Automotive Ads and Brochures

fintail · February 2020

I read old papers online from time to time, mostly for classifieds, and you can tell it was bad in 1933. Real estate prices crashed, and papers often had "work wanted" type sections offered free of listing fees, as a way to help people, with a lot of people willing to barter their labor for simple goods. For as bad as the last recession was, the depression was exponentially worse, unfathomable to modern people. Most of those pretty highline large displacement cars in those ads faded away from the market right around then, too.

benjaminh said:

Yeah it's difficult to believe, but even though the economy had fallen significantly from late 1929 to late 1930, it would be much worse by late 1931, and truly horrible by 1932. And by February and early March of 1933 the banking system was significant trouble.

ab348 · February 2020

The first part of 1933 must have been very scary. Banks were collapsing, most others were on the verge, and people who could help such as Henry Ford were threatening to make things even worse. Once Roosevelt was inaugurated things began turning around with new legislation to assist the banking system. Ironically given the later events of 2008, while Ford threatened to sink the banking system, GM And Alfred Sloan were instrumental in saving the Detroit banks.

https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/1933-banking-crisis-detroit-collapse-roosevelt-bank-holiday/

benjaminh · February 2020

But in late 1930, and even after that, automakers, tire companies, and others were splurging on expensive advertisements....

texases · February 2020

In 1930 I bet everyone, people and companies, thought it'd be over soon.

benjaminh · February 2020

1930....

fintail · February 2020

Speaking of things done-in by the depression, there's a brand that was almost at the end of its line.

benjaminh · February 2020

I've forgotten the details, but wasn't the famous World War II Jeep in part a Willys?

1930....

imidazol97 · February 2020

@benjaminh

Thanks for all the posts of cars AND of the other advertisements. I love reading over them as you post them.
I appreciate the time and effort you put into them.

The Whitman's Sampler post reminds me of my youth when a Whitman's Sampler was the highlight of my
Christmas or birthday gifts back in the '50s. A real treat.

tjc78 · February 2020

My Grandmother worked in the Philadelphia Whitman's plant in the late 40s/early 50s. She didn't drive back then, so I can only assume she took a ferry across the river from Camden, NJ where they lived (Camden was a beautiful place back then).

fintail · February 2020

The Willys brand lived on, but Willys-Knight was gone just a few years into the depression. IIRC at least some of those were sleeve-valve cars.

That Whitman's ad looks better than what I remember them as a kid although a couple of those filled varieties still look odd.

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

In 1930 Cadillac (and others) were lowering prices.

fintail · February 2020

Wow, that open top Reo delivery van, I wonder if any survive. Never seen one like that.

The price of that Caddy would have bought a decent livable house then, I suspect.

omarman · February 2020

Also in the Cadillac ad was a reference to G.M.A.C. which is now Ally Financial since 2010. The ad indicates that their deferred payment plan was available to purchase any Cadillac/La Salle cars. Guess it took a while for G.M.A.C. leasing to catch on.

I wonder if anybody was financing a $15K V16 Caddy back in the 30s? Wonder how that worked out?

benjaminh · February 2020

The most expensive 8 cylinder Cadillac listed in the ad went for $3795, which according to an inflation calculator would be about $59,000 or so in today's dollars. But the V-16s were a lot more expensive, and then there were the custom-built Fleetwood models.

Anyway, some more from 1930....

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

texases · February 2020

48k on a 1929 tire? That's amazing. Must have used HARD rubber.

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

fintail · February 2020

I suspect the V16 was advertised just to show off that it existed. I bet that specific body had a price near the top of that range.

omarman · February 2020

That last car depicted in the timeline for the SALUTE TO MOTORDOM looks like it has running boards shaped on the Bernoulli principle. Salute to the future of motordom maybe? Future aero shapes to come?

texases · February 2020

Makers in that era took styling tips from airplanes, resulting in cars like the Auburn Cabin Speedster:
http://theoldmotor.com/?p=144637

fintail · February 2020

Also "Blue Train" Bentley from 1930 has some similarity:

omarman · February 2020

What a strange and interesting show car or concept car. There's the airfoil shapes and a mock canopy roof effect. The window shapes found in the doors and windshield are hard to look at together. But the hot rod cycle fenders look great.

edit to add: Followed the link and read, "...Tuesday, March 5, after hours, an electrical short set the whole exhibit on fire, and the Auburn Cabin Speedster, along with some 320 other cars, was totally destroyed."

omarman · February 2020

Also "Blue Train" Bentley from 1930 has some similarity.

