Jalopnik
With all this talk about Citröens around here, it's sad that I hardly ever get to see them in real life. That's why it was great to discover that there's a shop specializing in Citröen repair in downtown Oakland, just a few miles from Alameda. Commenter VWMiniSpeedster's great-grandfather opened the shop in 1918, and the family also owned a dealership selling Citröens, Panhards, Morgans, and Lloyds during the 1950s. Nowadays they still fix the old French machinery and have quite the collection on the premises. Make the jump for more photos, a description of the shop's history, and (for you wannabe 24 Hours of LeMons contestants) a chance to get a deal on a potential race car!
You can see VWMiniSpeedster's complete set of photos here. Here's what he has to say about his family's ancestral shop:
May 1, 1918 "Manny & Hanzel" @ 20th & Broadway started by my great-grandfather Sigmund Hanzel
1926 Manny & Hanzel sever ties and now its just my great-grandfather running the show - location @ Broadway & McArthur Freeway
Moved to 23rd & Valdez sometime between '26 and '46.
May 1, 1946 - present - current location @ 456 23rd Street. Grandfather Ed Hanzel had the building at the current location constructed. Within the body shop he had his side lines of HanzLift (tow truck fabrication), Hanzel Air Conditioning and Hanzel Battery. His 1952 Ford F-3 tow truck is still in use today.
1955 - 1959 "Hanzel Motors" was established as well. The wide range of "big sellers": Citroen, Panhard, Morgan and Lloyd. The location is where the current Kia dealership is at on Broadway across from the VW dealership.
Current owner Henry Hanzel took over ownership on June 1, 1984 and has continued the Hanzel legacy to the present day. Henry's daily driver is a 1972 Citroen DS21 wagon with Citromatic shifting and 290,000 miles. When the wagon is presenting troubles he has a spare daily driver in the form of a 1970 DS21 Sedan with a manual 4 speed. This PLUSH ride has also seen thousands of miles, 280,000 to be precise; some in the form of SCCA rallies in the 1970's. Henry drove to the race, raced, often didn't finish last, and drove home with the AC still blowing cool air after an exciting weekend.
Not only that, he's got a nice solid Volvo 740 sedan that's just begging to be made into a 24 Hours of LeMons car. Don't be put off by the $500 price, because I've already learned that Volvo parts are easy to sell!
Comments
Matchbox is selling a DS. It's all I can have. I love it.
They put "Grettle's" out of business!
Is it bad that I'm more fascinated with the Colt/Lancer wagon?
I'll take that Traction-Avant, pretty please.
at least the matchbox will be easy to repair...
This is incredibly, mind-blowingly awesome, and I might have to make a trip to the East Bay to visit. However, it's another example of the old rule that the only people who can handle French cars as daily drivers are mechanics-- usually mechanics who specialize in French cars. And this guy, bless him, still needs an extra DS for when his primary car is being troublesome. That's hardcore. The fact that this place also sold Panhards is even more hardcore. Those babies are almost as spaceship-like as DSs and SMs.
So, VWMiniSpeedster, do you have a Citroen too?
I totally forgot about the Citroen wagons. Total mutant. Wonder how many francs--sorry--Euros that would set me back.
@LTDScott: Is that what that is? I was wondering.
By default, all French cars are eligible for LeMons, because they *all* have a maximum book value of 500 USD, according to the Shitbox Market Letter.
There's a Traction Avant in there, awesome post!
@LTDScott: Hell,I'm lusting after the tow truck.....
The red wagon, the one in the middle-top picture, I swore, for the first 2.4 seconds looking at it, was some lost wagon version of the '73 Gremlin.
AMC...Citroen...there are more connections than I thought.
Is it bad I see a $500 1990 740 Volvo as being a decent daily driver instead of a LeMons entry? I always liked the refrigerator look of it, all slab-sided and whatnot.
that's rad. I'm going there tomorrow. I want the white DS.
Thanks Murilee for the post!! While we love (and repair) Citroens of all types we will also fix any car from any country; England, Italy, France, Germany, Japan and even America!! It just happened to be a full house of Citroens and other non-EFI cars the day I shot those. While I do not own a Citroen of my own I had the pleasure of driving Dad's blue sedan "PLUSH" in highschool in the late 90's. Thanks Dad!! As for the Colt/Lancer wagon that is one of out painter's cars and he is currently repainting his other project car: the then mint green/now pearl white DS. It is looking awesome. With talent like that it is no surprise we've been around for 90 years!
@vwminispeedster: What a great business you have there. Citroens are the least understood car in the US. But the real highpoint of the photos was the Ford Wrecker. That this is in incredible shape. And what's the story with the Porsche?
@LTDScott: Yes.
@thatguy01: I hope that's a joke. If not, it's one of the most misguided (or downright foolish) things I've ever heard. In the UK, a really good DS costs around £12,000 ($24,000). Bank on somewhere in the region of £20,000 ($40,000) for an SM and if you need to ask about a genuine DS Chapron convertible, don't, because you can't afford it. Far from worthless, far from 'shitboxes'.
