Gratiot Auto Supply

[grr456]

I worked at Gratiot Auto for several years. I worked at all of the locations at one time or another. I spent my first 6 months at the Stevenson Warehouse Store and most of the time between the Roseville and Utica Stores.

For those of you that don't know this, Both Jegs and Summit base their business model from Gratiot Auto. Gratiot had a huge nationwide mail order business. For several years, Gratiot sold more Hurst Shifters, Holley carbs, BF Goodrich tires and Cragar Wheels than anyone in the US.

Angelo Giampetroni was the owner and Linda Vaughn was at all of the stores on a pretty regular basis. I still see Angelo on Woodward and he still goes to the Autorama and I saw him at SEMA this year.

 

[82hatch]

Why did they close?

 

[grr456]

Why did they close?

Gratiot Auto was a high performance auto store. They really didn't sell a whole lot of regular auto parts. At the time the van craze hit in the 80's, Gratiot had just opened one or 2 new stores and just built this huge mailorder warehouse and people stopped buying hardcore speed parts and he just went out of business.

gary

 

[DRAG-ULA]

One of the guys in the group of us that do the charity auction at autorama did this sign this year. Don't remember what it sold for

 

[svopro]

Angelo was also the marketing director for Ford Racing for Years he used to hang out at Total Performance when I worked there.

According to Angelo he invested all his money in a monster warehouse and the bank backed out on a loan to finish the project so he lost his ass

 

[sofa king]

She got around....Like a record...oh oh
I worked for Mr. Gasket a while back, and I hear all the stories of her getting around there too.
hot dog down a hallway

 

[moneypit]

She got around....Like a record...oh oh
I worked for Mr. Gasket a while back, and I hear all the stories of her getting around there too.
hot dog down a hallway

when did you work for gasket? I was with them in 2003-2005 ish

 

[DRAG-ULA]

She got around....Like a record...oh oh

Man I love that movie, one of my favorites! +1 to you!!

 

[Sledder]

Seen Linda at Gratiot's Canton store in the 80's (i think). She was gorgeous. Definitely "larger" than life.

 

[The Man]

The first Woodward cruise, she was signing autographs....I got one and it hangs in my garage..."shift my 6 speed baby"...lol

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk 2

 

[4Gas$]

Seen Linda at Gratiot's Canton store in the 80's (i think). She was gorgeous. Definitely "larger" than life.

She looks a lot like Dolly Parton, er......the eyes, yep, the eyes.

 

[grr456]

She looks a lot like Dolly Parton, er......the eyes, yep, the eyes.

Only, she hers are real...Hahaha

grr

 

[4Gas$]

Only, she hers are real...Hahaha

grr

Dolly Parton doesn't have real eyes? :headscrat

 

[derbydad276]

Seen Linda at Gratiot's Canton store in the 80's (i think). She was gorgeous. Definitely "larger" than life.

Where was the canton store ?

 

[Swifster]

I spent a lot of time in the Roseville and Madison Heights stores...

 

[DeFormula]

Yeah we went mainly to the Madison heights store. I did see Linda once or twice back in the day. Her picture was everywhere back then if it was drag racing related.

 

[Sledder]

Where was the canton store ?

Ford Road East of Lilley on the North side of the road. After Gratiot left I think Mans Lumber took over the building. I also think that the original building is gone and on that site now is the mall with Dunhams and Bed Bath and Beyond. Right behind Buffalo Wild Wings.