Collectible Tobacciana / Catchall Dish, Imperial 400 Motel, San Diego CA, Thrifty Scotsman Logo, EXTREMELY RARE, Vintage 1959–1962

The Thrifty Scotsman. The butterfly roof. A motel chain that burned bright and went fast.

This is a vintage Imperial 400 Motel promotional glass piece from the San Diego, California location — bearing the extremely rare Thrifty Scotsman / Hopkins logo, dateable to 1959–1962 based on the telephone exchange format printed on the glass. Excellent condition. One available.

Imperial 400 Motels was founded in 1959 by Bernard Whitney in Los Angeles — one of the pioneering budget motel chains of the American postwar travel boom, known for its distinctive butterfly roofline architecture, many examples of which survive today under different names in cities across the American West. The San Diego location was among the first four built. Whitney expanded aggressively and by 1965 the company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — making the window of original promotional material extremely narrow. The telephone exchange format on this piece (two letters plus five digits, a system used from 1931 to 1962) confirms production between 1959 and 1962 — the entire lifespan of the original company before its financial collapse. The Thrifty Scotsman logo is the rarest variant; it is very seldom found.

A wonderful piece for a California motel memorabilia collector, a roadside Americana enthusiast, or anyone fascinated by the brief, bold story of American mid-century motor travel.

• Property: Imperial 400 Motel, San Diego, California (founded 1959 — Chapter 11, 1965)
• Made in: USA
• Dated: 1959–1962 (confirmed by telephone exchange format)
• Form: Round pressed glass, Thrifty Scotsman / Hopkins logo
• Dimensions: 4.0" diameter | approx. 1.5" tall
• Condition: Vintage used, excellent. No chips, cracks, or defects. Please review all photos carefully — we cannot accept returns.