The VMC 72 is a considered a small machine to have dual bottle chutes. It may be the smallest ever made. Typically the dual chute design appeared only on the larger soda machines. The VMC 72 has a very large Coca-Cola logo that manufacturers believed would attract more customers. It has the same coin door design as on the VMC 3D-33. The VMC 72 was manufactured from the early to mid-1950s. It vends 72 bottles and pre-cools 6. These photos are of a VMC 72 Coca-Cola machine that we restored.

Dimensions: 15”D x 25”W x 58”H

Manufactured by:
The Vendorlator Manufacturing Co.
4000 Railroad Avenue
Fresno, California

Embossed VMC 72

Coin Door on VMC 72

VMC 72 Coin Mechanism

Inside of VMC 72

Vending Rack Compressor

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The Vendo V-83 Coca-Cola Vending Machine

The V-83 has the distinction of being Vendo’s first coin-operated, upright soda vending machine to be mass-produced. Like all other Vendos, it was made exclusively for the Coca-Cola Company and was produced from 1946 to 1955. There were more of this model machine made among upright Vendos, than any other machine up until 1960.

The vending couldn’t have been simpler; just insert a nickel and lift the dispenser door to lift out your Coke. It is a single-selection machine that vends 83 bottles and has space to pre-cool 75. The 6.5-ounce bottles were loaded into individual compartments in a honeycomb-shaped drum. By lifting the door to remove a Coke, the drum was rotated to the next available bottle.
This Vendo 1947 V-83 brochure states that demand is so high for this machine, that they may have difficulty filling orders for them in the following year—so you had better put your order in early! Not so true anymore, as this is such a heavy machine, that it’s not all that popular with collectors. In addition, it can only hold the original 6.5-ounce bottles.

Dimensions: 63”H x 32 1/2”W x 18”D
Weight: 450 lbs.

Manufactured by:
The Vendo Company
Kansas City, Missouri

Are you looking for some cool 1950’s atmosphere to add to your home, and a soda vending machine that you can use today? How about the Coca-Cola Vendo 39? This machine is not only one of the most recognized Vendo models, but it’s also able to dispense the 8-ounce bottles the Coca-Cola Company is distributing today.

The Vendo 39 was made for the Coca-Cola Company from 1949 to the mid-1950’s. There were some 80,000 of these made, so they are still fairly common today. They graced the fronts of filling stations and storefronts all over 1950’s America. This single-selection machine is equipped with a honeycomb-shaped wheel that turns to dispense a nice, cold Coca-Cola. It is capable of vending 39 8-ounce bottles and pre-cools 20. And with its characteristic rounded corners and sleek design, this is a classic, and highly collectible model.

It is important to note that the Vendo 39 that was made from 1949 to the mid-1950’s, like the one we have here, was always painted a solid red. The later 39s, made from the mid- to late-1950’s were painted red and white.

Every soda machine we restored at Vintage Vending followed the same process. First the machine was completely disassembled and all painted parts were sandblasted. All other parts were re-chromed, powder-coated, repainted or cleaned. The coin mechanism was re-plated and rebuilt. Automotive bodywork was performed on all of the sandblasted parts. The machine was painted with PPG automotive paint. Then the machine was reassembled with a new refrigeration compressor and all electrical was replaced.

Dimensions: 58” high x 27” wide x 16” deep

Weight: 285 lbs.
Manufactured by:

The Vendo Company

Kansas City, Missouri

View the video of this restored Vendo 39



This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the completed restoration visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Official Coca-Cola Company Uniforms

Are you in the mood for a little nostalgia? These photos are of vintage brochures advertising various styles of Riverside uniforms made for the employees of the Coca-Cola Company. The Riverside Manufacturing Company has been in business since 1911, and still makes corporate uniforms today out of Moultrie, Georgia.

Similar to the example we saw in an earlier blog about standardized painting of Coca-Cola trucks, it was also important to the Coca-Cola Company that their employees have a ‘uniform’ look. They understood the value of a standardized look and the customer loyalty and sales that were generated by this attention to detail. All the coordinated elements (advertising, soda machines, trucks, employee uniforms) combined to create a total corporate identity. In addition, this uniformity made the employees themselves feel better, as it created a sense of a democracy and working together as a team, as opposed to emphasizing a workplace hierarchy.

Coca-Cola still has their employees wear uniforms today, but they are a far cry from the crisp, military styles of the past. Where today you will see drivers and delivery people wearing a polo shirt or casual button-down shirt paired with a baseball-style cap, in the 1940’s and 50’s the uniforms were designed to look very similar to those worn by military personnel. This applied to both men and the women. The uniform for the men consisted of a crisp long or short-sleeve shirt and slacks with a military style cap. The women’s uniform was a dress resembling those worn by nurses during WWII with a cap to complete a polished, professional appearance. In addition to creating a sense of professionalism, the uniforms also created an authoritative air. Because, after all, Coke had a lot of fierce competition, all vying for the bulk of the soft drink market. Standardized trucks and uniforms were an effective way to give a trustworthy and dependable appearance to the man delivering “The Pause That Refreshes” and to give Coca-Cola the upper hand in the marketplace.

Riverside Manufacturing Company
Corporate Office
301 Riverside Drive

Moultrie, Georgia