Did Hoffman Motors have license plate frames?

[Stevehose]

According to the 1st owner of my car, it was purchased at Hoffman in Manhattan, he lived in Greenwich CT. I think i have seen 1 Hoffman plate frame on a 2002, did they make them for their dealerships, and if anyone has one, I'd love to put one on the old girl!

 

[aearch]

EVERYONE IN AMERICA GOT THER COUPE FROM HOFFMAN

 

[Stevehose]

Yes I know that, I'm referring to the dealership/showroom on Park Avenue, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

EVERYONE IN AMERICA GOT THER COUPE FROM HOFFMAN

 

[ccr2002]

I’ve seen a few threads wtb on pelican, earky911sregistry and 2002faq over the years. Never seen one for sale. Never seen a positive response for someone offering one. They must be really rare. But here is a pic offered on a thread Paul Cain started years ago looking for one.

 

[adawil2002]

This is the short story of the pictured Malaga 2002 with the Hoffman license plate frame.
I took that photo in 2010 at the first Vintage at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs New York.

The owner had that Hoffman frame custom made.

Dealers had their own license plate frames, so my theory, Max Hoffman would be either Manhattan BMW or BMW of Manhattan. In Connecticut there is the Hoffman Auto Group https://www.hoffmanauto.com and they do sell BMWs. So could be worth a call or visit to get one that says Hoffman on it.

 

[bavbob]

Geeze that fog light, sidelight, reverse light or whatever it is really spoils it (yes, not a 2002 guy or I would know what that thing was).

 

[adawil2002]

Geeze that fog light, sidelight, reverse light or whatever it is really spoils it (yes, not a 2002 guy or I would know what that thing was).

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.

 

[bavbob]

Yes. Guess some of us are better at seeing reflected rather than direct light. Another DOT thing I don't get. Still doesn't top the " All brake fluid has to be gold/brown" so we no longer can get ATE blue which was so awesome when changing out your fluid.

 

[CSteve]

Yes. Guess some of us are better at seeing reflected rather than direct light. Another DOT thing I don't get. Still doesn't top the " All brake fluid has to be gold/brown" so we no longer can get ATE blue which was so awesome when changing out your fluid.

Autokunst(Stephen) and I had reproduction CSRegistry license plate frames made. And repro decals. And repro grill badges. I live in PA where the newest state antique plate comes with a Model A or T Ford on the left half. Imagine that ugly sucker on the back of your coupe. Or any other "classic." But I found a company that will take the numbers and letters of the current plate and put them on the beautiful old style plate. Why are most state's classic and antique plates designed by people who know nothing about design?

 

[Stan]

Autokunst(Stephen) and I had reproduction CSRegistry license plate frames made. And repro decals. And repro grill badges. I live in PA where the newest state antique plate comes with a Model A or T Ford on the left half. Imagine that ugly sucker on the back of your coupe. Or any other "classic." But I found a company that will take the numbers and letters of the current plate and put them on the beautiful old style plate. Why are most state's classic and antique plates designed by people who know nothing about design?

Probably someone's cousin...

 

[HB Chris]

I did see one once, Hoffman had a distribution office in Marina Del Rey near Santa Monica. It might have been at CoupeKing on a customer’s car.

 

[Erik]

CONTENTdm

hdl.huntington.org

No plate frames in evidence, but the look of the place is interesting.

 

[HB Chris]

I think BMWNA had to buy it from him in 75 when he was bought out (or chased out!)

 

[adawil2002]

I think BMWNA had to buy it from him in 75 when he was bought out (or chased out!)

Hoffman’s exit deal was pretty lucrative. $250/BMW sold until 1988 from what I recall Jackie Jouret mentioning. Documented in her 2002 book.

 

[autokunst]

Barely related. But when I worked at a BMW dealership in Illinois many years ago, they put license plate frames on every car they sold or bought. This was in the '80s and '90s. They were black plastic, with raised/painted white letters - not the chromed metal frames that were once used. I can't imagine wanting one of those plastic jobs from that dealership. The first thing I did was remove the frames and replace with a nice metal version sans branding. But the historic reference to Hoffman would tell a different story, I admit.

 

[Ski coach]

Is this what you’re referring to? I found this a while back and restored it myself.

 

[HB Chris]

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?

 

[CSteve]

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?

Oh for a time machine. Settle down in one of Mies's Barcelona Chairs with the light streaming in from that wall of glass behind. Page through a brochure or two then take a test drive. Followed by a trip to the parts department to order a truck load of now NLA parts. Then it's back to the future.

 

[craterface]

Yes I know that, I'm referring to the dealership/showroom on Park Avenue, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

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.

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

 

[Ski coach]

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?

I will check Chris. I don‘t think it’s a tribute but will check the back on Wed. Thanks for the follow up)