We suspected it wouldn’t be long before the folks behind PackardInfo.com came across our posts rounding up lost Packard dealerships, and indeed, Kevin “BigKev” Waltman recently got in touch with us to let us know that he’s integrating what new information we were able to provide – along with photographs and information provided by PackardInfo.com members – into the PackardInfo.com dealership database. He’s also sent a couple new lost Packard dealerships our way.
First off, one that’s a bit of a mystery. The circa 1930 picture above depicts the Kelly Motor Co., a vendor of Packards and Dodges, on West Court Street in Urbana, Illinois. The only problem is that Urbana, Illinois, doesn’t appear to have a West Court Street. BigKev believes it might have once been where there’s currently a mall off of South Vine Street, but our research has yet to turn up mention of a West Court Street ever existing in Urbana, Illinois. We do see, however, that there is a West Court Street in Urbana, Ohio, but there appears to be no Street View to compare against the photo above.
Next, one that’s less of a mystery. The database actually lists two addresses for E. Gray Smith Packard in Nashville, Tennessee: 1200 Broadway and 2400 West End Avenue. The circa 1940 photo of the dealership, featuring a building with similar architectural elements to many other Packard dealerships we’ve seen, was taken at the latter location, where the building still stands today, housing an FYE Music store. The entry on PackardInfo.com notes that Smith’s father actually began selling automobiles in Nashville in 1902, and that E. Gray Smith remained in business as a Packard dealer from 1921 to 1956. Our research shows that Smith also dealt in Wintons for a time. As for the 1200 Broadway address, the only mention we’ve so far found of it is in an advertisement from 1924 for Multibestos brake linings, so we’re going to assume it was a repair shop at that time.