Joseph Siffert Automobiles decals

[72targa]

Just awesome. Sure appreciate your efforts.

[CurtEgerer]

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!'.

[Mark Morrissey]

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.

[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.

[72targa]

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!

[LongRanger]

. . . 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 . . .

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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[911T1971]

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



.....

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.

[LongRanger]

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

You're exactly right, Karim . . .



. . . good catch!



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[NZVW]

The smaller decal that was on Seppi's 917

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

Regards

[Mark Morrissey]

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