Hollywood Sports Cars | FerrariChat

Hollywood Sports Cars

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by epdowd, May 22, 2009.

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  1. epdowd

    epdowd Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    May 31, 2005
    675
    Los Angeles, CA
    Full Name:
    Tom Wilson
    I was looking at a series of ads for Hollywood Sports Cars in some 1975 issues of Ferrari (the FOC magazine) and noticed they included an address of 1934 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills in addition to the normal 5766 Hollywood Blvd. Now Beverly Hills is in the 9000 block of Wilshire and the 1900 block is in the McArthur Park area of Los Angeles; not your typical Ferrari locale. Can anybody shed some light on this?
     
  2. rossodino

    rossodino Formula Junior

    Dec 16, 2007
    447
    corona del mar, ca.
    Full Name:
    bruce sansone
    I was in the Beverly Hills store in 1973, it was located next to Hillcrest Cadillac on Wilshire Blvd. As far as the address is concerned, perhaps it was a typo and should have been 9340 Wilshire you knows? It was a small 3 car showroom.
     
  3. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
    6,535
    Edwardsville, IL
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    Jeff Kennedy
    There was the main store in Hollywood then then the service department for the Ferraris on Gower.

    If I remember correctly the Ferrari of Beverly Hills was originally a Hollywood Sports Car entity but later FNA forced the sale to FNA to become a company store.

    Jeff
     
  4. epdowd

    epdowd Formula Junior
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    May 31, 2005
    675
    Los Angeles, CA
    Full Name:
    Tom Wilson
    Sounds reasonable to me but there must have been a bunch of disappointed Ferrari owners wandering around McArthur Park in the '70's. The ad and address were the back cover of the Ferrari Owners Club newsletter for the year and a half of issues that I have.
     
    of2worlds likes this.
  5. jlonmark

    jlonmark F1 Rookie

    Mar 29, 2005
    3,173
    Beverly Hills, CA
    Full Name:
    Jay
    I remember my dad put a deposit in 1985 down on the Testarossa and I think the dealership closed shortly after.
     
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  6. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
    7,289
    Etceterini Land
    Full Name:
    Dr.Stuart Schaller
    Hollywood Sports cars (the Vandegraffs) was just east of the Hollywood Freeway on Hollywood Blvd in the 1960s.
     
  7. 410SA

    410SA F1 Veteran

    Nov 2, 2003
    8,511
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    Chick Vandergriff, the father, ran Hollywood. His son Chris Vandergriff opened the current Ferrari of Beverly Hills in early 1984 with Factory backing. He was promised the dealership for himself but the then FNA administration under Buitoni (of the famous pasta family) had other ideas. Chris was removed about a year later and the factory later gave the store to a a Ferrari family member.
     
  8. prance

    prance Formula Junior

    May 4, 2005
    513
    Agoura Hills
    Full Name:
    morris
    I bought a 1987 328GTS in 1988 from Chris. As I remember the dealership was around for a couple of years after that. After my warranty expired, around 1990, I started going to Bruno on La Brea and lost contact with Hollywood Sport Cars. I do remember Chris telling me that he had a law degree and only intended to stay in the Ferrari business as long as the market was crazy and afterwards he would practice law. He mentioned that he had made a fortune buying and selling cars during that period.
    Morris
     
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  9. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
    7,289
    Etceterini Land
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    Dr.Stuart Schaller
    Yes, but both Chris and Skip both worked at the Hollywood Blvd store (which also sold some British cars) before the Wilshire Blvd store opened (it was foremerly a Fiat dealership!)
     
  10. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
    7,289
    Etceterini Land
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    Dr.Stuart Schaller
    #10 dretceterini, May 24, 2009
    Last edited: May 24, 2009
    Chris is a big shot at one of the vintage racing associations on the west coast. I think it's HMSA....
     
  11. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
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    Jeff Kennedy
    I remember the dealership having the British range (specifically recall Jaguar) plus Ferrari and Maserati.

    Jeff
     
  12. regaliaconcours

    regaliaconcours Formula Junior

    Jul 6, 2006
    310
    Sun Valley
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    MICHAEL REGALIA
    #12 regaliaconcours, May 24, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  13. 410SA

    410SA F1 Veteran

    Nov 2, 2003
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    I just noticed that I posted 1984 instead of 1994. That's when FoBH opened.
     
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  14. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,430
    B.C., Canada
    The last time I was in L.A. was back in '94 and drove by to check them out and it had looked like they had just closed. The signs were still up, yet there were loads of graffiti on the walls of the building and was generally quite trashed (office chairs and filing cabinets strewn about the parking lot).

    I was quite saddened to see that. The first time I visited was back in '88 and I was 12 years old at the time. They were very friendly and showed me around the place, they let me take pictures (I nearly s*** my pants when I saw they had TWO 288 GTO's in the showroom!!!) and at at the end of the "tour" one of the managers gave me a poster of Michelle Alboreto driving one of the F1 cars... It was an experience I still vividly remember, even while typing this...
     
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  15. of2worlds

    of2worlds F1 World Champ
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    Apr 6, 2004
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    Didn't Chris provide a 288 GTO for the story in the American magazine 'AUTOMOBILE' about 1985?
    CH
     
  16. Randy Forbes

    Randy Forbes Formula Junior

    Jul 14, 2006
    741
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Sports Cars Plus,LLC
    The trip Dan Gurney took up Mrs. Orcutt's driveway; I have that issue and could verify...
     
  17. ferrariblex

    ferrariblex Karting

    Sep 28, 2005
    117
    Madison, WI
    Full Name:
    Brandon Blexrude
    I have an original Ferrari full-line brochure printed by Hollywood Sports Cars that covers the 365 GT 2+2, 365 GTB/4, and 365 GTC/4. There is a picture of a Ferrari 512 S race car on the cover of the brochure along with two of their addresses posted:

    Hollywood Sports Cars
    5766 Hollywood Boulevard
    Hollywood, Calif.
    (213)464-6166

    Newport Imports
    3100 West Coast Highway
    Newport Beach, California 92660

    The brochure is also stamped with a 3rd address with I believe is the name of a salesman that worked there at the time:

    Please ask for:
    Dave Lewis C/O
    Hollywood Sports Cars
    5768 Hollywood Boulevard
    Hollywood, Calif. 90028

    I think it would be really cool if someone could post some original photos of the dealership from the past!
     
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  18. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
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    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    What was the exact adress of this dealer in the 60s?
     
  19. Boudewijn

    Boudewijn F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    May 15, 2003
    4,133
    The Netherlands
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    Boudewijn Berkhoff
    Hollywood Sport (not Sports) Cars
    5766 Hollywood Boulevard
    Hollywood 25, California
    (213)464-6166
     
  20. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
    6,535
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    The service department for the Ferraris was some blocks away on Gower.

    Jeff
     
  21. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
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    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    THanks Boudewijn & Jeff!
     
  22. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 30, 2007
    91,680
    #22 GuyIncognito, Dec 6, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  23. El Wayne

    El Wayne F1 World Champ
    Staff Member Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 1, 2002
    18,043
    San Marino, CA
    Full Name:
    L. Wayne Ausbrooks
  24. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
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    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    Who was the owner of that dealership in the 60s/70s?
     
  25. babci

    babci Formula Junior
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    May 19, 2011
    281
    #25 babci, Dec 6, 2013
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2013
    Chick Vandagriff was the General Manager and was the majority interest owner. His son is Cris Vandagriff currently the President of HMSA (Historic Motor Sports Association) and can be reached at their offices located at 2029 Verdugo Blvd, #1010 Montrose, CA 91020 Phone # 818-249-3515.
     

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