H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

[Doug C.]

Recently recieved shipping info indicates my 66 Coupe was shipped to this dealership.
Does anyone have any information on this dealership?

Internet research indicates this was a fairly famous dealership. Appears to be originally located in Hermosa Beach, moved to Manhattan Beach and ended up in Northridge CA.
The name may have changed from H.E. Baher to Competition and then to Rydell Chevrolet.
It appears the Baher dealership may have sponsored and employed Dick Guldstrand back in the day.

The gentleman - H.E. Bayer may have just passed this past February.

Advertising locally appears to be fruitless given the size of the population base in the area.

Thanks

[Don H.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

I live in Northridge, and Baher is (was) my local dealership.
I did not know of Baher in Manhattan Beach, though I have seen info on line and may have seen old photos of Guldstrand racing vettes with H.E. Baher Manhattan Beach sponsorship written on the side.
Not much to say about Baher in Northridge. I drive by Rydell everyday on my Starbucks run. The store changed names to Competition in the 80s I think, and Rydell got most of the San Fernando Valley chevy dealerships in the 90s. A couple of the old guys from Baher are still in the parts department at Rydell, but I have asked them years ago about old Baher stuff and they just laugh and say they wish they had kept some of it themselves. Let me know if there is anything else I can answer for you,
Don

[Peter G.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

Doug, do you know the street address in either Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach? See my posting:Chevrolet Dealership on PCH in Redondo Beach, CA.

Could they be the same?

[Chuck S.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

I have a set of license plate frames from Baher Chevrolet. I`ll have to check to see which location they are from.
My 1957 Chevrolet Nomad was originally delivered to Baher Chevrolet but ended up at AE Nugent Chevrolet (4th & La Brea Los Angeles) where the original owner purchased it.

[Doug C.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

Sorry Peter, I've got nothing with to specific address info.

[Michael H.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

Doug,

I lived in Manhattan Beach in 1963-64 and my dad bought a new 64 Impala SS there and the dealership was in Hermosa Beach on 707 N. Sepulveda Blvd. This is where I saw corvettes for the first time and I feel in love with them, I was only 14 but I remember meeting Dick Guldstrand as my dad was into racing so the saleman took us back and introduced us to Dick as he had a couple of stalls in the back of the dealership where he worked on his race corvettes. I'll never forget Dick's 63 or 64 which had his trade mark ( roller skate taped on his rollbar upside down ) as a couple of his fellow racers did this as a joke as Dick had rolled a corvette earlier in the year. I remember going to Riverside Raceway and seeing the Cheetah's race, boy were they fast....... I'll stop for now as I could go on and on.....

I believe there are a couple of local corvette clubs around the area Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, etc that could provide you more information.

I hope this helps.

Mike Hanley

[Michael H.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

Doug,

I lived in Manhattan Beach in 1963-64 and my dad bought a new 64 Impala SS there and the dealership was in Hermosa Beach on 707 N. Sepulveda Blvd. This is where I saw corvettes for the first time and I feel in love with them, I was only 14 but I remember meeting Dick Guldstrand as my dad was into racing so the saleman took us back and introduced us to Dick as he had a couple of stalls in the back of the dealership where he worked on his race corvettes. I'll never forget Dick's 63 or 64 which had his trade mark ( roller skate taped on his rollbar upside down ) as a couple of his fellow racers did this as a joke as Dick had rolled a corvette earlier in the year. I remember going to Riverside Raceway and seeing the Cheetah's race, boy were they fast....... I'll stop for now as I could go on and on.....

I believe there are a couple of local corvette clubs around the area Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, etc that could provide you more information.

I hope this helps.

Mike Hanley

The address is 707 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Manhattan Beach not Hermosa Beach, sorry. Looks like a Benz dealership is there now.

Mike

[Chris H.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

Just got my shipping report from the NCRS. Yeah! My '65 396 was sold at H.E. Baher. A dealership connected with Dick Guldstrand. Very cool! Build date of July 29th making it one of the last 396s built.

I have history for the car from current day back to 1970, last location known was Lompoc, CA, home of Vandenberg Air Force Base. It then made its way to the east coast.

So now I need to find out about the first 5 years of the car's life. Does anyone remember this car? It's a blue / blue coupe with side pipes.

Also, I dug up the obituary for Mr. Baher. Sounds like he lead a great life.

http://thousandoaksmortuary.com/index.php/obituaries/109-baher-hay-edward

Chris

[Don H.]

Re: H.E. Baher Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA

Just got my shipping report from the NCRS. Yeah! My '65 396 was sold at H.E. Baher. A dealership connected with Dick Guldstrand. Very cool! Build date of July 29th making it one of the last 396s built.

I have history for the car from current day back to 1970, last location known was Lompoc, CA, home of Vandenberg Air Force Base. It then made its way to the east coast.

So now I need to find out about the first 5 years of the car's life. Does anyone remember this car? It's a blue / blue coupe with side pipes.

Also, I dug up the obituary for Mr. Baher. Sounds like he lead a great life.

http://thousandoaksmortuary.com/index.php/obituaries/109-baher-hay-edward

Chris

Hey Chris
sorry I have no help for you on your car's early history, but as my car proudly wears Baher Northridge license frames, I have to tell you I enjoyed reading the brief story of Mr. Baher's life. Very interesting, and you know he had to be one tough son of a bitch to survive his time as a japanese POW, especially on the Bridge OT River Kwai project. The movie made that project look horrible, but I saw a docu on it and it was much worse than that. Many men perished from maltreatment, the elements, torture and the hard labor. Reinforces my desire to own American made cars. I did not know Mr. Baher, but I salute him...