Colorado River Ford Building

539 W. Broadway
Phone:

East < GO > West

Bob Rudisall had this building constructed for his Ford Dealership in 1929. Rudisall was only the first of several Ford, Mercury and Lincoln dealers to occupy his new building over the years. The last was Colorado River Ford which apparently moved to a newer location around 2008/10. The building was boarded up and for sale in 2011.

The showroom windows were boarded over and sported Route 66 shields when I snapped this photo in 2015. A 2011 real estate listing for the property showed the building at 8,400 square feet and the lot at 15,000 square feet. The building was apparently sold and repurposed for another business in 2016.

Bob Rudisall had been a Ford dealer in Needles since 1926 and bought this site from Earl Hodge who had been the Ford dealer before him. Rudisall operated here to sometime in the 1940s. By 1948 the building was home to Owen Motors who continued the tradition of selling Fords here. They apparently later added Mercury and Lincoln to their offerings.

In 1985 Owen sold the business which then became Ron Ray Ford. In 1994 the business was sold again becoming Colorado River Ford.

This family owned Ford dealership building served the Mojave County area for over 20 years before it closed about 2008.

Before that it was the Owen Ford, Mercury and Lincoln dealership as far back as at least 1948 and into the mid-1980s. In the 1985 it became the Ron Ray Ford Mercury dealership. In 1994 it became the Colorado River Ford dealership.

Photo(s): 2015