What was with the big floating heads? Why were so many of the advertised vehicles displayed at extreme angles? And why, tell me why, no one bothered to have these delightful ads proofread?
Maybe you’re too young to recall newspaper dealer ads, but before the Internet kicked in, most Saturday newspapers contained a dedicated section or two of house-produced dealership advertisements featuring many of the elements noted above. Now, computer-designed layouts kicked in in the late Eighties, so for the really good stuff you have to go back a little earlier.
Dealers like to appear in their own ads, so it was common to see a giant head floating above the week’s bargains. And the bargains! In huge type appeared unlikely prices which were sure to lure customers to local dealers–just in case the price was correct, and the single example available at that price had not yet been sold.
This is hucksterism at its unbridled best—or worst—depends how you look at it. Collected here are a dozen such ads, each including “special” pricing, and often the promise of friendly service. Enjoy!
Newspaper Bargains
1926
1955
Classic Car Ads: Pickup Trucks of 1961
1956
Classic Car Ads: Station Wagons of 1979
1957
Classic Car Ads: Luxury Cars of 1985
1960
Classic Car Ads: Cheap Cars of 1983
1965
Classic Car Ads: Coupes of 1981
1966
Classic Car Ads: Sedans of 1980
1966
Cheap Wheels: 1975-1977 Oldsmobile Omega F-85
1967
After Dark: Classic Car Ads Set at Night
1969
Big-Top Madness! Clowns in Classic Car Ads
1971
More Show than Go: Performance Car Ads from the Malaise Era
1980
Design Madness: A Gallery of Sixties Hardtop Ads
1987
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Classic Car Ads: Newspaper Bargains Gallery
Click below for enlarged images.
Newspaper Bargains
