The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Rolling Neon Billboard Oil Truck

There are many variations of decoratively illuminated vehicles.  In some Asian countries, trucks and cabs are festooned with a variety of brightly colored adornments and lights.  In the U.S., we can often see a vehicle with a glowing light under its chassis or hood.  Truck drivers often like a lot of the yellow safety lights.  As the Hemmings blog noted, however, Earl B. Gilmore beat them all in the 1930's.  He completely outlined one of his oil company trucks in neon.

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