Majestic Pontiac (Originally Ken Clark Pontiac)
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Once a happening stop along Crenshaw Boulevard, Majestic Pontiac stood next door to the Holiday Bowl with a towering sign that was hard to overlook. The boarded-up dealership shown here catches the property during quieter days, after the cars and customers had departed and the neighboring bowling alley had shut its doors.
Originally known as Ken Clark Pontiac, the dealership became Majestic Pontiac in the early 1960s, with its roadside sign reworked for the new name. At 3740 South Crenshaw Boulevard, it was part of an auto row that reached eight dealerships during the 1960s. Those showrooms reflected the neighborhood’s growth and the buying power of its expanding African American middle class.
UPDATE: The sign has been changed and now sits as part of a revitalization of that corner and has a Denny's and Walgreen's facing Crenshaw. The old coffee shop has been upscaled to a Starbucks. Many thanks to Meiling Lee for update. 08-08
UPDATE: The dealership showroom was demolished, and the property became part of a shopping center. The towering sign was saved and adapted to advertise the newer businesses, including Big 5 Sporting Goods. Its Pontiac chief-profile emblem remained at the top, carrying a little of the old auto row into the redeveloped corner. 10-26
Used
Cars Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
There’s something a little playful about this Used Cars sign. It looks aged and fresh at the same time, with a style that makes an everyday sales message worth a second glance. The lettering gets straight to the point, though the sign itself leaves a few questions.
Was it made for this lot, or did it carry another business name earlier in its life? The photograph doesn’t settle that one. Either way, it has the sort of character that can make a small car lot stand out among larger dealerships and rows of ordinary advertising.
Sometimes the roadside offers a memorable sign without much of a paper trail. This one adds a little personality to the business of finding another set of wheels.
UPDATE: The photograph remains a record of this unusual used-car marquee. 10-26
Clippinger Chevrolet (Closed)
Covina, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Standing above the old Covina dealership, the Clippinger Chevrolet sign gave passing motorists something to admire besides the cars. Its oversized lettering belonged to an era when a dealership’s roadside marquee could become as familiar as the business itself. A new model might come and go, but the name overhead stayed part of the neighborhood scenery.
The longtime Covina location stood on West San Bernardino Road near Citrus Avenue. Clippinger later moved its dealership operation to neighboring West Covina, which helps explain why both cities turn up in the business’s history. The old Covina sign remained behind long enough to become a landmark in its own right.
UPDATE: Clippinger Chevrolet closed, but the old signs did not all disappear immediately. Photographs documented surviving Clippinger lettering after the dealership’s closure, while Chevrolet panels and a separate truck sign were later removed. The Covina marquee recalls the business’s earlier home on San Bernardino Road. 10-26
Harbor Chevrolet
Long Beach, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Check out the neon sign at Harbor Chevrolet in Long Beach. Standing in the lot beside the sidewalk, the Chevrolet Trucks and Service marquee gives passing motorists something to admire before they even look at the cars. The familiar Chevrolet emblem and neon lettering make the service side of the business worth a second glance.
Founded in 1923, Harbor has served generations of Long Beach customers, with a family ownership history spanning four generations. The dealership operates at 3770 Cherry Avenue, near Long Beach Airport, where the old sign adds some character to the rows of newer vehicles.
UPDATE: Harbor Chevrolet remains open, with the neon Trucks and Service sign standing in the lot beside the sidewalk. A little vintage advertising still greets motorists along Cherry Avenue. 10-26
Simpson Buick (Closed) Fullerton, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s a look at Simpson Buick in Fullerton, where the dealership name recalls the days when Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile showrooms were familiar stops along Southern California’s commercial streets. This is the Fullerton location, rather than the older Simpson dealership in Downey.
The Simpson family’s automobile business began on March 8, 1951, when Macon Sidney Simpson opened a Buick dealership in South Gate. Over the years, the family expanded into other communities, adding more locations and automobile franchises along the way.
A Fullerton location joined the group in November 1998, bringing Pontiac and GMC franchises into the family operation. That wider history makes it worth keeping the individual properties straight. The same family name appeared over several showrooms, each with its own roadside setting.
UPDATE: The former Fullerton operation has closed. The Simpson name continues in Orange County through Simpson Buick GMC of Buena Park, carrying the family’s dealership history into another location. 10-26
Scott Pontiac (Gone)
El Monte, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Pointing toward the road at Scott
Pontiac in El Monte, this big arrowhead marquee was hard to overlook. Its shape made the Pontiac name part of the skyline above the lot, giving motorists a familiar landmark along Valley Boulevard. Finding the dealership probably didn’t require much more than keeping an eye out for the sign.
The business stood at 11705 Valley Boulevard, where the marquee recalled the oversized advertising once common at Pontiac showrooms. The arrowhead echoed the brand’s emblem, turning a familiar automobile logo into a roadside attention-getter. There was plenty of room overhead to announce what was waiting below.
Scott Pontiac closed and sign removed
El Monte, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Take another look at the old photograph. The sign had enough personality to attract someone who wasn’t shopping for a Pontiac at all. While customers checked out the cars, passing motorists could admire the neon and distinctive outline without setting foot in the showroom. No test drive needed for this part of the visit.
The marquee belonged to a time when individual dealerships gave commercial streets a look of their own. A drive along the boulevard came with names, shapes, and glowing lettering that became familiar over the years. Scott’s arrowhead was one of those sights that helped mark the way.
UPDATE: The Pontiac sign has now been removed. Many thanks to Scott MacPherson and Tom Rice for update. 12-06
UPDATE: Scott Pontiac closed, and removal of its arrowhead marquee was documented by December 2006. The distinctive sign is gone from the property, leaving another example of Pontiac’s old roadside presence in photographs. 10-26
Stiegler Auto (Gone)
Sherman Oaks, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Guess how far back Stiegler Auto goes. The 1970s? Try earlier. The family automobile business began in 1959, and its colorful marquee became an attention-getter along Ventura Boulevard. With plenty of traffic passing through the Valley, the sign had no shortage of people to catch its eye.
Founder John M. Stiegler first opened in Inglewood before moving the business to the Valley. The dealership became known for Mercedes-Benz automobiles and attracted a number of entertainment-industry customers. The tall sign helped announce that these weren’t just another row of cars parked along the boulevard.
Stiegler also had a memorable finishing touch for a sale: customers could head home with a bouquet of roses along with their newly purchased car. Apparently a surprise Mercedes sometimes needed a little help making a good first impression at home.
UPDATE: Following John Stiegler’s death in 2005, the family sold its Valley dealership and moved its used luxury-car operation to Camarillo. The photograph recalls the earlier Ventura Boulevard chapter, when the colorful Stiegler marquee was part of the passing roadside view. 10-26
Majestic Pontiac (Originally Ken Clark Pontiac)
Used
Cars
Clippinger Chevrolet (Closed)
Simpson Buick (Closed)
Stiegler Auto (Gone)
