This is a genuine, de-commissioned “40” mph Road Sign hand-painted in a chequered flag design and then aged to show some of the original colours and reflective parts of the original road sign underneath.
It measures approx. 17.5 inches / 45cm round.
Chequered Flags were used was at the Glidden Tours in 1906 when the American Automobile Association used them at "checking stations" (timekeeping points) during these multi-hundred-mile rallies.
The earliest known photograph of a chequered flag signaling the end of a race comes from a New York event called the Vanderbilt Cup in 1906, where Fred Wagner waved it.
The high-contrast black and white pattern made it easily visible against dirt tracks and crowds, making it an effective signal.
*** If you live outside the UK you can purchase this sign on Ebay using the following link :
This is a genuine, de-commissioned “40” mph Road Sign hand-painted in a chequered flag design and then aged to show some of the original colours and reflective parts of the original road sign underneath.
It measures approx. 17.5 inches / 45cm round.
Chequered Flags were used was at the Glidden Tours in 1906 when the American Automobile Association used them at "checking stations" (timekeeping points) during these multi-hundred-mile rallies.
The earliest known photograph of a chequered flag signaling the end of a race comes from a New York event called the Vanderbilt Cup in 1906, where Fred Wagner waved it.
The high-contrast black and white pattern made it easily visible against dirt tracks and crowds, making it an effective signal.
*** If you live outside the UK you can purchase this sign on Ebay using the following link :
