The Real Smith Motors
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There really was a Smith Motors Edsel dealership in my home town of Hickory, NC in 1957 when the Edsel was introduced.
This ad contains the only photo I have found of the dealership building and is very bad, due to the fact that it came
from a microfilm copy of the local newspaper.
An ad for the Grand Opening! Apparently, Hammond organ music drew big crowds in 1957!
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At left is a newspaper article about the new dealership, complete with photos of the general manager, and the office manager. And on the right is an ad they ran the day before E-day. A later ad stated that more than 10,000 people visited the dealership during the grand opening to see the new Edsels (or to hear that organ music!)
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The ad on the left ran when the first Citation convertible was sold at the dealership. It hit the paper on September 9, 1957. At right, a later ad mentioned The Edsel Show, with Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby!
Email: smith@edsel.net