Chicago Motor Club Honor Member Brass Enamel Ashtray 1920s to 1940s Automotive Advertising

This Chicago Motor Club Honor Member ashtray is a brass and enamel automotive advertising piece dating broadly to the 1920s to 1940s, with the club's winged red star emblem standing upright in the center.

The round brass tray has molded cigarette rests around the rim and a double-sided center emblem in black, dark red, and brass tones. It has the strong graphic look of early American motoring memorabilia and works especially well in an automobilia, Chicago history, transportation, or tobacciana collection.

Details

• Item: Chicago Motor Club Honor Member ashtray
• Item Type: Automotive advertising ashtray
• Era: Approximately 1920s to 1940s
• Materials: Brass and enamel
• Color: Brass gold tone with black and dark red enamel
• Maker and Mark: Chicago Motor Club Honor Member emblem. No separate manufacturer's mark visible
• Pattern or Model: Honor Member winged star emblem. Specific model name not confirmed from photos
• Style: Early automotive club advertising and motoring memorabilia
• Dimensions: Ashtray approximately 5 1/2 inches diameter. Center emblem approximately 3 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/4 inches wide. Weight 4 ounces
• Special Features: Upright double-sided winged emblem with red five-point star, black enamel field, Honor Member lettering, and molded cigarette rests around the tray

Condition Grade: Very Good

Positives

• Graded Very Good: The ashtray is sound and attractive with light signs of previous use.
• The Chicago Motor Club lettering and central star remain clear and easy to read.
• The upright center emblem remains attached and stands correctly in the center of the tray.
• The brass surface retains a bright gold tone, and the decorative enamel remains visually strong.

Issues / Wear

• Fine scratches and light scuffing are visible across the ashtray basin from previous use.
• The underside shows scattered surface scratches, rubbing, and small areas of finish wear.
• Minor surface wear is visible around the center mounting point and along portions of the rim.
• No deep gouges are noted in the tray.

Condition Grade Key

• Near Fine: Almost perfect. Very minor signs of age only.
• Very Good: Shows light use. Sound and attractive with minor flaws.
• Good: Complete and intact. Noticeable wear consistent with age and use.
• Fair: Shows significant wear. Readable or usable but clearly used.

Collector's Notes

The Chicago Motor Club name and Honor Member emblem connect this piece directly with the early decades of organized American motoring. Pieces carrying club insignia were made to keep the organization visible beyond the road itself.

The brass tray, cigarette rests, and upright emblem place it naturally with automobilia and tobacciana. It also has a specific Chicago connection for collectors of Illinois transportation history.

The double-sided winged centerpiece is the feature worth noticing here. The red star and black enamel give the emblem much more presence than a plain advertising ashtray.

It is the sort of small desk piece that can carry a surprising amount of motoring history without needing much shelf space.

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Disclaimer

All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.

I do my best to capture colors accurately, but your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.

Please Note:
These pieces come from estate collections and have been surface cleaned. You may wish to perform additional cleaning depending on your preference.

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