@UDMAN: The Ford's nice, but the highpoint!? Come on man! Are you a Jalop or what?
@Armand4: Dad daily drives both his sedan and wagon, both are running smoothly and both have nearly 300,000 miles each. We don't need any extras. :)
I, too, am in awe over that white-over-blue Ford wrecker with the family signage. The whole photo collection provides a museum of interesting artifacts (including the old matchbook). What a cool family to grow up in...!
@UDMAN: The shop is actually my dad's (he is standing next to the towtruck in the photo) and is the 3rd generation owner. The towtruck lift portion was designed, patented and fabricated by my grandfather under his other company, HanzLift. He did all sorts of conversions on American trucks of the period.
The 912 engine will eventually go in the Intermeccanica Speedster there in the garage. It had a broken crankshaft and is slooooowly being put back together. Right now its a beautiful conversation piece in the garage.
@vwminispeedster: Ok, now the HanzLift; that's cool!
@Euromobile: In my defense, I have seen way more SMs than Colt wagons since my friend used to work next to a Citroen shop here in San Diego.
@LTDScott: Fair play. I appreciate the rarity of the Colt wagon, but it still looks a bit ordinary next to four DSes.
That is really, really cool. I love a family owned business, and if they're a good one I'll go out of my way to use their product/services.
What is a Lloyd?
CA seems to be a great place for a shop like that. All the Citröens here in the Northeast rusted out within the first 10 years.
My mom had a '68 DS ID19, I think it lasted about 6 years before the frame had rusted through... which, considering she keeps her cars for 15 years on average, she was not happy about. Loved the car, but, they didn't know how to rustproof them for the bad weather. Shame really, since it was a unique design and mechanically it was relatively reliable.
@vwminispeedster: I notice that one or two of those DSes have Euro-spec head lights. How did you pull that off?
@VWMINISPEEDSTER
There was a similar garage in a town near me that specialized in Studebakers. Unfortunately, it has closed. BTW, what is a Lloyd?
@smokeydog001: [en.wikipedia.org]) Lloyd: a German car that was only slightly less successful than VW. And by slightly I mean not even close. But dang wouldn't one of Lloyd LT 600's have been cool!!
@smokeydog001:
A small German automaker that eventually folded into Borgward. Had no idea they ever tried to sell them in the US though. That must have taken some guts, especially in the 50s.
@vwminispeedster: Awesome; what a great heritage! Can you send your tow truck to Ohio to pick up my Lloyd LS 600 for its 10,000 mile service?
I heart the East Bay!
So cool!
Are you guys hiring? Hell, I'd drop out of school and move across the country to work on old French cars. Might make for an interesting novel someday.
Thanks guys, that's a new one for me. With a Welsh name, I would have never associated it with Borgward. Thought maybe it was the carpenter who built Morgan frames. ;) I had a neighbor once that owned both an Isetta and a Messerschmitt. I'll have to check out this place and see if they have a Lloyd [www.lanemotormuseum.org] .
@Kelly: I think LTDScott is onto something with his Dodgeabishi guess. I knew I recognized it, I just couldn't name it.
@Euromobile: you simply replace the american ones with euro ones and as a CHP officer once said, "Don't blind anyone and I don't care".
US headlight laws were revised in 1985 and several times since then so they aren't a problem now.
Wimpy Lexuses only have 15 degrees of turning. I love the 180 degrees of high beam lighting.
@junkman: once we recieve your $10,000 deposit ($1 per mile is reasonable) and the snow melts, we will dispatch the '52 immediately.
@smokeydog001: Here's my homage (and photo) to a Lloyd: [www.thetruthaboutcars.com]
That Hanzel's so hot right now
@vwminispeedster:
Your not joking. That thing is so sweet!!
Seeing myself lusting after all these old Citroens makes me want to go buy one. Is this normal. . . Perhaps i need to go see the doc.
@Schm: It's normal here!
@pauln: Hey, that's just like my car, only tan and white with green fabric sunroof and upholstery.
@vwminispeedster: Sounds reasonable. The check is in the mail.
Nice stuff, thanks!
@VWMINISPEEDSTER: Your family seems to be even crazier than mine. Members of my extended family had at least fifteen Peugeots of various models, from the 203 to the 505. My grandfather had a DS21 wagon, just like in the picture. I suppose it's possible that he even purchased it at Hanzel's, although if there was a dealer in San Francisco he probably would have gone there instead. Still, using misunderstood French cars as daily drivers is totally hardcore, even if they're relatively reliable.
I hella [heart] Oakland. And Jalopnik.
I happened by Hanzel's while parking in this very lot for a Paramount show. Most body shops don't have a Traction Avant calling out to the world...
Matchbox also has a nice white Alfa out right now.
Here's some clips of the DS taken from various films: [www.enzods.com]