United Motor Company

Trey

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My old hometown paper put out this blurb on United Motor Company in this weeks paper. They were the Chrysler dealer there for many years. The pic shows the north side of the dealership. My high school backed up to the south side of the dealership. The south side was the back lot so instead of paying attention in class, I would always look at what they had on the back lot. I also watched as they off-loaded new Chrysler's, Plymouth's and Dodges from the carrier on the same lot. This pic just happens to show a bunch of F bodies when they were new cars. The text below shares some history.
united motor.jpg


United Motors was started in 1916 at 627 Front Street. Articles of incorporation for the United Motor Company, a $50,000 corporation organized to take over the automobile department of Frauenthal & Schwarz and the Conway Motor Sales Company, were filed with County Clerk John Reeves in early 1920. At the first stockholders’ meeting, Leo Hamberg, Ila Wheat, Leo Crafton, Opie Hartje, William R. James, W.D. Cole and George W. Clark were elected directors.

Leo “Hippo” Crafton worked for his father there when he was growing up and then came back after World War II to operate and eventually own the dealership himself. United Motors was considered to be one of the oldest Chrysler dealerships in the country.

The showroom and lot at Chestnut and Deer Streets was built in 1949. The dealership also sold Plymouth, Dodge, Jeep and Eagle products. Superior Auto Group bought United Motors in 2004. This United Motors building would serve as the first location for New Life Church starting in 2001.
 

Aspen500

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Remember when the back row of the dealers had cool cars for $100, $500, maybe $750? Now the back row is nothing but a bunch of worn out SUV's, COV's and mini-vans:(

Also remember when you'd go to the dealer to see the new models at the beginning of the model year? When was the last time anybody did that? OK I'll admit to going to the Dodge dealer when the new Challenger came out but that's about it since the early/mid '80's.
 

XfbodyX

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Yes, my last good score (sorta cool) like that was unexpected, a back row, flat tire, worn clutch twin stick turbo colt. $600

The small dealer knew nothing of the car, I asked to air up a tire and I brought a batt, on the test drive I said I dint care about clutch slip, just needed to lay into it, he sorta laughed. I put it on star mode, side stepped the clutch/brake mad boot and torque steered both front smokin tires, and he said huh, I said sold!

Put two new front fenders from japan on it due to dents, a fuel pump and its still a fun 36mpg car to drive. Mopars first real turbo import.
 

Trey

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The back lot was always where the deals were. My high school years were 79-83 and I remember seeing E and B bodies that people were trading in for new K cars. Those E and B bodies could be bought for a song back then and if I'd have had a crystal ball I'd have bought all of them I could afford. These days I don't think I could afford a nice E or B even if I left a kidney as a down payment.
 

Aspen500

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The back lot was always where the deals were. My high school years were 79-83 and I remember seeing E and B bodies that people were trading in for new K cars. Those E and B bodies could be bought for a song back then and if I'd have had a crystal ball I'd have bought all of them I could afford. These days I don't think I could afford a nice E or B even if I left a kidney as a down payment.
Sounds exactly like me (class of '82). I got offered an original, complete driving '69 1/2 A12 Super Bee with rust only in the lower 1/4's and the back end was bent up some. Price? $2,500. That was in 1985 and at that point in my career, it may as well been $250,000. A buddy looked at a real '70 Hemi 'Cuda 4-speed about a year later and the asking price was $2,250. Needed some rust repair and it was a typical late '70's/early '80's street machine but not bad at all. The Hemi was sick and he could have afforded to buy the car but knew what it would cost to build a Hemi so,,,,,pass. Yep, if we'd have only known! LOL, my Aspen came off one of those back rows in 1987! It was a trade in on a new '87 Taurus of all things. The '78 Cordoba I had from '89-'96 was also another back row car, had a '73 Satellite Sebring Plus,,,,,,,,,back row car and there were a couple others as well. Back row was where all the good ones were.:) Notice I say WERE. Nothing but crap in the back now days.
 
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