In advance of the Mecum auction of the National Motorcycle Museum in September, it was interesting to note that “Road Art” as the auction house collectively calls all signage and memorabilia that is not vehicles, continues to trend upwards… as in sky high. A 1930s Harley-Davidson dealership marquee sold for more than $82,000 — not the whole dealership, just a single bit of signage! Billed as the “World’s Largest Road Art Auction” the event featured nearly 4,000 lots of neon signs, posters, gas pumps and globes.
Believe it or not the Harley dealership sign wasn’t even close to the top. A porcelain Kelly Tires sign sold for more than $265,000! Held in Walworth, Wisconsin, the auction ran from June 20-25 and generated more than $10 million in transactions! Vintage porcelain signs proved popular overall, with another sans-neon example—a one-of-a-kind Texlite single-sided sign (Lot S115)—selling for $59,000.
Gas pump globes continue to climb in value, but large neon signage stole the limelight. Eight of the top 12 sales spots claimed by coveted examples of vivid vintage voltage, including a Star Lanes single-sided animated neon sign (Lot S144) that became the auction’s second-highest seller bringing $247,800.
The top sales at the 2023 World’s Largest Road Art Auction include:
• Kelly Tires Two Single-Sided Porcelain Signs in Original Ring (Lot S101) at $265,500
• Star Lanes Single-Sided Animated Neon Sign (Lot S144) at $247,800
• 1940s John Deere Caterpillar Double-Sided Porcelain Neon Sign (Lot F455) at $177,000
• Pegasus Double-Sided Rotating Porcelain Neon Sign (Lot F102) at $118,000
• 1930s Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Double-Sided Porcelain Neon Sign (Lot F115) at $82,600
* 1930s Texaco Fire-Chief Hat Gas Pump Globe (Lot F189) at $82,600
• 1940s Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop Double-Sided Tin Neon Sign (Lot F341) at $61,360
• Dodge Plymouth Double-Sided Porcelain Neon Dealership Sign (Lot F85) at $59,000
• Mobil Pegasus Double-Sided Porcelain Neon Rotator Sign (Lot S114) at $59,000
• Texlite Porcelain Enamel Division Single-Sided Porcelain Sign (Lot S115) at $59,000
For access to complete auction results, sign up for a free MyMecum account at Mecum.com. Next up for Mecum is the Summer Special auction featuring 1,500 classic and collector vehicles in Kissimmee, Florida, July 6-9. For more details on upcoming auctions, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder, click:
