# Appleton spotlight

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> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|Bullet-shaped automobile spotlights}}

thumb|Appleton spotlight on a 1956 Ford

'''Appleton spotlights''', or simply '''Appletons''', were a common feature in early automobiles, up to the [muscle car](/source/muscle_car) era. The bullet-shaped spotlights (usually installed in pairs) included a handle which was mounted through the side window [pillar](/source/pillar) of the cab (just above the hood) into the interior of the vehicle.<ref name="Custom" /> This allowed an occupant to maneuver the direction or focus of the spotlight beam with a simple twisting motion. Appleton spotlights, marked with an embossed oval around the [brand name](/source/brand_name), Appleton, were often found on pre-1960 vehicles (especially on service vehicles—police, armed forces, mail vehicles, etc.), but were also an often-added, after-market automobile accessory. They became so popular during the 1940s and 1950s for [custom car](/source/custom_car) enthusiasts, that "dummy" spots were commonly installed.<ref name="Hotrod" />

== Weblinks ==
{{commonscat|Appleton spotlight}}

==References==
<references>

<ref name="Custom">{{cite book |last=Ganahl |first=Pat |title=The American Custom Car |publisher=MotorBooks International |access-date=February 8, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6DbdIdPIIMC&dq=appleton+spots+spotlights&pg=PA167 |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books) |date=September 1, 2001 |page=167}}</ref>
<ref name="Hotrod">{{cite web |url=https://www.hotrod.com/how-to/hrxp-1111-how-to-install-spotlights |title=How to Install Traditional Spotlights |website=[HotRod.com](/source/Hot_Rod_(magazine)) |date=April 12, 2012 |access-date=June 26, 2025}}</ref>

</references>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Appleton spotlights}}
Category:Automotive lamps
Category:Lighting brands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Appleton spotlight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appleton_spotlight) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appleton_spotlight?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.