Joseph Siffert Automobiles decals

I'd like to let interested people know that I finally got around to making these. I have a contact in Switzerland who is close to Seppi's mechanics
... he's consulting with them and showing them an image of the vector I've made. Haven't heard back yet.

Sadly, the only image I had to work with is the one on the red background which isn't great but it's not terrible.
You guys let me know how you think I did.
I've gone ahead and ordered some rear adhesive versions at 4.5 inches wide, clear dye cut background with recreated type, white fill and a black surrounding stroke. (the blue outline shows the shape of the dye cut.)
Also coming are slightly smaller, rear adhesive versions, at 3.75 inches wide, for folks to adhere to their quarter window if they'd like.

Let me know what you think... I should have these available on my site in a week or so.

Well done!

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Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

You guys let me know how you think I did.

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here is what i think

Too cool! Thanks in advance!!

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Originally Posted by moito

here is what i think

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Not sure why you're seeing that... image doesn't look that way

. . . been thinking about this for years
(. . . ever since I first saw it)

As you know, there are at least two versions of this . . .
https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...=1#post1120084

I've always thought the larger one was older --- Mr Siffert sold a LOTTA Bugattis and Ferraris in his time . . . which is what I thought the larger version was depicted on


On the other hand --- the smaller one (this) . . . appears on the tail of the car that he purchased from Porsche (917-024) . . .
https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...S-Gooding-917K


I would think that this smaller version would be applicable to the later cars --- and only to ones built/sold before Jan '72 (?) when the store closed

This Small version may not be as 'showy' as the Big One -- but . . .

. . . I'd buy WAY more-than one



FWiW Kerry Morse told me he had an OG one of these. Tried to get a hold of him fo' years --- just to get a peek!



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Small one would be nice to have

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Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

Not sure why you're seeing that... image doesn't look that way

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the red boxes and lines indicate where i would change lines etc. since what you did is a bit off..no offense but you asked what we think

Moito is right. The width of the letters in joseph is not consistent at all. Then the spaces in siffert?

the problem with making the smaller one is the image is just too small/low resolution. I might be able to fudge it... we'll see.
Even the red background one is tricky to duplicate because of the resolution and the condition... I did make adjustments and sent in a revision vector but its still not perfect.
I'm trying to get a better photo from one of the mechanics in Switzerland...we'll see. But in the meantime, I've had what surely a few will consider less than ideal -- put through for production. Yes, its not perfect, but its pretty close
Thank you for the critique and eagle-eyed observations. Much appreciated.

I'll do my best over the next several months to get it closer and keep you posted.

Just awesome. Sure appreciate your efforts.

The thing with old decals/stickers is they were rarely perfect. They were hand-drawn back in the day. Line widths, spacing, uniformity, registration are generally off, sometimes by a lot. Mark and I have discussed this. I've done my share of imitating/reproducing artwork like this. One sure way to spot a reproduction decal is it is too perfect. Much like an overly-restored car, 'they never looked like this!'. :D

Hey Curt, those are all important things to consider... thanks a lot.

Another is the less-than-perfect photo on the red background was shot at an angle which fundamentally distorts how it would appear if you were viewing it from straight on.
I did my best to correct that in Photoshop but its impossible to get it exact and there's no way to know what it should be. I can't say with certainty but this font doesn't look to me like a foundry example... I'd say its a one-off a designer came up with for Siffert when he began his dealership.

So just keep in mind that unless I can find a better example, this project will always be an inexact venture.

Even so, I'm still working it to make an improvement.

The smaller decal that was on Seppi's 917 is so low resolution, I can only guess what it might look like.
There's barely anything there you can work with.

My interpretation is the top line says only 'Siffert' in the white lettering with a black stroke.
The bottom 2 lines are the same as the larger decal on the red background, only all black.

Incredible work. Given the opportunity to ask, any way to make the black border on Siffert more “natural”/uneven? Looking forward to buying the finished decal, no matter how it turns out!

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Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

. . . The smaller decal that was on Seppi's 917 is so low resolution, I can only guess what it might look like.
There's barely anything there you can work with.

My interpretation is the top line says only 'Siffert' in the white lettering with a black stroke.
The bottom 2 lines are the same as the larger decal on the red background, only all black . . .

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Now we're talking!

K --- here goes . . .

