Great details – thanks much.
Do you know the year when Vasek Polak moved from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach? When the Vasek Hermosa Beach dealership location opened, did he keep the Manhattan Beach location for a race shop?
Great details – thanks much.
Do you know the year when Vasek Polak moved from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach? When the Vasek Hermosa Beach dealership location opened, did he keep the Manhattan Beach location for a race shop?
1973 – Wester Porsche Audi
Don't know how desperate you are Bud but I have one from Merlin-Olsen Encino which is what it became after Gabriel OlsenOriginally Posted by cjtbt
Pm me if you're interested
Porsche taste on a Volkswagen budget...
Hey, i --- here's another post . . .
In some ways, Polak was prolly the original One True Porsche Collector. I mean --- he was pulling 4-Cams outta cars decades before anyone even thought they were worth anything. His dealerships' display windows on PCH were filled w/ 908s, 917s, 935s --- even CSLs . . . long after the cars stopped racing . . . and not because they were valuable. When I first went in to his store --- ~'79? . . . those cars were just dusty/nasty relics = worthless
But not to him
And as the years went by, those displays with those cars only grew --- both in size + remarkability + f*cking-amazingness
And when he passed? . . . . . . . . 'garage sale' = frenzy
Anyway, please consider the dates given above as more 'outline' than testament
I think he was the same with his business addresses --- think 'real estate.' Polak came to this country with the shirt on his back and the brains in his head, and subsequently built his whole business from the ground up with his bare hands. Old School Tough. From the few things that I've read and in talking with some few people who dealt with him, Polak appears to've been highly acquisitive --- I don't know if he ever sold anything for convenience --- he had a brand-new 3-year-old BMW stuck up in the rafters that I tried to buy = 'no discount' . . . so I would regard any address changes or dates with some care. Any retail space on PCH was stupid-valuable --- even Back Then. And Polak didn't need the money --- didn't care about money, anyway . . .
. . . or any competition
Does seem that he moved the Porsche store several times . . . but perhaps only to install another of his dealerships into that location? --- I'm thinking BMW or SAAB? . . . or just used the real estate for over-flow or used car sales
The best accounts regard time/place would be from the people who bought their cars there --- the ones' where all these dealer frames came from . . .
. . . but only a few accounts . . .
. . . and no picture, yet
Jeez --- I passed by the place for years . . .
. . . never took a picture
.........
Thanks much…
The reason I was asking about the Manhattan Beach address is that the VP Racing Brochure from 1976/1977 is odd since it still lists the earlier address. A Vasek Polak advertisement from 1973 shows two showroom locations (BMW and Porsche + Audi) and I believe this may be the Hermosa Beach address.
More on the green VP inserts…
The plastic Vasek Polak insert in the B&W photo appears to be the version with Robert W. Brown printed at the bottom. There was a different version for sale on Pelican a few years ago that has Ben Romer at the bottom with slightly different font...likely a later production.
Here’s a 1969 BMW Service book that has the BMW dealership at their Manhattan Beach address. Manhattan Beach could be the dealer showroom in the left-side of the 1973 Vasek Polak advertisement with the right-side showing the Hermosa Beach showroom.
If this is the case, Vasek Polak likely phased out the Manhattan Beach Porsche plate frames by 1969.
. . . The plastic Vasek Polak insert in the B&W photo appears to be the version with Robert W. Brown printed at the bottom. There was a different version for sale on Pelican a few years ago that has Ben Romer at the bottom with slightly different font...likely a later production.
Interesting . . .
. . . a new/different address
Last edited by LongRanger; 06-20-2017 at 04:39 AM.
Thought this might be of some ancillary interest. My '68 912 came from Vern Hagestad dealership. Was hoping to find a license plate frame (s) but came across this on the 356 Registry:
"Vern's son Bob has been in the Dallas area since 1988 and owns Metro Volkswagen located in Irving, Texas on Highway 183 near DFW Airport. Two of his three sons have been in the business and one of his sons is now President. Bob is Chairman. Bob told me several years ago that unlike most VW and/or early Porsche dealers they did not have license plate frames, but did attach dealer badges to the engine lid or rear valance. "
After that I came across this on the Samba:
Even though it was missing last two letters, I thought that maybe the lady recommended by Live From New York might be able to make the last two letters and fix the badge. Then I cam across this:
Figured that the two could be combined by the "Badge Lady" (Maxwell). One of those little projects I was going to do that after the 911 gets finished. After all that and despite representation by Vern's son I came across a plate frame from Vern Hagestad on the Samba. However, it was for VW. Wondering if there was also a Porsche plate? Be that as it may, this dealer badge was affixed next to the license plate on the sheet metal and I'll do that. Set at a 45 degree angle. I think one appears on that tan '66 911 that Seinfeld sold at auction.
Last edited by doigthom; 06-21-2017 at 05:00 AM.
I would imagine that Vern Hagestad had plate frames with the Porsche logo as the dealership sign included one in 1966.
Cool plate!
From the '68-'69 PDLs . . .
425/105/1
Vern Hagestad VW Ltd (nee Motor Company)
7800 West Colfax Ave
Denver (Lakewood), CO 80215
Looks like Vern started out in Cheyenne, Wyoming
.........................
Last edited by LongRanger; 06-25-2017 at 06:13 AM.
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