Ellis Brooks Auto Center is an automobile dealership in San Francisco, California. It is best known for its commercials, featuring an adaptation of See the USA in Your Chevrolet. Originally Ellis Brooks Chevrolet, the company later became "Auto Center" after it began marketing other brands of automobile.SFGate Tuesday, January 16, 2001 "Those Merry Oldsmobile Days Waning / Demise of Auto Row has been tip-off" - Ken GarciaAutomotive News June 18, 2012 "How Roger Penske wooed and won Frisco's grande dame of auto retailing and revived a 7-story downtown jewel" Lindsay Chappell The company is now located at 1565 Bush Street,Cars.com Ellis Brooks Auto Center but the original Ellis Brooks sign is still used.TopicWay.com Ellis Brooks Chevrolet The company was founded in 1939.Manta Media Inc Ellis Brooks Auto Center
Background The dealership located on Van Ness Street and Bush AvenueLodi News-Sentinel Friday June 1, 2001 Page 5 Inmate escapers wearing underwear had been a fixture there for decades up to the late 2000s.American City Business Journals Nov 23, 2008 Longtime S.F. auto dealer Ellis Brooks drops new cars - Mark Calvey It was founded in 1939. In 1952, it began selling new Chevrolet cars. Marie Brooks took over the company after her husband succumbed to an illness.SFGate November 30, 2008 It's painful to watch passing parade of change by Carl Nolte
The early years In the 1930s, possibly around 1936, Ellis Brooks started out with his partner Louis Cuneo. Their dealership called Brooks & Cuneo was located on 815 Van Ness Avenue and 74 12th street. Brooks was a REO dealer and then later a Hudson dealer.RoadsideArchitecture San Francisco Car Showrooms & DealershipsSFGeneaology Polk's Crocker-Langley San Francisco City DirectoryGood old sandplot days Ellis Brooks Chevrolet Around 1950, Ellis' San Francisco based Hudson HQ had Dan Albee on staff as assistant sales manager.Western Automotive Service, Volumes 28-29 Page 28 People ... Tony Mistlin who started there in 1948 and who would eventually work his way up to sales manager would eventually start out on his own and in later years end up with largest Honda dealership in Northern California.The Modesto Bee October 4, 2007 Award-winning Mistlin a salesman extraordinaire By John Holland
The cessation of selling new cars It was announced in November 23, 2008 edition of American City Business Journals that of the 15th of December that year, the dealership would stop selling new cars. This would mean that 45 people who worked in the parts and service departments would lose their jobs. Two reasons given were the rise in cost of doing business in San Francisco and a union pension fund which was said to be a burden. The president of the dealership at the time was Marie Brooks. She said that economic challenges were difficult for domestic-automobile dealers.American City Business Journals Nov 23, 2008 Longtime S.F. auto dealer Ellis Brooks drops new cars - Mark Calvey
Later years In February 2010, Wheego Electric Cars announced that it signed Ellis Brooks Auto Center as its dealer. The dealership had been given exclusive rights to exclusive sell the Wheego Electric Cars throughout California's San Francisco Bay Area. Other areas included San Mateo, Santa Cruz etc.Wheego Electric Cars Ellis Brooks Auto Center to Sell Wheego Electric Cars In 2011, the company moved to its new location at 1565 Bush Street, San Francisco, California.One Owner Collector Car CALIFORNIA/ SAN FRANCISCO City Dealers, ELLIS BROOKS CHEVROLET, San Francisco, CA/ (1939-2008)/ occupied by Nissan San Francisco By 2012, the site was a combined Nissan and Infiniti dealership. For years the building's owner Marie Brooks resisted offers but eventually made a deal with Roger Penske.Automotive News June 18, 2012 How Roger Penske wooed and won Frisco's grande dame of auto retailing and revived a 7-story downtown jewel - Lindsay Chappell In February 2013, while the center was looking to celebrate their 75th anniversary that year, they were getting phone calls intended for Nunavut Arctic College. This came about as a result of the college having the phone number on their website listed incorrectly. The following morning the error was corrected.Nunatsiaq News February 14, 2013 Nunavut Arctic College toll-free number typo sends callers to San Francisco - Lisa Gregoire
The original street corner now features auto dealerships and cafes among other buildings. The main facility specializes in used carsGoogle Maps
Staff John Brooks - General Manager - 2010Wheego Electric Cars Ellis Brooks Auto Center to Sell Wheego Electric Cars Arthur Brooks (Born July 25, 1961, Died August 17, 2012) - Production ManagerSFGate Obituaries Arthur Eugene Brooks, ObituaryWheego Electric Cars Ellis Brooks Auto Center to Sell Wheego Electric Cars
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Current commercial, using the original advertising jingle