Vendo 44 – Cokes 1950s Retro Classic Vending Machine

This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.

Restored Vendo 44 Coca-Cola vending machine in red and white with chrome details.
The iconic Vendo 44 Coca-Cola vending machine is a beautifully restored mid-century classic, perfect for collectors and retro enthusiasts.

Like many industrial products, the Vendo 44 Coca-Cola bottle vendor was the work of anonymous designers. Regarding functionalism and styling, it surpasses Loewy’s celebrated work for Coca-Cola. The Vendo 44 was produced between 1956 and 1959.

Its styling quality lies not in anything innovative but rather in the refinement of existing design ideas. The aesthetic value comes not from groundbreaking new design features but from the efficient application of tried-and-true principles. Its rounded shoulders and narrow proportions are incredibly dated and remind one of the pre-war gas pumps.

While the customer is allowed to take action through its lever mechanism, a classic method of “humanising” a machine, despite being only 16″ wide, 15.5″ deep, and 58″ high, it could fit 44 bottles of Coke. Nine of these bottles were already chilled and available to the customer. Many vending machines look intimidating due to their size. The small 44 has a white top and a heavy gauge steel case with bright red enamel. Vending machine white tops were first introduced in 1955 to convey the coldness of the drinks inside. The most user-friendly machine was, without a doubt, the Vendo 44.

Sources

Pearce, C. (2008). Twentieth Century Design Classics.

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