One ad form that is on the road to extinction is that found in every local newspaper. I have been wondering what I could contribute to CC ad week, and then I remembered this piece which I cut out of the newspaper back in the 1970s.
This was an ordinary ad for an ordinary car, by an ordinary Fort Wayne, Indiana Buick Dealer, probably in 1976 or 1977. A little old fashioned hard sell? (“Get one before they are all gone!”) If nothing else, the prices certainly take us back.
And if you read the ad copy closely, you will find the misprint which was the reason for me to cut this ordinary little ad out of the paper and save it for all these years. If you need a hint, it involves a feature found in the two seat wagons. Or maybe it was not a misprint. There was a lot of agriculture in the area, so I am sure that features related to poultry were important to quite a few prospective customers. Or were you thinking of something else? It was the 1970s, after all.
And you thought a cell phone was distracting behind the wheel.
The highlight of GM engineering, the electric cock.
Reminds me of the little classified ad I saw years ago for a several-year-old Caddy convertible whose color was called “T-pink”.
Fairly rare option that and standard equipment on these no doubt a huge sales point.
That must have been one popular option with the soccer moms of the day…
Beat me to it.
One of my mom’s friends had a Colonnade Century wagon, maybe that’s why she kept it so long.
At least it’s not listed as a Manuel model.
Yeah, but they ususally stopped working after a couple of years, though the electric cock did pave the way for the digital cock found in most 80’s cars
And that gave “rise” to the trip cockputer.
The 2 seater actaully had a newfangled ‘rear view mirror’ standard!
Never mind, I re-read it. You’re referring to the clocks, right?
Also, I do remember hardly ever seeing a working clock in late model cars of the ‘good old days’. Maybe for a new car’s first 6 months?
…did they call the driver’s area the “cockpit”?
So THAT’s what Pops used when he needed a little help, back in the days before Viagra. It’s appropriately offered in the two seat wagon — only one seat to fold down to make that nice big flat area in back where Pops and the little lady could . . . y’know . . .
So that was what the salesman was talking about when he said… “buy now and we’ll throw something in for the little lady.”
Very necessary on one’s way to electric ladieland
You know, back before electric cocks you had to keep them going by hand, twice a day sometimes.
Did GM really sell 2-seater station wagons back then? Was it such a popular option that a typical dealership would keep *20* of them in stock? Why would anyone chose a 2-seater wagon over an El Camino?
I think the dealer meant to use rows of seats, not just seats. Of course, back then, they’d be long bench seats, not the buckets we’re used to today.