Heintz Manufacturing Company
A lesser-known Philadelphia manufacturer whose rare pre-war
beverage coolers have become desirable pieces of American
soda-machine history.
The manufacturer’s name is Heintz Manufacturing Company,
spelled with a “t.” It should not be confused with the H. J. Heinz food
company. Older advertisements, listings and handwritten references
sometimes contribute to the confusion.
Company History
Heintz Manufacturing Company was an industrial manufacturer based
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company worked in metal fabrication
and produced a variety of manufactured products during the first half
of the twentieth century.
Within the vintage beverage-equipment hobby, Heintz is best remembered
for a small number of unusually designed soda coolers produced around
the beginning of the 1940s.
Unlike Vendo, Cavalier and Vendorlator, which eventually specialized
heavily in automatic upright vending machines, Heintz is associated
primarily with large chest-style beverage coolers.
The Famous Heintz “Gullwing” Cooler
COLLECTOR FAVORITE
Heintz Gullwing
The machine collectors most strongly associate with Heintz is
the unusual Gullwing chest cooler. Its two
top-opening doors lift upward in opposite directions, producing
the wing-like appearance that gave the cooler its nickname.
Heintz Manufacturing Co.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Approximately 1939–1941
Chest-style bottle cooler
Ice cooled
Refrigerated versions documented
Surviving examples are uncommon, making the Gullwing especially
interesting to collectors of pre-war soda equipment.
Heintz Soda Cooler Timeline
Industrial Manufacturing
Heintz operates in Philadelphia as a metal-manufacturing
company serving a variety of industrial markets.
Gullwing Cooler Appears
Heintz produces the distinctive two-door chest cooler now
known among collectors as the Gullwing.
Ice-Cooled Versions
Early Gullwing machines are documented as ice-cooled beverage
chests rather than conventional automatic vending machines.
Refrigerated Gullwing
Surviving 1941 examples document factory refrigeration,
representing a significant upgrade over the earlier ice
versions.
Cooler Production Ends
Known Gullwing production was brief. Wartime manufacturing
priorities and material restrictions transformed American
industrial production after 1941.
Rare Collector Machine
Surviving Heintz coolers are uncommon. Restoration suppliers
still recognize the Gullwing as a distinct machine and offer
certain replacement components.
Key Historical Facts
The cooler manufacturer should not be confused with Heinz ketchup
or the H. J. Heinz Company.
Historical records identify Heintz Manufacturing Company with
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Collector documentation places the best-known Gullwing cooler
primarily around 1939–1941.
The first Gullwing examples were ice coolers. Refrigerated
examples are documented by 1941.
Two upward-opening lids create the machine’s recognizable
“gullwing” appearance.
The brief production period makes surviving original Heintz
coolers significantly less common than many Vendo,
Cavalier or Westinghouse machines.
Were Heintz Coolers Made for Coca-Cola?
Heintz equipment is firmly associated with the vintage soft-drink
cooler industry, and surviving branded coolers are known from that
period. However, manufacturer attribution can become difficult
because many old coolers were repainted, rebranded or restored
decades after production.
For that reason, a Coca-Cola-branded Heintz cooler should be
identified using the manufacturer data plate, serial plate,
cabinet construction and surviving original embossing
rather than paint or decals alone.
At present, the best-documented Heintz model is the pre-war
Gullwing cooler. Additional Heintz model names and Coca-Cola-specific
configurations should be treated as provisional unless supported by
an original catalog, factory literature or a surviving manufacturer
identification plate.
Identifying an Original Heintz Cooler
When examining an unidentified vintage chest cooler, collectors
should look for several pieces of evidence before assigning the
Heintz name:
Manufacturer Plate
Look for a metal Heintz Manufacturing Company identification
or refrigeration plate, ideally showing Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Serial Number
Record the complete serial number before restoration. Original
tags can provide valuable clues about production and configuration.
Gullwing Doors
The best-known Heintz cooler uses two large upward-opening
lids that create its distinctive wing-shaped profile.
Original Embossing
Factory embossed lettering is stronger evidence of original
beverage branding than modern decals or restored paint.
Refrigeration System
Determine whether the cabinet was originally ice-cooled or
equipped with factory refrigeration rather than a later
conversion.
Preserve Evidence
Photograph tags, wiring, embossing, hardware and original
paint layers before beginning restoration.
Heintz is a comparatively poorly documented soda-equipment manufacturer.
Surviving machines, manufacturer plates, restoration records, period
industrial records and original catalogs should take priority over
unsourced online model lists. This page should be updated whenever
additional factory literature or verified examples become available.