Jim Beam VW Beetle Regal China Figural Decanter, Blue — Empty View Watchlist >
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Lot # F957
System ID # 29611490
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Jim Beam VW Beetle Regal China Figural Decanter, Blue — Empty
A figural Regal China whiskey decanter modeled as a classic Volkswagen Beetle, produced for the James B. Beam Distilling Co. of Clermont, Beam, Kentucky. The body carries the gilt-and-teal Beam label reading "100 Months Old · 4/5 Quart · 86 Proof · Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey" along each flank, with chrome-finished bumpers, hubcaps bearing the VW roundel, amber turn lenses, and a glazed greenhouse with molded seating interior. The hood opens to reveal the bottle's cork-stoppered neck, which retains a partial pink federal tax strip — consistent with the "D Series" federal revenue stamps used in the early 1970s.
The chassis rides on four fully rotational plastic wheels, and the rear trunk pulls out to serve as the decanter's base compartment. The underbody carries a molded Regal China maker mark, partially legible beneath the glaze. Regal China Co. of Antioch, Illinois produced Jim Beam novelty decanters from 1953 through the company's closure in 1992, supplying the collectible bottle trade that peaked in the late 1960s and 1970s. Automotive shapes were among the most popular in the series, and the Beetle — with its immediately recognizable silhouette — was issued in multiple colorways. The blue example with the 100-months/86-proof label dates to the early-to-mid 1970s, coinciding with the Beetle's peak American sales years. This decanter is empty of original contents.
CONDITION
Very Good with no remarkable damage. Minor scuffs and paint loss consistent with handling and age; displays well overall. Empty; partial pink federal tax strip present on the stopper cork.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall: 6" H × 14¾" W × 5½" D
- Weight: 4 lbs
- Materials: Ceramic (Regal China) body; metal and plastic trim and wheels
- Maker: Regal China Co., Antioch, Illinois — for James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Beam, Kentucky
- Label: 4/5 Quart · 86 Proof · 100 Months Old · Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Tax Strip: Partial pink "D Series" federal revenue strip present on stopper
- Contents: Empty
- Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale — Not Included
