Hi all, I'll add a little history on my part of the dealer thing. After
returning from the VN conflict in 67 and seeing, in Hong Kong, a Honda 600 and
that stirred my interest in sport cars. Back in the USA, I decided on a Triumph
Spitfire and Vesper did not have any in stock and I purchased my 66 spitfire
from a dealer in Oakland and "Block" ring a bell and I'll have to look up the
receipt to confirm who it actually was. I then had my wheel bearings replaced
at Vesper way too many times. Sold it in 1972 through Vesper and they were
still in business then.
For the music long hairs, etc. I was the road manager for Steppenwolf and for
short time, 3 Dog Night, down in Beverly Hills. And was involved in producing
390 concerts throughout the USA and Canada, out of Santa Rosa and later Oregon.
Most all groups you can think of from 1968 thru 1972 we produced. Too many to
list. Talk about jogging memories!!!--- of sport cars and music, WOW! Seeing
"Easy Rider" before they picked Steppenwolf's music. I have not thought about
this for many many years.
8 years ago, trying to catch the thrills of my original 66 spit I restored a 70
spit and added a 5 speed and leather Miata seats and much much more only to
sell it for my 1966 Lotus Elan coupe. Lets keep the nostalgia going.
Sarto
--- On Sun, 3/22/09, Robin Jackson <apexbrit2@gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Robin Jackson <apexbrit2@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the area
> To: "North Bay British Car Club" <nobbc@autox.team.net>
> Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009, 10:15 AM
> Peter - interesting dealer files. I think Norman Nock's
> son still repairs
> Brit cars in Stockton. We had thursday evening technical
> inspections prior
> to weekend racing, at Carl Block's in Oakland. Also had
> the same at Ed
> Lesley's Motors in Monterey prior to Laguna Seca races.
> The storehouse of
> "golden memories" has been stimulated....
>
> On Sat, Mar 21, 2009 at 10:47 PM, Peter Ziedrich
> <zied@redwoodempiremini.com
> > wrote:
>
> > Both Washburn and Ralph Vesper were a block and a half
> from each other and
> > both sold new British Leyland Jaguars, Land Rovers,
> Triumphs, Austins &
> > MGs.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Peter Ziedrich
> > Redwood Empire Mini Enthusiasts
> > zied@redwoodempiremini.com
> > http://redwoodempiremini.com
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net
> [mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net]
> > On
> > Behalf Of Peter Ziedrich
> > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 10:42 PM
> > To: 'North Bay British Car Club'
> > Subject: Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the
> area
> >
> > What a little search on the internet does... this
> should interest a lot of
> > you.
> >
> >
> http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/Files/DealerBrochure.pdf
> >
> >
> > Peter Ziedrich
> > Redwood Empire Mini Enthusiasts
> > zied@redwoodempiremini.com
> > http://redwoodempiremini.com
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net
> [mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net]
> > On
> > Behalf Of G. Mugele
> > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 7:13 PM
> > To: North Bay British Car Club
> > Subject: Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the
> area
> >
> > Hi Don and Robin,
> >
> > I think the place you're describing on SR Ave. was
> Vesper Motors. I
> > recall a Washburn Motors but I think the Santa Rosa
> shop only sold
> > used cars. I do recall it in a location near
> there... maybe they
> > took over that spot after Vesper closed up shop in the
> 70s G.K.
> > Hardt handled BMC stuff in Santa Rosa into the 60s
> sometime. It was
> > on SR Ave., West side, between Sebastopol Ave. and
> Maple Ave. In
> > early '64 they even opened up a Jag/Cobra/MG
> dealership annex... it
> > was North of town back then.... now that location is
> in town near the
> > K-Mart. .... NW corner of Cleveland Ave and Industrial
> Dr.
> >
> > If you want to include ALL Brit cars ya hafta include
> Paul Felton on
> > Van Ness in SF.... Rovers and Land Rovers. There were
> also Rover
> > dealers in Berkeley, El Cerrito and down the
> Peninsula. Just in the
> > idle curiosity category, I think it's interesting
> that the first Land
> > Rover dealership west of the Rockies was in Willets.
> It was Carbrey
> > Motors and they handled Ramblers, International and
> Caterpillar as well.
> >
> > Gerry
> > Glen Ellen
> >
> >
> > On Mar 21, 2009, at 5:34 PM, don wrote:
> >
> > > Robin,
> > > Thanks for jarring my memory! Now, I remember
> Washburn on the east
> > > side of SR Avenue near Petaluma Hill Road. It
> was a long building
> > > and the showroom was at the street and the
> service bays were in line
> > > behind it.
> > > And I remember going to EF Sweeney in San Rafael
> now. One memorable
> > > event was buying parts there for an MG. There
> was a young woman who
> > > had bought an Austin Marina new at the dealership
> not long before,
> > > and she told me the sad story of how everything
> on the car had
> > > broken. That was in the early '70s. No
> wonder the Japanese were
> > > able to take over the imported car market from
> the Brits.
> > > Don
> > > Calistoga
> >
> > G. Mugele
> > mewgull@mugele.net
> >
> > *** Nobody roots for Goliath. Wilt Chamberlain
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Nobbc@autox.team.net
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