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This post was up yesterday on Shorpy. New Clipper getting gas day before rationing began. Looks like a Senior in front of it in June of 42

www.shorpy.com/node/14914?size=_original#caption

No. Not a Senior in front. It's a 1939 or '40 Junior. I can't tell if it's a six or an eight. The taillights and bumper are the first clues that it's not a Senior.

"...the day before stricter gas rationing was enforced, cars were pouring into this gas station..."

I found a website, that revolves around "The Big Sleep".




Humphrey Bogart starred "Philip Marlowe". One of the cars had a sticker ...




"...The one that can be made out as "B" was a gas rationing sticker. Most people got an "A" sticker that was only good for 3 gallons of gas. People who used their vehicles as part of their job, such as Marlowe, could get a "B" sticker which allowed them more. "C" stickers, reserved for trucking and defense work, allowed owners to fill the tank. Prior to the war, gas sold for an average of $.13 a gallon, equivalent to $2.04 in 2010. During the war the price increased to $.18 or $2.83 in 2010. Considering the demands placed on petroleum by the war effort, this increase is not as great as one would expect. The reason is that gas was rationed, a process which blunted the effect of supply and demand..."

Stephen, thanks for sharing the pic. BTW Bogarts son was called Stephen.

[source: www.waynesthisandthat.com]

Thank you all for an interesting discussion. Here is something more on it.

I had heard that gas rationing in the U.S. during WW-II had as much to do with saving wear on tires as it did with maintaining the fuel supply for war efforts. Also, the national speed limit was reduced to 35 mph, again more to save tires than gas.

Vehicles were allowed to carry only one spare tire. There was discussion in Packard service letters to dealers talking about how to preserve the appearance of the 6-wheel equipped cars with sidemounts. My dad drove a 1936 120B Club Sedan with side mounts during the war, and I think he had tires in them. At least all the photos of the car that we have show the sidemounts in place. Maybe the law was not enforced equally across the nation.

(o{}o)

JW you are exactly right about a tire/rubber shortage. According to my Mom and Aunt the biggest challenge wasn't gasoline, but heaven help you if you needed tires.

JW and Mark re the tires,rationing slogan: IS THIS TRIP NECESSARY? Also seen painted on more than one B-17.

Thanks West for the eagle eye. I thought that those were the Senior taillights-more tutorials needed in the galleries I guess..interesting Goddess of Speed.

Thanks Guscha for the links. Knew Bogart's son was Stephen. Glad to see Bogie spelled it right.

If you watch The Big Sleep carefully you will see Marlowe's coupe in several scenes. In some it has the ration stickers, in others it doesn't. I don't know why unless the scenes were shot at different times, and rationing came in while they were filming.

There is a scene set in Brody's apartment. When Marlowe parks in front of the apartment house his car has the sticker in the windshield. When he leaves a few minutes later, no sticker.

Quote:

John (JW), the below shown poster seems to support both your statement as well as your assumption.





[picture source: www.ameshistoricalsociety.org]

I have a replica gas ration sticker on my 115C. It is an "A" version and has the driving guidance wording on the backside.

(o{}o)