Here's another picture of the same spot - now vacated by the car dealer. I took it in July 2008 as I was driving out of town.
My husband (then boyfriend) purchased his first car from this place in 1988. It was a Ford Escort - grey. I think - actually - it was a 1988 1/2 - which was weird but that's how Ford labeled it.
Oh - and he had a car before the Ford Escort but it was inherited from his dad SO you know - it was a big deal making this particular purchase on his own. If I remember correctly, it cost him about $7800.
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Wow. The first car I ever bought (on my own) was an Escort from Allen County Motors. That would have been 1987, so it might have been an '88. Not sure. But it was black and I loved it. Allen County Motors was quite the place in its day, but I guess it's like many car dealerships across the country now. Thanks for the memory!
Kristina:
Jusdging by the picture you have up, it's most likely the late 70s...think 1977 -1979.
I couldn't help but notice those grossly HUGE Ford LTD IIs and Thunderbirds in the lot.
A time when people were actually safer in those big cars, even while NOT wearing seatbelts.
And gas was less than about a buck a gallon (after the embargo).
Nice post.
I ALSO bought my first car from Allen County Motors and it was an Escort as well! I know that even before that, my grandparents had bought several vehicles from Allen County Motors. It's a little depressing to see it abandoned like that, but I suppose it's a sign of the times. Thanks for bringing back those memories... those were different and arguably better times.
I sold cars at Allen County Motors in the late '80s. While Dick Bowlin was still running the store, it was a great place to work. Once the second generation of ownership took over, it went downhill and then was sold to an owner of less enthusiastic integrity.
This building is history now... it was torn down last year, and now it's just an empty field... I am hoping they will expand Swinney or at least plant a bunch of trees there... As of right now there are no plans for it, however, the Ford Truck dealership next to it is waiting to be restored by SweetWater Sound... my mom says they will make it into a "high end" car dealership. Till then, it is empty, and quite the eyesore!
*FYI: This Ford branch did not close, they just moved it to Lima Road in an effort to get all major car dealerships by 14-69 Auto Mall.
-I had many memories at this building; My mom bought her Ford Escort there, and my dad bought his Ford Ranger there... I remember going there once when I was in preschool while the Escort was having the oil changed one of the employees gave me a free hat! It is still in my closet today! (Unfortunately it's too small=(
Then when we decided to replace the Escort with a mini van; we were going to get a Windstar, but we decided on a Mazda... then there were countless times of browsing the lot just because... And also, my dad still has the Ranger! I would be sad if he replaced it because he bought it just a couple months before I was born! ;)
Wow...what a long comment! I will stop here lol
Hi there,
my Name is Stephan Kleine from Paderborn, Germany. By chance I found this blog while I was doing a little research in the internet about the history of a yellow 1955´Ford Thunderbird, which my father bought in 2002 in Germany.
As far as I know was the car sold at an auction in Auburn, Indiana in September 1992 and obviously exported in October 1992 to Germany. The registration-document states that the last owner in the USA was "Allen Count(r)y Motors"...
Does anybody remember this yellow 55´Thunderbird? Who can tell, to whom the car belonged? Did it belong to the former owner of Allen County Motors?
Who can help?
Thank you very much.
With kind regards
Stephan Kleine
For your information, it continued to thrive and win numerous awards while under Bowlin ownership. It was after the Bowlin's sold that the business was no longer the same.
Hi Stephanie. The car belonged to my grandfather who owned Allen County Motors in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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