 Red Hot Motors (Gone)
Anderson, IN
Photo and info courtesy Craig Selvey
Not every memorable roadside sign was built from scratch. For decades, independent businesses found creative ways to stretch their advertising budgets by repainting and repurposing existing signs rather than ordering expensive new ones. Used car lots were especially known for giving old marquees a second life.
Red Hot Motors occupied a prominent corner at Meridian Street and 5th Street in downtown Anderson, where its towering sign became the lot's biggest attraction. Although the structure had originally advertised another business, it was cleverly repainted with the dealership's name and continued serving motorists for years. It's a great example of the practical ingenuity that helped shape America's roadside landscape, where a well-built sign was often too valuable to throw away.
Repurposed signs like this tell a story beyond the business they advertised. Layers of paint and changing names often hint at the many lives these roadside landmarks experienced as neighborhoods and local businesses evolved. 02-08
UPDATE: Red Hot Motors is no longer in business, and the downtown property has since been redeveloped. The repurposed roadside sign has been removed, leaving only photographs to document this creative piece of Anderson's roadside history. 06-26
 Road Runner Auto Sales (Gone)
Anderson, IN
Photo and info courtesy Craig Selvey
Like many independent used car dealers, Road Runner Auto Sales found an affordable way to stand out by giving an older roadside sign a second life. Repurposing existing marquees was a common practice, allowing small businesses to create eye-catching advertising without the expense of building a new sign from scratch.
Road Runner Auto Sales occupied the corner of Brown Street and 17th Street along Old State Road 9 in Anderson. Its towering sign had originally been built for another business before being repainted to advertise the dealership. The recycled marquee became a familiar sight for motorists traveling this well-used route through town and serves as another reminder that some of the best roadside signs lived several different lives.
Today, repurposed signs like this are becoming increasingly difficult to find. As businesses close or properties are redeveloped, many of these one-of-a-kind creations disappear, taking another small piece of roadside history with them. 02-08
UPDATE: Road Runner Auto Sales is no longer in business, and the property has transitioned to other uses. The repurposed roadside sign has been removed and no longer stands along Old State Road 9. 06-26
 Plymouth Dealership (Closed)
Gary, IN
Photo and info courtesy Kevin Heggi
During Gary's industrial heyday, Broadway was lined with businesses serving the city's growing workforce, including a number of automobile dealerships. Large glass showrooms and towering roadside signs showcased Detroit's newest models, reflecting the close ties between Indiana's manufacturing economy and the American automobile.
This former Plymouth Dealership was once part of that landscape, selling Chrysler's Plymouth lineup for many years. Its tall roadside sign, originally outlined in neon, advertised the brand to motorists traveling Broadway. Today, the faded lettering and weathered sign offer only a hint of the dealership's former identity, but they remain a striking reminder of an era when local dealerships were fixtures of nearly every downtown commercial district.
 The disappearance of the Plymouth brand in 2001 marked the end of one of Detroit's longest-running nameplates. Combined with Gary's economic decline and the loss of many independent dealerships, buildings like this gradually fell silent, leaving behind reminders of the city's once-thriving automotive past. 10-08
UPDATE: The former dealership building remains vacant, and the vintage roadside sign continues to deteriorate after years of exposure to the elements. Much of the original lettering has faded away, making it one of Gary's more haunting reminders of the city's former auto row. 06-26
 (Right) The faded out marquee at this Gary Plymouth dealership
(Near left) The old abandoned dealership
Plymouth Dealership
Gary, IN
Photo and info courtesy Kevin Heggi |
 Leach Wilson Chevrolet
Shelbyville, IL
Photos and info courtesy Richard Weiss
At first glance, Leach-Wilson Chevrolet looks like a classic small-town Chevrolet dealership. A closer look, however, reveals that the building began life as a Standard Oil service station. It's an unusually large structure for a town the size of Shelbyville, and even by big-city standards it would have been an impressive filling station.
Rather than replacing the building, the dealership adapted it for its new purpose while preserving much of its original character. The spacious lobby and former office areas retained elements from the service station days and became home to a collection of vintage GM posters, banners, and other Chevrolet memorabilia. The result is a fascinating blend of two eras of automotive history under one roof.
Buildings like this are reminders that roadside architecture often evolves rather than disappears. What began as a place to fuel America's growing number of automobiles eventually became a place to sell them, giving the structure a second life while p reserving a piece of Shelbyville's commercial history. 11-08
Leach Wilson Chevrolet
Shelbyville, IL
Photos and info courtesy Richard Weiss
The sign still showing off the Standard Oil Products name is located off the side of the building. 11-08
 UPDATE: Leach-Wilson Chevrolet remains an active, family-owned dealership. The historic former Standard Oil building continues to serve customers, and its distinctive architecture still reflects its origins as one of the area's largest early service stations. The exact date of its conversion from a Standard Oil station to an automobile dealership has not been conclusively documented. 06-26
The lobby of this place was much unchanged form it's days selling gas, but the former office space is now occupied by vintage GM posters, banners and other memorabilia. 11-08
|
|
