Month: April 2011
1963 Rambler 4 Door Classic
Click on pictures to Z O O M in.
I was just a sophomore in college when this car hit the market. Gas was about $0.49/gal and all except the Vietnam War was going well.
George Romney, later Governor of Michigan was the CEO of what became the American Motors Company. He completed a strategy in 1962 that brought all of the numerous car models together under the Rambler name. Romney also publicly chided the leaders of the “Big Three” automakers as “gas-guzzling dinosaurs”. When he left to become Governor, Roy Abernethy, his successor change the strategy and began the process of undoing Romney’s plan.
AIn 1963, the entire Rambler line received the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. However, Romney’s departure to become Michigan governor opened the door for his successor, Roy Abernethy, to redirect the company towards a strategy of competing head to head with the Big Three (General Motors, Chrysler Corporation, and Ford Motor Company) with a variety of bodies and automobile platforms. This new plan also included marketing the various models apart from the Rambler brand name, which Abernethy felt would be a hindrance in the market segments he hoped to pursue.
A great video was posted showcasing the Motor Trend article as a great sales tool, watch it below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QOa4vXHLIM”>Sales Tool Video]
© Fred Winograd copyright 2011
55 – Old Enough To Retire (1956 VW)
Click on pictures to Z O O M in.
|
I was on the way to the bank last week and saw this car at my local gas station. It was obviously recently restored and I go to talk to the owner. The owner seemed a bit distracted but it became apparent a bit later as to why.When I was a kid in high school VW was the cute little car that did not change its appearance year over year just for the sake of change. The big advertising pitch really concentrated on this as well as the price. I think the car sold for $1895 in 1961 and the major advertising was in print and on TV. I found this TV add on-line and it states that it is from the 1949 auto show. I think this was produced in the mid 1960s because I doubt the TV audience was big enough in 1949 to warrant this big a budget on this advertisement.View This Classic VideoThe next picture is of the rear window. This is one way to tell the approximate age of the VW Bug. From 1945-1953 the Bugs had a split oval rear window. This car has an oval rear window which was introduced in 1954. Sometime in the early 1960s, VW changed the rear window and enlarged it quite a bit.Click on pictures to Z O O M in.
The next two shots are of the interior and of the car hitched up to a tow truck. The first shows how “Bare Bones” the interior of the car really was. The second shot with the tow truck would explain why the owner was not really in a mood to talk. Its kind of a bummer to talk about your recently restored car while it’s being towed away to the repair shop.Click on pictures to Z O O Min.
 |
 |