Whittier City Councilman Joe Vinatieri, left, and community development director Jeffrey Collier hope to redevelop two closed down car lots for other uses. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
A vacant dealership at the Irvine Auto Center, one of many auto malls that have been hard hit by the recession. The once-booming auto center has several cleared-out car lots. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Yvonne Joyce of Irvine waits for a ride while her car is being repaired. Joyce said she’s been coming to the Irvine Auto Center for 17 years and is saddened by the vacant buildings. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Few things are left at a shuttered Ford dealership in Whittier. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
A fading brand name on a wall is a reminder of the dealership that once filled a property in Whittier. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
A dealership in the Irvine Auto Center that once helped bring the city revenue is now gone. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A GMC lot is one of several dealerships shuttered at the Irvine Auto Center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
