Archive for the ‘Vintage Racing Advertising’ Category
August 29th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Porsche, Vintage Racing Advertising
“No proving ground can duplicate the elements which make competition the final test of a car’s performance. The rivalry of premier drivers, the unexpected moments, the constant stress on the entire machine, and the incentive to win are present only in racing.
Research, not publicity, has been the prime objective of Porsche’s competition program since the firm’s founding. Win or lose, Porsche races to prove our engineering and design concepts under the toughest of all possible conditions.
Take one example. The Sportomatic semi-automatic transmission was installed in a Porsche 911 and raced in the Marathon de la Route, 84 hours over the demanding Nürburgring course. It met the test. The car won.
Porsche prototype racers, last year, won the Daytona 24-hour, Sebring 12-hour, Targa Florio, Nürburgring 1000 kilometer and other major races. The earlier developments perfected in these unique cars brought victory to virtually stock Porsche sedans in the Trans-American championship and to hundreds of amateur owner-drivers who race their own Porsches.
Not all Porsches are raced, of course. But the Porsche you drive is raceworthy; able to take the punishment of high speed racing. Engine, brakes, suspension, electrical systems—the total design—are based on race-bred research and built to racing standards.
Can a car be built too good for everyday use? Porsche doesn’t think so.
If you’re serious about your driving, you can have a lot of fun driving a Porsche, the car that’s good enough to race.
Prices start at about $5,100, East Coast P.O.E. See your Porsche dealer or write to the Porche of America Corportation, 100 Galway Place, Teaneck, NJ 07666“
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August 24th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
Translated (roughly): “The best in competition. The best for you. S.E.V. Marchal equipment. 35 times winner at Le Mans.”
In so many ways the pre-photography era of print advertising ages so well. The bold graphics and colors in this Marchal ad hold up today so much better than today’s overly-flamed-and-chromed-and-checkered racing ads will in 30 years’ time.
Love that cat.
via
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August 20th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
“The sheer sensual pleasure of handling it simply cannot be put into words.
This was John Bolster’s reaction, after his Autosport road test on the Maserati Merak. We agree. Its handling qualities have to be tried to be believed.
Merak comfort is easier to explain. Unlike some mid-engined cars, the Merak is designed with comfort in mind. The quietness of the ride is exceptional. Instrumentation is easy to read: one glance tells all.
The 2965cc V6 Merak is a classic investment. See your dealer for a Merak, Bora, Khamsin or Citroen SM test drive. Or write: Maserati, Dept H1, Mill St, Slough SL25DE”
Good to know that Maserati trusted their 1970s advertising copywriting to a 14 year old boy.
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July 30th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
“Talk to the man in the Austin Healey. He’s a real guy. “A man of parts,” as Commander Whitehead might say. A gent with a flair for living, if you please.
And live he does in his Austin Healey. A tromp on the loud-padal and his AH hums to 60 in 11 seconds or so. That’s performance.
You know, of course, that the AH holds more than 100 American and International records. In fact, every record in its class.
Pray, sir, when will you drive your Austin Healey.”
I just never get tired of hyperbolic advertising copy.
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July 18th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
“Speed, she likes. Comfort, she appreciates. She admires men sensible enough to choose the rather exclusive Morgan Plus Four Plus—and occasionally let her drive. 2138 c.c. TR4A engine. 110 m.p.h. Front Disc Brakes. And superb Morgan controllability. Try on for ever—this week.”
Definitely a Morgan Girl. I love that this reads like an installment of What Sort of Man Reads Playboy? but in reverse.
(found in MotorSport, April 1966)
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June 2nd, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
“I feel that the Lotus is the best attempt yet to provide the enthusiast with a competition car at a price he can afford to pay. In essentials, it is just as sound an engineering job as the most expensive sports car, and the economy is only brought about by the clever adaptation of mass-produced components.”
Sounds to me like J. V. Bolster was on to something. This Lotus 6 looks every bit as desirable today as it did when Autosport wrote this glowing review in 1953.
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May 11th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
“The disc brakes fitted to the Sprite were masters of the situation under all conditions and their high speed behaviour was beyond criticism”
Call me crazy, but I actually find the hyperbole of this ad copy charming. Not to mention the tremendous graphic fantasticness of the Girling “G” logo.
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April 14th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
This looks to me like £255 well spent. From MotorSport Magazine April, 1932.
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February 9th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Vintage Racing Advertising
Come on down to Ernie McAfee’s for everything you need for the races. Helmets, just like the pros use: $30. Add a visor to that for a sawbuck. Or perhaps you’re in the market for something bigger. Why not test drive the brand new Siata V8. It’s sure to impress the ladies and only $4995. Motor on down to 8363 Sunset, and tell ‘em The Chicane sent ya.
(Naturally this location is now a Starbucks.. typical)
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January 27th, 2010 | Published by Harlo in Racing Ephemera, Vintage Racing Advertising
Another brilliant argument for the benefits of body-on-frame building. Are you bored with your Austin-7 or compact Ford? Why not just drop a new fiberglass body on that frame and have a sweet little racing special to take to the track or just cruise around town. See how easy it used to be to become the coolest kid on the block?
These were all from a single 1958 issue of MotorSport. The possibilities were endless, and cheap. Guess what you do if you’re bored with your compact Ford today… You deal with it. Or you glue a horrifically ugly wing on it. Yay! a big stupid wing!
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“No proving ground can duplicate the elements which make competition the final test of a car’s performance. The rivalry of premier drivers, the unexpected moments, the constant stress on the entire machine, and the incentive to win are present only in racing.
