I was going to post this in the thread on 6501 but it's a different location and I wanted to include some extra history. SA also had a sales office on Sepulvda a block or two south of the airport (building and address no longer exist - replaced with highrise).
COCOA member Bruce Burger worked at nearby Hughes Aircraft and followed one of the striped Mustangs he had been seeing to 6501. They sent him to the sales office and he purchased 5020. His daughter Cheryl kept getting too many tickets in it so he painted it light yellow. It was that way until the late 70s or early 80s when it was repainted correctly. I think Phil Schmidt still has the car. He was married to Cheryl when she passed away. Bruce, his wife Cheryl and her first husband Jim Wallace were the movers and shakers in COCOA Orange County when I joined in 1975. Jim was a store manager for Pacific Stereo and arranged for us to meet at their warehouse in Anaheim - within sight of Disney's fireworks.
There was a large parking lot and often there were spirited driving demonstrations in the parking lot. A few times Jim was able to get one of Mike Shoen's Daytona Coupes out of Petersen's museum on Hollywood Blvd and bring it to the meeting (first time I got to drive a Coupe). Tom Ford had a GT40 MK2 and got followed into the parking lot by the police. They complained about the noise and lack of windshield wiper. Tom produced the wiper from behind the seat and explained how much Boeing charged for the replacements. With the growing crowd of arriving members and noisy cars the cop wished everyone a good meeting and left. An average meeting would be 5-10 Cobras, 15-20 GT350/500, and usually 1 very limited Shelby built car.
Great info, thanks! I knew about the other office on Sepulveda, but not the other things you mentioned.
My dad worked at Hughes Aircraft too, and had several work friends with hot Mustangs, back in the day. He would take me on an occasional Saturday to peer through the fence at S-A at the cars.
Is the Tom Ford you mentioned the same fellow who had a GT350? I remember him and Phil Schmidt from the old COCOA meetings at Galpin.
I think so. If I remember he was an LA fireman
Are you referring to "Hi-Performance Motors"?
Thanks to Kieth 'SFM66H' and George Watters I have the following notes about both of them;
-HPM1 - The first dealer "Carroll Shelby's & Lew Spencer's Hi-Performance Motors" was at 1150 South La Brea.
The photo of CSX2357 was taken in front of this dealer approximately October 2nd, 1964
Photos of the Cobra Caravan were taken approximately November 17th, 1965
It may have opened in sometime in '63 and closed shortly after that Cobra Caravan visit late in '65.
-HPM2 - The second dealer "Carroll Shelby's Hi-Performance Motors" at 901 North Sepulveda Blvd.
Photos of various Cobras, GT40s and Shelby appear in 1966 and 1967.
It may have opened sometime in early '66 after the first dealer closed the doors and remained open until sometime in '69.
It would be nice to find out more details about each of these locations.
Here's what's at 901 N. Sepulveda Blvd today: A strip mall. It is in Manhattan Beach, not LA, and is about 4 miles from 6501 W. Imperial.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/901+N+Sepulveda+Blvd,+Manhattan+Beach,+CA+90266/@33.8849043,-118.3960536,3a,60.5y,278.57h,85.42t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sLU7LwZNbzZ8DI1G5LI9-eg!2e0!3e11!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2b38b19bae92b:0xc37129f790647034!8m2!3d33.8848034!4d-118.396435
Directions from 6501 W. Imperial to 901 N. Sepulveda:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/6501+W+Imperial+Hwy,+El+Segundo,+CA+90245/901+N+Sepulveda+Blvd,+Manhattan+Beach,+CA+90266/@33.908601,-118.4332652,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2b13120295fb5:0x7bcde969f594a3a6!2m2!1d-118.401614!2d33.9324982!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2b38b19bae92b:0xc37129f790647034!2m2!1d-118.396435!2d33.8848034!3e0
I thought there was a different S-A office (or something to do with Shelby) for a short time on Sepulveda just south of Imperial Blvd. That would go along with 98SVT's recollection.
Like around here...see map link:
909 N. Pacific Coast Highway, in the city of El Segundo. (Not saying this is correct, just suggesting an area it might have been in.)
