History Dealer Giveaways... Pontiac Rules.

A friend of mine recently gave me this incredibly cool Pontiac ruler that was most likely a giveaway item in 1938. It made me realize the nice stuff the dealers used to hand out many years ago. Nowadays you have to beg them just to get a brochure, bu... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

 

Pontiac still rules, but someone won't let them rule.

i'm sorry to take this off topic, but more importantly, i feel we should think of ways to keep pontiac.

Now, my first thought is the Chinese; The Chinese industry is NOT my first choice as to what to do with pontiac, but at this point i think it's a viable alternative.

1) They already bought hummer. Now do you think hummer has ever/will ever be larger than pontiac? And yet, they bought it.

2) Millions of chinese are eating up buick; Now, if they fall for lame buick, then i'm sure (i would bet ALL my money) that they would LOVE pontiac. So, start selling pontiac in china----all the other gm brands are there.

Please, let's stop thinking re-actively/nostalgically and start thinking PRO-actively. We CAN do it. After all WE OWN 61% of GM.

Thank you.

 

I'll ignore the post above, because personally I'd rather eat frozen dog shit than see a chinese pontiac. I've owned 9 pontiacs only 2 not built here... and well.. who can bitch about what the Aussies build? they are great cars.

But back on topic.. I thought those promo models were always a cool dealer handout. I guess they stopped that somewhere in the '70s

 

Just prior to the release of the PT Cruiser my uncle in Florida filled out a card at one of the dealers in Tampa asking for information on the cars and when they would be available. Over the next several months he not only got tons of glossy brochures and info packs, but they sent him little gifts. He got a PT Cruiser pocket knife, golf balls, money clip, and several other things much to his surprise. He did buy a PT, but not that year because of the premiums being charged by the dealerships. Still has it and still loves it....

 

glenn33...I did the same years back...still have the knife somewhere.

 

hmmm

there is lotsa stuff out there

funny how the car makers / dealerships were trying so hard ... a great number of items for household use.
i have seen clothes pin bags , flashlights , ashtrays . kitchen grease jars ,yardsticks .. etc

can ya imagine that people would hear about a specific giveaway item and then.. make a special trip to the dealer to get it..

seems that salesman clip you posted a while back would tie in as these folks would pull in they would note your current car .. and then go to work on ya..

. its a sickness collecting this kinda thing .. damn .....its car related too.

my favorites are the promo models .. i guess
i have a 1962 chrome plated bonneville promo model .. dunno if it was a give away or a salesmans award
i had all the dodge give aways when i ws a kid in the 60's including the scat pack slot car set..i would get a promo model then buy the current release of the same car that had all the engines and customizing parts open the hood up..then combine them for a real nice finished unit . sadly my younger brothers blew them all up with firecrackers .. boo hooo

been collectin plastic models for a long time now and i have hundreds .. but none of the missing dodges..
prolly the main deciding factor of my current car problem today...
formerly ..free stuff - car related

 

I worked at a Ford dealership for awhile and Ford has tons of that sort of stuff available for it's dealers. Golf balls, pens, sets of drink tumblers, you name it. Some dealers use them for spiffs for the sales staff, or for good customers, etc. I was doing outside sales for the parts dep't and I had a few of those things that I kept in my truck at all times for "special" customers.

The problem is the dealers have to buy that stuff from Ford and most just see it as an unnecessary expense.

 

Whenever I am at antique stores I always see needle/sewing kits with dealership or oil companies promotional info.

 

...and don't forget those goddamned clear plastic rain bonnets that my mother and grandmother wore to protect their beehives from the weather! My brother's got an arrowhead shaped copper ashtray from the '30s that reads, "Pontiac....Chief of the Sixes".

 

a friend of mine recently gave me the same ruler! (he has been in both of my pontiacs...)

