• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Classic Car Commercials in your market

seatownmedia said:
"Dick Balch Chevrolet" Federal Way went on to eventually become "Cal Worthington Ford" in the 80's. I'm sure Cal will be mentioned by some of you...
Click to expand...

Cal had dealerships in LA too and he would do his commercials on horseback, sometimes with other farmyard animals as well.
 
Anyone who has lived near Phoenix the past 40 years has undoubtedly suffered through Tex Earnhardt's "And that ain't no bull" (sitting astride a Texas longhorn).

Born in Mexico, Tex and his dad began their dealership grab in 1950 and now own about half the dealerships in the Phoenix market. He once gave a commencement address to my youngest son's 6th grade class. I'm not sure if he still has all his marbles but, if not, he hires some really intense people.
 
landtuna said:
Anyone who has lived near Phoenix the past 40 years has undoubtedly suffered through Tex Earnhardt's "And that ain't no bull" (sitting astride a Texas longhorn).
Click to expand...

I think Earnhardt's commercials ran well before the 1970s.

They were before my time in the Valley, but I hear that Jack Ross Lincoln-Mercury commercials with his wife, Acquanetta were rather "interesting."


I remember a few from Chicago:

"Rock-a-bye your babe-e-e-e-e-e!" Hi, I'm Harry Schmerler, your singing Ford dealer!" -- Schmerler Ford, Elk Grove Village (1980s-90s)

"Extra, extra! Read all about it!" -- featuring Little Timmy Long (the owner's son or nephew, who got a pie in his face in one famous commercial), Long Chevrolet, Elmhurst (1970s)

"Where you always save more money!" -- Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet, Elmhurst (1970s-90s). They looked like Ernest Borgnine and Sonny Bono, respectively, hawking cars.

"Bob ROOOOOOHHHHHRRRRRman!" -- Bob Rohrman's Schaumburg Ford, Schaumburg (since the 1980s; also owns dealerships in Indiana that use the same obnoxious scream)

Commercials featuring a bad Hah-wad Co-sell impersonation, and later various badly-handled puppets, including Dracula and a space alien named Zircon -- Fencl-Tufo Chevy City, Glendale Heights (1970s & '80s)
 
(Deja Vu-ing on this one a bit, but that's OK 'cause it beats finding out what station in Peoria aired Power Rangers in 1992 or whatever...)

Anyway, Bob Rohrman and his giant lazy eye invaded Fort Wayne, too. A more recent spot that I've only seen on the interwebs is the Cooper Chevrolet "Nick Saban" series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3I_wJU1i2I

The GOAT, even though it never actually aired, is (not gonna link it because it ain't family friendly) that bald headed son of a b**** Ralph Williams.
 
In Atlanta, D.L. Clayburn used Buick's "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?" tagline for TV spots advertising his Buick dealership ("Wouldn't you really rather deal with D.L. / D.L. Clayburn / Clayburn Buick?")

Jim Ellis Volkswagen: "Jim Ellis will sell us for less!"

Bill Spreen Toyota: "We deliver more than just a car / Bill Spreen Toyota, we deliver!"
 
So back to Cal Worthington. Certainly a Southern California fixture for decades, even mentioned by name on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show many times. Turns out that he expanded his dealerships in the 70's and 80's to many other California locations, and even out of state in Phoenix, Reno, and Houston! Entered the Seattle market in the 80's with his Federal Way store and this clip provides a bit of his earlier antics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0sNlDwgc6k

He tried to exploit the boom of the Alaskan pipeline in Anchorage, AK as well.

Though he passed away at the ripe old age of 92 in 2013, there apparently are one or two "Cal" branded stores left. Worthington Ford in Long Beach, and the Worthington Ford in Anchorage. Though somebody can correct me on the Anchorage location, not positive that is still branded "Worthington".
 
Cal wasn't in Phoenix very long at all. Got into some legal hanky panky and left town under the cover of darkness.
 
DavidEduardo said:


Cal had dealerships in LA too and he would do his commercials on horseback, sometimes with other farmyard animals as well.
Click to expand...

Also in Sacramento and Anchorage Alaska, of all places. In case some don't know, and to bring it back to radio, Cal was a DJ on KXLA 1110 in the 1950's - before the stations switched from country music to Top 40. Also the host of Cal's Corrall for many years on LA's Channel 13.
 
"Se Habla Espanol at Giant Felix Chevrolet - Jefferson and Figueroa, downtown LA!"

But my favorites as a kid were done by Les Bacon and Sons Ford (trademark was a cartoon pig). In the early 60's, they sponsored the Demolition Derby on Saturdays on KTLA 5. On their commercials (live, I think), the 2 Bacon Brothers would argue over some cheap old used car. Brother #1 would announce a super-low price. Brother #2 would pretend to be outraged and claim that it couldn't be sold that cheap. So brother #1 would pick up a sledge hammer and bash the car with it, breaking a headlight or denting a fender. Brother #2 would pretend to get madder and brother #1 would continue to punish the poor jalopy. By the end of the commercial, the car would be a rolling wreck on sale for $5...or some such.

They were fun commercials.\


https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-ford-hermosa-beach-cali-help-needed.1097341/
 
Last edited:
LKellerIII said:
"Se Habla Espanol at Giant Felix Chevrolet - Jefferson and Figueroa, downtown LA!"

But my favorites as a kid were done by Les Bacon and Sons Ford (trademark was a cartoon pig). In the early 60's, they sponsored the Demolition Derby on Saturdays on KTLA 5. On their commercials (live, I think), the 2 Bacon Brothers would argue over some cheap old used car. Brother #1 would announce a super-low price. Brother #2 would pretend to be outraged and claim that it couldn't be sold that cheap. So brother #1 would pick up a sledge hammer and bash the car with it, breaking a headlight or denting a fender. Brother #2 would pretend to get madder and brother #1 would continue to punish the poor jalopy. By the end of the commercial, the car would be a rolling wreck on sale for $5...or some such.

They were fun commercials.\


https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-ford-hermosa-beach-cali-help-needed.1097341/
Click to expand...

Ya gotta admit, those old local ads were many times a whole lot more imaginative and fun to watch than the current crop of "Oh gee!", "It's a Chevy!", and "I want one!". Even Auquanetta (erp!).
 
I grew up in Pittsburgh. Up on top of a hill.
That meant we could get stations from Wheeling and Steubenville on the rabbit ears.

WSTV/WTOV in Steubenville was worth watching for the commercials alone.
Particularly for the ads run by Huebner Chevrolet in Carrollton, Ohio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTNHa73zpTo

The owner of the lot would dress in a superhero costume and fly around the Ohio Valley
as Mr. Cost Plus, saving car buyers from high prices, lemons and bad customer service.

Complete with cheesy green screen special effects. These were quite memorable!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom