S.E.V. Marchal's angular black-cat with it's chequered flag is a logo that is synonymous with 1960s motor-sport. Phil Hill used the company’s iodine projectors to win Le Mans in 1962. Marchal-logo covers adorned Alpines, Renault Gordinis, and nearly every BMW. 

 

The Marchal company started producing headlight bulbs in the 1920s and supplied lights to the most exclusive carmakers. By the 1930s, it's lights adorned the chromed front ends of Delahayes, Hispano-Suizas, and Talbots. In the 1960s Marchal merged with the company S.E.V, (Société d’Équipements pour Véhicules), which made distributors, windshield wipers, spark plugs. 

 

This striking, French, lithographically printed tin sign dates to the 1960s after the merging of the two automotive accessory giants and promotes the newly united company's 'world championship' spark plugs with a wonderfully vivid spark plug pictorial sat alongside the iconic logo. 

 

Unlike their earlier enamel counter-parts, these tin signs are more vulnerable to damage and weathering and subsequently far fewer examples survive. This particular sign has clearly never been outside and remains in fantastic, bright condition. There are a few light surface scratches and a few minor areas where rust is leaching through the printed surface but this is all the sort of thing that we should expect, even hope, to see on an original vintage piece of advertising. A rare survivor, with some wonderfully 'of-the-period' graphics this sign serves nicely as a bit of vintage decor or as a collector's piece. 

 

The sign measures 47cm wide x 37cm high

 

S/N: #1366