Classic Automotive Television Commercials and Video |
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The 1959 Chevy Wagon Commercial...
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American
Motors:
Through its 34-year existence as the last independent
American auto manufacturer, AMC created some of the
most memorable, inspirational, and exciting cars and
Jeeps the world has ever seen. Formed from the merger
of Hudson Motors and Nash-Kelvinator (the deal was
the largest corporate merger up to that point, and
reportedly worth US$197,793,366), it would struggle
on until 1987 when merged with Chrysler Canada Limited.
Here is a commercial for the '67 Wagon, big enough
to challenge the Ark. View >> |
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Audi:
A regular feature of Road and Track Magazine
throughout the 1970's was the "Letter from
Europe",
a chance for their European correspondent to
report back on the latest offerings from Germany,
Sweden and the UK - and when it came to the new
Audi 4000 the correspondent was obviously very
impressed, declaring it the best European 2 liter
large car in its class! View >> |
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Austin:
There was a time when Austin were one of Australia's
favorite automobiles. Affordable and good quality, the
A40 Farina set new benchmarks in style, design and practicality
- and is today regarded as the worlds first "hatchback".
The 1800 was a marvel, offering an unbelievably good
ride courtesy of "Hydrolastic" suspension, and the roominess
for a car of its size was unparalleled. View >> |
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Buick:
While the Buick T-Type Regal coupes were aimed at the
performance market, 1982's Regal Grand National signalled
a change for the better. Named for the NASCAR Grand
National racing series, this car incorporated a 4.1
liter V6 with 125 hp, or an optional 180 hp turbocharged
3.8 V6. It also featured T-tops, front and rear spoilers
and a striking gray over silver paint job. There was
no Grand National in 1983, but it returned in 1984
wrapped in its familiar all black paint. The turbocharged
3.8 became standard and would continue to be refined
with fuel injection and intercooling, and by '87 was
good for 245hp (182kw). View >> |
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Chevrolet
Presents:
For a time the major US manufacturers treated their advertising
in much the same way as Hollywood - their advertising
consisting of smaller style productions out to tell a
story as much as sell a car. Jam Handy productions became
increasingly popular, and GM created a series of productions
known as "Chevrolet Presents", similar in style to Ford's
"Ford Theatre". View >> |
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Chevrolet:
A selection of Chevy TV and promotional advertisments,
starting with the 1955 Motoramic model and going through
to the Chev Highlander, our favorites are for the
Corvair Monza where, it seems, the marketers felt the
car best promoted by driving it along the beach and
across sand dunes. Ralph Nader probably would have
preferred that's where they stayed, but that would
be selling the Corvair short. View >> |
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DeSoto:
DeSoto famously sponsored one of the most enduring
television quiz shows to air during the 1950's, "You
Bet Your Life". DeSoto originally thought Groucho would
appear in his traditional costume, complete with painted
on moustache, but the contract did not require him
to do so, and Groucho was adamant that if he could
not be funny on television without makeup, he should
not bother. Click
here to watch an episode and see
if you agree, then watch one of the famous Groucho
DeSoto commercials for '58, and Groucho without his
trademark tails and mustache. View >> |
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Dodge:
John and Horace Dodge may have started out as cycle makers,
but the savvy brothers were soon to build transmissions
for Olds and then chassis and engines for Henry Ford
- in return for a tenth of his company! They sold their
Ford shares for a whopping $25 million and founded their
own automobile company, coining the word 'dependable'
to describe their products. Always proud of their products,
proud to say "I Built A Dodge". View >> |
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Edsel:
Unfortunately only 62,000 Edsels were to find a home
in a US garage during the first year of manufacture,
this after Ford having spent an enormous $250,000,000
to develop it. Its critics blamed its unusual looks with
one pundit describing its vertical grille as "like an
Oldsmobile sucking a lemon". In reality the Edsel was
quite restrained with well clipped fins and a nice clean
profile. Why don't you decide. View >> |
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Ford
(USA):
An American man is many things...or so the commercial
for the '56 Ford Wagon claims. Spoilt for choice, Ford
released six variants of the Station Wagon due to its
increasing popularity, from the utalitarian Custom Ranch
Wagon through to the upmarket Park Squire. View >> |
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Ford
Escort and Cortina (Australia):
The Ford Escort and Cortina entered the
Australian market with the psychedelic
sixties in full swing. Certainly the Cortina
commercials of the time were more matter
of fact, however those for the Escort were
a little more abstract. Little time was
spent extolling the cars virtues, rather
the marketers attempting to evoke a “groovy” relationship
between car and owner. View >>
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Ford
Falcon (Australia):
The jingles changed through the years, but the imagery
from the Ford Falcon ads was always first rate. From
being "Trim, Taut, Terrific" in the 1960's through the
muscle car era of the 1970's, you will note the change
in styling, early Falcons taking their design que from
the immortal Ford Thunderbird, then switching with the
XR/XT range to being Mustang bred. And don't miss the
wonderful XC Falcon commercial, Ford's rebuttal to the
General's Radial Tuned Suspension. View >> |
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