89RegalBuick Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) Hi I am new to this club and I am looking for old dealership information. I've been looking for someone who has or knows where to find any dealership license plates from the late 80s that were used to display cars on their lot.Have you ever heard of Kutner Buick located in Castor Ave and Cottman Ave in Phila, Pa? Here's something I saved when my grandpa bought the car new at the now CLOSED dealership.This might give you a better perspective of what the place was. Edited January 5, 2015 by 89RegalBuick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest my3buicks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Keep an eye out on ebay, lot's of license plate frames from varios dealers there. I have found a couple of them iver the years I was looking for. Of course local flea markets and iany car related flea markets in that area would be good to watch as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 How about the Buick Club of America? Do you think one of those guys might know where to find one? It would be really helpful if I knew people who still had their cars from there. I've only seen a couple of Buicks over time with the dealer license plate. Just earlier models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest my3buicks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 You may also want to try contacting the BCA Chapter out in the Philly area, May be an older member that would remember the dealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Sir, thanks for your advice. I'll have to try that. If you have anymore helpful information further possible would be helpful. You normally don't hear people loosing their dealership license plates. My neighbor cracked mine and this wasn't too long after the dealership closed it's doors. So now it's impossible since they been closed 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 SURVIVOR Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 My 3; My 55 Buick came frome Kutner Buick new in 1955,in fact the dealer badge is still on the back,the owners name was Jules Kutner,and was started around 1949 until I think 1994 then his son took over{bankrupt I think} and moved to Las Angeles under the name King Buick.Mine spent most of it's life in Philadelphia,and I still have the original sales document when it was purchased by the owner Thomas Demi. I would like info myself but that is as much as I know.I don't know what is currently there now,try googling? Good luck Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest my3buicks Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Some of them are easy to find, some are not - I have owned my 67 Buick 36 years in May, and my Granddad bought it new, I have been searching for a Joe Miller Cadillac Buick Kittanning PA tag for all that time and have yet to find one(later turned into Davis Buick Cadillac). I have all the original paperwork, leather key cases, pictures of the car new in front of the dealer being unloaded but any dealer advertising info has been alluding me all this time. My parents even still live in the town and are frequent visitors at auctions, etc. It could be as simple as the dealership never using the promo license plates etc. My Granddad would have been the type to have taken off any advertising that the dealer put on the day he took the car home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Mark, I don't know if your the one but While researching for my own Kutner Buick license plate I've came across pictures of your car online. I've also saw an older ebay auction ad with this exact 1955 Buick for sale that the seller selling the car said it was purchased by the original owner in 1955 by Kutner Buick in Phila. Were you the winning bidder on ebay? I'm just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 My3buicks, my grandpa bought 2 Buicks from Kunter Buick. He bought an 83 Regal Limited than an 89 Regal Custom which my dad still has today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 SURVIVOR Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 89; Yes I am the one,I bought it and is in Erie now and love it !! Gave it A go over and it will drive anywhere,I have put 10,000 mi. on it since I got it,it had 52,000 when I got it in 2010.I am going to try to locate the relatives of the original owner some day.Like I said Kutner closed and went to California as King Buick,I don't know the sons first name.The dealership was blocks away from the original owners home in Philly,he did not have A trade,may not of had A car as alot back then walked to work etc.It was bought during his retirement age. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 My 65 Wildcat was sold by Kutner. It had originally been delivered to Pollino in Ambler, another Philly area dealer, and was traded to Kutner while still new. Somewhere I have one of the diecast dealer name plates that typically went on the trunk lid. Haven't ever run across a license plate or license plate frame from Kutner, but likely one or the other exists. Apparently Kutner was a major player in their day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest my3buicks Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Did the dealership actually close or was it bought out and merged with another dealership? Or was it bought out and the name changed. Lot's of dealerships no longer have their original names but are still very much in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Mark, I live not too far from where the dealership use to be. My grandpa lived along there as well at the time he bought the car from them. It is now my dads car but I am keeping up with the car for him. I still have the Kutner emblem on the trunk as well. What does your emblem looked like? All I need now is just the license plate which I've been finding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 my3buicks, I live not too far from there as I said to mark. The dealership was taken over a couple years after it closed by another car dealer which was Toyota Champion. They CLOSED now and moved down the street and bought out Solane Chevrolet and now where Kutner and Champion use to be is now a medical supplier place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 John, do you have any clue where to find any now? My license plate was on the front of the car. I've heard Kutner use to put plates on all their cars sold on the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 aestorrs, I was thinking about attending that show. Do you think anyone at the auto show might have an idea about Closed dealership memerbilla? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 SURVIVOR Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 89;All the badge said on the back above the trunk key was just the name Kutner,that is all.I'll se if I can find A photo of it but I can't get A picture because it is now in storage not at home.I know he closed around 1994,his son took and opened in L.A. as King Buick,I don't know if he is still going or not,try an L.A.directory and maybe talk to A relative.My original owner lived on Pennsylania ave.near that dealer,maybe you can help me?Last name, Demi his daughter is still alive.I can get more info maybe we can talk sometime offline? