CADILLAC DEALERSHIPS

[milton]

lets see your pictures

how many long term Cadillac dealers are there?

[Art Director]

Rickenbaugh Cadillac in Denver, Colorado, began in 1909 as the Colorado Car Company. It eventually became Hall Cadillac.

In 1944, Ralph L. "Rick" Rickenbaugh purchased the dealership, renamed it and it is still in operation (with a Volvo franchise added in the 1980s). Rickenbaugh is the only new-car dealership left operating in downtown Denver.

Tim

[Tom Hall 7485]

What's your definition of "long term", Milton?  Same family in ownership?  Same address?  Fifty years or more
with the Cadillac franchise?

Tim, is there a connection between the Colorado Car Company and the Rickenbaugh family?  There is
between it and R. R. Hall (no relation to me).  R. R. Hall was general manager of Colorado Car Co.

[Art Director]

Hi Tom,

According to "The Colorado Car Book" (by Bud Wells, Johnson Printing, 1996):

Colorado Automobile Company (Colorado Car Company is incorrect), was first proposed in February 1900 and incorporated for $50,000 in November 1902. R.R. "Bert" Hall bought it out eventually, but the book does not indicate the year that happened. The Cadillac franchise was acquired in 1909.

In late 1944, Ralph L. "Rick" Rickenbaugh, who was merchandising manager for the Cadillac factory in Detroit, came to Denver and purchased the Cadillac dealership and distributorship. The business became available after the death of R.R. Hall, who had handled Cadillacs in Denver for almost 40 years, according to the book.

I work closely with Bud, as he is the automotive columnist for the two newspapers in Denver. Would be happy to ask him if he knows the year Hall bought the dealership. No, there is no connection between the Colorado Automobile Co. and Rickenbaugh except the chain of title of Denver's and likely Colorado's oldest continuous Cadillac dealership.

Tim

[Davidinhartford]

The original Cadillac dealer here in Hartford was in the same location for 70 years.  The current owners recently relocated to a new modern facility across town near other newer dealerships.   The old building was just remodeled and is now the performing arts center for the University of Hartford.

The 55,000 sq.ft. one-story brick building was constructed in 1929 to the design of architect Albert Kahn, well-known for his commercial and industrial buildings, including the mile-long Ford River Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Mich. The Hartford showroom was purposely put on the rise commanding the busy intersection.  The arts center will feature some vintage Cadillacs, including a 1940 model owned by university benefactor Alfred Fuller of the Fuller Brush Company which started in Hartford.

Sorry.  I couldn't find any pictures.  It is Thomas Cadillac now.  Previously it was Daniels Cadillac.  And it was Taber Cadillac before that.   I'm not sure what the original name was.

[Tom Hall 7485]

Indeed, it was "Colorado Automobile Company".  Hall acquired it by 1911, according to the Colorado Business
Directory for 1911.  However, it started on Court Place and moved to Broadway.  The first agent in Denver
was the A. T. Wilson Company.  Would like to know their address, if you run across it.

Brown, Thomson & Company was one of the earliest Cadillac retailers and they were in Hartford, CT. Russell
Taber took over the franchise sometime in the 1930s.

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

Roth Cadillac in Erie, PA claims to be the oldest Cadillac dealership in existence, dating back to 1903.

Capitol Cadillac in Greenbelt, MD (formerly in Washington, DC) was established in 1934, and is presently operated by the third generation of the family that founded it.

[Eric S. Maypother #15104]

Though not an actual Cadillac dealer I know a used car dealer who has been in business over 50 years in same spot, same phone number though you didn't need to use as many digits for a local call back then, he specializes in Cadillac's and had a deal with a Cadillac dealer so he could get you a brand new Cadillac. My Uncle was good friends with him and worked for him sometimes, I got to know him through my Uncle. A few years ago he was cleaning his office and found a box of business cards with a picture of his lot on the cards, their mid 50's cars, I'll post the card if I locate it. He's in his 70's now and goes to Florida 6 months a year, he's on RT 12 in Sterling, MA, Edd's Auto Sales.

He had a Dr that use to buy a brand new Cadillac from him every 6 months, a convertible in the Spring then trade it in on a hard top in the Fall when the new models came out, so Ed would have the convertible to drive around Florida when he'd go in the winter.

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

Used car dealers specializing in "like new" Cadillacs were quite common back in the day when new Cadillacs were in brisk demand, and it was difficult to buy one for less than list price.  An enterprising used car dealer in Philadelphia used to buy new Cadillacs from dealers in economically depressed areas where there were not enough local buyers to absorb their full sales requirements.  He would run long ads in the Philadelphia newspaper, advertising a variety of current year Cadillacs in different models and colors, but would diligently list each one as "used", even though most had less than 10 miles on their odometers.  I assume this was done to comply with the franchise laws, since he was not authorized to sell new Cadillacs.  Customers understood that these were really new cars, even though sold as used.       

[Otto Skorzeny]

Selling them as used probably had more to do with the law rather than any franchise rules.

Since the car had to be titled to him from the original dealership, it would be impossible to obtain a new car title for the subsequent, second sale to the customer. Once a car has been titled, anyone who buys it after that is buying a used car whether it's ever actually been on the road or not. It's illegal to sell a car as new if it's ever been titled previously.

Conversely, dealers regularly sell cars as "new" that have 5,000 or 10,000 miles on the clock from loaner programs, golf tournaments, etc. Nobody in his right mind would consider a car with 10,000 miles on it to be new but they're titled as such and customers can get pretty good deals on them sometimes.

My brother bought a "new" Buick Lucerne with 5000 miles on it that came from one of their programs. He got it for $10,000 less than he would have paid were it truly new.

[milton]

Lovely disscusion but you appear to have missed the point PICTURES I said.