Viking

Chevrolet, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A vintage Chevrolet Viking truck. Like most everything in this yard, parked for unknown reasons and left to go to ground.

Wolf Automotive

Wolf Automotive, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A long established dealer in Belvidere, Illinois. I think this is an older sign that has been modified and updated over the years-the font is distinctly modern. But the trapezoid around "Wolf" is distinctly retro.

Either way, I like it.

OK!

OK!, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

OK Used Cars was a certified used car program run by GM, to promote the used car sections of Chevy dealers. Advertising promoted the fact that the cars sold were thoroughly checked out before sale, like of like "select previously owned" programs most manufacturers have today.

You can kind of tell how old a dealer is if they still have OK signs hanging around These are probably from the sixties or seventies, and look to have been moved around a bit as well.

The Big 1

The Big 1, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Originally brewed right here in Chicago by the Peter Hand Brewing Company, Meister Brau was a pretty popular brew in the city and suburbs. Meister Brau also released the first mainstream reduced calorie beer, Meister Brau Lite, which, when Miller took over Peter Hand, became what we now know as Miller Lite.

I don't think I've ever actually had a Meister Brau-I think it had gone out of production by the time I was old enough to buy my own beer. I still have a fondness for it, if only because of their sponsorship of Harry Heuer's sports car racing team back in the sixties. And, Fun Fact! Meister Brau is the favored brew of Cousin Eddie from the Vacation films.

I found this relic in the back of a little bar in downtown Hampshire, Illinois, facing the alley. It looks pretty beat up, and I wonder if it still lights up.

Snowy Glory

Snowy Glory, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Old Rusty Cadillac, wearing a fresh coating of snow. I seldom manage to get out here first, before other people walk around it and leave footprints or wipe the snow off. It was nice to do so, just this one time. I tried to not leave footprints all over the place.

I also like how the melted bits on the windshield and grille form a smiley face. It was a fleeting smile, too, as it warmed up and rained the next day.

24 Lanes

24 Lanes, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Sadly de-glassed, the Dodge Lanes sign in Belvidere, Illinois is a classic Googie-tastic slab.

Seriously, all bowling alleys should have awesome neon signs out front.

Sunoco

Sunoco, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A very old plastic Sunoco sign, on the side of a repair shop in Paw Paw, Illinois. I have no idea if this was a Sunoco station at some time or not-it was one of those generic looking cinderblock garages, so it could've switched brands plenty of times. Heck, it may have never been a gas station at all-I didn't notice any remnants of a pump island or anything.

This looks suspiciously like one half of a plastic illuminated sign, so maybe it was hung there as decoration.