Buick Dealers

[BillyBuick]

Can anyone tell me how to find what Buick dealers existed in 1938 in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny areas of Pennsylvania?

[misterc9]

You might be able to find an old City Directory from that era. They were published annually. A lot of businesses used them. They listed every business and residence in the city. A library might have one.

[rocketraider]

See if the area's historic society has a website, or contact them. An old business directory might have the info.

 

I picked up a 1949 Rocky Mount NC high school yearbook in an auction lot several years back. It was full of dealership ads with carlines, phone numbers and street addresses. Another possibility.

 

Some examples: check out the full page 49 Mercury dealer ad. As far as I know Bulluck Chevrolet is still in business.

[BillyBuick]

Thank you. That's a great idea.

7 minutes ago, misterc9 said:

You might be able to find an old City Directory from that era. They were published annually. A lot of businesses used them. They listed every business and residence in the city. A library might have one.

I would guess that city directories might be housed in libraries only in adjacent areas. I will try via the internet. Thanks

[John_S_in_Penna]

1 hour ago, misterc9 said:

You might be able to find an old City Directory from that era. 

 

That's an excellent idea.  Also, the phone book's

Yellow Pages from that period might also be found

in local libraries.

 

Billy, if you don't live near Pittsburgh, you could still

call the library in Pittsburgh and have them scan or copy

a few pages for you.

[dibarlaw]

Unfortunately as us fellow Buick affectionatos know that Buick did a purge of all their historic documents back in the 1970s. "The home office should have that information".....not any more. On many peiod ads of the teens, 20s, 30s and up Buick used to list many of their distributers and regional dealers. "The Buick Bulletins"of the times may have a bit of information for more local dealers. I do not recall some of the long time dealers in the region when I lived in Monongahela PA. in the 1960s and 70s. A good many dealers also changed procuct lines over the years. Pizzica Buick where I worked in 1975 in Monongahela started selling DeSoto/Plymouth in the late 1920s and did not take on Buick untill 1950. Local libraries would still be the best bet.

Edited April 25, 2021 by dibarlaw (see edit history)

[hidden_hunter]

I assume Buick would have done something similar to Cadillac, but I bought a Cadillac street map for the North Eastern region from the mid twenties that has a big map and all of the local dealerships marked on it

[Flivverking]

State library of Pennsylvania , has the city directories of the period in all areas. They maybe online?

[kingrudy]

You might check to see if there is a BCA chapter in that area. They might have some of that information in their chapters archives. Or you very well may get that information from the Bugle if you are a member. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by kingrudy (see edit history)

[BillyBuick]

14 hours ago, Flivverking said:

State library of Pennsylvania , has the city directories of the period in all areas. They maybe online?

Thank you

14 hours ago, kingrudy said:

You might check to see if there is a BCA chapter in that area. They might have some of that information in their chapters archives. Or you very well may get that information from the Bugle if you are a member. 

Thanks

Great Idea