[LeighP]

Hello all,
Historical question.
I have a 68 Firebird that was sold through Lukens Pontiac in LeMesa California....seems it spent it whole life in CA as that where it was bought before being imported to Australia.
Car was a low mile, rust free vehicle that appears to have been garage kept and used sparingly. Was a base model V8 Manual floor shift car that had a 428 conversion done.....information from the seller in California was that it was a dealer conversion done on purchase.
I tried on line searches regarding Lukens Pontiac and came up with a few pics and virtually no information other that their location in LeMesa.
Anyone have any background on this dealership?
Many thanks.

[OG68]

This was all I could come up with . I've been in the San Diego area since 89 and this is the first I've heard of Lukens Pontiac of La Mesa. Maybe someone who's lived here longer can come up with something more.

https://photostore.sandiegohistory.o...exterior-1969/

[Ben M.]

From the various reading I've been able to do, it started out as another Pontiac dealer and Lukens was the name for it later on in the '60s. It was apparently on Morningside Way along with a load of other car dealerships (Chevrolet and Buick). It appears sometime in the late '70s or early '80s the entire area was bulldozed for progress and the street no longer exists. If you look on a modern map where it may have been, the La Mesa shopping center is right around that area along with Interstate 8.

Someone who has been there longer (like going back to 1972 or earlier) would be required to find out more info I'm afraid...

[LeighP]

Yeah, thanks guys.....pretty much what I also found. Long gone dealership.
I guess if they did the conversion, it was done as something one off that a customer wanted, rather than offering conversions like Royal or other dealers with a name for performance tuning.
Appreciate the help.

[AZ64GP]

Lukens must have been around in the early/mid 60's as well. Per the PHS documentation I received, Lukens was where my '64 Grand Prix was purchased. I've tried to find documentation on Lukens as well and have found very little. Not much more than what other folks have posted in this thread already.

[LeighP]

Yeah, one of those disappearing dealers...

[Ben M.]

Car dealerships are a more volatile business than most would think. Other than the 2 large big name dealers (who were a pseudo-chain based out of Dallas) in the city where I grew up, most dealerships changed names and marques at least every 5 years. Some of them switched from Chevrolet and Dodge to Subaru and to Mitsubishi. A few of them got into big problems with their taxes (Joe Elmore) and another got busted washing titles and dodging state sales tax (Sloan Brothers Buick) and ended up getting forced out of business. Even more were merged with others to be a super dealer conglomerate - the Sewell family owns over a dozen and has been in business 100 years.

All things that if you didn't grow up or live in the area before the internet the chances of you knowing are slim to none. Back then dealerships tended to be family owned and were sold off if the person who owned got sick or wanted to retire, causing name changes. Then when you look at GM's new dealership building requirements and mandatory inventory holdings, a lot of the older non-superstore dealers went under or sold out.

Progress, you just can't stop it.

[MikeNoun]

Lukens Pontiac sold the only 1969 Trans Am RAIV ordered with Wire Wheel Covers. It was also a column shift car.

[Formulabruce]

My car is from Escondido. (Young Pontiac). I have found interesting info from newspapers of that era/location. Sales ads, service specials and some pics too. Some historical sites online offer scans of newsprint . Some is free, some a small membership fee. Make sure you search "La Mesa" not "Le".