Dr L-88

Just today received the dealer info for my 67 coupe from the NCRS. Car was originally sold by Harry Mann Chevrolet in Los Angeles. The dealership is no longer in business. Does anyone know anything about Harry Mann Chevy? Was it a large Chevy dealership............a "performance-oriented" dealership........anything unique about the dealership? Any connections to the dealership or anyone who worked there in 1967?

Thanks,
Rex

claysmoker

Lived near there as a kid. Used to go over and drool on the new Vettes. They went out of biz in the early 80's I believe. They were the largest Corvette dealer in the western US in the 60's-70's.

Dave

sub006

The late Frank Milne was the owner of the "World's Largest Corvette Dealer"* for its last few decades. If you look in some '70s Corvette News issues, you'll find stories about the custom Corvettes he'd create every couple of years with the body shops very talented fiberglass artist Eric Ruffo. More than customs, these cars were made from brand-new Corvettes and looked like factory prototypes.

Performance oriented? I'll say! Harry Mann loaned Jerry Titus a '66 427/425 for a Sports Car Graphic magazine road test. At their suggestion, he accepted an exchange set of Sports Car Special tires on the knock-offs. All Corvette buyers were offered aftermarket upgrades like this at delivery.

A Southern California Corvette club had Frank's son as a dinner speaker last year. He regaled them with many stories from the C1, 2 and 3 years.

Many people asked if he had any dealer records, but their whereabouts are unknown.

*(This is what their license plate frames read for years)

65 fi

I tried to locate some information on those old sales files a few years ago. One person I spoke with led me to believe that the files are around but I did not have a lot of success in locating them. I believe they were supposedly in a warehouse in or around Los Angeles.
If you have success in locating records, please let me know.

Rokndad

I bought my 1973 coupe from the fleet sales manager at Harry Mann for about $6800 plus tax. Waited an agonizing 3 1/2 months for it. Big Block with a/c, 4 spd right at the height of the oil embargo and even/odd gas purchase days in California. Recall many times pushing the car in the gas lines to save fuel.

They were at 5735 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, now long gone. Like the others have said, they advertised themselves as the world's largest Corvette Dealership.

Stingxray

Sad....................Looks like a school now

Hit street view and do a heavy sigh....................

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ex...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Jalopy31

And if you want an original Harry Mann license frame to put on your car, they go cheap on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Deale...Q5fAccessories

Todd

'67 Mann

First off.... great last name if I say so myself !

I have a Corvette book titled 'Corvette Sting Ray' by RM Clarke that
has a reprint of a Road & Track article testing a '66 427 that they
"borrowed" from Harry Mann. The article mentions this well know
Chevrolet dealership. The article header reads "Road Test 18/65"
"Seven Liters can make a ton-and-a-half defy the laws of inertia"

Here is link to the book on Amazon. You may find the article on line or
I can scan it and send to you.. if you don't buy the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-Sting...736634&sr=1-18

Good luck...

OCS1667

I told this once before, but I thought this post would welcome it again since it had to do with Harry Mann Chevrolet.

I had been driven home from the local dealer by a driver that had been in the film industry. He spotted my Corvette in my garage and told me years ago a friend in the film industry told that he was meeting a salesman from Harry Mann to look at two Corvettes. They met him at the dealer ship, and he drove them to a warehouse. In the corner were 2 vettes, both white with red interiors, one a big block the other a small block. They had been used in a Chevy commercial on Bonanza.

He bought the big block.
Dennis

claysmoker

Looks more like a prison in some ways, check the fence. This area borders on South Central LA and a block or two in any direction might assure your demise anytime after sundown. It wasn't bad in the sixties, but not great now. I worked at a liquor store on Slauson and Overhill a couple miles west of HM Chevy in '66 while I was going to school.

The good old days.

65 fi

My Harry Mann frames have Harry Mann at the top on one and Harry Mann at the bottom on the other one. They do not say Los Angeles they say Corvette (top and bottom of frame respectively). I was always under the impression that the original Harry Mann Corvette frames said Corvette on them (the rear had Harry Mann at the bottom).

Steve439

Holy Schnike!

sub006

Another quirk was, Mr. Milne loved black cars. As Chevy went for many years in the C3 era without Tuxedo Black being available for Corvettes, he'd occasionally have a brand-new one stripped, repainted black, and prominently displayed for sale on the showroom floor.

Might pose an NCRS problem someday, unless the original owner saved the supplementary window sticker.

CruzerDog

wow -- I have a set of Harry Mann license brackets from a '61 he sold...
I can't believe that they get that kind of money ....
I am off to ebay ...

Dr L-88

Thanks to al who replied.

Actually, my 67 that Harry Mann sold is a black car, but it has been black all its life.

k1d2j3g4

I'm looking for a Harry Mann license frame. Do you have one? Kirk

LT1driver

I have had 2 harry mann chevy cars...a 73 auto I bought in 82 from org owner, I sold it and left the tag frames go with it in 83 and a 67 I bought from 2owner in 79 and sold in 80, same for tag frame, let go to new owner...oh well, life is to short to worry about small stuff like this or anything since everything is small stuff these were when cars were still cheapish, the 67 was only 7k and the 73 was only 5k.

Dr L-88

Unfortunately I don't, but perhaps I should be searching for one.

john neas

Mike Pillsbury in the early 90's came to the NCRS Cypress Dardens meet with a number of duplicates of Harry Mann window stickers or possibly invoices on Corvettes. He was selling then for I believe $100.00. I paid particular interest to a early 61 FI cars (under 100 VIN) as I was restoring a 61 at that time.
Regards

Dr L-88

Very interesting bit of info John. Wonder what ever happened to that information? Any idea where it went?

Rex