Monday, November 14, 2011

Monday Memories: Ctrus and Badillo

Reynolds Buick in 1930
Reynolds Buick in 1936
                                                     
Reynolds Buick in 1960
                                                           
Our last year in the old showroom- 1963
                                                
Reynolds Buick began in a humble manner indeed- Irv Reynolds Sr. received the Buick franchise from C. S. Howard, placed his desk in a rented corner of a garage at Citrus and San Bernardino streets in Covina and thereby began the dealership we know today. It took off slowly, and his own service in the Great War intervened, but the pace of sales picked up in peacetime.

By 1921 the expanding business had outgrown its host, so a new location was needed. Irv partnered with local businessmen Dr. J. D Reed and J. R. Elliott and built the new dealership at the corner of Citrus and Badillo where it would remain for many years. The building showed influences of the Italianate Revival school of architecture that was popular at the time with arched windows and detailed cornices and trim.

The building was completed in 1922 and Reynolds Buick was open for business in its first real home. GMC was added in 1923 and the dealership remained at that location, in basically original but well maintained condition. The signage and awning vary with some seasonality, but the easiest way to identify the date of the photos is by the shiny new Buicks.

Reynolds moved to the current showroom on Citrus in 1964 and leased the building to Narducci Lincoln-Mercury. After they moved out near the freeway as well in the 1970's, the noble old building was replaced with the One Citrus Office Complex which still stands there today.

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