Northview Motors Inc Pittsburgh Pa

[scott]

Here's a pic of the former location of what was the Pittsburgh area's largest AMC dealer. The building was torn down at least 10 years ago. It was located at 4471 McKnight Rd (AKA McKnight International Raceway to those of us that used to race there on Friday & Saturday nights back in the day) Pittsburgh Pa 15237. This dealer was located right around the corner from where I work. The dealer closed around 92-94, & sat vacant for a long while. The AMC Select Used Cars sign was still over the used car lot. I called the realtor that was trying to sell the property, & told him I wanted to buy the sign. He had the owner of the dealership, Frank Cuda, call me. He said he didn't want to sell the sign, but said he'd visit me at work to chat when he was in the area. He showed up on day in a mid 60's Rambler convertible that he was shipping to Florida for his daughter. He was a grandfatherly looking guy, very different than some of the rumors I had heard about how the dealership was run. Like all former dealers, he had lots of stories to tell!! The property eventually sold, & they started demo-ing the building. I tried to go past it as often as possible, hoping I could get ahold of someone that would let me remove the used cars sign. I went by one day & all the sign & light posts were cut off & smashed on the ground. The sign was destroyed. I did jump in a dumpster, & rescued a bunch of car sales folders with all the paperwork that went with the sale of a car. A pic of a couple of window stickers is shown. Some of the paperwork shows a guy traded in a 70 360 2 door Ambassador for a 71 360 4v Javelin, nicely equipped. He later traded that for a 73 360 4v Javelin, also nicely equipped. I'd love to connect the paperwork I have with a car that is still out there, but no luck so far.

This dealer site is a couple of minutes from Heil's AMC, & minutes away from a couple of the gas stations I've posted in the PA gas station section.

   

[AMX]

Too bad about the sign. I hear about stuff like that all the time. Usually it's a car someone wont sell because they are "going to restore it someday". By the time they get around to doing something with it there isn't anything left. Why not take the money? 

[theamcguy]

About 1 mile to a mile and a half up McKnight Rd from Northview at the south exit to Northway Mall sat R. E. Jahn Rambler, the North Hills Rambler dealer before Northview Motors.  The dealership was at the bottom of the hill from the mall just down from where the exit entered McKnight.   

[Route 66 Rambler]

Thanks much for the pics and the stories.  I'd love to see the paperwork connect with somebody's car out there.  It's this kind of dedication that is keeping AMC alive.  New steel bodies would be nice, but the piece by piece approach is working for us, too...

[scott]

Cool to hear from you amcguy, someone that knows the former dealers in the area!! The R E Jahn name sounded familiar to me, then I figured it out. There's a used car dealer by that name in Wexford Pa. They say the were established in 1967, maybe after they gave up on Rambler, or vice versa. There's an old abandoned gas station, then a mexican restaurant, then some other businesses, where you say R E Jahn was located. I know the location well, I wonder which lot they used to occupy.

That stretch of McKnight rd has some AMC memories for me. I remember a night in the late 80's, me in my 68 AMX with two friends, one roughing it behind the seats. I raced a GTO from light to light, 4 times. The GTO lost every time. We used to spend lots of time cruising on McKnight rd. 

[theamcguy]

I live in NC now but grew up in North Hills 1961-1977.  Last time I was home I saw the Jahn name up in Wexford too.  RE Jahn Rambler was there in the early 60s but went out of business around 1967.  That is about the time Northview was established.  I know this because I saw a SC/Rambler at Northview Motors in 1969.  As far as where RE Jahn Rambler was located it was either the first or second building after the gas station.  Was not a very big building, just a small little brick building.  I'd say stop by the lot in Wexford and ask for any info on the old rambler dealership address, photos.  Maybe they have a picture you can shoot or scan.