Did Hoffman Motors have license plate frames?

HB Chris said:
According to Jackie Jouret, Hoffman lost his Mercedes distributorship in 1956 and Packard/Studebaker took over with Hoffman being paid $2.55M to end the deal. This was before he was given the BMW contract in 1962. It’s a beautiful frame and worth wearing but I think it is tribute frame. Any chance the back is stamped Robert W Brown Co, Downey CA with a date?
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It’s a very, very nice frame and no reason not to use it. My thinking is: his offices on La Cienaga and then Beatrice were both in Los Angeles, it was an office and parts/training location, there was never a store front and never in Santa Monica, and he was out of the MB business in 1956, in 1957 he had the license to sell 507s only with all models added in 1962. Your frame looks period correct for the 70s but you didn’t see these in the 60s.
 
HB Chris said:
It’s a very, very nice frame and no reason not to use it. My thinking is: his offices on La Cienaga and then Beatrice were both in Los Angeles, it was an office and parts/training location, there was never a store front and never in Santa Monica, and he was out of the MB business in 1956, in 1957 he had the license to sell 507s only with all models added in 1962. Your frame looks period correct for the 70s but you didn’t see these in the 60s.
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Thanks a bunch Chris. BTW, did you ever see a plate for “German Auto” in Birmingham, Al. The 1600GT that Mario has been restoring for me was one of five 1600GT’s originally sold in the US and was delivered by them.
 
aearch said:
EVERYONE IN AMERICA GOT THER COUPE FROM HOFFMAN
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I LOVE THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS USING ALL CAPS STILL! I'M PISSED OFF ALL THE TIME AND WANT TO YELL AT EVERYONE WEARING A MASK IN PUBLIC FOR NO MEDICAL REASON OTHER THAN LEMMINGS FOLLOWING DOUCHEBAG POLITICIANS RECOMMENDATIONS TELLING ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE!!!!! I'LL EVEN ADD BOLD!!!! WE ALL WOULD BE WAY BETTER OFF GOING ABOUT OUR LIVES LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR WHEN THERE ARE NEW STRAINS OF FLU!!! SO I"M GOING TO START DOING THE SAME THING!!!!! AND FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES MISSPELL SIMPLEEEEE WORDS TOO! I LOVE IT, NOT BEING CONDESCENDING! OK, I FEEL BETTER NOW......THANKS AEARCH! RESPECT! I'M BACK ON MY MEDS...NOT!!!!
 
Ski coach said:
Thanks a bunch Chris. BTW, did you ever see a plate for “German Auto” in Birmingham, Al. The 1600GT that Mario has been restoring for me was one of five 1600GT’s originally sold in the US and was delivered by them.
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No I haven’t and the very small dealers are especially hard to find. That is why you see large dealers like Vasek Polak, C Bob Autry Long Beach and still they are rare. I have two Zipper Beverly Hills frames but plastic in great condition and a couple others, the rest I have given to friends over the years.

There was a German Auto in LA also I think.
 
craterface said:
I cannot believe that interior was allowed to be demolished and that historic preservation rules were not applied. It had the same sort of spiral design that Wright's Guggenheim museum has.

hyperallergic.com

The Shocking Demolition of Frank Lloyd Wright's Park Avenue Showroom

It's shocking that a building designed by the biggest architect of the past century could disappear so quickly and quietly, but last month Frank Lloyd Wright's auto showroom on Park Avenue was demolished and the architectural world is just now feeling the reverberations.
hyperallergic.com hyperallergic.com
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I am still having fits of anger about that. Unbelievable!
 
Sad that history is destroyed for profit by people who already have more money than they can ever spend. Then of course they make donations for the deductions. The NYC showroom was 3600 sq feet. That is 1/2 the size of the home being built near me by some Fidelity guy. My kids would ask why someone needs a house so big. I reply, they hate their family and btw, their toilet is the same size as ours. Yes, working on our version of the book "Sh#t my father says".
 
jmackro said:
Nick: Interesting! Is the design of that surround - the font style, the address above / name below - based on an actual Hoffman license surround? Do we even know if Hoffman made license plate surrounds back in the day?
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As far as I can tell Hoffman never had plate frames. I used a picture of one someone else made and vasek polak frames to pick the font and style. It’s just what I thought one might look like. I liked the address because it was a a Frank Lloyd Wright building and my wife has a degree in architecture and I love mid century modern furniture.


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adawil2002 said:
You mean the rear reflector? They are on the both sides on back of all US spec 2002s thanks to the Federal Motorvehicle Standards of the day.
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Not to get off topic but of all the 2002's I've owned not one has had that reflector on the back panel. Side panel yes, but not of the back.
 
dang said:
Not to get off topic but of all the 2002's I've owned not one has had that reflector on the back panel. Side panel yes, but not of the back.
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Lucky I wish mine didnt have them. I think they were added in 72 or 73 but dont quote me on that.
 
HB Chris said:
Dan, All long bumper 2002s had those with the mid year 1971 update for MY 1972.
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Good to know. Looking at my photos I have one with the reflector holes and two without. I guess they removed them at some point, I'll have to check them out. As soon as I get the E3 on the road my Golf '73 tii is next...
 
Mpower5266 said:
Funny that I came upon this thread. I actually just had two made for my 2002 and my E9. I am looking into the possibility of doing a run of them.

by Nick Wood, on Flickr
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All the references online list 430 as the address on Park Ave. Was 375 the showroom address to the building at 430?
 
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