In 1934 Leicester Rubber Co changed its name to John Bull Rubber Company and the John Bull heavy tread car tyre was launched to supplement the manufacture and sales of motor and motorcycle tyres and accessories. The company enjoyed a successful couple of decades until their acquisition by Dunlop in 1959. 

 

From the mid-'30s through the 1940s John Bull produced a limited, but iconic range of enamel advertising almost always with a vibrant orange background and a small pictorial of their John Bull character Trade Mark wearing his Union Jack waistcoat. 

 

Here we have a double-sided, 'diamond' shaped example which likely to date to the 1940s and has survived in very good condition. One side is particuarly excellent with a good surface gloss, vibrant orange background, minimal wear and good detail to the Trade Mark pictorial. The otherside still retians good colour and gloss, though the black enamel layer has detriorated slightly which is noticable in the lettering and the trade mark. Both sides remain fully legible with minimal losses, though there is minor corrosion around the outer edges and an additional mounting hole to one of the side corners. One original iron hanging loop remains in place and the stud / rivet for the other is still there though the loop is missing. Depending on how you wanted to display the piece a bit of wire could be secured around the stud to replace the missing loop (I used fishing wire in this way for the photographs) or the studs could be drilled out and the sign hung from the resulting holes. 

 

The sign measures 40cm x 40cm . 

 

S/N: #0659