[thepontiacman]

I recently found this dealer advertising lighter from McNamara Pontiac -Orlando FL .

This is the dealership where my 69 GTO Conv. came from.

Thought it was a neat item to find. Interesting what they made to give out back then. Not sure how old it is.

Still looking for items from that dealership. Any leads, please email me.

Thanks.

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

[thepontiacman]

anyone who knows of any McNamara Pontiac items, please let me know.

thanks

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

[Stuart]

Neat little collectible. I've seen plenty of Pontiac dealer ashtrays, but don't recall any lighters.

[GT182]

I remember seeing a lighter from Sission Pontiac in Sidney, NY back when I was a kid. And the leather key case with their name on it where the keys were on a swivel pin. The keys folded back into the case, it folded over them and snapped shut.

[thepontiacman]

Anyone got pics of items from McNamara Pontiac?

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

[Half-Inch Stud]

Originally Posted by GT182

I remember seeing a lighter from Sission Pontiac in Sidney, NY back when I was a kid. And the leather key case with their name on it where the keys were on a swivel pin. The keys folded back into the case, it folded over them and snapped shut.

Sounds like the vintage key case I use with the 68 GTO, but no dealer info. Oops, no lighter capability either. Just plain black leather wrap & snap with a swivel row of keys. Would be a great repoper.

[GT182]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

Sounds like the vintage key case I use with the 68 GTO, but no dealer info. Oops, no lighter capability either. Just plain black leather wrap & snap with a swivel row of keys. Would be a great repoper.

The one my mom had from Sisson Pontiac was a tan leather. She still had it before she passed away back in 2007. I thought I'd gotten it but I can't find it. Must be tucked away in a "safe" place. When I do find it, it'll be put to good use in the GTO.

[geeteeohguy]

Originally Posted by thepontiacman

I recently found this dealer advertising lighter from McNamara Pontiac -Orlando FL .

This is the dealership where my 69 GTO Conv. came from.

Thought it was a neat item to find. Interesting what they made to give out back then. Not sure how old it is.

Still looking for items from that dealership. Any leads, please email me.

Thanks.

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

From my experience, that lighter dates from the mid '60's. Very common style back then.

[boltbuster]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

From my experience, that lighter dates from the mid '60's. Very common style back then.

Maybe even early 60's... I noticed that there was no area code with the phone number. Don't remember when those came in.

[John V.]

I used to drive by McNamara Pontiac from time to time before it was closed. Ad maybe once or twice after it closed. This was in the early 2000s while I was in Orlando on biz.

They had a pretty impressive sign. According to the web, it was only taken down a few years ago.

Not sure, but according to an article I saw, these folks, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, acquired the sign and for now it sits along with other large iconic Orlando neon signs in their warehouse waiting for the day they might be able to display them.

[John V.]

BTW, from time to time I've seen auto dealer memorabilia in antique shops.

I would think you'd most likely find McNamara stuff at antique shops in the Orlando area (and there are a ton of them).

You might want to try to contact a few of them say in the Winter Park or Mt. Dora areas and just put the word out.

You might get lucky.

[thepontiacman]

Thanks for the info., I have found Pontiac items in antique stores/malls before.

I have ads on CL in the area and have had some response.

I rec'd some items from a McNamara Family member. A really nice guy.

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

[GT182]

It's possible it could even be from the late 50s.

[John V.]

Cool that you contacted a McNamara family member, that is another source for stuff and info I often suggest to guys looking for info about a particular dealership.

This was a very common promo lighter used by all sorts of companies for advertising giveaways.

Just some of the "brand" names marked on the side that I came across included Penguin, Zenith, Rolex, and Malco. Yours looks like it has the brand "Direct". I don't know the meaning of these "brand" names, maybe the name of the importer or maybe they were all knock-offs of each other, undoubtedly all were manufactured in Japan back when cheap goods came from there. Today it would likely be from China. You can bet "Rolex" had nothing to do with the watch company.

Some of them might date to the '50s.

McNamara didn't go into biz until 1961 and didn't move to the Colonial Dr. facility until about 1965, so surely the lighter is no older than that and I would bet they were sold for promo purposes for many, many years so perhaps much newer.

It isn't obvious to me if the McNamara sign in the graphic on the lighter says "Isuzu". I believe McNamara added Isuzu in 1993, so if the graphic does say Isuzu, the lighter is much newer. But I suspect it doesn't. I've never seen a pic of the McNamara sign from before they added Isuzu to it, but I'm guessing the smaller sign where "ISUZU" appeared at the end said something else prior to '93 and that is what the lighter graphic is representing.

I would guess McNamara sourced the lighters outside of regular PMD advertising channels, bought them thru another source. Same place companies would buy advertising pens, pen knives, nail clippers, and an assortment of other trinkets that they gave (and still give) to customers and prospects.

The most common "brand" associated with this style lighter is "Penguin" and the bottom stamped "Superlative Automatic Lighter No. 18250". The Direct Model No. might be "1743".

thepontiacman, is yours stamped on the bottom?

[thepontiacman]

I'll have to take a pic of the bottom sometime. Thanks for the info.

I can't tell what the lower portion of the sign says on the lighter. It would be helpful to have a pic of sign before Isuzu was added.

The family member sent me a NOS dealer trunk emblem (has Pontiac Indianhead on end), key fobs, a pen, and letter opener. I contacted him at the right time. Very Nice guy.

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

[SR-71]

I thought I had a picture of the sign and where the Isuzu was it used to say Tempest. That would have been late 60s at best I would think.

[60sstuff]

thepontiacman,

Very Cool old lighter you have!

I always look for these types of vintage collectibles, especially if it's Pontiac related.

I found this old "unused" match book recently.

Still has the front-striker. Strikers where moved to the back panel in 1973 for safety.

The matches are way cool in their design.

[geeteeohguy]

Chris, that has to be the coolest matchbook I've ever seen! Thanks for the post.

[burd]

Cool stuff. A swap in Orlando is the best bet for ya, I see Royal, Fresard, quality, Causley, I just picked up a Belcastro pontiac key chain.

[thepontiacman]

anyone else find some cool dealer items?

still looking for McNamara Pontiac stuff