Since the spring of 2025, I’d seen the Mac Auto Loans neon sign sitting in a sign yard which I drove by often. Seeing it off in the distance as I zipped by for the last year is what prompted me to learn about the business and location of where it originally stood.
This past weekend (February 2025) I finally drove by the sign yard to get a better look at it.
When I started researching the sign online, it quickly became clear that it was a beloved local icon that was infused with the flavor of a Knoxville many people didn’t want to lose. I certainly don’t blame people for feeling that way. It’s a wonderful sign. And it’s one of those local culture touchstones that makes a place feel unique.
The building at 200 W. 5th Ave. where this sign stood was demolished in 2023. According to online sources, the sign was preserved to potentially be reincorporated into the design of the new MAC on 5th development that would replace the build that’d been taken down. The MAC on 5th project had originally been slated to be completed in 2024…