If you grew up in Southern California anywhere between the late sixties and the early 2000s, you didn't just know who Cal Worthington was. You lived with him. He was in your living room at 1:00 AM while you were trying to fall asleep to a late-night movie. He was there on your radio during the morning commute.
And he always had his "dog," Spot.
That dog was never a dog. It was a tiger, a hippo, a bear, or a chimpanzee on roller skates. It was a gorilla that looked like it wanted to maul him. But the location most people associate with that relentless, banjo-strumming "Go See Cal" jingle is the massive Cal Worthington Ford Bellflower corridor—technically located at 2950 North Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach.
Most people just called it the Bellflower Ford.
The Reality Behind the Bellflower Landmark
Cal Worthington didn't just stumble into the car business because he loved Fords. Honestly, he kind of hated the car business. He was a decorated World War II bomber pilot who flew 29 missions over Germany. He wanted to be a commercial pilot, but back then, you needed a college degree for that.
He didn't have one.
So, he sold his car for $500, bought a gas station, and realized he could make a lot more money selling the used cars parked out front. By 1963, he bought the Ford dealership on Bellflower Boulevard. This place wasn't just a lot; it was the nerve center of an empire that, at its peak, moved over a million cars.
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Why the "Dog Spot" Ads Actually Happened
You might think the animals were just a gimmick. Well, they were, but they started out of spite.
A rival dealer named Chick Lambert used to do commercials with a real German Shepherd named Storm. Cal thought it was cheesy. He decided to parody it by bringing out a gorilla and introduced it as "my dog Spot."
The audience went nuts.
He realized that being a "character" sold more cars than being a salesman. He stood on his head on the hoods of cars. He climbed onto the wings of biplanes in mid-air. He wrestled a Bengal tiger that actually bit him once, though he barely flinched on camera. That Bellflower location became the backdrop for hundreds of these spots. If you walked onto that lot in the 80s, you weren't just looking for an Escort or an F-150; you were looking for the man in the big white cowboy hat.
The End of an Era on Bellflower Boulevard
Things changed after Cal passed away in 2013 at the age of 92. He died at his ranch, ironically while watching a football game. His grandson, Nick Worthington, tried to keep the wheels turning, but the landscape of the car business in the 2020s is a different beast entirely.
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In early 2023, the family finally let go.
The dealership was sold to the Nouri/Shaver Automotive Group. The iconic "Worthington" name—which had been a landmark on Bellflower Boulevard for six decades—was scrubbed from the signage. It is now known as BP Ford of Long Beach.
It’s weird driving down that stretch of the 405 now. The mural of Cal and his tiger is gone. The big neon sign that promised you could "save some dough" has been replaced with modern, corporate branding. It’s cleaner, sure. But it’s a lot less interesting.
What happened to the animals?
People always ask if Cal kept a private zoo at the Bellflower lot. He didn't. Most of those "Spots" were rented from Hollywood animal trainers. The elephants and tigers went back to their trailers once the cameras stopped rolling. Cal spent his private time on his massive 24,000-acre ranch in Orland, California, focusing on almonds and olives rather than exotic predators.
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Actionable Insights for the Modern Buyer
If you are looking for the spirit of Cal Worthington Ford Bellflower today, you have to look at how you buy cars differently now. Here is what you need to know if you're heading to that neck of the woods for a vehicle:
- The Location is the Same: If you need service on a Ford you bought back in the Worthington days, the shop at 2950 Bellflower Blvd is still there. They still honor many of the old service structures, though the ownership is different.
- Check the Online Pricing First: Cal’s "stand on my head" deals were for the TV age. Today, the "best deal by far" is found by cross-referencing the inventory at BP Ford with dealers in Cerritos and Signal Hill.
- The Nostalgia Factor: If you're a collector, the old Worthington license plate frames are actually becoming minor collectibles on eBay. People miss the "Go See Cal" era.
The Bellflower dealership was a piece of California folklore. It represented a time when a guy with a loud suit and a rented tiger could build a kingdom. While the name is gone, the impact that one man had on how we perceive "the car salesman" is pretty much permanent.
If you're planning to visit the new dealership, your best bet is to check their current inventory online before making the trip. Even without the gorilla, it’s still one of the highest-volume Ford spots in the county. Just don't expect anyone to stand on their head to get your monthly payments down.