For those old enough to remember, a radical new concept in buying a new car came to Corpus Christi in 1967.
On February 17 of that year, “Parkdale Autotown” held its formal grand opening on a 29 acre site on Staples at Everhart. For the first time in Texas, four prominent new car dealerships had joined together to create a “one stop” shopping experience for new car buyers.
The plan for Autotown was originally conceived by local attorney Cecil Burney and VW dealer, Jack McKenzie. But they would be joined by Eric Menger, John Creveling, and Stewart Bird in financing the project. At the time, most of the city’s auto dealerships were scattered...either downtown or along Port Avenue. Coming to Autotown were McKenzie Volkswagen, Bird Pontiac, Creveling Dodge, Chrysler, and Plymouth, and Menger Oldsmobile. Groundbreaking for the complex took place on May 19, 1966 and dealerships opened as soon as their showrooms were completed.
Joseph Hans, Jack Rice Turner, and Ralph Bennett were the architects of Autotown and Braselton Construction was the contractor. All utilities in Autotown were underground and extensive landscaping...including over 200 palm trees...gave Autotown a scenic village look. Also joining the Autotown complex was Bonanza Steakhouse and the Autotown Business Center.
On opening day, Corpus Christi Mayor, McIver Furman, cut a giant ribbon that connected all four dealerships. One thousand helium balloons were then released, each containing a redeemable gift certificate. Orchids were given to the first 5,000 women visitors, 20,000 packets of zinnia seeds were handed out to guests, and 12,000 comic books were distributed to the kiddos. Visitors could register for a free four-day vacation to Mexico City and for a free new car to be given away in a drawing on March 18. On hand for entertainment were the Zakary Thaks, the Zulus, and the Chexs. (President and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson....personal friends of Cecil Burney....were invited to the opening, but were unable to attend).
Over the next 30 years or so, Autotown remained a popular place. But, all good things eventually change.
As the city’s population continued to expand to the south and west, the auto dealers followed. Most of the city’s new and used car dealerships now line South Padre Island Drive. Eric Menger’s showroom was demolished in the early 2000s and is now the site of IBC Bank and a huge self-storage complex. Bird Pontiac, which later became Joe Cook Pontiac, was demolished in 2015. Creveling Dodge Chrysler Plymouth is now Lithia Dodge. It is the only dealership that remains in what was once Autotown. The old McKenzie VW showroom still stands. It was most recently a BMW dealership, but that too was eventually closed. The building was used as a COVID-19 testing site in 2020. The Autotown Business Center stands abandoned and boarded up today.
On a recent drive-through, I counted only 31 of the original 200 palm trees. To remind us of its heyday, we still have “Burney Drive” at the rear of the property, and “Autotown Drive” is still the name of the street that bisects the old Autotown site. Autotown was a unique concept...but its time has come and gone.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.
