Coach dealer question

In the 70's to be specific, would say a Superior coach dealer also have new Miller-Meteors shipped to them as well or were the dealerships coach builder specific?
 
Were there never any dealers that handled multiple makes?

Apart from used sales I though some had say Cotner Bevington & Flexible and of course many used places sold anything they could turn a profit on
 
This thread reminded me of a little trinket that I wanted to have displayed at Milwaukee and forgot to bring with me. By the way, does anyone know what this is?
 

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This thread reminded me of a little trinket that I wanted to have displayed at Milwaukee and forgot to bring with me. By the way, does anyone know what this is?

That is a garment hanger that clipped on the window. Most cars years ago didn't have garment hooks, much less in a pro-car! Roll the window down a bit, slide in top of window with hook turned inside of car, roll up window and you had a place to hang a suite, coat or your dry cleaning!
 
My recollection is that a M-M Cadillac dealer could also sell the lower priced C/B Oldsmobiles, since they were both manufactured under the Wayne Corp. umbrella. I believe that Howard Distributors in Burnaby, BC (Canada) handled both M-M and C/B products.

I'm sure many of the other "name brand" dealers over the years were also allowed to offer an alternative to those customers who couldn't afford one of the Cadillac-based pro-cars.
 
My recollection is that a M-M Cadillac dealer could also sell the lower priced C/B Oldsmobiles, since they were both manufactured under the Wayne Corp. umbrella. I believe that Howard Distributors in Burnaby, BC (Canada) handled both M-M and C/B products.

I'm sure many of the other "name brand" dealers over the years were also allowed to offer an alternative to those customers who couldn't afford one of the Cadillac-based pro-cars.

Pretty much true Terry, only thing you wouldn't really see is say a guy selling both new MM and S&S at same place. COnflick of interest, kinda like a dealer selling ford and chevy under same roof, just not the norm.
 
What about a Superior dealership selling new M-M? I found evidence of a Superior dealership that was in Greensboro, NC awhile back based on a matchbook advertisement, and so far thats the closest coach dealership ive found that was around my coach's old stomping grounds in Chapel Hill
 
What about a Superior dealership selling new M-M? I found evidence of a Superior dealership that was in Greensboro, NC awhile back based on a matchbook advertisement, and so far thats the closest coach dealership ive found that was around my coach's old stomping grounds in Chapel Hill

Wouldn't happen; coach dealers only carried one flagship (on Cadillac chassis) product at a time. Their franchise agreements usually allowed them to carry non-competing lines. For instance, a Eureka or S&S dealer might've also carried National, Comet, or Memphis products for their price-driven customers -OR- for customers that wanted to use a chassis not offered by the major coachbuilders, such as Dodge or Mercury.
 
I believe that Foster Coach Sales in Sterling, Illinois was a M-M dealer but also sold Superiors as well. I know that the village of Mount Morris, IL Fire Department purchased a brand new 1958 Superior Cadillac ambulance from Foster Coach, and at least one more Superior Cadillac ambulance from Foster Coach several years later after the '58 wore out. Mount Morris Fire also purchased a late 60s Superior Cadillac hightop. But in the mid 70s Mount Morris Fire bought the last M-M Criterion ever built, from Foster Coach. I also know that Finch Funeral Home in Mount Morris bought an early 60s Superior Pontiac hearse from Foster Coach. And the former Reynolds-Renkes Funeral Home (now Bosma-Renkes since 1987) in Morrison, IL bought a new 1972 Superior Cadillac combination from Foster Coach, and the Bosma Funeral Home in Fulton, IL also had an early 70s gold Superior Cadillac combination, all purchased from Foster Coach.

And while I have no evidence to support this, I think that Foster Coach may have also sold Eurekas since the Eureka plant was located next door in Rock Falls, IL which adjoins Sterling. Again, I have no proof of them selling Eurekas.

I can prove the Mount Morris Fire Department Superior Cadillacs being purchased by Foster Coach (a M-M dealer), because it was heavily covered in local newspaper articles at the time, which I have read while doing historical research on the village of Mount Morris. Interestingly, once it became common knowledge that Mount Morris was in desperate need of an ambulance, Foster Coach began running full page ads in the newspaper advertising ambulances.

If I ever get up to Illinois, I am going to have to visit the Mount Morris library, and go through those old newspapers that are stored down in the basement, and scan the articles.
 
there is always a exception to the rule. for a dealer to make it out in the sticks on limited demand cars they would have to be able to offer a number of alternativeness. basically just taking orders for the manufactures. but I would doubt that they would have two different big name cars on any show room.
MM and CB were advertised on the same fliers as were superior's Caddys and ponchos. high end line and low end line same parent company. they were not in computation with each other just both padding the company bottom line
 
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