Our Purpose
Preserve the automobiles manufactured by the Durant Motor Company, provide enjoyment for each member with meets, tours & technical assistance.
This forum is provided by the Durant Motors Automobile Club located at durantmotors.org
From a 1925-26 Virginia State Directory of Business:
Newport News, VA: Colonial Motor Corp., Flint distributors. 3401 Virginia Ave. at 34th St.
Lynchburg, VA: Durant Automobiles, Main & 13th Street.
Norfolk: Durant Automobile Agency, Colonial Ave.
Richmond, VA: Durant Motor Car Agency, 1335 W. Broad St.
Flint Auto Distributor, 3 W. Grace St.
Roanoke, VA: Durant Corp., MacBain Bldg.
Roanoke Flint Co., Inc., 336 Salem Ave. SW
From a 1927 Norfolk City Directory:
Locomobile Co. of Norfolk, 821 Granby St. Building demolished.
Other:
Seay Motor Co., Durant, Star and Rickenbacker dealership (1926-27) 2314 Colonial Ave. at 24th St. Built in 1926 and still standing. Later was a Graham dealership.
Boone Auto Sales & Service Co., Durant and Star dealership (1928), 2616 Granby St. Building still standing.
Crouch Motors, Inc., Star and Flint dealership (1928 City Directory; info compiled in 1927), 746 Granby St.
Where Are You From? Norfolk, Virginia
Do You own a car built by Durant? No
Here's info from an invoice on ebay showing a Star & Durant Sales & Service
Seidenstricker Bros. Garage
Dallastown PA.
Rear 211 E. Main St.
Where Are You From? Mississauga Ontario Canada
Do You own a car built by Durant? No I own a 1933 C-400 Frontenac built by Dominion Motors of Canada
Still looking for any photographs members and non-members might have of any Durant Dealerships, now and then photographs are great! Got to be more out there!
Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door sedan
While at the Seattle Public Library a few weeks ago I decided to look thru the "Polk Directories" to see what I find for Durant. In Seattle 1929 I found a full page add for Durant and Star cars. The main store was located at 1600 Broadway. (I do remember that being a Pontiac dealer in the 60's) The other locations listed were: Westlake Ave, No.(The location Keith N. car came from), Sunset Durant in Ballard 5451 Leary Way, University Durant at 4740 10th Ave. N.E., Waite Garage at 2224 California in West Seattle and Airport Garage South of the city on E. Marginal Way.
Where Are You From? Washington State
Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes
Where Are You From? Armidale 2350 Australia.
Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes. Durant Rugby 1924 model.
Great story Bob, thanks for the input!
Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door sedan from Elizabeth, NJ Plant
There is a business card on ebay for a Harold S. Davies, Star Dealership, 605 St. Helens Ave, Tacoma Washington. It looks like the building that was there has been torn down and nothing is there now. I searched on google for the name and came up with this picture for their Service Department that was located at a different address. The picture shows mechanics working on a Star (license plate looks like this is a 1926).
http://www.washingtonhistory.org/collections/item.aspx?irn=53834&record=5
Where Are You From? Grand Junction, CO
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1926 Star Coupe, 1929 Durant 663, 1929 Durant 666
Thank Gary, for the information!
Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door sedan from Elizabeth, NJ Plant
I have a photo of the Tacoma dealership in 1929. I found it about 10 years ago at the Puyallup swap meet in a collection of old photographs. The dealership was advertising the new 1929 Durant. I added a post to this string of notes back then.
Tom is right: the building has been torn down. I went to the address in Tacoma 10 years ago when I found the photo and the building was no longer there back 10 years ago.
I thought I submitted the photo to the website, but I will try to see if I can scan the photo and add it to this string.
Where Are You From? Ellensburg, WA
Do You own a car built by Durant? yes
Found a new dealership.
JF Triggs auto parts and cyclery Dealer in Durant and Star cars
200 South Main Street, Sebastopol, California
Rick
These images and maybe more information can be found at the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, 261 South Main St., Sebastopol, CA 95472
http://www.sebastopol-farm-museum.org
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? 2 of them
Here is one more, but it's a parking lot now :-(
Binghamton Auto Sales
190 Water Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
Rick
Where Are You From? Silicon Valley, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? Two of them
From a 1925 Lynchburg, VA City Directory:
Midland Motors, Inc. Star, Durant and Flint dealership. 1222-1226 Main St. cor. of 13th St. According to the 1926 directory, it was now a Willys-Knight and Overland dealership and by 1928 was a Chrysler and Plymouth dealer (still using the Midland Motors name). The building has since been completely restored and is now an antique automobile dealership.
Where Are You From? Norfolk, Virginia
Do You own a car built by Durant? No
I googled the address and was nice to see the business uses the Midland Motors, name.