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9297193,-118.3952934,126a,35y,266.44h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3
Sepulveda Blvd in El Segundo was just recently renamed to PCH, so typing in 901 N Sepulveda might now default to Manhattan Beach. HPM2 referenced above was in El Segundo.
Quote from: sd427 on July 09, 2019, 03:30:15 AM
Sepulveda Blvd in El Segundo was just recently renamed to PCH, so typing in 901 N Sepulveda might now default to Manhattan Beach. HPM2 referenced above was in El Segundo.
+1
Thanks for clearing that up.
There is a 'Bank of America' building / parking lot in that location now. (The parking area closer to the main blvd seems to be where the Shelby dealer was)
The high rise building appears to be on the north corner (both on the west side of the street)
Bank of America, south of the cross street Walnut, is 835 N PCH, and the Boeing building on the east side of PCH, north of Walnut, is 900. 901 would have been north of Walnut as well on the west side of PCH, I guess where the parking lot is for the office building that is at 909 N PCH.
I still have a Shelby parts catalog I purchased in the late '60s. I purchased parts from the two locations listed below until first the El Segundo shop closed and then later the Gardena one also closed. The catalog included some illustrations, photos and a lengthy parts/price list.
Cobra Roadster Parts Catalog 1963 thru 1967 models
Carroll Shelby Enterprise, Inc. High Performance Parts Division
300 Main Street El Segundo, Calif 90245
(213) 322-9092
Nov 1968 $5
And my handwritten note at the bottom of the cover page-
Autosports Products
14111 Kingsley Dr Gardena, CA 90249
(213) 532-6583
There has been a lot of confusing discussion in this thread about the second location of Hi-Performance Motors, Inc. in El Segundo. George Watters and I invested a lot of time/effort in this very subject about five years ago. As we all know now, the 60-70 pages of the GEORGE WATTERS COLLECTION was tragically lost during the meltdown of Forum 1.0. All of the current questions, speculation and search for information should still be easily accessible to all, which was our intention for doing it in the first place, but alas, it no longer exists.
So George & I discussed and agreed upon the need for this particular subject to be addressed. Again...
The following photos and captions will show that HPM 2 was approx. 1/2 mile from LAX:
This photo shows an aerial view of the relationship of the two hangars at LAX and HPM 2 on Sepulveda Blvd. - approx. 1/2 mile:
(http://www.saacforum.com/gallery/52-090719213836.jpeg)
This photo shows the most likely 'back route' the cars were driven between LAX and the dealership:
(http://www.saacforum.com/gallery/52-090719213907.jpeg)
Here you can see the street names and an outline of the dealership to approx. scale using original photographs:
(http://www.saacforum.com/gallery/52-090719213937.jpeg)
And last is this incredible photograph from inside the showroom that shows the building across the intersection that still exists today:
(http://www.saacforum.com/gallery/52-090719214009.jpeg)
Thank you SFM66H and George Watters for the clarification!
We lost the equivalent to the Shelby Library of Congress with 1.0 meltdown.
At least we are all contributing to get it somewhat back to shape in 2.0.
Thank you Kieth!!!
That clears up my confusion, I was one block further away and off target!
From the George Watters Collection...previously posted on forum 1.0 by 'SFM66H' Kieth.
Here's a great color photo from the inside of the "Hi-Performance Motors" dealer looking out over Walnut Street.
Sepulveda Blvd would be to the left in the photo.
Notice the yellow engine block (289?) on the display stand.
Have we seen this before in Venice in front of the Carter building? Or at LAX behind the GT40 and in front of the '66 GT350s?
(http://www.saacforum.com/gallery/204-160719205420.jpeg)
Hello,
i late reply for me ...
Just Incredible coloured Photos and Infos on this thread ...
Thanks a lot to George and Kieth SFM66H that you decide to give us the Infos again, for me, who is new in the Forum and
dont know the hole George Watters Collection it is so cool to get those Information.
Also Thanks Richstangs for the Pics
I love this time area and when i have a time machine, boy i just want to go to this Days where the pics was made ...
Greets from Germany
Szabo / Steve / Stephan from Germany
a couple more from the George Watters Collection...
Looks like a Dragon Snake in the showroom.