Cadillac agency, Olympia, Washington. 1964 Pontiac Catalina parked under wooden carport type roof, A-frame structure in background is believed to be agency's showroom. Photograph ordered by the Weyerhaueser Co.

Automobile dealerships--Olympia--1960-1970; Dick Lewis Pontiac-Cadillac (Olympia); Pontiac automobile;

September, 1971, view of the 2700 block of South Tacoma Way. At the corner is the Oxygen Sales & Service Co., distributor of Union Carbide welding products and Linde gases. Propane was also for sale. Next door to Oxygen Sales & Service was the Steven Motor Co., a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. According to their full page ad in the 1971 City Directory, Steven Motor Co. had 50 continuous years in the automobile business in Tacoma. They had been at the South Tacoma Way location since 1959; prior to that, they had been based in downtown Tacoma on Broadway for many years. Everett T. Steven was president of the firm with Pete Lisicich as manager and Norm Gordon as used car fleet and lease manager. Photograph ordered by Steven Motor Co.

Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1970-1980; Oxygen Sales & Service Co. (Tacoma);

S-T-U-D-E-B-A-K-E-R! Salesmen Tommy Burns, Tom Lea and Ben Johnson (l-r) are in fighting mode as they prepare to set Studebaker sales records for the month of March, 1923. The men were employed by the pioneer automobile dealership, B.H. Kennedy Company, located at 753 Broadway. Owned and operated by Burton "Bert" Kennedy, the firm had an up-to-date service department and competent Studebaker mechanics. The B.H. Kennedy Co. had sold $27,000 of Studebakers in February of 1923 and were confident of repeating their successful month. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 3-11-23, C-1)

B.H. Kennedy Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Burns, Tommy; Lea, Tom; Johnson, Ben;

Donoghue Chevrolet was located at 824 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (then known as South "K" St.), the former home of Mutual Motors, in 1931. This interior view of Donoghue's focuses on the repairs section of the facility with its display of tools and machinery. Fred W. Donoghue was the president of the company. G36.1-189

Donoghue Chevrolet (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hand tools; Machinery; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Automobile supplies were on display at the Donoghue Chevrolet facility located at 824 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (then called South "K" St.) in April of 1931. Genuine Chevrolet parts and other quality equipment were for sale at the former home of Mutual Motors. G32.1-134

Donoghue Chevrolet (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile equipment & supplies; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Seeking to make the car-buying experience as pleasant as possible, Titus-Will Ford built its salesman closing office with ceiling-to-floor windows to bring in natural light and provide unobstructed views of the outdoor landscaping. The customer was positioned so that he could rest his eyes on the trees and shrubbery beyond the salesman; lower windows could also be opened to let in fresh air. A salesman is shown on September 16, 1969, pointing out the details of a new Ford in a glossy magazine to a prospective client. Photograph ordered by the Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Michigan, for a "dealers publication."

Titus-Will Ford (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1960-1970; Sales personnel--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Miss Marjorie Pierce stands next to her 1933 Chrysler Six sedan recently purchased from the American Motor Co. Store manager Grover E. Wakefield is at the left of the photograph. American Motors would open their new showrooms at South 9th and "K" (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) on November 20, 1933. The Chrysler and Plymouth dealership offered service departments to handle everything from complete overhauls and body building to regular service station jobs. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 11-19-33, 7A)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; American Motor Co. (Tacoma); Chrysler automobile; Pierce, Marjorie; Wakefield, Grover E.;

Staff of American Motor Company just prior to their November, 1933, move to new and more spacious quarters at South 9th and "K" (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) Sts. Fifteen men and two women posed in front of window bearing a "Chrysler Service" logo. Managers Grover E. Wakefield (third from left in second row) and Robert M. Jackson (second from left in second row) were in charge of the Chrysler & Plymouth dealership, the successor to the American Automobile Co. Opened there in 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, the agency lasted less than two years. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 11-19-33, 7A)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; American Motor Co. (Tacoma); Depressions--1929; Wakefield, Grover E.; Jackson, Robert M.;

ca. 1957. Rowland Pontiac - Cadillac dealership. New Cadillacs in showroom, used Pontiacs, Cadillacs and other automobiles in carport area and outside. Neon service sign, moved here from Commerce St. side of old downtown location, at far right in photo. Rowland Pontiac-Cadillac was located on South Tacoma Way, the city's "auto row." Irwin-Jones Motor Co.'s Truck Department was the former occupant of this site.

Rowland Pontiac-Cadillac Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pontiac automobile; Cadillac automobile; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Titus Motor Company, exterior of building with vehicles parked on street. Many neon and painted signs, "We give you More ..trade now" posters in windows. Elizabethan-style brick building by Roland Borhek, Architect, circa 1926. (filed with Argentum)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Automobile equipment & supplies; Electric signs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma);

Titus Motor Company, exterior of building with vehicles parked on street. Many neon and painted signs, "We give you More ..trade now" posters in windows. Elizabethan-style brick building by Roland Borhek, Architect, circa 1926.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Automobile equipment & supplies; Electric signs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma);

Winner of Mercury Automobile Contest in front of Titus Motor Company. Man hands envelope to another man across the hood of a 1940 Mercury. Leon Titus at far right. Titus Motor Co. was offering a special prize for gasoline economy. Beginning January 27, 1940, contestants could drive a special Mercury 8 equipped with a gasoline meter. First prize in the contest, 50 gallons of gasoline, would be awarded to the driver with the best mileage. The new Mercury 8 averaged 20 miles per gallon.

