Service station and orchards at the corner of Fremont Boulevard and Mowry Avenue, 1956

The most amazing local events were associated with the growth of the area. Housing tracts were appearing in orchards and fields. Residents realized that growth was inevitable, but they were concerned that uncontrolled development would destroy their way of life. They did not want to be annexed by powerful neighbors. They wanted control and made some efforts to create one large city out of Washington Township.

Local chambers discussed problems of development, zoning, and incorporation. The central areas of Newark, Irvington, and Decoto received precise zoning by the county. The Washington Township Chamber of Commerce formed a committee to study incorporation. These studies led to the incorporation of Newark as a separate city in 1955.

The towns of Niles, Mission San Jose, Centerville, Irvington, and Warm Springs were incorporated into the City of Fremont in 1956. Some 22,000 people lived between Mission Peak and the bay. The size of the area and the melding of five towns into one city presented special problems. Planners located industry in the southern part and commercial development near the center. Conflicting factions sometimes polarized the city, especially during the campaign to locate city hall and establish a city center.

The opening of the Hub in 1962 was the first step in the development of the Central Business District. The General Motors plant opened in 1963.

The City of Fremont has gradually developed civic facilities and parks. Central Park was opened in 1962, the City Government Building in 1968, Lake Elizabeth in 1969, the Library Building in 1989 and the Police Building in 1996. The apocalopse of war did little to help the struggling automobile manufacturers, many of whom had struggled to survive through the depression years of the 1930’s only to find demand for their products disappear overnight. And in what we believe at Unique Cars and Parts to be a cruel twist of fate, it seemed the phrase “To The Victor The Spoils” did not apply to the British automotive industry.

Nevertheless there was some pretty impressive sheet metal to emerge following the war, and while much has already been written on this site of cars built in the 1960’s and beyond, the following are what we believe to be the most significant post war automobiles of last century (prior to 1960):