 

In 1937 Hudson and Terraplane gave away a 55" wooden ruler at auto shows and challenged you to put it in the front seat of any other car in the show and slam the door because it would poke holes in other car's door panels. H and T had the widest and they said only true three passenger cars in the US auto industry and by golly they were out to prove it. Some Hudson memorabilia collectors out there surely have some of those "yard sticks".

 

I like dealer stuff. here's a cardboard 49 Chevy they used to give away

 

Give ya $30 bucks for that Boss!
In Oz, you can get plenty of Holden(GM-H) merchandise at your local super market, from coffee cups to rulers but you've gotta pay.

 

This is really cool! Someone needs to scan and reproduce these!

 

I still have the 2 '53 Studebaker models I got when my dad went in to look at the neat Lowey cars. One is plastic and the other is steel with a friction motor.

 

not exactly dealer promo.....


I've been hunting for Ford silverware and dishes they used in the cafeteria. Fairly hard to find. I have some but not a complete set.

Michigan Rick

 

I have a Firestone wooden level . Yes there use to be some cool promotional stuff.

 

Ruler!

(had to be said...)

 

we have some ford cook books.

 

I had a cool little Oldsmobile Rocket keychain from the mid 50's. It was a little red, plastic rocket about 2 inches long and had the dealer's info on the side. I forgot that i had it on the keys to my 56 Olds when I sold the car!! I meant to keep the keychain!! I love the old, dealer promo stuff.

 

We have an Edsel yardstick in the basement. My grandfather got it somewhere and it's just a yardstick that gets used now and then.

 

Nice! I have the same pontiac ruler, I stumbled across it on ebay a while back and picked it up for less than 10 bucks. It's missing the metal edge, but otherwise its almost perfect. Thought it was just too cool to pass up.

 

How does the driver get in with pipe going down both sides??????

 

I have several dealer items. My favorites have to be the PONTIAC bread tray they gave to the ladies in 1957 almost mint. It shows a new 57 4-dr hardtop in the middle and in the corners a model from the 10 years previous 47 streamliner, 37 sedan on back to the Oakland and strangely all are 4 doors. My other favorites are the Ford brass medalions with a 33 grille on one side and the V8 emblem on the others.

48 Poncho

 

I have an Oldsmobile ruler from 1967 introducing the Toronado.
When I lived in San Diego I lived in a house that had a lot of stuff from the 20,30,40,50's and they threw it all away. I'd go in there and get it outta the dumpster and sell it at the swap meet. Made a fortune. Still have cool calendar art and calendars.

 

Found this at an estate sale last summer. Now I need to find a 1954 210 Chevy...

"Prince Matchabelli / Wind Song perfume / A new soaring perfume unlike any that ever lived"

 

This has been on my desk for years. It can be yours for a very low figure.

 

When i was a kid, my Dad had a 63 VW bug. We would go with my mom to take it in for service and everytime they gave my brother and I a very cool plastic model, hot wheel size, of one of their current models. They came in a nice box with a picture and description. I have tons of 'em, bugs, vans, Kombis, etc. Mom through them out with all of my other extremley "now" collectable toys when i moved out. I hear now, they are worth about $300 bucks a piece.

 

I have a pocket knife I got at an antique store that has the word "CHEVROLET" on it in the same font they used on the '57 brochure, so I assume it's the same general era...

OT, but I got a BRAND NEW Gratiot Auto Supply lighter offa Ebay.

And As Always, I'm looking for something, anything from VerHoven Chevrolet in Royal Oak, MI... I am 1/16th Ver Hoven.

 

No disrespect to anyone here, but i REALLY think we need to stop thinking nostagically (for the moment) and start thinking about the present future; This is too important.

1) i was on NYC on business and the NYPD is now using nissan altimas for cruisers. Remember when they used plymouth furys?

2) Pontiac is going, yet KIA and hyundai stay. KIA for freaksake! Doesn't anyone see anything wrong with this picture?
For that matter FIAT is returning!

i don't care what anyone says, Pontiac was and IS good quality product. It should stay.