Michelin Bibendum - Sign - plastic

Board length 33 cm. height 28.5 cm. track
Bibendum (the gerundive of the Latin word bibere - "to drink" - and meaning "to drink") is the name of the famous figure made of tires and that is depicted in many poses on the products of the French tire manufacturer Michelin.

The name is derived from the well-known Latin expression Nunc est bibendum! (Now it must be drunk!), a fragment of a verse by Horace

The figure made of tires first appeared on an advertising poster in 1898. There he raises a glass full of nails and shards of glass and shouts: "Nunc est bibendum!". Beneath the poster stands "Le pneu Michelin boit l'obstacle!" ("The Michelin tire drinks the obstacle!"), a slogan dating from 1893 of the tire brand. The figure and the slogan were so successful that the figure quickly became known as Bibendum.