Classic Car Ads Still Resonate

Any ad that tweaks both a longtime rival and the predictions of the 2012 apocalypse is a winner in our book.

A

utomakers have cooked up some classic car ads over the years, making us laugh and smile, while occasionally prompting us to write a monthly check. With 2013 models beginning to hit showrooms this fall, ads for new cars are already hitting the airwaves. With that in mind, we're taking a look at some of the best broadcast ads we've seen.

Chevrolet--See the USA in your Chevrolet
This Dinah Shore classic still resonates today, even if most buyers weren't even born until a generation or two later. Chevrolet was also all about baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie, but this tag line resonates just as well, perhaps due to the rhyme.

Chevrolet—Like a Rock
This is a campaign as opposed to just one ad, but we still have Bob Seeger's jam stuck in our heads from this one. John Mellencamp's "Our Country" followed this, but it ended up being the butt of jokes. And now it's stuck our head, too. Not cool--we prefer Seeger.

Volkswagen—Da Da Da
We don't know why two guys cruising the city to repetitive Euro-pop is so funny, but it is. We wish our lives had soundtracks. Oh wait, we have an MP3 player. Guess we have a soundtrack after all.

Volkswagen—Car in Tree
Volkswagen strikes again. The punchline here is what makes it great—otherwise it's just a couple of guys throwing rocks at a tree. We have to wait to find out why our two heroes are hurtling shoes at the tree, but the payoff is worth it.

Volkswagen—Darth Vader kid
Another Volkswagen ad? And to think we struck two strong VW ads starting canine creatures from the list. We couldn't leave the cutest Sith Lord ever off of the list, though. The ad makes us laugh, while also showcasing the car's available features. Effective, it is.

Ford—Mustang is coming
Ford probably isn't as well known for classic ads as GM is, but we did find one hailing the arrival of the first Mustang, and it's a pretty cool piece hailing the arrival of a car that would turn out to be one of the great automotive icons of all time. It's worth a minute of your time.

GM/Chevrolet—Apocalypse 2012
Any ad that tweaks both a longtime rival and the predictions of the 2012 apocalypse is a winner in our book.

AMC—AMX racetrack ad
AMC is the forgotten brand of the 1970s, but that doesn't mean you can't dig up an classic AMC ad with cheeky humor aimed at snooty Europeans on YouTube. We did, and while the ending fell flat—humor must have been different in the '70s—we enjoyed it anyway, for reasons that are beyond us.

Ford—Have You Driven a Ford Lately?
This quintessentially '80s ad was part of the soundtrack of our youth. Listen to that cheery upbeat tone. Watch those cars corner. And try not to remember that Ford once built the Bronco II.

Chrysler—Imported From Detroit
This Chrysler ad didn't draw many laughs, and that's fine. It was meant to announce the Chrysler is back from bankruptcy, and that's exactly what it does. Now it's up to the company to back up the tough talk. The early results are encouraging.