NICKEY "K"

[Dicky]

Maybe this has been discussed here before & maybe Stefano can answer it.

I'm curious to know the history behind the backward "K" in Nickey.

When-why-who's idea, etc.

Anybody with info that can elaborate would be cool..... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif
Thanks DH <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

[Dicky]

KNOCK KNOCK......Can any one address this???????? <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif

DH <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

[Dicky]

This is the best I can get <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/mad.gif

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif

[67 Nova Boy]

Nickey in Print

Vintage Motorsports magazine recently ran a great piece on Nickey. VM caters mostly to road racing enthusiasts and that’s exactly what Nickey did in the early years. Its “Purple People Eater” Corvettes were named after a popular song of the time but were a serious threat in sports car racing. While we thought Nickey as known only for their drag cars, this article by Tom Stephani tells us how Nickey went road racing, stock car racing, and drag racing--all before those big-block Camaros ever peeled out down Irving Park Road. Stephani should know; his father was one of Nickey’s owners. The piece also includes how Chevy kept funneling Nickey the good stuff for the purple ‘Vettes even after the announcement of the Automobile Manufacturers Association racing ban in 1958.

And what about that backward K? According to the Stephani, it started when one of Nickey’s owners was in Florida and spied a sign with one of the letters backward in the name. The trick stuck in his mind. Once home, he tested it on one of the placards on the lot. The steady stream of people that stopped in to tell them the sign was wrong was given a coupon for a free upside-down cake at a nearby bakery. With attention like that, it wasn’t long before the big red backward K was on everything and everywhere.

Dave
67 Nova Boy

[Postsedan]

Kool Knowing <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

Dan

[Plowman]

Good job Dave.

[Salvatore]

It took a Lansdale, Pa. guy to tell all you &quot;Chicago guys&quot; where that backward &quot;K&quot; came from? WOW, I am impressed.

[Stefano]

http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-417-nickey_scarab_in_front_of_dealership.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-418-scarab_1959_stephanis_and_lance_reventlow.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-419-nickey20sign202.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-420-hoss_john_canon_nickey.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-421-don_swiatek_signature.jpg

1957-1958 is the time we fist started seeing the backwards &quot;K&quot;.

There are a couple of stories. One is the above.

[Salvatore]

I think it was a great attention getter!

[Postsedan]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: [email protected]</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It took a Lansdale, Pa. guy to tell all you &quot;Chicago guys&quot; where that backward &quot;K&quot; came from? WOW, I am impressed. </div></div>

Yeah, but you PA guys will never know what a real Hotdog is <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/Postsedan/Postsedan2012/618.jpg

Dan

[Dicky]

Thanks Dave, <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

DH <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

[scuncio]

Yunker Chevrolet in Wisconsin did it too:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1141/5118962680_1f793c6f5e_b.jpg

[Dicky]

Well it certainly attracts the attention they wanted. I guess that's why <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #CC0000">&quot;Toy's R Us&quot;</span></span> did it.

People notice incorrect behavior <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

DH <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Stefano</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-417-nickey_scarab_in_front_of_dealership.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-418-scarab_1959_stephanis_and_lance_reventlow.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-419-nickey20sign202.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-420-hoss_john_canon_nickey.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/attachments/usergals/2012/07/full-295-421-don_swiatek_signature.jpg

1957-1958 is the time we fist started seeing the backwards &quot;K&quot;.


After looking at the sportscar pic's from Nickey made me think of another place a couple of miles away that was very heavy into that type of racing also..........anyone remember the &quot;Meister Brausers&quot; race team.....from the Meister Brau Brewery that was down around Clybourn and Division......

There are a couple of stories. One is the above. </div></div>

[Tommy]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Postsedan</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: [email protected]</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It took a Lansdale, Pa. guy to tell all you &quot;Chicago guys&quot; where that backward &quot;K&quot; came from? WOW, I am impressed. </div></div>

Yeah, but you PA guys will never know what a real Hotdog is <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/Postsedan/Postsedan2012/618.jpg

Dan </div></div>

I was in Chicago for the first time in my life about 3 weeks ago and wanted to try one of those Chicago dogs but couldn't find a place on my route that I could get the trailer into... So, I was denied a Chicago dog and/or Chicago Pizza as well. I settled for a Dennys <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/crazy.gif


Tommy <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/3gears.gif

[Plowman]

They will deliver a &quot;Chicago Pizza&quot; all you do is call, tell them your in Dennys lot.

[Tommy]

Will they deliver to Alabama Paul? I'm 40 and only been to Chi-town once. Not sure when i'll make it back <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif. I did enjoy the trip though, I had to go to Loyola University. I was surprised how easy it was to get in and out of town. Lots easier than my trips in and out of NY.


Tommy <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/3gears.gif

[Plowman]

They will deliver to MCACN Host Hotels; Double tree in Chi-town. Got one there last year. You should try both.

[WILMASBOYL78]

If you want Chicago dogs delivered...call Tibor <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[Postsedan]

Stefano,

Perhaps this is Copyright Infringement <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/Postsedan/Postsedan2012/P1010039-9.jpg

Dan

[SS427]

Likely why the two Nickey Chicago cops are talking to him....... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif

[Mike Kaiser]

I meet and spoke with a original NicKey employee, and he told me the story of one of the early owners son was named Nickey and when he wrote his name as a young boy he wrote the k backward one time on a piece of paper and it just stuck. Maybe this is just erban legend...but that's what he told me...

[Stefano]

The original Nickey Chevrolet was founded during the roaring 1920s. The dealership was traded to the Stephani family, sometime during the great depression. The first time the Backwards K is used by Nickey is sometime in the late 1950s.

[marxjunk]

When Illinois was part of my territory, i ate Chi-dogs all the time..love them..love them..caint get enough, now QT has enuff stuff to get it close, but its the dog..not the dressings...