Car Adverts: These classic newspaper ads offer a fascinating peep into history. Which do YOU remember?
Adverts for motor vehicles offer a fascinating glimpse into the era they were created
The ways of marketing cars have changed dramatically over the past century. Soon after motor vehicles were first invented, very simple black and white adverts were produced, usually emphasizing how cars were the ultimate luxury. The first ever car advert in 1898 featured the now hilarious-sounding headline, 'Dispense with a horse'!
Ford HP Saloon - 1934
In 1934, this advert showed it would have cost just £120 back then - the equivalent of around £8,000 today.
Ford Saloon (cont.) - 1936
The Ford saloon was similar to the kinds of vehicles driven in shows like Downton Abbey. The wording of the adverts were very different at this time to now, such as 'what a wonderful car it is'.
Morris Mini-Minor - 1959
As you might expect, a Mini advert from 1958 featured the tag line 'Far more room in far less space'. Little did we know it would still be selling with relatively few style changes today
Advert from 1959 of the Triumph
This 1950s-style advert for the Triumph Herald called it the 'new experience in motoring'.
Morris Minor - 1961
A post-war advert for the popular British car the Morris Minor was of its era.
Ford Corsair - 1965
The Ford Corsair advert likened cars to dogs, which perhaps seems odd today.
Ford Escort - 1968
The Ford Escort was marketed at families, and was sold to buyers as the 'Popular family runabout'. To put it into context, 1968 was the year The Beatles were the biggest stars in the world.
Triumph Herald - 1968
The Triumph Herald was promoted as a car which was easy to park, thanks to its compact size and tight steering control. 'The cosy parker' was described as having 'racy new looks'.
Honda - 1969
The Honda was described as 'cheeky' and 'little' and sold as being a great small vehicle for negotiating rush-hour traffic.
Volkswagen - 1969
This 1969 Volkswagen advert poked fun at the competitors.
Volkswagen - 1971
It was 1969 when man first landed on the moon, and this space-related Volkswagen Buggy advert was a real sign of the times.
The Imp - 1971
'Small price doesn't necessarily mean a small car' was how the three-door Chrysler motor The Imp was marketed in 1971.
Ford Escort - 1973
Adverts clearly weren't very PC back in 1973, when the Ford Escort was hilariously marketed as a car 'someone's mother would feel safe in'.
Chrysler Cars - 1972
There was a full range of Chrysler vehicles available in the early 1970s. This competition to win one was merely a marketing ploy.
Ford Escort - 1972
It seems outrageous today that adverts like this one from 1972 compared a car to a woman - and included sexist lines such as 'she won't have to hoist her skirt to get in'.
Ford Escort - 1971
At £771, the Ford Escort was worth around £10, 000 new in 1971 when this model was being advertised.
Ford Cortina - 1972
'You'll like the feel of our car better than other cars,' promised the Cortina advert outlandishly in 1972.
Triumph TR7 - 1977
Car adverts have displayed a sense of humour over the decades, this one from 1977 sent itself up by likening the experience of driving a TR7 to 'holding the reins of a powerful stallion'.
Ford Fiesta - 1978
This advert for a Ford Fiesta in 1978 focused on how economical they were to run.
Morris Marina - 1978
This 1978 ad shows that the Morris Marina, a popular car at this time, would have cost less than £3000 brand new. That would be around £16,000 today.
Esso petrol stations - 1965
Not a car ad, but equally fascinating. 'Put a tiger in your tank' was a slogan created in 1959 by Emery Smith, a young US copywriter who'd been briefed to produce a newspaper ad to boost sales of Esso Extra. The campaign ran for years convincing drivers that Esso fuel was so powerful, it was like having a huge beast in their engines.
Ford Capri - 1979
These days, we’re bombarded from all angles with slick videos, flashy print ads and more online content than we could ever possibly consume. But in the '70s, car ads often focused on making potential buyers feel they were purchasing some kind of sex appeal.
