When it was illuminated at night, that neon Richfield sign must have come close to matching the brightness of the sunny August sky in our photo today. But the fog lights on the new Ford at the pumps and the ten year old Plymouth in the service bay hint that days this clear were not so common in this coastal community. The immaculate condition of both the exterior and work area of this father and son partnership suggest to us that they either took a great deal of pride in the business or it was a new operation.

The big Allen Engine Analyzer in our bottom photo was state-of-the-art at the time. It was a far cry from today’s digital equipment, but a mechanic could put a razor sharp tune up on an engine with one, if he knew what he was doing. Aside from the units obvious usefulness, we really like the look of the analog instrument panel and the style of the “portable” battery charger on the right as well. You can also find dozens more old time service station photos here on The Old Motor sure to be of interest. Photo courtesy of the City of Vancouver.

