Ford Dealership Sign
AACA Museum, Hershey, PA
Photo courtesy Steve Snyder

Here's one old dealership sign that's still glowing. The Ford Dealership Sign at the AACA Museum in Hershey has those big FORD letters completely outlined in neon. Imagine seeing this one lighting up the side of a dealership at night.

The original dealership where this sign hung isn't known, but signs like this once helped turn auto rows into quite a show after dark. Thankfully, this one escaped the fate of so many old dealership signs.

Today the Ford letters are still lit up as part of the museum's vintage streetscape display. It's no longer along the road, but it's certainly worth a look if you're passing through Hershey.

OK Used Cars
AACA Museum, Hershey, PA
Photo courtesy Steve Snyder

Remember seeing these along the road? This OK Used Cars sign at the AACA Museum in Hershey is a great neon survivor, with the familiar OK logo surrounded by Used Cars lettering and several different colors of neon.

The OK Used Cars signs were once a common sight at Chevrolet dealerships around the country. The program actually dates back to the 1920s, giving Chevy dealers a familiar way to advertise their inspected used cars. By the '50s, that big OK logo had become part of the roadside scenery.

The original dealership where this particular sign once stood isn't known. Wherever it was, all those colors must have looked pretty good glowing over a used car lot after dark.

Today the old OK Used Cars sign is still lit up as part of the AACA Museum's vintage streetscape display in Hershey.

Buick Dealership Sign
AACA Museum, Hershey, PA
Photo courtesy Steve Snyder

Check out this great old Buick Dealership Sign glowing away at the AACA Museum in Hershey. The tall porcelain sign spells out BUICK in neon, the kind of marquee that once hung over the sidewalk and could catch your eye from halfway down the block.

Back when downtown auto rows were filled with new-car showrooms, signs like this were part of the scenery. Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac and the rest all competed for attention, and a big vertical neon sign certainly didn't hurt when it came time to sell a few cars.

The original dealership where this particular Buick sign hung isn't known. Wherever it was, imagine this one glowing above a row of shiny new Buicks after dark.

Today the sign is still lit up as part of the AACA Museum's vintage streetscape display. It may no longer be hanging along the roadside, but all that Buick neon still puts on quite a show.

Pontiac Dealership Sign
AACA Museum, Hershey, PA
Photo courtesy Steve Snyder

Here's another great old dealership sign glowing away at the AACA Museum in Hershey. This Pontiac Dealership Signfeatures the old Chief Pontiac profile outlined in neon, from the days before the familiar red arrowhead took over.

Signs like this once hung outside Pontiac showrooms around the country, lighting the way toward rows of Chieftains, Star Chiefs and other new Pontiacs. With that Indian head glowing after dark, there probably wasn't much doubt which dealership you had found.

The original dealership where this particular sign hung isn't known, but its styling appears to date from the postwar years, before Pontiac switched to the arrowhead emblem in 1959.

Today the old Pontiac sign still lights up as part of the museum's vintage streetscape display. Pontiac may have disappeared from the new-car lots in 2010, but the neon is still glowing in Hershey.

Stevens Ford (Rem.)
Milford, CT
Photo courtesy Richard Ibsen

Look up on the roof of Stevens Ford in Milford and check out those big old Ford letters. The scaffold sign may have been up there since the late '50s or early '60s, standing high above Bridgeport Avenue where passing motorists couldn't miss it. 02-06

Stevens Ford opened in 1955, so the sign certainly fits right in with the dealership's early years. Rooftop signs like this were once a familiar sight along automobile rows, turning even the local Ford dealer into something of a roadside landmark.

And unlike many of the old dealerships we've come across, Stevens Ford is still selling cars today.

UPDATE: Stevens Ford remains open at its longtime Bridgeport Avenue location, but the old rooftop scaffold sign has been removed. 08-26

Perkins Chevrolet (Gone)
Milford, CT
Photo courtesy Richard Ibsen

Check out the signage for the Perkin's Chevrolet in Milford,CT. This has been a Chevrolet dealer since the 1920s and the neon sign appears to be from that era. The sign didn't work and was in generally poor condition until it was taken down a couple years ago. I thought it was probably gone forever. About a year later it was put back up, restored and working and impressive. Many thanks to Rick Ibsen for info. 02-06

The dealership was also known as Dan Perkins Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, selling two familiar GM nameplates from its Bridgeport Avenue showroom. Between the Chevrolet lettering, the Oldsmobiles on the lot and all that roadside signage, there probably wasn't much doubt what was for sale here.

The old dealership eventually disappeared from this location, although the Dan Perkins name continues in the Milford car business today.

UPDATE: The Chevrolet dealership is closed and the old dealer signage has been removed. 08-26

Orr Cadillac (Gone)
Springfield, MA
Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen

Check out the neon glowing at Orr Cadillac in Springfield. With the Cadillac script lighting up the showroom windows, this was one car dealership that looked especially good after dark. 03-08

The Mill Street showroom opened in 1957, although the Orr family had been selling Cadillacs in Springfield since 1940. Those big glass windows gave passing motorists a nice look at the latest Cadillacs inside, with plenty of neon to help get their attention. Orr Cadillac remained a Springfield fixture until 2010, when General Motors pulled the franchise and the dealership closed after 70 years of selling Cadillacs.

UPDATE: The former Orr Cadillac building still stands and has been home to the Springfield Rescue Mission since 2015. The old Cadillac neon is gone and the showroom has been extensively remodeled. 08-26

Buick
Springfield, MA
Photo courtesy Rick Ibsen

Here's one that must have been hard to miss after dark. This Buick sign in Springfield lights up the night with those big neon letters hanging high above the street. 03-08

Signs like this were once a familiar sight outside car dealerships, especially during the '50s and '60s when every make seemed to have its own glowing roadside identity. You didn't need GPS to find the Buick dealer. Just look for the neon in the sky.

The dealership behind this particular sign hasn't been identified, and the exact location in Springfield remains a mystery.

UPDATE: The current status of the building is unknown, and the old Buick neon sign is believed to be gone. 08-26