Remembering COCA COLA

Recently I was thinking back to the old Coca Cola machines that used to sit outside gas stations in the 50s. I saw one in a movie sitting outside an old store. I was suddenly drawn back to hot days in the car, pulling into a gas station, and hearing the "ding ding" as you drove across the bell cord announcing your arrival. Then the begging to get a cold drink would start. My mom or dad giving me a nickel for a coke. That red metal box was an oasis. Lift the lid and look down to see what was available. Sometimes what was inside was cold, just as often it wasn't. Decide which bottle you wanted, deposit your coin, and then drag the bottle along the rack to the end where, if the coin had deposited just right, you'd be able to lift your bottle up and out. Then sticking the cap into the bottle opener hole, pressing down, and wait for the sound of it popping off and falling down into the machine amongst the other caps. The sound of the soda's effervescence escaping from the bottle soon followed. Put the bottle to your mouth and usually you could feel the fizziness against your noise. If you finished the bottle while still at the station you'd put it in a wooden box next to the machine so it could be returned to the bottler to be filled again and again and....

I found this ad on the back of the February 1954 National Geographic. It brings back memories of trips to the lunch counter at Woolworth's with my grandmother and mom in Harrisburg, PA. Having a burger and a Coke while out shopping. Good times. Good times. 

Click on image to see it larger.

I do not know who the illustrator was. If anyone ever reads this and knows I'd be happy to add the information.

One other thing, the ad copy. "Because its goodness never changes" sure couldn't be said these days. Yes, I drank Coca Cola as a child and teenager, but not a lot. But when they stopped using sugar and went with the high fructose corn syrup...aaaakkkkkk!!!! Hate the stuff. Can't get it down. I remember for awhile my best friend had a "stash" from Mexico where they still used sugar. The difference in flavor is amazing. These days the only time I drink a soda is when I'm sick. Then I crave 7-Up or root beer. The rest of the year I won't go near the stuff. So Coke screwed up. They lost me as a customer a very long time ago. New Coke didn't even come close to old traditional Coke. You had a good thing going until you let ADM convince you "corn syrup" were the words of the future.