Connell GMC Pontiac Cadillac was an automobile dealer located in a historic building at 3093 Broadway, Oakland, California. The building, designed by architect Alben Froberg and built by the firm of Christensen and Lyons, was completed in 1947. The dealership, originally known as Connell Motor Company and Connell Oldsmobile, moved to this building on May 23, 1947. At the time, Connell Motor Company was the second largest Oldsmobile dealer in the United States. The entire Oldsmobile brand was discontinued in 2004.
In late 2010, the dealership, by then called Bay Bridge Auto and selling a variety of General Motors brands, closed after GM took away the franchise rights. In mid-2011, a new dealership known as Bay City Chevrolet opened in the building, but this dealership closed in early 2014. The building is still vacant.
The pictures below were taken while Bay Bridge Auto was in operation.
photo CC BY-SA 2.0 by David Brossard (December 2010)
photo CC BY-SA 2.0 by David Brossard (December 2010)
When Bay City Chevrolet took over the building, the neon signs were removed.
CC SA-BY Our Oakland (July 2011)
Article from May 24, 1947 Oakland Tribune
(fair use
Letter from 1953 addressed to Mr. Ed Lucas at Connell Motor Co. from Phil L. in Seattle, WA
Links and References
- Neon Connell and Cadillac/Buick signs on Roadside Peek
- Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area, Susan Dinkelspiel Cerny
- California Car Showrooms and Dealerships on Roadside Architecture
