I had no idea South Dakota used color U.S. route shields, but here's a photo from the '50s in Rapid City that shows they did...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/117891934@N07/15671321992/
Awesome pictures. I really enjoy pictures form that era.
I was born in 1949, and poor, so I was too young to own any of those vehicles.
First car I remember was a '47 Ford Tudor 2 dr sedan when I was 4 or 5, then in about 1957 a '54 Chev two door post, I believe it was a 210. We had that until '62 when my parents bought their first new car a '62 Chev 6 cyl three on the tree Bel Air 4 dr. My sister took over the '54 for a few years.
I have always said I was born 5 to 10 years too late. But I sure am glad I was not born any later.
Those are surprisingly high quality given the era. Neat find on the colored shields, wish that there was stuff still unique like that today.
I found the Esso gas station picture very interesting. The only place I have ever seen Esso gas stations was up in Ontario. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough. :hmm:
Quote from: US 41 on May 26, 2016, 11:55:35 PM
I found the Esso gas station picture very interesting. The only place I have ever seen Esso gas stations was up in Ontario. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough. :hmm:
American Esso stations became Exxon stations sometime in the 70s. The parent company didn't own the rights to the Standard Oil (SO) name in every state, and it wanted everything in the US under one brand. It still uses the Esso brand in a bunch of other countries (including Canada).
Quote from: ibagli on May 27, 2016, 02:16:16 AM
Quote from: US 41 on May 26, 2016, 11:55:35 PM
I found the Esso gas station picture very interesting. The only place I have ever seen Esso gas stations was up in Ontario. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough. :hmm:
American Esso stations became Exxon stations sometime in the 70s. The parent company didn't own the rights to the Standard Oil (SO) name in every state, and it wanted everything in the US under one brand. It still uses the Esso brand in a bunch of other countries (including Canada).
The change in branding was made nationwide in 1972. Starting about a year prior to that, the company prototyped different variations of new Exxon signs and branding in a handful of cities. Manchester, NH, where my grandmother and uncle lived, was one of the test cities. I recall that, while some of the stations had the rectangular sign design that was ultimately adopted nationwide, other stations had an alternate design consisting of red oval signs with EXXON in white letters.
BTW, prior to the EXXON branding, most stations were labeled Esso, but some were Enco, and others were Standard. Enco and Standard stations used the same oval signs as Esso ones.
I remember ENCO in Lawton, OK back in the '60s. It is the only place I remember it. Also ESSO in Europe.
I understand when EXXON brand was decide they surveyed across the globe to be sure it did not mean something derogatory in some language.
Standard was used by different oil companies in the US. It was Chevron in California back in 1971, and it was Amoco in Indiana at that time. That was so confusing then, if it were not for the logos as Amoco (American in NJ) and Standard in Indiana had the same sign that was used up until BP took em over.
Enco and Esso had the same, so if you saw a Standard in that particular oval you knew it was not the same brand as in Indiana.