Avis might’ve reached advertising legend status with its “When you’re only No.2, you try harder. Or else.” ad and eventual “We try harder.” tagline, but I gotta tell ya, this 1967 Hertz ad is its own kind of awesome. I never knew it existed before picking up a short stack of old Newsweek magazines at a local flea market this weekend. And the word count in this single print ad? 385.
Avis v. Hertz – a history.
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The 1946 Willys Jeep station wagon was the first 2-door station wagon.
This was just seven years after the first Jeep prototype (“Quad”) was delivered to the US Army. It was designed in just 75 days.
The History of the Station Wagon
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From 1912-18, Willys was the 2nd-biggest American automobile maker.
Ford was 1st, the bastards.
Willys-Overland is the company that eventually brought us the Jeep.
Let’s take the 1920 Overland 4 for a spin.
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Bone shards:
Street cred? This car had it.
Oldsmobile’s Rocket engine was kind of a big deal.
The voice of Rocket in the Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy movies is Bradley Cooper.
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Speaking of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster…
Tilt steering is a comfort option? A decade earlier, it was a luxury option.
The Wagoneer is coming back… maybe.
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According to this ad, Packard had a Board of Color who would decide on the car color schemes. Just imagine the fights.
Some quasi-random knowledge:
Having your car the same colors as a harlequin macaw would certainly get noticed.
Macaws can live for 50-100 years.
In 1930 (three years after this ad), the average life of a new car was 6.75 years.
The average lifespan of a modern car is not quite 12 years.
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Something for the auto buffs: Why Packard Died
Want a Packard of your very own? Looks like a 1929 Packard 645 Deluxe Eight goes for an average of $212,926 these days. What a bargain!
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Fun facts:
Plymouth paid Warner Bros. fifty grand to use the Road Runner name and likeness.
Hatched in 1968, the Plymouth Road Runner wasn’t discontinued until 1980.
And yes, Plymouth had a special beep-beep horn for it, developed by the Sparton Corporation of Jackson, Michigan. Hear it here.
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