Author Archive
Favorite Car Ads: 1976 Ford Granada
You can’t have it both ways… that is, you can’t have it both ways unless you worked in Ford’s marketing department in the mid-to-late Seventies.
1940 Lincoln Continental
As Collectible Automobile Editor-in-Chief John Biel has pointed out, a good number of vintage car ads were staged alongside swimming pools. As a swimmer, I appreciate the positive association between aquatic fun and cool new cars. But pools aren’t the only bodies of water automakers liked to feature in their advertising.
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV
From January through July of this year, General Motors’ Chevrolet division sold almost 22,000 Bolt EVs. That’s a solid performance, good enough to rank third among all EV models sold in the U.S. during the same period. But impressive as the Bolt’s sales may or may not be, know this: The Bolt isn’t even close to being GM’s best-selling EV. Read on…
Favorite Car Ads: 1934 Tatra 77
1934 Tatra 77
It’s a shame that Tatra isn’t better known to American auto enthusiasts, because the Czechoslovakian automaker produced some of the most interesting cars and trucks of the industry’s first century.
Mercury Marauder Concept
This is an installment in a series of posts looking back on show cars that we feel deserved a little more attention than they got. If you have a suggestion for a Forgotten Concept topic, please shoot us a line or leave a comment below.
1976 Ford Mustang II
I had this ad taped up in my high-school locker during my senior year. Not because I was a Mustang II fan—I was not—but because this ad so plainly laid bare how desperately Ford wanted their pony car to perceived as European and high tech, which it really wasn’t. (Note: I’m not quite that old. I graduated high school in 1983, and had found the Mustang ad in a back issue of Popular Science, I think.)
Fun fact: Most car dealers pay a small amount into a regional advertising fund for each vehicle they sell. That money is spent on ads and promotions tailored to reach would-be car shoppers in a given area. In many cases, manufacturers contribute additional cash to the fund. And, depending on the franchise, some of that money may be spent by the dealer on store-specific ads.
Car Stuff Dead Pool: 2021-2022 List
As consumers continue to reject cars in favor of crossovers and SUVs, and auto manufacturers begin to consolidate their product portfolios to make space for electric vehicles, slow-selling models are being trimmed from carmaker lineups at an impressive clip.
1971 Imperial LeBaron
If you trust Wikipedia, the Cord 810 was among the first automobiles to sport hidden headlamps. As far as design trends go, that’s a pretty auspicious starting point. For the purposes of this gallery, we are making a clear distinction between hidden headlamps—those found in or near a traditional grille–and pop-up headlamps along the lines of those found on the early-generation Mazda Miata or RX-7.
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you’ve come to the right place. Join the editors of Consumer Guide Automotive as they break down everything that’s going on in the auto world. New-car reviews, shopping tips, driving green, electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.
