The small town of Quartzsite, Arizona serves as a vital transportation hub for visitors to Lake Havasu and the surrounding area. For most of us who live in Arizona and take I-10 to California, Quartzite has become a popular fuel stop just before the state line.
Photo Credit: Business Insider
Quartzsite got its start as a watering hole and stagecoach stop in the 1860s. Interestingly enough, at the time, it was named Tyson’s Wells, named after pioneer Charles Tyson who established a stagecoach station and provided vital water and grazing for horses. Today, Quartzsite remains a quiet community of about 3,500 people who live there year-round, although the population surges in the wintertime when snowbirds convene to spend time in the comfortable weather.
While rolling through Quartzsite on my way to an event at American Honda’s California headquarters, I couldn’t help but pause and spend a few minutes wandering around a service station that looked like it was frozen in time. The sign out front said “Camel Stop Auto Repair,” and parked alongside the building was a blue 1960 Cadillac Series 62 four-door hardtop with plenty of patina.
From what I’ve been able to find out, Camel Stop Auto Repair was a Route 60 landmark constructed in the 1940s. Today, it’s clearly closed for business — in fact, there’s a rope blocking anyone from trying to park out front.
The Bowser-branded fuel pumps have been out of commission for some time, but I got a kick out of the fact that the “This Sale” digits only allow for a maximum readout of up to $9.99. Could you imagine? That amount will barely buy a gallon and a half these days.
The Cadillac drew my attention for longer than I thought it would. Speaking of length, at 225 inches (almost 19 feet), the Caddy had an imposing, stately presence about it.
Noteworthy exterior features included quad headlights, full-width eggcrate grille, and glamorous tailfins (toned down from 1959, but still very distinctive).
The interior was worn, but looked complete. Unfortunately, with the passenger-side window down, there was a thick layer of dust on everything. Even the sun shade had seen better days. Arizona summers can be brutal and unforgiving, especially in the summertime when daily high temperatures peak in the triple-digit range for months.
Originally, the car would have come with a 390ci V-8 mated to a Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. It had clearly been parked for some time, but overall it looked complete and unmodified. Someone with enough ambition (and money) could certainly make a great cruiser out of it.
There’s something charming about roadside relics like Camel Stop Auto Repair and the classic Cadillac that serves as a sentinel out front. I just wish someone would buy the place and start selling gas at 1940s prices.
