Dunn Chevrolet operated by...
Dunn Chevrolet operated by father and son James and James Jr. out of this building from 1941 to 2007, selling Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, and even Geos for a while. The building was originally a livery stable built in the 20s, with the old stables eventually being used as parts storage for the dealership.
As kids, we all remember dreams of finding buried treasure or some lost relic as our imaginations ran wild through the fields of our youth. Growing up these dreams fade and give way to more adult realities, but for car guys we never lose that dream of unearthing the buried automotive treasure that you only hear about in legends. From the hidden in a barn '57 Fuelie to the L-78 Camaro a little old lady kept in her garage for decades, we always keep our eyes open for the lost or forgotten Bowtie treasures that could be lurking underneath a sheet, behind a barn door, or in a basement of an old warehouse.
Keith Rowell found not just a single item, but a whole treasure trove of GM artifacts and new-old-stock (NOS) jewels that hadn't seen the light of day in decades. Boxes of parts still in original boxes from the 30s, 40s, 50s, all the way up to today. Original NOS sheet metal still in shipping crates, original tires, all sorts of amazing parts and pieces. Originally Keith purchased the contents to try and reopen the dealership and sell cars again, since the business was profitable up to the day the doors were locked for the final time. But, with GM's current financial crisis, the support wasn't there to keep the dealership alive.
So, the next option of finding a purpose for everything stored in the dealership was chosen. Right now Keith and his friends are going through everything, working on grouping and cataloging all items for possible auction in batches, or maybe selling the whole contents at a Barrett-Jackson auction.
Follow along as we walk back through time to the golden age of Chevrolet and the American car industry, and explore the amazing cache of objects inside this unassuming brick building.
 This was the dealership's...  This was the dealership's service area up until the business closed in 2007. Yes, those are wood floors you see. To support the weight of cars, the floor is heavily braced underneath with massive timbers. Notice the art deco ceiling? At some point between being a stable and a dealership, the building served as a bus depot. |  The main lobby of the dealership...  The main lobby of the dealership is packed full of GM brochures, films, memorabilia, and items originally sold by the business over the years. Covering the walls are pictures spanning the dealership's life, and promotional material from Chevrolet as new models were released. |  Here founder James Dunn Sr....  Here founder James Dunn Sr. stands in front of the dealership in 1949. The Chevrolet Genuine Parts neon sign in the background still hangs in that same window today. |
 This is just a sample of the...  This is just a sample of the pictures, brochures, and newspaper clippings collected by the Dunn family over the business' life. For a small town like Roanoke, back in the 50s and 60s the dealership was a central part of local life and the community. |  Here's a picture from an old...  Here's a picture from an old dealer planning committee meeting. |  When the '55 Chevy debuted...  When the '55 Chevy debuted at Chevrolet dealerships in the fall of 1954, it reinvigorated Chevrolet and created a new image for the company with such a sleek, sporty design. This massive sales booklet was one of many tools that salesman had at dealerships to help sell customers into new '55s. Notice that this booklet is an early one that doesn't show the 210 hardtop in the lineup? |