Tire Centre (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the classic roadside sign for the Tire Centre along the historic Van Buren Street corridor in Phoenix. The large, freestanding horizontal marquee featured distinct stylized mid-century script, designed specifically to catch the eye of motorists cruising along the busy cross-city thoroughfare.

The property was a great example of mid-century adaptive reuse along the strip. Likely starting life as an early gas station or automotive service bay during the post-war boom of the 1940s and 1950s, the location was later adapted by independent mechanics into a dedicated neighborhood tire and brake shop.

Unfortunately, time caught up with the old auto repair garage. The shop eventually closed its doors, and the building was cleared away as part of urban corridor redevelopment. The stylized "Tire Centre" script marquee was removed from the property prior to demolition.

UPDATE: The Tire Centre building has been demolished, and its classic roadside script sign was removed. 08-26

Leo's Auto Supply (98)
Tucson, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here is the classic roadside sign for Leo's Auto Supply located at the corner of Stone Avenue and Glenn Street in Tucson. Positioned along historic U.S. Business Route 80, the storefront's bold retro lettering and large display windows were designed to capture the attention of passing desert motorists in need of parts, batteries, and fan belts. 11-20

Founder Leo Toia originally purchased a Shell gas station on the property in the late 1940s before expanding the business into a full-scale automotive supply center and hot rod destination. In 1964, Toia brought home a towering 20-foot-tall fiberglass Paul Bunyan "Muffler Man" statue from a trade show and planted it right in the parking lot, creating one of the most famous roadside landmarks in Tucson.

The property evolved over the decades into a local automotive hub, later housing Don's Hot Rod Shop, while the classic Leo's signage continued to greet motorists along the busy Stone Avenue strip.

UPDATE: The iconic 1964 Paul Bunyan Muffler Man statue continues to stand tall at the corner of Stone and Glenn, while the historic Leo's Auto Supply storefront sign was preserved and acquired by the Ignite Sign Art Museum. 08-26

Gutierrez Tire Co. (99) (Gone)
Gila Bend, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out this vintage roadside service bay for the Gutierrez Tire Co. located along Pima Street in Gila Bend. Back when this busy strip carried heavy cross-desert traffic as historic Highway 80 and Route 84, open-bay garages like this were vital lifelines for motorists dealing with blowouts, flat patches, and overheating engines under the blazing Sonoran sun. 11-20

Like many classic highway stops across the Southwest, business along Pima Street shifted dramatically after Interstate 8 bypassed the town center. The independent garage eventually closed its doors, though the standalone structure served as a classic reminder of the independent auto repair network that once kept desert travelers rolling through Gila Bend.

UPDATE: Gutierrez Tire Co. is no longer in operation, and its original vintage roadside signage has been removed. The garage property has since been repurposed by subsequent independent auto service operators. 08-26

Diesel Sign (99)
Gila Bend , AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out this weathered roadside Diesel Sign standing at the edge of town along the Pima Street corridor in Gila Bend. Built with a towering open-lattice steel pylon, this high-flying marker once served as an essential visual anchor for long-haul truckers and desert motorists needing high-flow pumps before setting out on the isolated, sun-baked stretches of historic U.S. Route 80 toward Yuma. 11-20

When spotted during a 1999 roadside trip, the skeletal framework showed unmistakable signs of battle with desert weather. A severe desert windstorm or microburst had recently swept through the corridor, blowing out the upper franchise logo panels and leaving behind only the rugged metal tower and its lower "DIESEL" lettering facing the highway.

Over the years, the remaining service lot was cleared as modern highway improvements took shape along the route. While the battered tower eventually vanished from the skyline, it stood as a memorable relic of Gila Bend's heyday as an indispensable cross-desert trucking oasis.

UPDATE: The vintage open-lattice diesel pylon and its surrounding service lot have been completely cleared from the edge of town along Pima Street. 08-26

ABC Auto and Truck Center
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here is this classic snapshot depicting real everyday life along the old route at the ABC Auto and Truck Center in Kingman. Located just off Historic Route 66 (E. Andy Devine Avenue) on Shangri La Drive, this independent highway service garage once featured a modest roadside sign that greeted passing motorists and truckers navigating the Mojave Desert. 09-21

Built with an open-courtyard service layout engineered to handle heavy-duty fleet diagnostics, engine overhauls, and collision repair, the facility served as a dependable pit stop along the corridor. Beyond everyday repair work, the shop was well known in the local car community for sponsoring competitive drag racers and custom rail dragsters at regional speedways across Arizona and Nevada.

As commercial logistics patterns shifted over the decades, the longtime independent garage eventually closed its doors, and the modest roadside pole sign was removed. The property was later repurposed for subsequent collision repair and automotive storage operations.

UPDATE: ABC Auto and Truck Center is permanently closed, and its small roadside sign has been removed. 08-26

24 hour Garage (Closed)
Truxton, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Cruising along northern Arizona's longest continuous stretch of Route 66 brings you past the weathered 24 Hour Garage in Truxton. Looking at this service bay, it appears the business was still actively tackling automotive repairs back in 1998 when this field photo was taken. 09-21

Truxton is a relatively young town by Mother Road standards. Donald J. Dilts and Clyde McCune first established the garage and service station here in 1951, essentially founding the town in anticipation of heavy traffic from a proposed federal dam project on the Colorado River at Bridge Canyon. While the dam was never built, the garage thrived on the steady stream of cross-country travelers and truckers rolling along the main highway between Seligman and Kingman. Dilts and McCune eventually added a cafe and tourist cabins to the property, anchoring a roadside cluster that sat directly across from the historic Frontier Motel.

Business along this stretch suffered a devastating blow when Interstate 40 was completed in the late 1970s, completely bypassing the town. Today, several abandoned buildings dot the roadside landscape, leaving Truxton as a quiet reminder of the vibrant highway era that once defined this desert corridor.

UPDATE: The former 24 Hour Garage remains closed and vacant along Route 66, with its weathered signage and aging service bays continuing to brave the high-desert elements. 08-26