Gascho Automotive Limited

Gascho Automotive Limited

  • 481 King St E
  • Kitchener, Ontario
  • N2G 2L7

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Description

A self-taught mechanic, Emmanuel Gascho left his father ’s farm near Baden in 1920 to work at Hambrecht Motors, a Maxwell dealership in downtown Kitchener. The dealership was owned by Herb Hambrecht whose claim to fame was building his own one-cylinder car. Emmanuel Gascho and Nels Shantz, another mechanic at Hambrecht ’s formed a garage partnership in 1923 at 16 Young Street, across from the Mayfair Hotel and directly behind what was then the Windsor Hotel. The business operated as The Brunswick Garage, and the building was owned by the Windsor Hotel proprietor. It had no toilet. Every time a health inspector pointed this out, the hotel owner would ply him with drinks and the problem was overlooked.Durant ’s sold for $700 in 1926, when Kichener ’s population was about 28,000. At the time, there were no traffic lights or parking restrictions. Durant made cars and trucks in Toronto ’s Leaside until 1933, when the company of Kenosha Wisconsin in 1934. Nash Motor Company and Hudson Motor Company later merged to become American Motors. Gascho Motors moved to 481 King Street East in 1947. As time went on, the people at Gascho ’s became great friends with another auto dealership, that being Stevens Motors, at 471 King Street East.

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