Took the plunge and had Vintage Services provide some information on my 68 Grande.
No big surprises on the car and the original engine and transmission are still intact in the car.
Looks like the dealership was Addison on Bay in Toronto, does anyone remember that dealership on Bay? I did a quick google on Addison and it appears that there is an Addison GM dealership still today and the Bay location is now condos? Is that correct?
-- Edited by 68 Grande on Thursday 3rd of October 2019 02:52:16 PM
Well, Addison was the Premier Cadillac dealership in Canada for decades and of course also sold Pontiac, Buick and GMC. It's gone now and is condos. Bay Street of course is the Wall Street of Canada and Addison was renown for selling Cadillacs over the phone or standing orders to all the financial and legal wizards of our country. Because of its reputation and status Addison made sure to cater to only the wealthiest customers of each of its brands so you would be politely shown the door if you went in there looking for a two door Strato Chief sedan. It makes perfect sense that the BIG BLOCK Grande Parisienne came from there. This place was fully oak wainscotting, brass chandeliers and ornate doors opening onto Bay Street just north of College St. I worked at Osgoode Hall back then, a short walk up Bay Street and I purchased a 1992 Bonneville there, a factory order, that I managed to impress the salesman with as he said I knew more about the car and options than he did. The dealership could not adapt to the competition from Germany and it's old boys selling methods combined with skyrocketing property values in the heart of downtown Toronto spelled an end to this once iconic GM Flagship dealer.
-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 3rd of October 2019 05:29:58 PM
I worked at Green + Ross Tire on Gerrard St blocks away.
We had a direct line to the service dept for ordering tires. The phone was hidden in a desk drawer.....when it rang that took priority over anything.
We switched the bias ply tires over to radials and resold the *Takeoffs*
You could immediately tell the difference between bias and racial.
They also had a leasing department office right next to the Green + Ross store who were customers also.
The operators of funeral parlours bought a lot of *Takeoffs* for the funeral cars.
Wow, some great history and local knowledge on the Addison dealership and their customers buying habits! I didn't know what to expect with the build sheet info and these comments are filling in some blanks of the Grande's early dealership history.
I am kind of feeling a little "High End" at the moment being that I have an Addison car!
I am kind of feeling a little "High End" at the moment being that I have an Addison car!
And that is exactly how the marketing department wanted you to feel. If you bought or leased a car at Addison you had instant status.
It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for a Cadillac to be sold in tandem with a second family car. It would go like this, "and let's get something nice for the Mrs. too", wouldn't surprise me if your Grande got built that way.
-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 3rd of October 2019 06:28:02 PM
Not all Pontiac-Buick franchises in this country handled Cadillac. You had to be deemed a worthy dealer. Even more rare (back in the day) were Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac, as Cadillac almost always went to Pontiac-Buick dealers.
I can't remember where it was but it might have been in Hearst, Timmins or Cochrane, Ontario back in 1973 while on summer vacation. I saw a GM dealer that sold all GM makes under one roof, and the various division logos displayed on the building were circa 1940s. I should have asked dad to take a picture with his old manual Nikon 35 mm camera.
Jake, you mentioned how your Grande Parisienne was built & shipped the same day. My '67 Chevelle had it's engine shipped from St. Catherines to Oshawa December 12th, the body was drawn from the body bank December 13 & my completed Chevelle rolled off the line & shipped December 15th. That is pretty tight for back in the day before anybody spoke of just-in-time delivery systems.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
I was working for Ontario Motor Sales in Oshawa in 1974 and remember being sent to Addison on Bay in one of the two pickup trucks that our parts dept had to pick up a part which the parts manager had arranged from Addison's parts dept. However this was during a TTC strike and that was quite the drive into and out of downtown Toronto for an eighteen year old with little driving experience in Toronto traffic ! If I remember correctly Addison's was a multi-level building.
