1959 TRW Vintage Zippo Slim Lighter - Historic to Aerospace
Really nice 2-color etch & paint Zippo of iconic TRW company!
This lighter probably created to commemorate the late 1958 merger of two large US companies. We are not sure if this lighter has been fired. It is so clean inside, but the wick is a little darkened. the insert is correct. The hinge is solid, but the lighter has been handled outside of its box. No scratches or dings. The is a small discoloration on the back as shown in photo.
Iconic company. Lighter graded Excellent 94. Wonderful flat bottom to add to your collection.
TRW Inc., was an American corporation involved in a variety of businesses, mainly aerospace, automotive, and credit reporting. It was a pioneer in multiple fields including electronic components, integrated circuits, computers, software and systems engineering. TRW built many spacecraft, including Pioneer 1, Pioneer 10, and several space-based observatories. It was #57 on the 1986 Fortune 500 list, and had 122,258 employees. The company was called Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc., after the 1958 merger of the Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation and Thompson Products. This was later shortened to TRW.
The company was founded in 1901 and lasted for just over a century until being acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002. It spawned a variety of corporations, including Pacific Semiconductors, The Aerospace Corporation, Bunker-Ramo and Experian. Its automotive businesses were sold off by Northrop Grumman as TRW Automotive, which is now part of ZF Friedrichshafen. TRW veterans were instrumental in the founding of corporations like SpaceX.