YOU WON'T FIND THIS SIGN!

When Oliver introduced the Three-Digit Series tractors (440, 550, 660, 770, 880, 950, 995) starting in 1958, a new color scheme and decals appeared on the tractors.  Clover White replaced the red and yellow colors on the tractors.  The yellow decals were changed to a new "oval logo" with the word "Oliver" in red on a white oval with a gold outline.

Oliver "oval nameplate" sign design from the 1958 flyer promoting the new signs.

Somebody at the Oliver Corporation must have decided that the new nameplate logo used on the decals and grill emblem of the tractors should be the identifying symbol for advertising. So the "New Oliver Signs" flyer was created to promote the new signs to Oliver dealerships. In fact, 2 sizes of the new sign with the Oliver "oval logo" nameplate were planned:
- The 8' wide x 4' tall single sided sign could be used as a Road Sign or a Wall Sign
- The 6' wide x 3' tall double sided sign could be used a Hang Down Sign and included a pole and mast for mounting above the main or service entrance at dealerships.
Additionally, two options were available for the top portion of the sign - dealers could choose from either "FARM MACHINERY" or "INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT" according to the flyer.

Copy of the "New Oliver Signs" flyer circa 1958 from the Oliver Corporation.

So, why won't you find one of these dealer signs? Well, the reason is no one has ever seen one. The flyer above is the only proof that this sign design ever existed! Our best guess is somebody in sales or marketing thought this new Oliver "oval nameplate" was here to stay and started the process to update the signage and branding to match. But, they must not have been aware of the work going on in the experimental department at Oliver because a new tractor design, logo, and grill emblem was already in the works on a brand new series of tractors - the models 1800 and 1900. ​
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The well known Oliver "Keystone" logo officially showed up shortly after White Motor Corporation purchased Oliver as a wholly owned subsidiary on November 1, 1960.  The "Keystone" logo was centered around an updated version of Oliver's long used shield shape, but used orange and black colors for a fresh, new look.  This was the final logo for Oliver - sticking around all the way under the final Oliver tractor was built in 1976. But before the "Keystone" logo became the trademark for Oliver, there was a period of time from late 1959 - 1960 when the new model 1800 and 1900 tractors seemed to start the transition to a new logo. Since its formation in 1929, Oliver Farm Equipment had used a "shield" as their main logo. The shield got some adjustments over the years, but the concept stayed the same. To see all the logos and their history, visit our Logo Archive page.

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Emblem from 1800-1900 tractors in November 1959.

So in November 1959 when the 1800 and 1900 tractors were showcased to Oliver dealers at the Hippodrome in Waterloo, Iowa, the decals and grill emblem on the tractor did have an Oliver shield. No, it wasn't the green and red Oliver shield logo or even the "oval nameplate" this article is about! Instead, it was a shield in the colors of orange and white.  It was placed on a black "keystone" shaped background.  As you can see, this style and colors was apparently the direction Oliver was heading and this 1959 era emblem for the 100 series tractors sure looks like it provided quite a bit of inspiration for the "Keystone" logo that rolled out a year later. This made the "oval nameplate logo" basically outdated almost from the start. It did hang around for about 3 years on the three digit tractors, but the Oliver 770 had new decals with the keystone logo by 1962 to match the newer 100 series line of tractors. 

​A beautiful logo and sign that's fate was cast by bad timing. So, until somebody finds one of these signs out there in the wild, it's the "New Oliver Sign" that doesn't really exist! Lucky for you, we decided to re-create the sign design using the information and drawings on the flyer.  You can order the sign in your choice of two sizes: 48" wide by 24" tall or 36" wide x 18" tall with your favorite old time Oliver Dealer's name or one line of any other text you like!  You won't find this sign anywhere else!

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