Vintage Cast Aluminum License Plate Toppers

Collector Items .. Today

Cast aluminium License Plate Topper

Stenso Motor Co Dealership

Grafton, North Dakota

Toppers were created to often times advertise dealerships and quickly became useful boosters as more Americans traveled from home. 

History and Evolution of License Plate Toppers

One aspect of automotive history that offers an excellent opportunity to collectors, decorators and vintage-lovers alike is the vintage license plate topper (hereafter referred to as "toppers").  These wonderful pieces of history got their start in the 1920s and 1930s when individual car owners as well as states, attractions, organizations, companies, municipalities and colleges sought ways to promote themselves, to advertise their services to the public, to boost tourism and to make their existence known on a grander scale.

Adrian College Bulldogs

Adrian, Michigan

Denison University

Granville, Ohio

Massachusetts University Topper

and

Hagertown Beagle Club

A Cast Aluminum Florida Topper 

1940 World's Fair New York, New York Topper

on

a 1939 Cadillac formerly owned 

by

Ernest W. Burdick

Aloha

The license plate topper, a small sign that could be mounted to the top or in some cases the bottom of a license plate, was originally designed to add a bit of flair and style to a vehicle.  

Originally, toppers were usually made of tin and this material was a staple for toppers through the 1960s.  With the advent of rationing during WWII a few rare toppers can even be found made of fiberboard.  Later, some toppers were also made of a cast aluminum in the 1950s and 1960s.  Porcelain enamel was also a rare material used to create license plate toppers. 

Some early toppers often advertised the dealership's name where a car was purchased or they might be simply embossed with a town name.  Commerical enterprises soon recognized that toppers were an effective and creative way to advertise and promote a business or organization.

Vintage license plate toppers are highly sought after by collectors today.  These gems can be found in antique stores, online auctions, websites, flea markets, swap meets and license plate shows, to name a few.  Today, license plate toppers have also found a delightful second life as vintage home decor.  You could mount an eye-catching topper above a fireplace mantel as a focal point allowing its wonderful patina and stylized graphics to fill your space with .. timeless cool.