Can a billboard be a barn find? According to this post here on the 24 Hours of LeMons forums, this billboard (actually a painted building from the looks of it) is currently visible in San Francisco “on Sutter, between Leavenworth and Hyde.” Any Barn Finds readers near there to verify this find? Although we’ve only recently lost Saab, and Alfa Romeo is making a comeback in the US, the Sterling was a short-lived British marque manufactured by Rover and marketed here from 1987 to 1991. The cars were actually based on the contemporary Acura Legend but did not seem to share Honda reliability. It doesn’t look like Showcase Rental is with us anymore, either, which is a shame – I wish I could rent a new 1989 Alfa Spider (the bumpers changed in 1990, so the picture is earlier) right now! Based on those dates, this advertisement is at least 24 years old! Are there any out of date automotive billboards near you? Show them to us in the comments section below!
I’ve seen that one.. San Francisco has many more great painted ads going clear back to the goldrush. Every now and then they show up as old barriers disappear, but my fav is one advertising gold pans, picks and shovels. I don’t remember exactly where it is but it’s a great one!
Well, I will say, as a former Saab owner, renting one is WAY better than owning one! Unfortunately, I still end up working on them from time to time, uhhgh, no escape!
buildings owner got 1 side of the building painted for free ( unlike the Mail Pouch adds which painted the whole barn ). would need permission from the owner of the building next to it to paint over or remove add because you would be on that owners roof. plus the old paint would have to be tested to see it there is any lead in it. best just to leave it alone and hope no one pushes the issue.
Back in the early to mid ’90s I used to rent “interesting” cars from a company that had offices in San Francisco and LA. I actually noticed their ad one day as I walked over to the rental car phones at the airport upon arrival. Not sure it was this company, but it very likely was. My typical trip was to fly into one airport, take care of business, then leave from the other, and they charged no extra fee to do that. In between? Pacific Coast Highway, of course! Extra sweet in an Audi Quattro, or something–anything–other than the usual rental Toyota. Prices were competitive with the boring cars, too.
It’s there! Google Street View! https://goo.gl/maps/NeHp9
Presumably late 80’s, if the Sterling shown is the US equivalent of our Rover Sterling 800 series model. Nice it is still kept there.
I was the new car porter at an Acura dealership in metro Atlanta in the late 80s. We had a couple of those Sterlings come through the dealership. I always wondered why anyone would buy one instead of an Acura Legend. The interior of the Sterling looked and felt so cheap.