I was on the road and without a reliable internet connection for the past five days. As such, I spent a lot of time on the old Iphone browsing YouTube and stumbling across random vintage footage. This series captured me during our drive home and I th... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
I don't know if I'm old or if it's cause I was raised in a small town, but I remember when cars were sold that way. First of all I remember standing back and listening to my Dad and the salesman talk. Dad would say something about the Ford he'd look at earlier, and the Chevy salesman would, off the top of his head start spouting off numbers. Things like HP, and torque, capacity and re-sale value. They KNEW what they were selling. The last car we bought my wife the salesman said was a V-6, and I had already looked and knew it was a V-8. I also saw for myself a whole gaggle of salesmaen almost destroy a Pontiac trying to just find the battery. But I also remember once or twice a year (usually around planting and harvest) salesmen would stop by the farm in the a new truck or somtimes car. Just to see how things were, maybe to buy a box of apples, or maybe some fresh picked corn. But would be sure to bring up the car or truck they were driving in conversation, and to point out how it was the best thing ever built! Sure it was all about the almighty dollar just as it is today, but I think they also cared a little. Cared that their product was the best, and that you would be happy with it. That after all made re-pete customers. Yep, I'm sure of it now that I re-read this..... I'm old. sigh!
Those videos were archived and posted on YouTube by Vincent Romano. His YouTube channel, AutomobileHistoryUSA, can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/AutomobileHistoryUSA Here are some of his contributions that I've found interesting: 1949 Ford "Birth of a Revolution" promo (part one of two) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGUqdFsJ7uo 1949 Ford "Birth of a Revolution" promo (part two) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2AZI5R40DM&feature=related 1949 Mercury commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uSiyvbbMso 1950 Henry J commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrgxmAUBvIs 1952 feature "Road Runners", with footage of a tasty '32 highboy (part one of two) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofoJeZvta8k 1952 feature "Road Runners" (part two) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1SC2oFbBs 1953 Ford F-100 pickup commercial, featuring the US Marines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJZG59WQCOk 1954 Corvette commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuuS_Nv3oko 1954 Studebaker commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xEeCjk-yv0 1955 Chevy commercial (one of ten) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNMw2y6ZLGM 1955 General Motors Motorama promo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jbgU5xDuj0 1956 Chrysler Turbine concept promo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upNGDkz7cS4 1957 DeSoto commercial starring Groucho Marx http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QbjpUoX40 1957 New York Auto Show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuGevLYe4no 1958 Hot Rod Magazine feature "Ingenuity in Action", part one of four http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ps61l_5wsk&feature=related 1962 Ford Mustang concept car footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_7PforFj6A Lotsa neat stuff. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
This is SO not 1956... there's a '48 - '50 Bonus Built truck on the "new" truck brochure, and 'ol Hugh mentions that Chevrolet doesn't make a V8. And dig those shoeboxes in the showroom! Not to mention the telephones - mostly Western Electric 302 sets. By 1956, a significant portion of businesses had begun upgrading to the model 500 in 1949, and the conversion was well underway by 1956. ~Jason
HMMM My girlfriends dad ..I never met him that passed years ago ... sold farm magazine subscriptions all over the 5 state area .during the40's 50's 60's... hussled used cars on the side. Mr Thorn.. sounds just like I heard he would do.. gettin to know his farm clients and snoopin cars sittin idle.....makin deals..... flat towing cars to out of the way little towns and picking them up on the weekend with the wife and kids ... the lists of car they drove surprises me all the time..and the storys of breakdowns too
"let Joe show you the "ins and outs" of the business"... I've been the recipient of the old "in-out" business more than once
That's priceless salesmanship in action! Now all I have to do is apply it to some o/t cars I'm selling...
Here is a modern version by an undercover reporter from Edmunds. In the early 70's I sold new and used cars and trucks for the old McMorris Downtown Ford using the "California" method just like this guy describes for the high pressure dealership. Is this one reason why building a car sounds like a good idea? http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html
Great find. In Part 2, at about 2 minutes, Trader gets a sales lead from parts man "Mike". That's Cliff Norton, who had a long TV career. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=cliff+norton+actor&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2
I bookmarked this for a future look--I just checked it out and it is amazing. The cars, the clothes, and of course a bevy of great sales approaches. This is a must see!!! Thank you so much for sharing this fab. flick. What a blast!! Love the sell on the overdrive-and it would only increase the payment $4.50 a month!!! If I could get ya $900.00 for your 38 ford could we get ya in a new One?-Sololobo
I just came across this user's video's on youtube and was going to come back here and see if anyone had posted the youtube channel. Great stuff Of course I was watching the original 1949 pontiac ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAdUc0Ksndg&feature=related Wish I'd seen this thread last year. Course you know what they say. If I haven't seen it, it's new to me.
Reminds me of the old radio spot, " Come on down, bring your checkbook, bring your trade-in, bring your title, bring your wife.........we'll "dick-er".
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