Rare Canadian Ford V8 Dealer Sign, Buick Lubricare Neon And Early Ford Advertising Lead November 29 Auction

Two online-only sessions feature 323 lots of vintage Canadian and American gas, oil, soda and general store advertising.

NEW HAMBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA, November 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — An extremely rare Canadian Ford V8 Dealer sign from the 1930s; a surviving Buick Lubricare neon sign with its original working neon; and a scarce early Ford Sales and Service “Winged Pyramid” porcelain sign headline Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s November 29 sale of Signage: Gas, Oil, Soda & General Store – Featuring the Tony Andrews Collection.

The two-session event features 323 lots of vintage Canadian and American advertising, including petroliana, porcelain and tin signs, general store advertising and breweriana. The first session begins Sunday, November 29, at 11:00 a.m. EST with 197 lots presented as a live webcast, allowing bidders to watch the lots close in real time. The second session begins at 6:00 p.m. EST with 126 lots closing sequentially in an online-only timed auction, with no live webcast. Bidding is available through Miller & Miller Auctions and LiveAuctioneers, with phone and absentee bids also accepted.

Leading the morning session is Lot 157, an extremely rare Canadian Ford V8 Dealer sign dating from 1932–1935, estimated at CA$45,000-60,000. The impressive two-piece die-cut porcelain sign celebrates Ford’s revolutionary V8 engine, introduced in 1932 as the first affordable, mass-market V8 offered by a major automobile manufacturer. Its polished metal “lazy eight” emblem would have adorned the headlight bar or grille of V8-equipped vehicles. The limited number of Canadian Ford dealerships selling V8 models suggests relatively few examples were produced. Graded 8.75 on both panels and authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #401965 and #401966), the 79-by-77-inch sign comes from Hammer Ford in New Hamburg, Ontario. Established in 1924 by Ezra G. Hammer, the dealership remained in the family until the early 1950s. A period photograph showing the sign in situ accompanies the piece.

Lot 106, a late 1940s–1950s Buick Lubricare neon sign, is estimated at CA$12,000-15,000. An indoor survivor retaining its original working neon and original can, the porcelain sign represents the golden age of full-service automobile dealerships. Buick introduced its Lubricare program after the Second World War to formalize preventative maintenance through factory-approved service standards. Originally from the Len Immke Buick dealership in Columbus, Ohio, the sign is graded 9.5, retains superb colour and gloss, and is authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #401897).

Also estimated at CA$12,000-15,000 is Lot 159, a rare Canadian Ford Sales and Service “Winged Pyramid” double-sided porcelain sign dating from 1914–1916. Featuring Ford’s first winged pyramid dealership logo, the design was created by Glen Buck in 1912 and discontinued in 1916. Attributed to Montreal’s Gurney Foundry Company, the sign is graded 9.0/9.0, with excellent colour and gloss, and authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #502073). An original 1905 photograph showing a similar sign at an early Ford dealership adds historical interest.

Lot 107, a Canadian Pontiac Buick GMC Trucks dealer sign from the 1950s, carries an estimate of CA$9,000-12,000. The impressive shield-shaped porcelain sign features General Motors’ distinctive block-letter and maple leaf logo, representing its Pontiac, Buick and GMC Trucks dealer network. Measuring 60 by 56.5 inches, it retains superb colour and gloss, including its original factory orange-peel field texture.

Lot 116, an Interlux Marine Finishes Oversized Sign, is a scarce American example from the 1950s, measuring an impressive 32 by 56 inches. Made of embossed tin and marked by Stout Sign Co. of St. Louis, the highly graphic sign was designed to showcase the product in vivid colour, almost like an oversized painting in an Interlux showroom. Graded 9.25, it retains excellent colour and gloss and is authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #401929). Estimate: CA$9,000-12,000.

Also offered is Lot 110, a scarce Canadian McColl-Frontenac Distributor Sign, made in 1945. This 20-inch, die-cut porcelain sign was intended for truck and distributor advertising and bears the mark of Vilas Enamel Products of Orillia, Ontario, reflecting the brief transitional period in 1945 before the company became Porcelain & Metal Products Ltd. in 1946. The sign retains excellent colour and gloss, with minor edge chips and its original grommets. Estimate: CA$9,000-12,000.

Lot 96, a Canadian Peg Top Cigars oversized porcelain thermometer from the 1920s, estimated at CA$4,000-6,000. Marked “L.O. Grothe Limited Montreal,” it retains its original working thermometer, block housing and fasteners; it is graded 8.75 and authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #401930).

Lot 71, a 1940s NuGrape Soda double-sided painted metal flange sign, is estimated at CA$3,500-5,000. Made in the U.S.A. and marked by the Stout Sign Co. of St. Louis, the sign features colourful NuGrape bottle imagery, retains excellent colour and gloss, and is graded 9.25/9.0 (TAC #502021).

“Both auctions present an outstanding selection of vintage Canadian and American advertising, offering collectors an exciting opportunity to acquire rare and desirable pieces across a wide range of categories,” said Ethan Miller, CEO of Miller & Miller Auctions. “From important early Canadian Ford dealership signs to surviving neon advertising and distinctive soda and general store pieces, these sales offer something for collectors across the advertising spectrum.”

For more information and to view the complete catalogues, visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com. Bidders can participate through Miller & Miller Auctions and LiveAuctioneers; phone and absentee bidding are also available.

November 29, 11:00 a.m. catalogue:
https://live.millerandmillerauctions.com/auctions/4-NIAW9P/signage-session-i-gas-oil-soda-advertising

November 29, 6:00 p.m. catalogue:
https://live.millerandmillerauctions.com/auctions/4-NIR1TU/signage-session-ii-gas-oil-soda-advertising

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and specializes in art, antiques, watches, advertising and significant collectibles. The firm is currently accepting consignments for upcoming sales. To consign a single piece, an estate or a collection, call (519) 573-3710 or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions and upcoming auctions, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.

Ethan Miller
Miller & Miller Auctions
info@millerandmillerauctions.com