One of the landmarks in uptown Phoenix is a dealership sign that’s been around for decades.
The arrow-shaped, 30-foot-tall sign at Courtesy Chevrolet near 12th Street and Camelback Road was reportedly designed by Millie Fitzgerald, the wife of co-founder Ed Fitzgerald. Today, it remains a prime example of “Googie” signage — flashy, futuristic, and designed to catch the eyes of passing motorists.
Credit: Google Street View
The sign was recently retrofitted with LED lighting in place of the original neon setup, so it’s ready to turn heads for another half-century or more.
Dealership history is a topic I’ve always been interested in. About a year ago, I shared the story of a Chevrolet dealership in Logan, Utah that has since been demolished.
According to a documentary that was put together by Courtesy Chevrolet in 2022, the dealership opened in 1955 in a location that was (at the time) on the northern outskirts of Phoenix.
Today, it’s smack-dab in the middle of a sprawling metropolis. Courtesy Chevrolet has sold over 2.5 million vehicles since opening over seven decades ago.
Consider the evolution of cars that have occupied Courtesy’s showroom floors: From the iconic “Tri-Five” Bel Airs, to the muscle cars of the 1960s, to the Malaise Era and the downsizing of the 1980s, to the truck and SUV takeover of the 1990s, and beyond. I wonder what the salespeople from the mid-1950s would think of a mid-engine C8 Corvette and an electric Silverado being parked there?
Like many dealerships, Courtesy Chevrolet has seen a lot of changes, and even though the facility has been remodeled and modernized, the sign out front has remained largely unchanged. And its timelessness has become one of the most charming things about the neighborhood.