I believe your interpretation of the lettering is spot-on = Siffert | Automobiles | Freibourg

The lettering is highly stylized --- I could not find this font reproduced anywhere . . . so it's probably unique

The 'Siffert' on the top line looks mostly correct -- the lettering perhaps fractionally a bit fat . . . more noticeable in the white

The letters for 'Automobiles' + 'Freibourg' are IMO too thick --- perhaps a 50% . . . though the relative proportions look good, I think the lettering is even more compacted vertically



Anyway, very exciting to see your efforts on this --- great work!


Curious if there are any periodicals or other advertising from the period that show this



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Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

The smaller decal that was on Seppi's 917

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Cool small decal Mark, luv it.
Probably 'small' due to legal advertising rights and I'm sure a cheeky bit of fun.

Regards

Yes, refining the black letters... will post update in a few days or less

I'm a buyer when done!!!

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Originally Posted by Dmill

I'm a buyer when done!!!

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Count me in too!

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• The inside of the bottom of the 'U's --- as well as the insides of all the 'B's and 'O's . . . are sharp/chamfered quadrangles . . . not 'D'-shaped or 'rounded-off' in any way
• The arms on the lower-case 'R's and the dots on the 'I's are the same size on their respective letter sets

This should also simplify your artwork --- as well as the printer's task


HtH




PS You might wanna consider making some 'clings,' too . . . to stick on the inside of window glass



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I'm not sure I one hundred percent agree with you Rick but its really impossible to know for certain... I think you're probably the most invested (emotionally:)) in this so I'll give you the bulk of your observations... I think this is the best I can do.
One more thing, Rick... how wide do you think the small/more simple version should be? It looks to me to be between 4 and 5 inches.

Next would be to take the revised art and adapt it to the more complex version... Later gator

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Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

. . . how wide do you think the small/more simple version should be? It looks to me to be between 4 and 5 inches . . .

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Hey, Mark . . .

Yeah --- I think this decal is very small . . . maybe ~100 mm wide x ~25 mm tall?

IMO, those proportions are critical

I think the 'Siffert' needs to be a bit more-finely drawn --- it is, after all, the only part that's really readable . . . thinner white + thinner outlines. And those 2nd + 3rd lines are already very thin + highly stylized, anyway --- + severely compacted vertically . . . I doubt they're even legible more than 5 feet away


And I think that may 've been the intent of the decal to begin with --- to discretely show the 'Siffert' . . . then to draw one in for a closer look


Think of the small decal as less an 'advertisement' . . .


. . . and more a 'signature'




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Sorry Rick... its as good as I can get it.
I think it looks pretty F-ing awesome.
If we can find a better original image... I'd take another go at it.

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Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

. . . think it looks pretty F-ing awesome . . .

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Me, too, Mark . . .

. . . thanks for all your hard work!




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Originally Posted by LongRanger

Now we're talking!

K --- here goes . . .

I believe your interpretation of the lettering is spot-on = Siffert | Automobiles | Freibourg

The lettering is highly stylized --- I could not find this font reproduced anywhere . . . so it's probably unique

The 'Siffert' on the top line looks mostly correct -- the lettering perhaps fractionally a bit fat . . . more noticeable in the white

The letters for 'Automobiles' + 'Freibourg' are IMO too thick --- perhaps a 50% . . . though the relative proportions look good, I think the lettering is even more compacted vertically



Anyway, very exciting to see your efforts on this --- great work!


Curious if there are any periodicals or other advertising from the period that show this



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Its most likely always „Fribourg“ and never „Freiburg“.

Fribourg is the french word and Freiburg is the german word for the same swiss town, where both languages are spoken and officially in use.
Although Siffert‘s mother tongue was swiss-german (a dialect of german, swiss-germans automaticially speak german) and in Fribourg a minority, he also spoke french and which the majority speaks in Fribourg.
As seen on his shop and the „red backround“ decal, he used „Fribourg“, ie french style and language for all his ads and communication.
It was often said Siffert grew out of modest backround and in Fribourg it was generally the swiss-german population being so, as the french speaking held clerical/economic and aristrocratic/goverment posts..heritage of the middle-ages of this largely catholic town and were, the swiss-germans as minority were usually protestants while the french speaking majority were always catholic.

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Originally Posted by 911T1971

. . . most likely always „Fribourg“ and never „Freiburg“. . .

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You're exactly right, Karim . . .



. . . good catch!



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