Champion's simple red and black colour scheme makes up part of their iconic brand and mid-century marketing. They sponsored a range of Motorsports and this in combination with heavy branding made them the most recognisable brand of spark plug in the middle of the 20th century. 

 

This lithographically printed, tin advertising thermometer is an excellent example of their marketing - a lovely, crisp/clear graphic of a spark plug sits beneath Champion's iconic logo. The piece is French and would've originally hung in a garage stocking Champion Plugs - 'en vente ici' meaning 'on sale here'. 

 

Over the years I've been lucky enough to own a couple of other examples of this thermometer, but this is by far the best one that I've encountered. Unlike enamel, these tin signs are inherently more vulnerable; they can scratch easily, the painted surface can weather and loose it's gloss / vibrancy and they are liable to have rust from the tin leach through the paint. This particular piece is as close to 'new' as you could hope to find. There's no notable damage to the sign itself, the white background has yellowed slightly over the years but the reds remain vibrant and the shading on the sparkplug graphic retains a fantastic degree of contrast. The original thermometer tube remains in place and is fully functional. There is a small amount of surface rust coming through the paint - this most notable along the top and bottom edges and around the mounting holes... In my opinion these subtle signs of age are what you'd expect, even hope, to see on a vintage piece like this and help to add to the character and authenticity. 

 

The thermometer measures 90cm high, 30cm wide and is 2cm deep.

 

S/N: #2623