From that other Coca-Cola industrial designer

When you were raised in Europe, or more particularly the United Kingdom, anytime pre-1980 you must surely remember the milk float, bringing fresh milk to your doorstep every day. Well, this is how the Americans did it. With the Coca-Cola dispensing truck, or fountain car, as long ago as 1934. Isn’t that just fantastic?

We would have thought it to be the work of Raymond Loewy, but found that the thing of beauty came from the drawing board of another American industrial design ace: Everett Worthington. To be honest, that name didn’t ring a bell immediately, but a further Google search taught us that the man died behind the wheel of his car as early as 1938. By that time, he’d made a name in radios, clocks, pianos, furniture and… automotive accessories and interiors. And before the Coca-Cola fountain car there had been the Coca-Cola fountain. An inventive design, using laminated wood for its display in a patented and ‘never used before’ way. A number of displays at national fairs were to follow and again Coca-Cola was among the customers, as was General Motors.

A General Motors product, however, was not chosen for Worthington’s dispensing truck, as we understand the base vehicle is a Dodge – but what a beauty it is. It does make us wonder what other automotive products Worthington was involved with..?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company.

Published:

Thursday May 27th, 2021

David Scott

30 May 2021, 08:59

Presumably followed up by an ambulance-chaser dentist? There is a wealth of interesting information to be dug out on the subject of promotional vehicles, and old friend of mine, female, worked one summer driving one of the Outspan Oranges, several of which used to be parked up in a yard in Berkhamstead, I have seen one for sale since, mini-based from Memory.? And the Bass beer bottle trucks! It seems inconceivable now that we had a horse-drawn "Express Fairy" milk float in London in the mid-50s, and a dairy in Blackheath Village!! Not to mention the rag-and-boneo man with his horse, or "Marine Stores Dealer" as my grandfather in Kilburn was euphemistically described!!

Ace Zenek

29 May 2021, 17:52

The following information about this truck was published in the November 1934 issue of the magazine Power Wagon.

"Sales Cars of Striking Design Dispense Free Coca Cola Drinks

"TWO special stream line bodies with equipment for dispensing Coca Cola in residential districts on a sales promotion sampling plan have just been developed by the Coca Cola Company, Atlanta, Ga. These bodies made by H. McFarlane & Co., Inc., after a design by Everett Worthington of the Coca Cola Company are not only attention-arresting in appearance but are highly utilitarian in arrangement of equipment and handling facilities....

"...The construction of the bodies and installation of all equipment was handled in the shops of the H. McFarlane & Co., Inc., in just 31 days, an exceptional feat in view of the special nature of every detail of the job. The two trucks with crews will be sent on tour throughout the country to cooperate in a sales campaign for Coca Cola products now being launched."

The caption to the third photo showing the full side view was, "Stream-lined and attention-arresting is this body design on a Model 34 Dodge chassis two of which have just been constructed by H. McFarlane & Co., Inc., Chicago body makers. Rear compartment contains dispensing units for use by crew in vending free drinks of Coca Cola."

I also found an additional caption for this photo that states, "COCA Cola uses this gracefully streamlined model KH-32 Dodge to dispense free drinks in an advertising stunt. If the drink proves as pleasing to the palate as the lines of the truck appear to the eye, success is assured. Pause long enough to look this truck over - it's refreshing."

The KH-32 was a one and a half ton, 157 inch wheelbase truck, with a six-cylinder, 201 ci engine of 62 hp.

keith kuehn

27 May 2021, 18:33

Would it not be wonderful to find one of these trucks still existing somewhere? I suppose the chances are pretty slim of that unless it would be in a Coca Cola museum......

Alan

27 May 2021, 14:30

Apparently it takes six men to properly dispense soda! Or it was extremely popular. Did they all fit in the vehicle?

John Bates

27 May 2021, 13:06

Yes, I do remember the milk floats here in England. Ours was horse-drawn until the mid to late 1950s when it was replaced by an electric vehicle with enormous lead-acid batteries.

From that other Coca-Cola industrial designer

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