Santa Monica Auto Center

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. Late one night, a delivery driver pulled up to the Santa Monica Auto Center with an urgent load. As he unloaded boxes from his truck, something unusual caught his eye—an old, rusty sign hanging crookedly above the entrance. Curious, he walked closer and read the faded letters: ‘Free Oil Change if Moon is Full.’ The delivery driver laughed out loud, thinking it was some prank. But as he looked up, sure enough, the moon was full. He shrugged, went inside, and asked for a free oil change. To his surprise, no one batted an eyelash—it had been a regular thing for years.

2. Late one night, a delivery driver pulled up to the Santa Monica Auto Center. As he stepped out of the truck, something glinted in the headlights on the ground near the entrance. Curious, he bent down and picked it up—it was an old, rusted keyring shaped like a tiny hot dog stand. He rubbed his chin, puzzled. Just then, an old man hobbled out from behind the garage, muttering under his breath. 'Ah, that’s mine,' he said, pointing to the keyring. ‘I lost it twenty years ago while fixing my wife's car.' The delivery driver laughed, handing back the trinket. 'Guess I just helped close another chapter for you!'

3. Late one night, a delivery driver pulled up to the Santa Monica Auto Center and noticed something odd on the service counter—a small, dusty box labeled ‘Emergency Kit.’ Curious, he opened it and found nothing but an old, crumpled note that read: ‘Use only if you’ve tried everything else.’ Confused, the delivery driver shrugged and stuffed the note into his pocket. Later that week, while waiting for parts, he decided to glance at it again. The note simply said: 'Try turning off your headlights.' Turns out, someone had left them on overnight, draining the battery. Moral of the story? Sometimes the simplest solution is hidden in plain sight.

4. Late one night, a delivery driver pulled up to the Santa Monica Auto Center and noticed an old man standing outside, muttering something into his phone. The driver thought nothing of it until he heard the same phrase repeated over and over again: 'Just around the corner...' Curious, the driver parked nearby and approached the old man. ‘Excuse me,’ he asked, ‘what’s “just around the corner”?’ The old fellow looked up with a twinkle in his eye, replied, ‘I’m waiting for my ride from Uber!’ The delivery guy burst out laughing and walked away, shaking his head—another local legend born that night.