How about some comparative car ads from the 70’s…

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I’ve always loved these crazy ads from the 70’s.
Comparing mundane American sedans to much more expensive luxury European cars.
Going as far as questioning why you would even consider these luxury cars.
They often shamelessly compare their mass produced inexpensive cars to a Rolls Royce. 
(why not go for the most expensive off them all)
Which ends up being quite funny.

 From the ads above, it seems to have been a Ford specialty.
I just wonder how many people they actually convinced to switch from a Mercedes to a Rolls, to a Ford.
Or was it just to make the masses feel a little better about what they could afford.

This one is from England. And early 80’s, not 70’s.
But I love it.

Smart and funny. And making fun of the whole idea of comparing cheap cars to fancy super expensive ones.

Conversation 10 comments

  1. I can't stop looking at the US-spec bumpers on that 450 SLC. You could sit on the front one like a bench!

  2. Wow, that Granada is similar in size to a Mercedes! That makes them really hard to tell apart, if you are a Ford executive…

  3. In the 1960s, American cars were equally or better then the luxury German brands of Mercedes and BMW in terms of both looks and reliability. The Ford Galaxy, Cadillac Eldorado and Corvette are examples!

  4. The Granada/Mercedes comparos I remember of course. Especially because I've got an uncle who literally bought into it. He went straight out and bought the 1st gen Granada and took us into the garage to show it to us saying: "It's Mercedes Benz for a quarter of the price!!!"

    I didn't know about those others.

  5. Those are hilarious! I love the 2cv ad….
    Those Granada ads one reason why I have had no respect for Ford since I was a kid. Those ads assume their customers to be so ignorant and stupid, I wouldn't want anyone to think I'd been fooled into buying one of their cars….

  6. I love when you dig up these ads, Vince, but can you find them in a higher resolution? I can barely read the copy.

  7. Today, a well preserved LTD or Ambassador would sell for more than the Rolls. RR's of that vintage were so bad that they are essentially worthless, unless a Beetle or Janis Joplin owned it. The Grenada comparison was always laughable. I mean, really now.

  8. I'm surprised it was perfectly OK to have your car look ALMOST the same as the Mercs! :)Fun post… thank you!

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