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 SURVIVOR Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 89 It's Pennsylvania ave. sorry!!! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 John, do you have any clue where to find any now? My license plate was on the front of the car. I've heard Kutner use to put plates on all their cars sold on the lot.I've never seen one, but I would try posting on Philly craigslist under both auto parts and collectibles, and also setting up a saved search on ebay with email notification of any hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hi mark, I've looked up king buick gmc. Are you sure it's located in LA? I found out King Buick is located in Gaitherberg, Maryland. And when you get time if you can take a picture of the emblem that would be cool too see. I am still checking out where to find that license plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 SURVIVOR Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 89; Just google Julius "Jules" Kutner and find his obituary,he died 10yrs. ago and lived in Boca Raton Fla.His wife is named Gertrude,he was the largest Buick dealer in Pennsylvania,and 3rd in the country,I see A King Buick in Philly,and North Hollywood California,He was president of King Buick as of 1986,play detective and contact or locate the dealer or A family member,I am sure there are some items to be had. Good luck Mark. P.S. I just read the obituary it is still there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I suspect the obit you found is on www.Legacy.com ?IF there is a local historical society, possibly run out of the local Philly main library, there might be some information there, as in old Chamber of Commerce documents and such? Out of the Dallas, TX Public Library's historical section, they have a blog dedicated to car dealerships . . . people write in their memories and such of what was where and when, plus their experiences with said dealerships and the cars they sold. Possibly the Philly Library has something similar?If the dealership went bankrupt, there should be some legal filings on that issue, with "names" of those involved. These might be available online or you might have to "go downtown" to search the court records (possibly on microfiche).By observation, when a dealership closes (for whatever reason), those involved are ready to be "separated" from it (for various reasons, including a "later bad memory"). Therefore, anything in the building with the dealer's name on it, regardless of potential collectible value, is trashed. Some employees might pick up something for a keepsake, or some might find other things they might desire to have, but anything left is "disposed of". Many dealership operatives DO care about historical things related to the dealership and keep some things, but generally, the main thrust is "selling new" rather than worrying about "the past" (as in possibly historical items). By the same token, anything "historical" which some might desire to have could be "free for the taking".By observation, trying to find anybody at the auto show who might know anything about a dealership (from the 1980s) would be iffy and sketchy, at best. Might be worth a try, though, but don't expect the salespeople you might encounter there to have that knowledge. Any leads might be vague ones and "years old" . . .Over time, dealers would change their logos and advertising materials. Unless there was great "brand identity" for a particular logo, it might go on for years before it was updated. License plate frames were usually the quickest to change, with the "dealer license plate" (for display purposes) being next in line. Then the "nameplate" for the deck lid. Key chains and other "handouts at point of sale" items could change frequently, also, as could the vendors who made them for the dealerships. Therefore, if what you might be trying to match with the "Kutner Buick" name on it does not quite match what you might find, it could be either an earlier variation or a later variation of the same product. For a dealership, as Kutner, which was in business for many decades, there were probably several variations of the dealership's "handout" items.In your searches, you might find the same "word" attached to several different dealerships. "King Buick" could relate to a family name or otherwise. There could also be several "King Buick"-named dealerships (but in different GM/Buick sales districts). So, just finding one might not be THE one you might want to find. In any event, Google will be your friend! Search for the dealership name first, then add possible officers of the organization, even "bankruptcy filing", to the mix. This can pickup any news articles, possibly, which might lead to other searches. These would be Google "web searches", then click on "Image searches" to see what you might find. It might take many "pages into the search" to possibly find anything, but you'll notice when the searches become less valuable in what's listed.As there is "Wiki-Pedia", there is a similar "Corporate Wiki" website, using Dunn & Bradstreet filings as information. D&B is a long-time business information encyclopedia, with credit ratings and such. Might be some information in their archives, especially as to the final disposition of the business and when, plus you can then search the "King Buick" in CA to see if the officers of the corporation might match.By the time all of this is over, you could well be an expert on Kutner Buick and still not have any of the physical items you might desire . . . BUT it can be fun to find out these things AND "cheap entertainment for educational purposes".Just some thoughts,NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55 SURVIVOR Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 NTX5467; Sounds like good advice,If 89 doesn't say thanks I will!! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 You're welcome!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KUTNER Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I am the daughter of the owner of Kutner Buick. It did not go bankrupt, but the dealership was sold when my father retired and the property it was on was sold to someone else. My brother went to California and opened his own dealership which had nothing to do really with my father. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 On 4/18/2017 at 10:16 AM, KUTNER said: I am the daughter of the owner of Kutner Buick. It did not go bankrupt, but the dealership was sold when my father retired and the property it was on was sold to someone else. My brother went to California and opened his own dealership which had nothing to do really with my father. Thank you. Please tell us more about your good family and the countless memories they fostered in way of our Buick's. More detail brings to life that which was given. And welcome to a bigger family! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now