Gas rationing stickers on windscreens

[Mr. 'H']

I have seen the letter "A" on a sticker displayed on cars in the 1940s. I understand this to be the WWII gas rationing sticker.

But why the letter "A"?

Did priority vehicles get different letter designations?

Did the "A" stand for anything in particular or was it one of a number of categories?

:jeep::eusa_doh::jeep::eusa_doh::jeep::eusa_doh:

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

There were other stickers as well, there were B, C, T, and X stickers in addition to the As. The rationing was meant to save tire rubber as well as gas, btw.

Ordinary people got A stickers, which entitled them to the least amount of gas. War-workers and essential industry got B stickers, doctors and ministers and the like got C stickers. Truckers got T and high-level politicians got X.

 

[Mr. 'H']

"X" cellent!

Wher'd ya find this all out?

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I was looking into adding one to my car sometime ago and had to find out what the stickers meant. There is info all over the 'net about the history of the stickers.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Here is a good link: http://www.prewarbuick.com/id389.htm

 

[Andykev]

Excellent Post

Mr Wolfie, that was very informative. I didn't know about the stickers, having seen them over the years. Never thought to ask what they were all about.!!

 

[Mr. 'H']

WolfmanJack, that's an excellent site, and an excellent resource for myself, a I am very interested in acquiring a 1941 Buick. I just love them!

:arated:

 

[renor27]

Gas rationing

So there were 4 types of stickers for cars . what about for motorcycles?
Am just about finished rebuilding up my Vintage BMW with sidecar think it would be kind of neat to get a sticker ( if they were made for bikes) and put it on the hacks windsheild.
David

 

[Gray Ghost]

"C" Sticker

Before my father went off to war in 1943, he had a "C" sticker. He was a railroad worker.

Gray Ghost

 

[Mr. 'H']

That's great, remembering something of historic note like that.

Did you ever comment on it or wonder what it meant when you were young?

 

[scotrace]

Have you got one for the Buick, then, Mr. H.?

 

[Mr. 'H']

Heck, yeah!

 

[LizzieMaine]

In addition to the windshield stickers, drivers were issued small square stamps bearing their assigned ration-class letter, a serial number, and a space for their signature. Every stamp had to be signed when handed to a filling-station attendant -- who had to then paste all the stamps down on a large gummed sheet, which had to be submitted to the jobber when ordering a new supply of gas. Every single gallon sold was, supposedly, accounted for this way. There was, however, a thriving market in counterfeit ration stamps, and if you "knew somebody" it wasn't hard to cheat the system.

Somewhere around here I have a few of those stamp sheets, found stashed away in the desk at the family gas station when we closed it down.

 

[Gray Ghost]

That's great, remembering something of historic note like that.

Did you ever comment on it or wonder what it meant when you were young?

He explained about gas ratioing and other items that were rationed. He was glad to have someone like me that was interested. I am 37 now and he was 83 when he died this year on July 20th. I was a late child. I have an older brother that is old enough to be my father. I am lucky that I have parents that were old enough to be my grandparents. I was able to be brought up with 30s and 40s values. I come by this hobby naturally.

Eric

 

[Mr. 'H']

Wow, he must have lived through some amazing times!

 

[Mr. 'H']

So, I was re-watching "The Blue Dahlia" again last night and I noticed the B sticker on Veronica Lake's car:

 

[Mr. 'H']

There seems to be more information about these stickers on the net now. Below pictures are an excellent resource - credit to cartype.com:

 

[Shangas]

It's amazing how many things were rationed during the War. I wrote an article about the Home front of WWII in my blog, and the list of things I came up with that were rationed seemed to go on forever!

Abbott and Costello once referred to the gasoline cards in a comedy routine they did on the radio. They wanted to travel somewhere a great distance away, and Costello was telling Abbott he couldn't drive that far. In the end, Abbott gave up and asked why.

"Well come on, Costello! Why can't you!?"
"OPA, Bruddah! That's why!"
"What do you mean!?"
"Well I only gotta puny 'A' card!"

Unfortunately, my A&C radio-episode collection is quite extensive, and it would take me the better part of a month to track down that exact episode again.

 

[kpreed]

I, in my business have been restoring many old family photos. This car has an "A" sticker on it, hope it helps somebody.

 

[Mr. 'H']

I, in my business have been restoring many old family photos. This car has an "A" sticker on it, hope it helps somebody.

Good detective work there. I actually wonder if different states had regulations about whether the sticker be placed at the top or the bottom of the windshield?