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? Two of them
The present owner completely restored the building a few years back and it's a real show place today. Per the 1923 Lynchburg city directory, Midland Motors, Durant dealer, was located at 101 5th St. The building was demolished in 1962 for a parking lot. I have several pictures of the Norfolk dealership buildings that I'll email this week.
Where Are You From? Norfolk, Virginia
Do You own a car built by Durant? No
Stutz Motor Sales Co
433 Connecticut Blvd,
Hartford, CT 06108
Found this address stamped on a Model 619 Sales Brochure.
Rick
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? Two of them
Is anybody keeping a list for the Ontario and Canadian Durant dealerships?
Where Are You From? Ontario Canada
Do You own a car built by Durant? No
Doubt it John.
Too bad Google messed up their Google News Archives. The Montreal Gazette May 2 1923 has an item called Solid Trainload of Durant and Star Cars Leaving Leaside Factories. The First Trainload of Automobiles Ever Shipped From Toronto.
Shows the plant with the train and 2nd pic is the long row of the loaded up train heading to Ottawa to Beech Motors Ltd with 180 cars ordered just by Beech Motors.
In the 60's I owned a 1931 Chev Canopy Express Truck which was orig sold by Beech Motors on Catherine St.
Had to be a Durant dealer in Brockville where my 32 Durant came from. An antique dealer in Renfrew who goes around the countryside buying up antiques told me he got two Durant dealer signs in an old warehouse in Brockville, but wouldn't tell me where this was.
Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Dominion built 614 Sedan
My goodness it still works.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19230502&id=rRoqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H4YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2712,207277&hl=en
Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Dominion built 614 Sedan
Norm,
I was able to clean up the image a little.
If you right click on the train, you'll be able to download a larger image.
Rick
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? Two of them
I pulled all sorts of newspaper ads in 2014 and I recalled the train load item so hunted though the stack last night. When I couldn't find The Montreal Gazette paper in Google News Archives I figured it must be one of the many papers that vanished off the site. There was quite the stink raised against Google totally messing up the newspapers by researches, historians etc and you are lucky now if you can even find items since. It was so cool before just looking up my own family name in the Ottawa Citizen and finding newsy items about gramps in the 20's, aunts / uncles in the 30 / 40's and so on. Many many items on Durant ads etc. Citizen is total mess now with papers missing or part of them on another day or month. Good many other papers US / Can the same way.
So I tried reverse with the http:// instead, I kept on all the printed out items and up came that 1923 item. I see you found another ad but on Montreal Durant Co Ltd. Interesting to note the St Cathines St mentioned on that is not the one here in Ottawa where Beech Motors was. Beech Motors, and Lea and Hawley on Laurier St were our Durant / Star dealers. I did see but didn't keep in 2014 that Lea and Hawley sold Reo as well in the 30's which might have come from Leaside (Dominion Motors)as well. One of our club members in the 60 / 70's owned a REO Royal and it had the Dominion Motors vin plate. Car still exists but I have no idea where it is now at death of the owner and all his cars / parts went to another person below Westport Ont and he sold all the cars / parts but one .. a 1934 green Lagonda.
Yes both the train and Leaside building with the train are hard to make out. You can see the rails in the building one.
Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Dominion built 614 Sedan
Here are eight more Durant dealers.
These were taken from the Oakland Tribune April 7, 1929
Berkeley Durant Motor Sales Company
2352 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, California
Slarr & Ellis
37th and San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, California
E.G Bernthal
2150 Central Ave
Alameda, California
San Leandro Durant Sales Company
San Leandro, California
Pacific Coast Auto Company
72 12th Street
Oakland, California
Richmond Motor Sales Company
1235 Macdonald Ave
Richmond , California
Durant Sales & Service Company
2436 Broadway
Oakland, California
Fruitvale Branch:
4034 East 14th Street
Oakland, California
United Oakland Motor Car Dealers Association
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? Two of them
Mike,
I live in Denver now, but years ago my brother lived in the Longmont Colorado area. On one weekend when visiting him, we stopped into a little cafe for breakfast in Lions Colorado. A local elderly man was sitting at the counter talking with someone about his younger days as a salesman at the Durant dealership down the street. We buddied up to him to find out more and discovered that he had sold my car to the original owner who was a local political figure ( senator, congressman, or maybe mayor, named John Mackey ). He remembered my car perfectly and even remembered the dealership servicing the car so John and his wife could take it on their honeymoon. He told us the car was olive green ( bronze green ) with black fenders and olive interior with black stripes, and also had a gold pin stripe which went around the whole car below the belt line. I really could not believe his memory. My car still had the original paint under a fast and dirty flat black paint job and when stripping the car I discovered he was 100% accurate. The cafe had place mats showing main street Lions and he showed us the dealership in the picture, which was still there, and was now a motorcycle shop. It was at main street and highway 36 and if memory serves me correctly was where main st. dead ended into highway 36. I stil have one of those place mats somewhere in my files, but I am not sure the building is still there, as I never get to Lions anymore. Although I'm sure this man has since passed ( he was in his 80's or 90's then ) I wish I had made more of an effort to stay in touch with him. I didn't realize at the time what a valuable source of information this man was.