One of my best friend's [since Kindergarten] dad sold cars there for a very long time & the "demo's he brought home just amazed Brian & myself!!!! I worked at Ontario Chrysler 1001 Bay street, for a few years way back when, in the late 60's. 98F yesterday at 1st. day of the car show. 680 vehicles showed up. count will rise today & Saturday!!!forecast today is a "nice" 74 F
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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
Jake, you mentioned how your Grande Parisienne was built & shipped the same day. My '67 Chevelle had it's engine shipped from St. Catherines to Oshawa December 12th, the body was drawn from the body bank December 13 & my completed Chevelle rolled off the line & shipped December 15th. That is pretty tight for back in the day before anybody spoke of just-in-time delivery systems.
From my research, I believe the body and engine was mated on November 15, 1967 a Wednesday (second shift) and it must have finished rolling off the line on November 17th, 1967 a Friday and onto a truck.
Here is what I wrote in June 2017: "So, as I look at these casting dates, the block was cast on Nov 6, 1967, got stamped with T 11 08 IV on Nov 8 and then was mated with the body on November 15, 1967!The actual build year would be November 1967 and the 68 in the body style line on the production plate is the model year or style of the car, which is the 1968 model."
But, the stories and the history you fellas from Ontario are imparting is absolutely great, I am enjoying reading about Addison. I am feeling like a real high roller with this big block GP!! I shop at Addison, LOL!
-- Edited by 68 Grande on Friday 4th of October 2019 09:31:14 AM
-- Edited by 68 Grande on Friday 4th of October 2019 09:31:39 AM
If I remember correctly Addison's was a multi-level building.
Indeed, it was that old school style with ramps that led to the next level, you drove into reception off Bay, nice black and white tiled floor with oak service advisor desks and Service Manager and Body Shop Mangaer offices off reception old style glass walls looking out on reception, then a ramp up to service bays and then another ramp up to body shop and roof was even used as overflow parking and repair area. Parts department was off reception up a few stairs. You could also enter the showroom from Service reception through these large glass and brass doors and a short hallway made a separation from service and showroom.
Looking for a good photo but did find this one on-line just before or as Condos were being built. Not your average looking dealership.
-- Edited by 73SC on Friday 4th of October 2019 02:14:33 PM
That is a great piece to have Bernie. Now here's the question, in my lifetime or at least in my memory Addison never sold Oldsmobile so what year did they stop and switch to Pontiacs and Buicks?
Now the crazy thing is I lived just a little north of Milverton near Donlands so we literally lived what is today 3 subway stops away from each other, about 10 minutes.
-- Edited by 73SC on Friday 4th of October 2019 12:21:14 PM
@ 73SC - that's a great bit of history on the selling dealer! - thanks for sharing that!!
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1970 Formula 400 Carousel Red on black (std) interior "no drivetrain option" car (same base drivetrain as GTO) 1:411 1970 Firebird Formulas originally sold in Canada
Years ago I worked at a Chrysler dealer. One of our shuttle drivers was a retired fellow who was a tech at Addisons. Lot's of great stories. He said the only parts they did not rebuild were power seat motors. He may have worked on your dad's Olds Bernie! That was the time he worked there.
That is a great piece to have Bernie. Now here's the question, in my lifetime or at least in my memory Addison never sold Oldsmobile so what year did they stop and switch to Pontiacs and Buicks?
Now the crazy thing is I lived just a little north of Milverton near Donlands so we literally lived what is today 3 subway stops away from each other, about 10 minutes.
-- Edited by 73SC on Friday 4th of October 2019 12:21:14 PM
Ray - did you ever go into Jefferies' Drug Store at Donlands and Danforth? Ab Jefferies was a delivery boy for my dad on Queen St. (at Larchmount) and then became a pharmacist and opened at Donlands and Danforth. My dad owned the building which included Herb Parsons upholstery shop (I believe Herb raced at the CNE and Pinecrest). When I was born we lived in the apartment above the drug store at 2 Donlands until 1948. I delivered for Jefferies during summer 1959 and 60.
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......big block, 4 speed, bench seat, it doesn't get much better
Bernie you are 11 years older than I am so I don't remember all those places but do remember Herb Parson's. Things were a lot different back then and the boundary of the Toronto and East York was just up Donlands at Milverton. Wilkinson school was only a short walk from my house, only a block from your place at 2 Donlands but I couldn't go there since it was in Toronto, I had to go to the East York school over a mile away R.H. McGregor at Coxwell and Sammon .
