Automotive Engineering (Gone)
Largo, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

This sign for the Automotive Engineering, located on US 19 in Largo, FL, may have been around since at least the 60s. The top lights go down in succession. When they hit the center it makes neon swirls. Quite a buzzing hum when you are standing under it. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

Drivers cruising along U.S. 19 couldn't help but notice the animated neon sign at Automotive Engineering. As the lights chased down from the top, they met in the middle and burst into swirling neon patterns, all accompanied by the familiar buzz that only an old sign could make.

The shop had been a local landmark since at least the 1960s, but it was the sign that most people remembered. It was one of those roadside displays that was worth slowing down for, especially after dark.

The business is gone today, and the famous animated sign has been replaced by modern signage. Word is it closed in 2007. It's another memorable piece of roadside neon that has quietly slipped into history.

UPDATE: The original Automotive Engineering sign has been removed, and the property is now home to other automotive businesses. 07-26

Brake Shop (1956)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy John Cinchett

Here is an old photo from 1956 for a brake shop. This shop is or was located in Tampa, Florida on North Nebraska Avenue. This is another neon beauty by Cinchett Neon Signs. Many thanks to John Cinchett for info. 01-09

Nothing caught a driver's attention in the 1950s quite like a giant neon sign. This one for the Brake Shop along North Nebraska Avenue featured a colorful design by Cinchett Neon Signs, one of Tampa's best-known sign companies. 01-09

The animated display helped the business stand out on busy U.S. 41, where motels, gas stations, and repair shops competed for the attention of passing motorists. Even today, it's easy to imagine the glow of the neon reflecting off the chrome of the cars parked below.

The business itself has faded into history, and the sign is long gone. Fortunately, photos like this preserve another beautiful example of Florida's roadside neon era.