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Titus, Leon E.; Mercury automobile; Contests;

This May 1939 advertising photograph shows the wide range of Ford commercial vehicles sold by Titus Motor Co. on display in front of the Victorian style Seymour Conservatory at Wright Park. The glass conservatory, one of only three on the West Coast, was a gift to the citizens of Tacoma by Tacoman businessman William W. Seymour. The building, designed by I.J. Knapp, opened in November of 1908 and gave the average Tacoman their first glance at the foliage of the tropics. In 1938, Leon Titus, a 25 year veteran in the automotive sales business, got his foot in the door in Tacoma by being awarded the downtown dealership of Ford, Ford Mercury and Lincoln Zephyr. The dealership moved into the old Pacific Car Co. building at 618-624 Broadway, where they remained until the mid 1960's. As a boy, Leon Titus had worked for the Marmon-Nordyke Co., manufacturer of the Marmon automobile. The Titus family is still heavily involved in the automotive business today. (TNT 12/15/1938, pg. 11)

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Ford trucks; Seymour Conservatory (Tacoma); Wright Park (Tacoma); Greenhouses--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Titus Motor Company, exterior of building with parked automobiles and double-parked service truck. Many neon and painted signs, "We give you More ..trade now" posters in windows. Elizabethean style brick building by Roland Borhek, Architect, c.1926.

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Automobile in service department at Titus Motor Company.

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Ford Good Drivers League publicity for Titus Motor Company. Lincoln Delux sedan with logo on door in front of Public Safety Building. L to R: Leon Titus, unknown, Public Safety Commissioner Holmes Eastwood, Police Chief Einar Langseth.

Business Enterprises - Tacoma - Automobile Dealers - New Automobile Dealers - Ford Dealers - Titus Motor Company Advertising and Promotion Law Enforcement - Police Agencies - Tacoma Police Department

On October 2, 1939, Clara Thorsen is receiving the title from an unidentified member of the Ray Roberts Post 969 VFW for the new 1939 Studebaker Champion that she won. On winning, Miss Thorsen confided to the members that she is to be married the following month to Earl Heltsley, a driver for the Municipal Belt Bus Line. The pair will use the new vehicle to take a honeymoon trip to California. Allen Motor Co. building in background. Studebaker logo on storefront windows. Miss Thorsen is 24 years old and resides at 3623 McKinley Ave. She is a clerk at Fishers Department Store. (T. Times 10/5/1939, pg. 16)

Allen Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Studebaker automobile; Thorsen, Clara; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ray C. Roberts Post # 969 (Tacoma);

The A.E. Mulligan Company offered Tacoma customers a conveniently located dealership featuring Studebaker models. Customers admire the new 1946 Studebaker. Neon in windows of showroom and on signs for Temple Theater and Bonneville Hotel visible through glass in background.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Showrooms--Tacoma; Consumers--Tacoma; Studebaker automobile; A.E. Mulligan Co. (Tacoma);

A.E. Mulligan Company, Studebaker dealers. Customers admire the 1946 Studebaker, "First by Far with a Postwar Car" reads banner on wall in background. Hood of one automobile is up displaying engine, photos of other Studebakers hang on walls. Customers browse through the dealership.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Showrooms--Tacoma; Consumers--Tacoma; Studebaker automobile; A.E. Mulligan Co. (Tacoma);

Rehn Motor Company. Rehn family (?) by a Chevrolet truck in showroom of the Chevrolet dealership in Gig Harbor.

Automobile dealerships--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Rehn Motor Co. (Gig Harbor);

Rehn Motor Company. Service department of the Chevrolet dealership in Gig Harbor.

Automobile dealerships--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Rehn Motor Co. (Gig Harbor);

Munson-Smith Motors was appointed as associated Dodge and Plymouth passenger car dealer and Dodge job-rated truck dealer in South Tacoma. A four-day grand opening was held July 30 - August 3, 1946. The dealership will have a large 140 ft. by 140 ft. service area in the back of the building. L-R, W.M. Dunigan, H.G. Schreiber, Helen Jones, Alberta Smith, co-owner, Major George C. Yates, S.E. "Ed" Munson, co-owner; kneeling, Don Munson and Sam LeCrone.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Munson-Smith Motors (Tacoma); Smith, Alberta; Munson, S.E.;

Ray Ridge Motors for Robert Sconce Advetising. Crowd admires the 1946 Mercurys at Ray Ridge Motors. Night view from outside showroom through plate glass windows. Convertible, sedan and "woody" wagon are visible. Neon signs in windows.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Mercury automobile; Showrooms;

Ray Ridge Motors for Robert Sconce Advertising. Crowd admires the 1946 Mercurys at Ray Ridge Motors. Night view from outside showroom through plate glass windows. Convertible, sedan and "woody" wagon are visible. Neon signs in windows.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Showrooms;

General view of Sanford Nash Company. Stucco building at Sixth and Tacoma Avenues, two Nash automobiles in showroom windows, neon and painted signs on building.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nash Metropolitan automobile; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma);

General view of Ray Ridge Motors, Lincoln/Mercury dealer. A corner view of the large automobile dealership building. New automobiles are seen through the showroom windows. A Model A Ford, five window coupe is parked at the curb. Large home on G Street in background.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma);

Harold A. Sanford was the President of Sanford-Nash Inc., he had been in the Nash dealership business since 1918. Exterior view of Sanford Nash Company, two signs posted by entrance tell us this is the Parts Department for used cars, the Service Department is located on lower floor. Stucco building at Sixth and Tacoma Avenue, two Nash automobiles in showroom windows, neon and painted signs on building. Photograph taken on February 24, 1947.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Showrooms--Tacoma; Nash automobile;

Broadway Motor Company. Signs "We Pay High Prices for your Car or Equity", See Us First" and "Service Entrance". One automobile is seen parked in the service entrance and another is in the showroom seen through the window. Building has vertical stone decoration (low relief) and tall glass windows above the first floor.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Broadway Motor Co. (Tacoma);