Spring-Special Madness! 10 Classic Limited-Edition Ads

Tom Appel

7 years ago

1969 Dodge White Hat Special, Spring-Special — 1969 Dodge Polara White Hat Special

For a number of reasons, automakers have been pulling ahead model year introductions lately. It is now not uncommon for a largely unchanged car to be rolled over to the next model year in February or March, for example.

The reasons for this vary, but count among them fuel-economy and emissions-regulation compliance, resale-value manipulation, and sundry marketing schemes.

For decades, however, the automotive model year traditionally ran from September to September, with some variation for dramatic new-model intros and the need to clear old inventory from dealer lots.

So, when using that customary fall-season-to-fall-season schedule, the model year was half over by the time winter was ending and spring was around the corner.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrECbVkn3FU]

One thing automakers did to keep up consumer interest in certain models was to offer “Spring Specials”–uniquely trimmed or equipped versions of a car or truck, often offered at a mildly discounted price.

To true car geeks, these packages are often fascinating, as they frequently included trim elements that were otherwise unavailable on a given model.

Here, we’ve collected ten special-edition-vehicle print ads, including several spring special examples. Additionally, we’ve got a TV ad for the 1969 Dodge Coronet “White Hat Special,” which was very much a spring-special-style promotion. Check them out, and tell us if any of these seems rare and interesting enough to be collectible.

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