History Firestone spark plugs, did not know.

I was a little surprised to read that Firestone had their own spark plug factory, dating back to at least the 30's. Didn't just brand someone else's product. Bet there is some interesting history there.
Also wonder what the environmental legacy is.
Check out the bad boy below! Must have seemed like a great idea at the time...

 

Now I have to google Polonium.

 

"Polonium spark plugs were marketed by Firestone from 1940 to 1953. While the amount of radiation from the plugs was minuscule and not a threat to the consumer, the benefits of such plugs quickly diminished after approximately a month because of polonium's short half-life and because buildup on the conductors would block the radiation that improved engine performance. (The premise behind the polonium spark plug, as well as Alfred Matthew Hubbard's prototype radium plug that preceded it, was that the radiation would improve ionization of the fuel in the cylinder and thus allow the motor to fire more quickly and efficiently.)[79][80]"


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium

 

Basically snake oil in Firestones' case!

 

But still, Nuclear Sparkplugs!!

 

What do you think they use to start nuclear reactors

 

…maybe why they’re pink

 

Like Uranium, its the isotopes that are the real nasty ones. More common firms of Polonium is not that bad.

But as said. Aftermarket snake oil.

 

I thought it was "Nucular"

 

Those are cool. I have a set of Lodge spark plugs that were in a dragster engine built in '57. They were pink and I believe they were polonium also.

 

I bought a core Buick Straight Eight that had pink Lodge plugs in it. They all look good, and i think I'll run them in the rebuilt engine.

 

I like the pushrod cover
Ben