1956 Chevrolet, Baseball Themed Auto Ads
1956 Chevrolet

You can probably come up with a reasonably long list of things that are quintessentially American. My short list might include Monday Night Football, ketchup, and the Super Big Gulp. However, if you’re looking for a little heritage to go with your national icons, I might suggest that there are few things more fundamentally American than baseball or the automobile.

Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth was among the first celebrity athletes to cash in on product endorsements. In addition to cigarettes, Ruth also pitched cars, as evidenced by the 1926 Chevrolet ad below.

And of the two, baseball goes back further. The 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile is generally understood to be the first mass-produced automobile; it’s just a couple years away from its 120th birthday. Baseball, however, reaches really far back. Though the American League was established the same year that production of the Curved Dash Olds began, the National League was founded in 1876.

With a combined history of more than two centuries, one might expect the paths of baseball and the automobile to have crossed from time to time. And, indeed they have; one such intersection is in advertising.

A late Seventies Chevrolet campaign tied the brand to baseball using one of the catchiest jingles in car-advertising history. (Note: Watch this ad at your own risk. You may not be able to get this ditty out of your head.)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVo3wi-zFcc]

To help celebrate these two great American institutions, we have collected 13 classic automotive and auto-related prints ads here, each of them featuring a baseball theme. Enjoy!

More classic car ads

Baseball Themed Auto Ads

 

1926 Chevrolet ad featuring Babe Ruth

1926 Chevrolet Ad, Baseball Themed Auto Ad, Babe Ruth
1926 Chevrolet Ad

Mass-Transit Madness! A Gallery of Classic Bus Ads

 

1947 Dodge Trucks ad

1947 Dodge Trucks ad
1947 Dodge Trucks ad

Worst Car Commercials: The 80s

 

1951 Car Plate ad featuring Ted Williams

Car Plate ad featuring Ted Williams
1951 Car Plate auto wax ad

4WD Madness! 10 Classic Lada Niva Ads

 

1951 Prest-O-Lite ad featuring Yogi Berra

1951 Prest-O-Lite ad
1951 Prest-O-Lite ad

Micro Madness! A Gallery of Classic Mini Car Ads

 

1952 Champion ad

1952 Champion ad
1952 Champion spark plugs ad

Cocktail Madness! A Gallery of Cars in Liquor Ads

 

1956 Chevrolet ad

1956 Chevrolet Ad
1956 Chevrolet wagons ad

Nicotine Madness! A Gallery of Cars in Cigarette Ads

 

1957 Oldsmobile ad

1957 Oldsmobile ad
1957 Oldsmobile ad

Aussie Madness! 12 Classic Ute Ads

 

1958 GMAC ad

1958 GMAC as
1958 GMAC ad

Soccer Mom Madness! 10 Classic Minivan Ads

 

1960 Dodge Trucks ad

1960 Dodge Trucks ad
1960 Dodge Trucks ad

Urgent-Care Madness! 15 Classic Ambulance Ads

 

1962 Hertz ad

1962 Hertz ad
1962 Hertz Rent A Car ad

Law-Enforcement Madness! 35 Police Car Brochure Covers

 

1964 Matchbox ad featuring Whitey Ford

1985 Matchbox Ad, Whitey Ford, Baseball Themed Auto Ads
1964 Matchbox Ad

South of the Border Madness! 10 Classic Mexican-Market Auto Ads

 

1972 Volkswagen Bus ad

1972 VW Bus ad
1972 Volkswagen Bus ad

Canine Madness: 10 Classic Car Ads Featuring Dogs

 

1978 Volkswagen Rabbit ad featuring Reggie Jackson

1978 Volkswagen Rabbit ad, Reggie Jackson, Baseball Themed Auto Ads
1978 Volkswagen Rabbit ad

Dead-Brand Madness: 10 Classic Car Ads from the 80s and 90s

 

1982 Pontiac Firebird ad

1982 Pontiac Firebird ad
1982 Pontiac Firebird ad

Emerald Madness! 10 Classic Ads Featuring Green Cars

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Baseball Themed Auto Ads

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