Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Morning all,

The following question came to me via Facebook:

---------

Hi , do you know if car dealers used window stickers in the 1950s or were there garages just advertised on the back of Barnacle type tax disc holders ?

---------

Does anyone know when window stickers came into common use, with car sales agencies?

In addition to personalised tax disc holders, many dealers used to affix small badges onto a car's dashboard, or door trim, but presumably stickers/window decals were a lot cheaper.

RJ
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[Keith D]

I bought a brand new Triumph motor cycle in 1960 in Southend, Essex and it had a transfer advertising the dealer I bought it from. When I asked for a discount for advertising his business he told me to bu##er off, so I slid the still wet sticker off in front of his eyes before I rode away.

On the bike's first service I collected it earlier than planned and arrived just as a mechanic was about to drill the rear mudguard and fit a great ugly metal plaque advertising the business. Needless to say that it was not fitted!

So yes Rick, advertising stickers were around long ago, certainly much earlier than the 1950's. I have seen original ones on 1930's cars.

Keith

[Ashley]

Not so long ago I photographed an early fifties Rover 75, it was in exceptional condition and original. Tacked to a door capping, I think, was a white plastic label, cream now, with the name of a long gone Berkeley dealer. I thought it added a lot and if I can find the photo I'll post it.

[goneps]

Much more elegant than a cheap rear window sticker (especially when there's no rear window as such!)



On the only new car I've ever bought, a 1976 Granada Ghia, I gave specific instructions that no stickers were to be applied. Windows are for seeing through, not cluttering up with rubbish.

Back in the 'seventies in South Africa there was an amusing BL sticker on a new Mini Clubman: "When I grow up I want to be a Jag!"

Richard

[popdave1964]

I am looking to source a period 1950s repro rear window dealer sticker or a plaque for my 103e . Any ideas where i might start looking ? . Where would the plaque originally have been placed on the pop if indeed they ever had them . Dealer discretion maybe ? .

[Rick]

[popdave1964]

[img]

This plaque is on the sill of my Thames Van .[/img]

[roverdriver]

1955 Morris Minor bought new here in Oz had a 'Lanes Motors' sticker at the bottom of the rear window (backlight). New 1960 Morris 1000 also had one.

Certainly dealer's plaques have been around for a very long time- right back to pre- WW1. There are frequent references to them in the MTFCA forum of them being affixed to the dashboard of Model T Fords.
_________________
Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Rusty]

I remember my dad buying an FB Holden in 1960 and that had a sticker on the back window for City Motors the agents, but the car he traded was a Mk one Zephyr (horrible thing) and that had an aluminium tag riveted to the dashboard, so I recon the change was taking place during the 50s

[Ashley]

I liked those original Zephyrs, they went well and handled superbly compared to the others of the day.

[mikeC]

[Rusty]

[Ashley]

Rusty
I'm guessing Oz was a more brutal test of a car than the UK and that McPherson struts first appeared on that car and not on the concurrent US models, so probably Americans testing new ideas on foreigners.
Ash