Saturday, March 31, 2012

Indy 500 Decanter of the Day: Mario Andretti


I don’t have too many Indy decanters. They’re neat, but they also take up a lot of space, are difficult to clean and tend to be expensive. 

Unless you can find one for free!

My first job out of school after graduating from Purdue (Boiler Up!) was as a sports writer for the Logansport (Ind.) Pharos-Tribune. I lived in a house that was divided into four apartments. Two elderly ladies lived in the apartments upstairs. 

One day, much to my surprise and delight, one of the ladies THREW OUT this porcelain prize, which formerly was filled with bourbon. Not wanting to let a treasure slip by, I snagged it – right out of the trash can. 

Mario used No. 9 in 1972, so I guess that’s the year it came out, or maybe the next year. I’ve seen yellow copies of this piece as well on eBay. Maybe there were plans for a Joe Leonard car but they figured Mario would sell better, so his name was slapped on the side and the manufacturer figured no one would be the wiser. 

In any event, it sort of looks like an Indy car; it’s definitely one of the more unique pieces in my Mario collection.

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