Behold the American Motors Corporation mid-'70s car lineup in its full glory, from the 1975 Chicago Auto Show. There was the Gremlin, Hornet, Matador, and the all-new Pacer. You just cannot beat that color palette.
Long before the Walt Disney Company became known not just as a purveyor of magic but as a corporate behemoth, they tried their hand at television advertising. In the early-to-mid 1950s, Disney produced a series of fantastic TV ads featuring classic characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Tinker Bell, as well as original product-specific characters.
This great ad and animation cel come from a spot for what I believe to be the 1955 American Motors Hudson Hornet, and feature Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The designer was Tom Oreb, who worked with Disney during what was arguably their golden age for feature productions.
First, let's look at the Hudson Hornet ad. I'm not 100% certain what model year this is for, as the sources I've seen for this animation vary...
According to at least one source, in 1964 Playboy magazine started giving away so-called Playmate Pink automobiles as prizes to the women selected as Playmate of the Year. For 1968, Angela Dorian -- born Victoria Vetri -- was given the honor and a brand-new 1968 pink AMC AMX, the first model year for the sports car.
This AMX was powered by the base 290 V8 with automatic transmission, air conditioning, tilt wheel, AM/8-track radio and optional rear bumper guards. In addition to the paint job, this car differed from other AMXs in that its dashboard number plate contained Dorian's measurements, making her car AMX 36-24-35.
According to my exhaustive internet sleuthing, Dorian still owns the car, which is now black. At least that's as of 2010, when she was arrested for attempted murd...
One of my favorite past-times is combing the vast archive of press wire photos on eBay. I've found all sorts of neat things there, but one of my current obsessions is old automobile press photography. So here is the first of what I hope will be many galleries featuring ten classic American cars, mainly from the mid-century period. Apologies in advance if I get some of the years or models wrong -- I can only go off what the original auction listed. Also, those marks you see on some of the photos are original editorial markings, so you know these are 100% real!
For much more detailed looks at classic American cars, check out my ad galleries for the 1970 Dodge, 1975 Chevrolet, and 1982 AMC lineups.
(Click on any picture for the full size.)
If anyone can tell me what the model is
One of the many brilliant things about Mad Men is how the show deftly mixes fictional characters and storylines with real-life events. This includes the many clients of the Sterling Cooper/Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising firm. While some of the firm's clients are fake, many are quite real (or at least were). Here are some vintage advertisements for actual Mad Men clients, from the approximate early '60s period they appeared on the show.
Along with real bumpers on cars, decorative hood ornaments seem to be a thing of the past. 'Tis a shame too, as they really added that extra bit of personality to a car. Here's a collection of photos showing some of my favorite hood ornaments, via Flickr.
Print advertisements, brochures, and TV commercials help give us a glimpse into the automotive past. Today's ad collection shines a spotlight on the 1982 American Motors Corporation (AMC) domestic American lineup. It featured three cars -- the Concord, Eagle, and Spirit -- as well as multiple Jeep models.
By 1982, things were looking pretty bleak for AMC. Outdated facilities, costly recalls, and flagging sales brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy. What saved AMC -- for the time being -- was French-owned Renault being approved as principal owner in December 1980. The two companies had been operating under a joint manufacturing agreement since 1978, one of the fruits of which was the Le Car. AMC was also the exclusive American seller of the Fuego and 18/18i.
(To see other
Now you too can be just like Mad Men's Don Draper!
(via Oatmeal)
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So I'm enjoying the Fletch/Fletch Lives double feature on AMC tonight, and a question occurs to me - has there ever been a bigger fall from funny for a once-great comedic actor than Chevy Chase's? There was a time (about 1975-1989) when he could legitimately claim to be one of the funniest men in American film (and TV, although his time on Saturday Night Live didn't even last 2 seasons). Sure, there were some real stinkers in there (I'm looking at you, Under the Rainbow), but the triple whammy of Caddyshack, Vacation, and Fletch should've been enough to be his lifetime meal ticket.
Then there are the movies that, while they may not be in the same class as the Big 3, are pretty damn good anyway - European Vacation, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos, Funny Farm, Fletch Lives, and Christmas Va...
