Oldest Car Dealer in Tulsa?

[AMP]

Reading about the Plymouth car Time Capsule reminded me of all the Car Dealers that once were big in Tulsa.


"Supplied through the cooperation of the Plymouth Division of Chrysler and Tulsa Plymouth dealers Wilkerson Motor Company, Cox Motor Company. Vance Motor Company, Forster Riggs and Parrish-Clark, the Belvedere has remained buried since June 15, 1957."

None of these dealers are still around, along with a long list of others that have gone by the wayside over the past 50 years.  

Anyone know who the longest running Car Dealer still existing in Tulsa is?  

[sgrizzle]

Quinn was one of the longest, but they moved to bartlesville. Many of the ford dealers have changed names. One big chunk of "United Ford" was "Fred Jones" which had been around for awhile too.

[dbacks fan]

I would have to guess that the surviving oldest are Jim Norton and Chris Nikel.

[RLitterell]

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

I would have to guess that the surviving oldest are Jim Norton and Chris Nikel.

I would have to agree. Remember Fred Jone Ford,my dad traded there. Dungess Bro Ford(SP?) Bill White Chevrolet?

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by RLitterell

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

I would have to guess that the surviving oldest are Jim Norton and Chris Nikel.

I would have to agree. Remember Fred Jone Ford,my dad traded there. Dungess Bro Ford(SP?) Bill White Chevrolet?

what about the cadillac place?  I would figure one of the joints on 41st/mem has to be the oldest.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by teddy jack eddy

My guess is Ernie Miller Pontiac is the oldest dealership left in Tulsa.

Mark Miller Pontiac now.

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by RLitterell

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

I would have to guess that the surviving oldest are Jim Norton and Chris Nikel.

I would have to agree. Remember Fred Jone Ford,my dad traded there. Dungess Bro Ford(SP?) Bill White Chevrolet?

what about the cadillac place?  I would figure one of the joints on 41st/mem has to be the oldest.

Is it still Thomas Cadillac?

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

quote:Originally posted by inteller


what about the cadillac place?  I would figure one of the joints on 41st/mem has to be the oldest.

Is it still Thomas Cadillac?

Yeah

They used to have a guy with a sense of humor running their big lighted moving text sign. I lost it when one time it said "Never moon a werewolf" between ads for eldorado's.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

quote:Originally posted by inteller


what about the cadillac place?  I would figure one of the joints on 41st/mem has to be the oldest.

Is it still Thomas Cadillac?

Yeah

They used to have a guy with a sense of humor running their big lighted moving text sign. I lost it when one time it said "Never moon a werewolf" between ads for eldorado's.

Nope, it's not Thomas anymore.  It's Don Thornton Cadillac Saab.  This is getting confusing!  I think Chris Nikel's is getting on up there in age these days, though he's changed locations on us.  Joe Marina has even been around a long time now hasn't he?

[AMP]

Clarification:

Longest running Car Dealer with original name and owner still operating in Tulsa.

Most of the long term dealerships have closed or sold out it appears.

When did Don Carlton Honda open?

When did Joe Marina open?

[RLitterell]

Is Spraker VW still around?

[ttownclown]

Joe Marina opened in 1971.
Don Carlton opened in 1979.

I think Joe Marina Honda is the oldest in Tulsa.

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by ttownclown

Joe Marina opened in 1971.
Don Carlton opened in 1979.

I think Joe Marina Honda is the oldest in Tulsa.

Chris Nikel was a Renault,Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealer ship that was on the north west side of the BA and Memorial and it was called Chris Nikel's Autohaus.

Was it Don Carlton that was at 46th and Memorial called Automobiles International? I remember that they were also a Lotus dealer back then.

I remember when Courtesy Volkswagen was on 41st street where the Annex shopping center was. Spraker changed names in the late 80's or early 90's didn't it?

[ttownclown]

Ok, I stand corrected, after "dialing a friend" Joe Marina opened under the name AI Honda - with actually a different owner - a Russian, Anatoli Aratov (spelling probably incorrect)- that apparently was really into racing and had something to do with opening Hallet Racetrack.. From my understanding, Joe Marina may have been a minority owner at the time, but cannot confrim.  I had pulled the info about them opening in 1971 from their website.  I should have known better to beleive what was stated by the car lot!

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by ttownclown

Ok, I stand corrected, after "dialing a friend" Joe Marina opened under the name AI Honda - with actually a different owner - a Russian, Anatoli Aratov (spelling probably incorrect)- that apparently was really into racing and had something to do with opening Hallet Racetrack.. From my understanding, Joe Marina may have been a minority owner at the time, but cannot confrim.  I had pulled the info about them opening in 1971 from their website.  I should have known better to beleive what was stated by the car lot!

Anatolli was the founder of Hallet Motor Speedway and was an avid racer and car collector. I had the chance to meet him in 1981 I think. I got involved in SCCA racing working the races as a volunteer at Hallet. His father came up with an idea for a specialised oil field pump and got the backing of Frank Phillips to get it patented and start building them for Phillips at first.

I had alot ofriends that worked for the import dealers back then, we were all involved in what's called SCCA Solo II or autocrossing and usually held our events in the parking lot of what is now Fair Meadows. We would have about 8 events in Tulsa put on by the NEOKLA Region of the SCCA and there would be a group that would come up from OKC and vice versa and we had a seperate turnpike series with events in Tulsa, OKC and one the was run at the airport in Stillwater. The last couple of years that I was really into it in the late 80's I actually got sponsorship from FDI Automotive that used to be on 15th street across from PSO. They gave me a good discount on parts and labor for putting their signage on my car.