The Vendo 81D may be one of the most sought-after soda machines, also called “drink boxes”, among collectors. It was introduced in 1955 and was made exclusively for the Coca-Cola Company by Vendo. If you find a similar machine embossed with another soda brand such as Royal Crown, Pepsi or 7-Up, then it is not a Vendo 81-D, but rather a VMC-81 made by the Vendorlator Company. They are very similar machines, but made by different companies.
The V-81D pop machine is very similar to its predecessors; both the 81A and 81B, but has a much larger coin door. The V-81D is a “white-top” model, like the V-81B, whereas the V-81A is solid red with a white Coca-Cola logo. And the embossing is larger and positioned more to the right than on the V-81A. The V-81D was manufactured from 1955 to 1958.
The internal workings of the V-81D are still very much like those in the earlier models. It vends 6 to 12 ounce bottles of soda. It has nine shelves and dispenses 81 bottles. There’s space to pre-cool 17 bottles. A fluorescent light illuminates the bottle door allowing you to view the various selections. The larger coin door on the V-81D accommodated a coin mechanism with a coin changer, unlike the small door machines. One feature that makes this machine so popular is the gravity-fed slant-shelf design. This allows you to vend a variety of flavors and sizes of bottles.
We have restored many of these over the years. Follow this link to Retroplanet.com and our Blog About the Vendo 81, 44 and 39 Service Manuals in the PDF Library. There you can download a copy of a Vendo 81 Soda Machine Manual.
Dimensions: 58”H x 27”W x 16”D
Weight: 286 lbs.
View the video of this Coca-Cola Vendo 81D Soda Machine
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.
10 responses so far ↓
1 susan // Mar 14, 2009 at 9:50 am
I have one of these machines I would like to sell. What is the best way to do this?
2 Byron anderson // May 8, 2009 at 8:50 pm
I have one works great all original but door on right how do u tell what model and wheres best place 2 sell it
thanx
3 vintagevending // May 11, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Bryon,
You can sell it on ebay or craig’s list. There are also a few sites out there that do auctions of soda machines. If you send us a picture, we can try and identify the model for you.
4 Yarid // Aug 4, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I have pretty much all of a model V-110 multi drink vendor Md. H110 . Looking for a restorer that would be interested in buying them. I started to restore and ran out of health and desire. Racks are not part of it.
5 george // Nov 25, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I would like to know how much a VENDO 81D- 1956 all originally restored model coke machine in perfect condition is worth?
6 vintagevending // Nov 27, 2009 at 10:16 am
George,
We aren’t able to give estimates on the value of an item as we are no longer in the business. If you keep an eye on Ebay or Craig’s List, your item is sure to be listed at some point. That may give you a rough idea of it’s value but keep in mind prices vary greatly depending on condition. You can also contact fun-tronicsllc.com (217) 857-1759 for more specific information on machines. If anyone can help with a value of this item please comment.
7 Robbie Kuchar // Mar 20, 2010 at 7:46 pm
My mother has had for years a Vendo 81 D coke machine. Several people are offering to purchase it, but I have no clue. I am looking for a ball park figure, works, never been repaired, latch on the door is broken. Is in original paint condition. Is 2500.00 too much to ask for this? Thanks,Robbie
8 vintagevending // Mar 22, 2010 at 8:21 am
Robbie,
The best thing to do is check out ebay or Craig’s list. Currently, there are a few machines in different stages of restoration/condition priced from $2995 – $6995.
9 Kim // May 3, 2010 at 12:37 pm
My parents have lived in their house for almost 20 years and have had a coca-cola machine in their garage for even longer. It is in pretty rough condition and I can’t find a model number on it but it is a vendo 7 bottle holder. is there any way I can figure out more about this machine.
Kim
10 vintagevending // May 3, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Kim,
Can you send us pictures to this address?
questions@vintagevending.com
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