Hard to say because they still make a version for vintage travel trailers. Yankee made them for Airstream travel trailers.
I hope this is a better title. Just bought it, and it might be great on my coupe if not to late made. I found this now and its still new made as was told. Its said 69 is one Pn and pre 69 is another Pn. This one looks old but it can be 60’s. I wonder when this model came out on market ? https://highskyrvparts.com/new-airs...ts/license-plate-light-assembly-chrome-500053
Hard to Hard to advise without knowing the car. I used license plate bolts with built in lights and TR3 parking lights for my backup lights on a Model A.
Well this coupe will be pretty strict on era parts late 40’s to early 50’s. ( dragracing ideas, so not desert of Boneville or dirt track racing but not NHRA just after war to street racing ) Baded on all Henry parts. -So Henry body chopped 3.5”, non boxed Henry frame, A-Ford brake shaft front spreder bar, 32 front axle chromed, Lincoln 42 brakes, splitted 32 bones, 32 rear axle with Halibrand mag banjo, Lincoln 39 transmission, 34 TQ. Ford 40 4” front on 4.50 tires, back 5.5 on 7.50 tires. S/W Hollywood Master panel with Wing gauges, Bell Auto 15.5” 3-spoke steering wheel. Std tuck n roll sofa, 39 handbrake. Ardun heads FH and it might be a Italmeccanica ( FH style ) blower or the bigger SCOT or Hilborn ( not decided ) Merc 4” crank, 8BA rods, aly flywheel/Aburn 10” clutch. Scintilla magnet. Sidepipes the old way, 36 driveshaft. Car will has no fender and be black, not much chrome. No hood. I has now collected most parts ( $ ) and took me around 6 month ( did find allot here in Sweden just around the corner ) Soon mock-up, next winter the body goes to a sheet metal pro and I take care of engine. -So each parts need a think over, even this lisence plate holder.
Airstream started using them in 1969 but I can't find any history on how far back the Yankee 331 or 332 goes back. I've got one that I had on my T bucket and that I had loaned to JD Fikes when he drove his 27 T with the cut down 55 Chevy trunk and rear quarters on it to Memphis in 1975 for the Street Rod Nationals. That's the only thing of mine that ever showed up clearly in a car show magazine coverage photo.
Mine is/was NOS.....here's the original packaging. Nothing for a date and no way to tell - but if I were to guess (by the looks of the packaging), I'd say 50's.....but just a guess.
These are cup drawer handles. You'd have to figure out the light mounting, but they're readily available for a few bucks in many shapes.
I'm confused.....you're trying to determine if the Yankee 331 you just bought could be from the 40's/50's - right?
Has you a idea when they came in production ? I was not into get something for the license plate now, but I know I need solve what to use later on. But in a another deal it was right there and it was not pricy and seller could not say what era, but said ; if late 50's or 60 you can always sell it and get another one more era correct. So I did try research what it was and from what era. So far I think late 50's and it's still in production today to Streamliners etc. It said new and in older broschyr it was chrome, but my is in stainless.
Good source for information. https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/license-plate-light-stainless-vts-145s/ https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/license-plate-light-bracket-smaller-vts-173/ This is made in stainless and the bigger model is like the Hollywood D42. On a Streamliner it was used from 1969 and newer, so the Yankee 331 is wrong era ( for me ) Their smaller light was from 1960 and later and equal to Hollywood model D52, so it was smaller than the D42. Both is wrong era for me but both look hot rod and the Yanke 331 is nice. I checked out mine, but it was cracked snd gasket is off so its a rat rod parts. This is the case with all old stuff, its just a mess and a case cause allot of headeace and money snd time. Going for era correct is often a very hard goal. There is parts dtill out there ( as many storage and just look at them ) so few sell good parts and if one find ’decent’ parts a sell the complete car will be pricy and it would be very hard to get back just a part of invest. Ok, so Yankee light ( for trailers and Streamliner ) is to new, and the Hollywood as I heard it was late 50’s. -So what did they use on late 50’s or early 50’s ? ideas ? Pic of the Yankee 331 on the 5W. Kind of Ok but on the bigger side.
I've got this NOS Style-Lite light from Jay Johnston's StyleCraft in Bellflower, CA and there's no ZIP code so I'd say 1950's.
I got mine from Lucas 10 years ago for my roadster. Built a SS plate to back the plate and hold that Lucas light. Reverse lights are cool.
I was going to add, since the OP is located in Europe, for him to find a Lucas. I gave my buddy one that looks very similar to the Style-Lite above. They were used on a lot of European cars in the '40's/'50's
I'm not keen to use European stuff even if there might be cool Jaguar stuff etc pre 55. Well I know, Ardun heads was made in London later on, but not the early I has ( I hope )
[QUOTE So what did they use on late 50’s or early 50’s ?[/QUOTE] In a lot of cases nothing. Wally Parks in '54 and a couple that did have, both in '54.... Frank Rose Roadster AMBR winner
Ah, so Hollywood was out 54, good info. That 3W was way cool ! ( not chopped ) I might has found a Hollywood D42 here, lets see.