166 - SAURER - c.1945

SAURER - c.1945 Original double-sided lithographed advertising sheet metal. A generous size: 85 cm in diameter. In good overall condition— Beautiful sheen and vibrant, fresh colors on both sides. Note a few scattered, light scratches on the surface that do not detract from the appearance, as well as a minor warp along the very bottom edge due to a previous impact. The logo references the architectural shape of the roofs of the factory buildings at Adolph Saurer’s headquarters in Arbon, in Switzerland (the historic factories on the shores of Lake Constance featured these famous stepped industrial gables typical of the 19th century, known as “Treppengiebel”). Founded in 1853 by Franz Saurer in Saint-Georges and later relocated to Arbon in 1862, the Swiss company Saurer designed its first engines in 1888 under the leadership of Adolph Saurer. After producing its first automobile in 1896, the brand definitively specialized in trucks and heavy-duty vehicles starting in 1903. To serve the French market, the subsidiary Saurer France opened its factory in Suresnes in 1909. Having become a global leader in mechanical engineering, the company acquired its competitor Berna in 1929 under the leadership of Hippolyt Saurer. The Suresnes branch was acquired by Unic in 1956, while the parent company in Arbon delivered its last trucks in 1982 to refocus on the textile industry. Cantons of Thurgau and St. Gallen/Hauts-de-Seine/Île-de-France