Curt
Where Are You From? Denver
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1926 Star m 4dr sedan
Curtis
Years ago when the DMAC went and toured the now demolished Elizabeth plant of Durant Motors, they all met an individual that had worked in the plant for Durant. What a great thing for anyone to meet an employee of Durant. They're all gone now, only a memory of making or selling "just a good car".
Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65
Just before our event there, I had the chance to meet with Rocky and his daughter at his home one evening. We had a nice interview and he shared memories of his time at the factory. Sadly he is gone now too. Great memory.
Where Are You From? Ellensburg, WA and Sahuarita, AZ
Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes, several
Dubuque, Iowa: In the spring of 1930, the Lange & Tscharner Motor Car Co., sales and service for Durant, Auburn and Cord motor cars, moved into a new home at 850 Iowa Street, Dubuque.
Where Are You From? Ellensburg, WA
Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes, several
Does this club have any information on any dealerships in New Jersey. Outside Philadelhia,PA. My car came from the owner of a dealership in located near Palmyra, NJ. Would love to find something on the dealership he owned. THanks so much. DAve Blyler
Where Are You From? New Jersey
Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes
Just got this info on a D place in Toronto
The story began in 1919 when Joe Mills came out of the Air Force and began repairing cars as a roving mechanic. In 1922, he decided he wanted a garage of his own. He purchased an empty lot at 3147 Yonge Street and began construction of a building. But before long, Joe Mills took sick and died. Joe’s brother Guy Mills came to the rescue and the building was completed by Labour Day of 1922. It had a tar paper roof and a water jacket connected to the single rad in the showroom.
One day, soon after opening for business, Guy Mills was waiting his turn in the neighbourhood barber shop. The barber and his customer in the chair were discussing the new garage down the street. “They won’t last long,” the barber said. “We’ll see about that,” thought Guy.
But he faced a tough job with no experience in the car business. To overcome this handicap, Guy Mills persuaded Lou Hadwin to join him. Hadwin had been managing a small Chevrolet dealership down Yonge Street and brought a wealth of experience.
In 1923, opportunity knocked with the arrival of the Star, a new car the Durant Motor Company had introduced the previous year. It had many advanced features for that time, including a disk clutch, a water pump, an oil pump, and spiral bevel gears in the rear end. It was designed to compete head-on with the Model T Ford and was mechanically superior. Mills and Hadwin began selling the Star, as well as the Durant, and these sales helped the business to earn modest profits through the 1920s
Where Are You From? Ottawa Ontario Canada
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan made by Dominion Motors
Durant Motor Company of Saint Louis
Missouri Theatre Building
626 N. Grand Boulevard,
St. Louis, MO 63103
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3209
Rick
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1931 Model 619 and 1929 model 60 Roadster
Rick Neat building and story behind it, but I missed the Durant connection. Was there offices there? When are we going to see that prize winning 6-19? Ross
Where Are You From? Orygun
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1930 6-14
Ross, Durant Motor Company of Saint Louis was located there.
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1931 Model 619 and 1929 model 60 Roadster
This page is from the 1929 St Louis phone book
Where Are You From? NJ/SC
Do You own a car built by Durant? 6
Here's a picture of a dealership in an unknown city. Pretty fancy I'd say.
Do You own a car built by Durant? YES, 1928 Durant Model 65 four door sedan
I haven't seen that picture in a long time, but I believe it was taken in San Francisco on Van Ness street AKA Auto Row.
Rick
Where Are You From? Fremont, CA
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1931 Model 619 and 1929 model 60 Roadster
"Dubuque, Iowa. The Lange & Tscharner Motor Car Co., sales and service for Durant, Auburn and Cord motor cars, has moved into a new home at 850 Iowa St."
This from a June 7, 1930 news article.
Google street view shows a parking garage on one side of the street and a newer office building on the other side of the street in the 800 block of Iowa Street now.
Anyone have an old picture of the building that was there in the 1930's? Maybe the local historical museum?
Where Are You From? Ellensburg, WA and Sahuarita, AZ
Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes, several
Just found a new one while talking in Facebook in the Old Ottawa And Bytown Pic's site
Horner Motors on 430 Gladstone Ave in Ottawa. Present owner has the sign with Star crest in upper left, Road King crest lower left. Durant crest upper right. Can't get him to show the full sign.
He says .. The floor is reinforced concrete and there was a ramp that allowed the cars in the building...Technically one could open a car dealership there today.
Where Are You From? Ottawa Ontario Canada
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan made by Dominion Motors
Where Are You From? Ottawa Ontario Canada
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan made by Dominion Motors