Evans Auto Care Center
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Check out the bright red arrow at Evans Auto Care Center in San Bernardino. This marquee gives motorists a little help finding the driveway, with a bold pointer that gets straight to the business at hand. Even when the car doesn’t need attention, an old automotive sign like this makes the trip along the street a little more interesting.

The shop specializes in automotive upholstery, including interior work and convertible tops. That makes it a useful stop for owners giving an older car some attention inside, while the roadside marquee provides something to admire outside. A familiar arrow and an independent shop make a good pairing along the old commercial strip.

UPDATE: Evans continues to advertise automotive upholstery services in San Bernardino. Its work includes seats, headliners, and convertible tops, keeping the business connected to the repair and restoration of vehicle interiors. The red-arrow marquee shown here recalls the shop’s roadside appearance when photographed in 2005. 10-26

Scotty's Mufflers
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Up above the service bays in San Bernardino, Scotty’s Muffler Service announces itself with an old rooftop sign. This is the kind of garage display that once seemed right at home along nearly every busy automotive strip. The lettering did the advertising overhead while the muffler work went on below.

Charles Scott opened Scotty’s in 1946 at Fourth and I streets. Freeway construction forced a move, and the business occupied several locations over the years, including a memorable shop at Second and G. Redevelopment displaced that location in 1978, sending Scotty’s to Baseline and E. The shop has had plenty of practice packing up and getting back to work.

UPDATE: Scotty’s continues to offer exhaust and brake service at its Baseline and E location. Its history stretches back eight decades, though the present garage came later in that story. From quiet replacement exhausts to something with a little more rumble, the old San Bernardino name remains in the muffler business. 10-26

Midas
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here’s the familiar yellow sign for Midas in San Bernardino. It may have been a common sight compared with some of the independent garage marquees nearby, but that recognizable shape made it easy for motorists to spot a service stop. Sometimes a familiar sign was all the reassurance needed when an exhaust started getting louder.

Corporate signs become part of the roadside scenery through repetition. After enough trips past the same shop, the yellow display can seem as much a fixture as the street itself. What looked ordinary when this photograph was taken may eventually become a reminder of an earlier drive through town.

UPDATE: Here's the San Bernardino Midas sign as it appeared in the original 2005 entry. The specific branch has not been identified, so its later business and sign history is unknown. For now, the image captures a familiar piece of automotive advertising from the local roadside. 10-26

Chuck Auto Parts
Colton, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Check out the old marquee at Chuck Auto Parts in Colton. The sign mixes bold lettering with automotive imagery, giving passing motorists a good idea of what could be found inside. This was the sort of display that gave an independent parts store a little personality before customers even reached the counter.

The shop name appeared on the building as well, but the roadside marquee did the work of catching attention out by the street. Between the lettering and the illustrated parts, there was more to look at than a plain business name. Even without a repair waiting at home, this one was worth a second glance.

UPDATE: Not sure what happened to this sign and business. If anyone knows, please let us know. 10-26

Colton Radiator (Closed)
Colton, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here’s a red arrow worth slowing down for at Colton Radiator on Valley Boulevard. The sweeping pointer gives the marquee plenty of movement, directing motorists toward the shop with more style than a simple driveway marker. This was one of the better-looking automotive signs around Colton, especially for anyone whose interest in the place went beyond a leaking radiator.

The business had family roots in the radiator trade. Earl McCutchen and his father, known as “Mac,” purchased Coldino Radiator in San Bernardino from Earl’s uncle. As freeway construction changed the area, they bought property in Colton, moved the operation, and renamed it Colton Radiator & Air Conditioning.

Earl was also a skilled welder who built equipment for the shop, including vats and hoists capable of handling large tractor radiators. That gives the place a little more history than the sign alone suggests. Behind the roadside arrow was a business equipped for cooling-system work on a much larger scale than the family car.

UPDATE: The business closed in 2022 and the sign was altered. 10-26

Firestone Tire and Service Center (Closed)
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Take a look at the streamlined Firestone Tire and Service Center on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. Built in 1937, the shop paired rounded edges and long horizontal lines with a broad canopy extending over the service area. The building looked ready to move even while the cars underneath were standing still.

The shop remained in automotive use for decades and received Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation in 2012. Firestone closed the service center in 2015, leaving the familiar building waiting for its next assignment. Fortunately, the next chapter kept much of its old roadside character.

UPDATE: The former service center reopened in February 2021 as All Season Brewing Company, with Chicas Tacos joining the new use. The rehabilitation retained the building’s distinctive automotive appearance and earned a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award in 2023. Beer and tacos replaced the tire work, while the old Firestone landmark stayed part of the drive along La Brea. 10-26