Nowadays, when you want to buy a new car, you have to make a trek out to the suburbs. But from the early 1900s to the 1970s, car lots were located within the city limits of Minneapolis, and Northeast had its share.
According to a 1995 Northeaster article, there were four new-car dealers in Northeast in 1931: The Minar Company (Ford), St. Anthony Motor Company (Chevrolet), Swanberg and Scheefe (Buick) and Frank J. LaMere, who sold Durants.
LaMere had entered the automotive business early. He ran a 24-hour towing service out of 1900 Central, where he also sold Willys-Knight Overland cars. An inventor, he devised a vibration eliminator, a sort of oil-cushioned curtain, that kept early car engines from shaking themselves to pieces. He sold the invention to General Motors for next to nothing. Willys-Knight quit making cars in 1933, but by then, LaMere had moved to 509 First Avenue NE, where he sold and serviced Durants. Durant Motors ceased operations in 1932. In 1936, LaMere moved to 23rd and Central, where he sold automobile parts.
One of the oldest dealerships belonged to Nels Swanberg and Emil Scheefe.
Nels Swanberg was a Swedish immigrant and a blacksmith. As the use of horses declined, he parlayed his skills into repairing bicycles in his shop on Nicollet Island. In 1905, he entered the car business and called it the East Side Automobile Company. He was soon joined by Emil Scheefe. Scheefe was born in Minneapolis, the son of German and Swedish immigrants.
Their first dealership was on the corner of Central and University. They moved to 14 University Avenue (now the site of a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop) in 1915. Eventually, they operated car lots at Lowry and Central and Lake and Portland, too.
As their business grew, they brought their sons, Raymond Swanberg and John Scheefe, into the business. Nels taught Ray how to drive a model 17 Buick when he was just eight or nine years old. Ray’s first job at the dealership was washing cars.
By the 1960s, Swanberg & Scheefe was reputedly the world’s largest Buick dealer. Jon Peterson reminisced on the Old Minneapolis Facebook page, “My dad worked as a mechanic there from about 1958 or ‘59 until the early ‘70s. He used to work on all the local celebrities’ Buicks – George Mikan and Elgin Baylor from the Lakers, local mobster Kid Cann. He brought home a pair of Chuck Taylors [tennis shoes] that belonged to Elgin Baylor.”
Chevrolets were sold at 420 East Hennepin, first by St. Anthony Motor Company (“Twin Cities Oldest Chevrolet Dealer”), then by Larson Bros. Larson had three locations in Northeast. New and used cars were sold at the 420 store, O.K. Used Cars were sold at Central and University, and new and used trucks were offered at 620 East Hennepin. Larson’s ads proclaimed the dealership the “home of national bonded used cars.”
Larson also operated out of 1900 Central, Frank LaMere’s old place. Prior to Larson, the building housed Pearson Brothers autos (1940), Brisco Johnston Motors (1946) Patsey Motors, owned by Gerald J. Patsey (1950-55). Larson Bros. Chev took over the 1900 Central location from Patsey.The old garage and showroom are gone now, replaced by Monroe Village senior apartments.
The largest Ford dealership honors went to Minar Ford.
Cushman Minar came out of North Dakota in the late 1920s, intending to help his brother Horace with a car dealership he had purchased in rural Minnesota. The money he made would have helped him attend college, but he instead put his savings into the business. The brothers began buying dealerships in Willmar, Hutchinson and Winthrop. Their first Minneapolis showroom was 1708 Central, purchased in 1929. In time, Minar Ford became one of the largest family-owned dealerships in the country, with showrooms in several Twin Cities locations. Cushman Minar operated the business until 1966, when he brought his son, Cushman, Jr., into the business.
The muscle-car era began, and Minar Ford was a leader in selling Mustangs and Ford-produced Shelby Cobras. On the Ford Performance webpage, Tom Berg recalled one of his experiences at the dealership: “Minar was the big Shelby center in Minneapolis and we would always go there after school to look at the new Shelby and Boss Mustangs that were being delivered and put on display.”
Cushman, Jr., was a great promoter of the cars, displaying a racing GT40 at Twins’ games and revving the engine. Robert Cassling, in his blog thecoral
snake.com, described a conversation with “Cush” in which the dealer took the GT40 out on the streets of Minneapolis. “At one point the powerplant spoke to Cush. He could resist no more… The police were in hot pursuit. He slammed on his brakes, causing them to shoot right by him. He said that the GTA40 could stop as quickly as it could accelerate. It turned out the policeman knew him, shook his head, and left without issuing a ticket.”
Minar Ford held a going out of business sale in 1970. Cushman, Jr., started a new dealership on 694 and Silver Lake Road. It’s now New Brighton Ford. The building at 1708 Central is occupied by Tires & More.
Hudsons were sold at Central Hudson at 2628 Central. In 1957, you could purchase a new Hudson Hornet with a V8 engine, automatic transmission, three-tone paint, power steering, power brakes, a Weather Eye (fresh air system for heating and cooling), turn signals and reclining seats for $2,870.60.
Hudson and Nash Rambler merged in 1954 to become American Motors, and it wasn’t long before Central Hudson became American Central Automotive (a.k.a., Central Rambler). Bruce Warren and Bob Selb moved Americans, Rebels, Classics and Ambassadors out of the lot from 1958-1967, when new owners took over. In 1981,
Ray Czupta opened Central Avenue Auto Body in that location.
Used car lots
Northeast had its share of used car lots, too.
Johnson Ericson operated a car lot at 1335 Central Avenue in 1936, next door to the Bennet Bailey Lumber Company (which became Youngblood Lumber). A photo taken that year shows a mixture of car models, including Ford, Packard, Dodge, Plymouth, Chevrolet and Studebaker. By the late ‘30s, they had taken over LaMere’s spot at 2223 Central.
Central Hennepin Motors operated at 605 Central. In 1950, a Minneapolis Star ad proclaimed them “your East Side DeSoto-Plymouth dealer” and promised, “We put the ACTION in Satisfaction.” You could buy a ’36 four-door Oldsmobile with “good tires and motor” for $99.
Ulrich Motors, 2636 Central, is the last remaining used car lot in Northeast. Family owned, they’ve been in business for more than 60 years.
Sources:
Ashmore, Margo, “Heyday of 1900 Central, a car dealership,” Northeaster, March 20, 1995
“Cushman Minar, 94; he ran automobile dealerships throughout Minnesota,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, Aug. 24, 1993
“Ray Swanberg, 88, longtime owner of car dealership dies,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, Nov. 27, 1991
“Emil R. Scheefe dies; headed car sales company,” Minneapolis Star, Oct. 21, 1946
Below: St. Anthony Motor Company lit up the night sky at 420 Central Avenue in the 1930s. The intersection of Central and East Hennepin is now under development as the Hen Cen apartments. (Photo provided by Minnesota Historical Society) The Willys Knight-Overland dealership at 1900 Central Avenue in 1924. Over the decades, the building housed many car companies, the last of which was Eich Motors, before the site was cleared for Monroe Village apartments. (Photo provided by Minnesota Historical Society) Minar Ford was the largest seller of Shelby Cobras and Mustangs in the Midwest. (Newspapers.com) From the front page index a photo of the Swanberg & Scheefe dealership in 1965 (Photo provided by Hennepin County Library)
