Bowes Spark Plugs
Name/Title
Bowes Spark PlugsEntry/Object ID
2025.7.159Scope and Content
This is a mid‑1930s Bowes Seal Fast Spark Plugs advertisement, built around the testimonial of Rod Crawford, a champion in the Central States Racing Association (CSRA). The headline claim—“Only Nine Plugs in 42 Races”—is classic Depression‑era racing advertising, where durability and economy were the selling points for everyday motorists. The poster reinforces Bowes’ credibility by listing well‑known Indy‑era drivers such as Rex Mays, Babe Stapp, Lou Moore, Cliff Bergere, Lou Schneider, Shorty Cantlon, and Tony Gulotta, all of whom were active in the 1920s–30s. The design—bold red field, black‑and‑white race car illustration, and the Bowes “Seal Fast” emblem—matches the graphic style used by Bowes around 1934–1938, when the company heavily promoted its spark plugs and tire sealants through dirt‑track champions. The poster represents the intersection of early American oval‑track racing culture and the era’s aggressive parts‑supplier advertising, aimed at convincing everyday drivers that “speed kings” trusted Bowes products.Collection
Dr. Frederick A. Simeone Founder CollectionCategory
Posters