Ford 300-500 Club

[rocketraider]

Picked up a metal tray at an auction last night. Has a 50s Ford crest with "300-500 Club" on a banner underneath, 1961 date, and pictures of Fords from 1903 thru 1961. It appears to have been a TV tray as there are remains of the plastic clips for the legs.

I'm assuming it was a sales award and it was part of a set, since it seems a single tray wouldn't have been much of an award.

Anyone know what the Ford 300-500 Club was about? The thing is actually a little rough but for 5 bucks, it was interesting.

[john2dameron]

I have to be brief because I need to get off here but it was to recognize individual salesmen that sold that many cars, I think in one year.

[Guest 37Packard]

I have a metal plate that says: "Ford 300-500 Club-Sales Award-1962" that measures 6" in diameter. Here are a couple of very poor photos of it.... :confused:

[John Byrd]

Hey rocketraider, I've had mine several years, notice the two cars on the bottom are 62"s, so it must be an end of the year tray. Don't know the value, but love it, John

[NTX5467]

Rather than a "tv tray", I'd call that a silver Serving Tray. Handles are on the end. Might be capable of being hung on an office wall, too.

Chevrolet had their Legion of Leaders (heavy wood, with engraving and castings) plaques. No doubt, every manufacturer had something of this nature as their yearly recognition rewards for sales performance.

Enjoy!

NTX5467

[rocketraider]

John's is the same one I have, only much nicer.

Look close at the back side and you'll see the clips for the folding legs. Mine has apparently been painted white on back and handles because I can see a little of the flash plating around the leg clips. But, like I said, for $5 it's an interesting piece.

Maybe we should start a thread on the carmakers' sales awards. I have a lot of Oldsmobile Vanguard stuff, and an enamelled bronze "Oldsmobile Legion of Honour" award I've had for nearly 30 years and been unable to find out much about it.

[john2dameron]

I have a metal plate that says: "Ford 300-500 Club-Sales Award-1962" that measures 6" in diameter. Here are a couple of very poor photos of it.... :confused:

37 Packard, I just saw your post. You sure are a handsome dog. LOL

[Guest aermacchi]

I picked up a whole set of tv trays from 1961.The set contains 4 trays with legs and a fifth which

would look like a serving tray with handles that would set on the stand which has 4 wheels for easy moving.From what I understand the salesman would have had to sell between 300 -500 cars that year.I would like to know who made them.

[rocketraider]

Figured they had to be a set for a sales award. Great info on these.

 

My latest award find  is a GM Truck Sales Award from early 60s- it is a Jefferson Golden Hour electric clock mounted on a walnut base with a 1960 ElCamino scale model and a table lighter. Fortunately my clock guy says he can still get the motors for these clocks so I may soon have another running clock in the collection, along with a real nice sales award.

[8E45E]

On ‎03‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 6:54 PM, aermacchi said:

From what I understand the salesman would have had to sell between 300 -500 cars that year.I would like to know who made them.

Sounds like one of Lee Iacocca's brilliant marketing ideas in increasing sales, like "$56 for '56", except this promotion/incentive was aimed at inside sales, and not the general public.  I suspect it was introduced in late 1957 when the recession hit, when at the time, Ford used '300' and '500' titles in their model names. 

Craig