Americans have now enjoyed the services of the automobile for well over a century. It’s hard to imagine another development that did so much to shape the country as we now know it. But at just over 100 years of service, the car has nothing on football.
Like baseball, American-style football has a history that goes back well before the (previous) turn of the century.
According to Wikipedia, the first American football game took place in 1869 between Rutgers University and Princeton University. Rutgers reportedly won the game 6-4, which suggests that some tweaking of the scoring has taken place since the ’60s—the 1860s, that is.
Not surprisingly, the automobile and football have not evolved independently. The cultural phenomenon of tailgating merges the two institutions nicely, as does the inclusion of football in automotive advertising–the latter of which we explore below.
Amassed for your consideration are 12 automotive print ads and one TV spot, each of which draws on America’s love of football. Check them out:
National-Pastime Madness! A Gallery of Baseball-Themed Auto Ads
1905 Peerless
American Classics at the 2019 Goodguys Heartland Nationals
1934 Ford
Photo Feature: 1936 Ford DeLuxe Club Cabriolet
1944 Chrysler
1947 Pontiac
Poncho Madness! 10 Classic Pontiac Ads
1949 Plymouth
Photo Feature: 1960 Plymouth Fury Hardtop Coupe
1953 Pontiac
Review Flashback! 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass
Our Favorite Oldsmobiles (Gallery)
1968 Chevrolet Camaro
Power Play: Camaro Engines Through The Years
1968 Dodge Adventurer
Photo Feature: 1960 Dodge D100
1968 Pontiac Firebird
Consumer Guide Picks the 15 Best-Looking Cars of All Time*
1969 Cadillac Eldorado
What Was The Cadillac Eldorado Evolution?
2001 Suzuki
Cheap Wheels: 1996-98 Suzuki X-90
Football Auto Ads
