Rare ‘winged pyramid’ Ford sign with a back story

An enormous, extremely rare and early Ford dealership sign recently found on Vancouver Island prompted an offer of several hundred dollars from someone anxious to buy it. The thing is, the sign is very likely worth roughly 500 times that.

The 10-feet wide (over 3 metres) die-cut porcelain on metal ‘winged pyramid’ Ford sign, which dates to the early 1900s, is estimated to sell at Miller & Miller Auctions’ Petroliana & Advertising sale on June 13th for as much as CA$100,000.

“This sign is so desirable because of its rarity, shape, size and the fact it survives as a reminder of the most important era in automotive history,” explains Justin Miller, co-owner of Miller & Miller Auctions. “The winged pyramid was used in advertising campaigns and internal promotions throughout the era of the Model T, which transformed automobiles from luxury items into common transportation for the masses. Surviving pre-First World War signs are also rare in general since many were lost to the aggressive scrap metal drives during the war.” The winged pyramid signs were also distributed exclusively to Canadian dealerships, adds Justin, and because of that were produced in limited numbers for the smaller Canadian market.

The sign in the upcoming sale was originally mounted to the front of the Duncan Garage, a large full-service operation opened in 1913 in the small city of Duncan in the heart of the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. It was a big sign for what was one of the biggest garages on the island at the time. In addition to selling Fords and servicing automobiles, it operated the area’s first ambulance and hearse, at one time ran a seven-passenger stagecoach to Victoria and eventually owned a fire truck and a school bus. It closed in 1983 and today the refurbished building houses a variety of local businesses, including the Duncan Garage Café & Bakery.

The winged pyramid trademark was used by the Ford Motor Company from 1912 to 1916. It was designed by Ford’s newly-hired Chicago ad man Glen Buck, according to an article by John Rollie Wightman in the July/August 2023 edition of Model T Times. Buck apparently described the new trademark as “a happy combination of the two oldest Egyptian symbols – the pyramid symbolizing strength and stability – the scarab wing symbolizing lightness and grace.” Eventually, strained relations between Henry Ford’s “iron-fisted secretary” Earnest Liebold and Glen Buck led to Buck’s resignation in 1913. Ford continued to use the winged pyramid until 1916 when it was abolished after it was suggested the scarab was just another name for the dung beetle.

Few garages would have been big enough to warrant a sign as large as the one in Duncan. It’s not clear when it was taken down or where it went first, but it ended up in the hands of the late Geoff Hopps, a local collector of petroliana, classic cars, tractors and assorted other categories. For 45 years, he also owned and operated Crofton Auto Service, a small, full-service Shell garage in the coastal town of Crofton, about a 15-minute drive north of Duncan. Geoff retired in 2018 and over the years had earned a reputation in the town as a kind and generous man who served multiple generations of local families and won numerous business awards for retail excellence.

When he died in 2025, his wife Pat Hopps suddenly found herself in charge of his vast collection, of which she knew little about. “He collected for a long time and that was his thing. I really didn’t know what to do.”

And that’s what led Pat and supportive family members to reach out to Colby Owen, founder of North Island Estate Liquidation Inc., in Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Colby, who’s also an accredited appraiser, went to see Geoff’s collection and while touring the barn he spotted the Ford sign. “I saw that sign and just stopped in my tracks. I knew it was uncommon and figured it might be a five-digit sign. They had no idea.” Colby signed an agreement with Pat and then decided “to tease the world”.

The sign is offered as lot 158 in Miller & Miller’s June 13th sale of Petroliana & Advertising.

He posted a picture of it on a well-known Facebook site for collectors. “It just exploded,” he says, “and generated hundreds of comments, which opened up so many possibilities”. Colby has since decided to consign the sign on Pat’s behalf to Miller & Miller Auctions since he considers them “the best option” to handle the sale.

“Miller & Miller has the reputation here in Canada to deal with something of this scope and scale,” he explains. “It’s a Canadian sign and a Canadian estate and I wanted to keep it in Canada if possible.”

When word got out, other potential buyers stopped by the Hopps barn to look things over. One man saw the Ford sign and offered Pat $100. When she refused, he offered $200. She explained she was bound by an agreement with someone else and sticking to it was only fair. “In hindsight I don’t even remember who that man was,” she says. “But I think he might have known it was worth far more.”

“I’m glad I got there first so she didn’t engage with somebody like that - someone with nefarious intentions,” says Colby. “I truly believe being good and honest still goes a long way in this world.”

By Diane Sewell

Diane Sewell has been a writer for more than 25 years, producing feature stories for some of the country’s top newspapers and consumer magazines, as well as client newsletters and commissioned books.

Rare ‘winged pyramid’ Ford sign with a back story

The sign is offered as lot 158 in Miller & Miller’s June 13th sale of Petroliana & Advertising.

By Diane Sewell

Diane Sewell has been a writer for more than 25 years, producing feature stories for some of the country’s top newspapers and consumer magazines, as well as client newsletters and commissioned books.

SALE INFORMATION:

Petroliana & Advertising

Featuring the Cliff Love Collection

June 13, 2026, 9am EST

Live Webcast Auction

© Miller and Miller Auctions Ltd. 2024.

59 Webster St. New Hamburg, Ontario. N3A 1W8

Main Website: www.millerandmillerauctions.com

1.519.662.4800