Wow. Definitely inspirational.

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

imidazol97 · February 2020

Hemmings Classic Car did a study of Cadillac's advertising in the 60s and later. The pictures and text of the ads are discussed by comments from the author. I found it interesting.

Here's the link
https://hemmings.com/blog/article/advertising-excellence/?refer=news&utm_source=edaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-02-27

fintail · February 2020

I remember those jewelry themed ads from the days when I was cutting up old National Geographics and selling the ads in my parents' antique mall space. I seldom bothered with ads past 1965, so I missed out on those later ones. That decade was maybe a peak of relevance, which declined quickly as the century moved on.

Caddy had a great TV spot ("Cadillac Style") along with some lame ones in the 80s, but I guess everyone could be lame then.

imidazol97 · February 2020

fintail said:
I remember those jewelry themed ads

I went back to the article to see what you meant about "jewelry-themed ads." Now I
see. Those would have made good pictures done in the then superb color printing of
National Geographic.

texases · February 2020

I've sometimes wondered why some luxury make didn't go after a jewelry-themed paint lineup - ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, diamond, silver, gold, platinum...

fintail · February 2020

My wagon is "diamond white". MB also once had "diamond silver", which was a lovely blue tinted silver, only offered for a few years. My W126 was "diamond blue", also an excellent color.

texases said:
I've sometimes wondered why some luxury make didn't go after a jewelry-themed paint lineup - ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, diamond, silver, gold, platinum...

fintail · February 2020

I'd bundle those ads in lots of 10 or so for $10, and they'd sell as fast as I could put them out. As a teen in search of money, I was more than pleased.

A quick google finds this pretty one:

Amusingly in the results also an ad for a virtual twin to my mom's old T-Bird:

imidazol97 said:

I went back to the article to see what you meant about "jewelry-themed ads." Now I
see. Those would have made good pictures done in the then superb color printing of
National Geographic.

tjc78 · February 2020

fintail said:
I remember those jewelry themed ads from the days when I was cutting up old National Geographics and selling the ads in my parents' antique mall space. I seldom bothered with ads past 1965, so I missed out on those later ones. That decade was maybe a peak of relevance, which declined quickly as the century moved on.

Caddy had a great TV spot ("Cadillac Style") along with some lame ones in the 80s, but I guess everyone could be lame then.

The one I hated the most was Ford’s “Taurus ...
For US”

Ugh. Bad.

ab348 · February 2020

fintail said:

Amusingly in the results also an ad for a virtual twin to my mom's old T-Bird:

Is this the one?

tjc78 · February 2020

It's funny. When red interior was popular I really didn't care it. Now I see it and kinda like it, especially on a white car.

fintail · February 2020

Yikes. My mom's was white on white - usually a debatable choice, but I'd take it over bordello red, especially over red velour.

ab348 said:

Is this the one?

fintail · February 2020

Funny, I have no memory of that. I do remember the space shuttle-themed Aerostar ad though.

My earliest car commercial memories are the "Just One Look" Mazda ads, probably because I really liked the RX-7 when I was a little kid:

https://youtu.be/_izwAIMGvm0

tjc78 said:

The one I hated the most was Ford’s “Taurus ...
For US”

Ugh. Bad.

tjc78 · February 2020

If you dare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12lyKTAa50

benjaminh · February 2020

"It's the first Chevy of the 80s!/The first Chevy of its kind!/This could be the car you've had in mind!/Chevy Citaaaaation!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh_F2vFfDW0

omarman · February 2020

My brother and I watched the TV commercial which unveiled the new 1974 Matador coupe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xzxccNq7hU
We liked it but the timing was all wrong for that kind of vehicle.

Around the same time VW decided to poke holes in all the Detroit ads which promised excellent MPG from big V8 battleships...if you drove at a steady 50 mph in the desert, etc.

I didn't think the EPA had to stick MPG stickers on cars after that VW ad. There was even a TV version of this 84 mpg prop in one of their "Honest 25 mpg" commercials.

texases · February 2020

25 mpg??? What a gas hog!!!

fintail · February 2020

I suppose for a car that daring, you had to be catchy!

tjc78 said:
If you dare.

ab348 · February 2020

You don’t see many musical production numbers in car commercials these days but I remember this one from 1976 made an impression.

https://youtu.be/7HsLp0sKRJA

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

benjaminh · February 2020

1930

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