EA Newletter 2005

FALL 2005 Newsletter

FREE AT LAST! No landlords, no corporate bosses, no roommates!

This past March Embarcadero Automotive moved from 900 Sansome to 655 Bryant Street and they couldn’t be happier!

Why you ask, when 900 Sansome was such great building in a prime location with great access and great visibility to the public? Well, the reasons are manifold*, but can be summed up by the sub-title to this story: no landlord, no corporate boss, no roommate.

(*Manifold – sometimes used to mean “a fitting on an internal-combustion engine that receives the exhaust gases from several cylinders” but in this context means “various”.)

Let me begin: first of all the 10-year lease that Peter & Michael signed in August 1994 had expired. They were leasing on a month-to-month scalper’s rate. The landlord was a good enough guy, but business being business he had visions of a GAP or some such leasing the prime corner for buckets of cash. The boys just weren’t up to playing that game.

Second of all, Peter & Michael (aka the boys for this article but not to their faces) had just about had enough of SAAB USA. For the past 7 years Embarcadero Automotive was the authorized SAAB service facility for San Francisco, and beyond for those from the burbs who chose to bring your car to them. While lucrative, this arrangement required much jumping of hoops and cow-towing the line…not something the boys are good at, if you know what I mean, if you know them.

So last October the contract moved over to Ellis Brooks Chevrolet (take note those of you with SAABs under warranty.) This means P&M are free of the corporate bosses, and back to running the business however the darn well choose. Which after 26 years has proven to be successful. Peter, is the macro manager, he thinks big and can complete whatever he decides to tackle, but as those of you who’ve been bringing your car in for years will attest to, he also loves to take off as the urge hits him. Some will remember he disappeared for more than 3 months back in 1988 when he & another partner purchased a 95 foot yacht and sailed it through the canal from Florida to San Francisco. Now being married to one who loves & lives for travel (that’s me if you haven’t guessed) he & I disappear for weeks on end, usually to some country in South America. And Michael, god love him, is the nose-to-the-grindstone partner who keeps the day-to-day operation stocked, manned, and the cars going out fixed. Together they’re something of an old fuddy-duddy married couple, but the partnership works splendidly.

Well, back to the move. In January Peter bought the building at 655 Bryant Street, along with a close group of financial partners(see top photo): Roger and Mike Abuyagi (owners of R&M Auto), Tom White (Peter’s long-time partner in crime), and me.

And what a building it is! 15,000 square feet of beautiful commercial space complete with the desired brick walls, polished concrete floors, 18 feet ceilings, and saw-tooth skylights everywhere. It is. a loft-dwellers dream straight out of DWELL!

With the move came the inevitable of saying good-bye to long-standing roommate relationship with Auto Analysts. They have moved to 860 Howard. 900 Sansome is now a parking garage.

Thus we arrive at the enviable situation of Embarcadero Automotive and the boys having NO LANDLORD, NO CORPORATE BOSSES & NO ROOMMATES.

This was celebrated at the opening party on March 19, 2005. Food, drink, flowers, and lots of loving loyal customers, suppliers, and even SF’s finest motorcycle cops showed up.

The party guests were serenaded by the incomparable vocalist and SAAB owner Vismaya Lhi, accompanied on keyboards by a noted Bay Area musician.

A good time was had by all. But if you missed out, don’t worry. There will be many more parties. So stay tuned for the date of the next party. We hope to see you there!

Love, from your correspondent,

Bonnie