Jim Kennedy’s Car Collection

On a Saturday in mid-June 1966, an architect residing in Oakland, California, visited Cooper Motors Company, a Chrysler-Plymouth-Valiant dealer in nearby Hayward and placed an order for a new car. He specified a 1966 Sport Fury two-door hardtop with a Citron Gold exterior and a black interior and black vinyl roof; the upgraded “Commando” 383 cid two-barrel carburetor engine; automatic transmission; air conditioning; power brakes and power steering; and tinted windows. He paid a $100 deposit, with an additional $100 payable upon delivery; the dealership agreed to finance a portion of the balance over three years. The car shipped from Plymouth’s Hamtramck assembly plant in Detroit on July 29 and arrived in Hayward in mid-August. The buyer decided to pay the balance of the $3,706.36 purchase price when he accepted delivery on August 13.

The purchaser and his wife enjoyed their new ride for several years, as the architect’s career flourished. A native of West Virginia and a 1959 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, he became both a licensed architect and a licensed general contractor in California. He founded his own construction and design company and assumed leadership positions in various industry groups. He also co-authored a published book providing guidance on profitable building and construction.

Less than a month before the architect placed his order, Cooper Motors celebrated its 43rd year of serving the San Francisco East Bay community by opening “the East Bay’s Newest and Largest Chrysler Plymouth Imperial Dealership.” F. Werner Cooper (1887–1965) had served as manager of Pacific Nash retail headquarters in Oakland for 18 years before acquiring the franchise in 1941 and renaming it Cooper Nash Motor Company. He subsequently sold Oakland (later badged as Pontiac) cars as well, before switching to Chrysler and Plymouth products in 1954; Renault-Peugeot joined the list of offerings in 1961. Expanding business resulted in the dealership’s move from Oakland to Hayward in 1962 and to the building of new facilities along Mission Boulevard in Hayward in 1966. Jack Cooper (1919–1978), Werner’s son, joined the operation after Navy service in World War II, and he and a co-owner, Wayne B. Lucas, assumed leadership of the firm after his father suffered a stroke in 1962. Under their management, Cooper Motors become one of the largest volume Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships in Northern California. The younger Mr. Cooper was active in the Contra Costa Automobile Dealers Association, and in 1968–1969 served as President of the national Chrysler dealer council. He was also involved in local civic activities, including the Hayward Boys Club and Rotary Club. In addition to Cooper Motors, Jack Cooper and Wayne Lucas owned Diablo Chrysler Plymouth in Concord, California. He died of cancer in 1978, at the age of 58. Cooper Motors was subsequently renamed Hayward Chrysler-Plymouth, then Hayward Dodge, and finally Hartzheim Dodge. It appears to have closed its doors for the last time in 2009.