Vintage gas station Pictures

Motor Tires Inc. opened this new Goodyear tire store at West 2nd Street and South La Brea Avenue, in Los Angeles, CA, in 1931.

At the time, many of the Goodyear tire operations in the area that offered gasoline displayed one of the Company’s Blimp symbols over the gas pump island.

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. launched its first blimp (non-rigid airship), the “Pilgrim” in 1925, and the symbol soon caught on in the public’s eye. In the early 1930s, airplanes, dirigibles, and zeppelins were quite popular, and ever since then the tire maker has had a small fleet of the airships.

Motor Tires Inc. being an independent, offered four different pumps and brands of gasoline at this location, left to right are Shell “40,” Gilmore “Blu-Green,” Union, and “Motor Tire.” A deluxe oil dispenser is visible in the middle of the pumps. In addition, it was a fully equipped facility that offered the following services: brake repair, lubrication, tire vulcanizing, battery, and electrical repairs.

Below are three photos showing the inside of the facility’s service bays shortly after it opened for business. The building has not survived, and today a parking garage is at the site.

The photographs courtesy of the USC Libraries.

• Motor Tires Inc. new Goodyear tire store at West 2nd Street and South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.

• The brake service shop with a Johns-Manville “Brake-O-Meter” that spun both wheels on an axle and made brake adjustments more precise. In the background are, a brake drum turning machine and a brake lining riveting machine.

• The Electrical Shop tested, serviced and sold Exide batteries, and repaired starters and generators.

• A modern lube bay below that is similar to today’s “10-minute” facilities.

Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

Not sure which corner that Goodyear store was on, but it's long gone now............ just checked Google Earth.

 

Yeah. According to the article it is now the site of a parking garage.

 

Copenhagen 1963