Vintage Car Advertising at Its Best from the Marques of the Past
These days we spend a lot of our time marketing our cars online via Instabook and Facegram with ever-more quirky camera angles against new and glamorous backdrops. However, at The Hub we are quite a nostalgic bunch, and while leafing through some old magazines we found vintage car advertising for a selection of the cars we currently have in stock and thought it would be interesting to show how these motor cars were marketed in period.
PACKARD
At one point in history Packard was the last word in car luxury – particularly in the USA. The illustrated advert shows an 8 cylinder Packard at speed in the dark demonstrating its road-holding prowess on a banked section of road. Whilst bearing a four-seater saloon body, the front is remarkably similar to that of the Packard 640 currently offered for sale here at The Hub.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS 1929 PACKARD 640 RUMBLE SEAT COUPE FOR SALE
ALVIS
The Alvis Speed 20 was launched in 1931. The dealers specialising the marque were instrumental in marketing even the newly launched cars. Here Charles Follett Ltd chose to demonstrate the sleek, low slung appearance of the new Speed 20 with a simple eye-level shot showing the smooth, elegant lines of the car. The body in the advert features coachwork by Vanden Plas and is remarkably similar to the example currently offered for sale at The Classic Motor Hub.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS 1933 ALVIS SPEED 20 SA VANDEN PLAS TOURER FOR SALE
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza are best known for the H6 and featured an imposing radiator with François Bazin’s Cigogne Volante (flying stork) proudly fixed to the top before melting in to elegant and luxurious coachwork. The model in our showroom is by MILLION-GUIET. In the background of the Hispano ad from 1937 are 3 large storks mid-flight which reminds the viewer of the freedom to travel which only a motorcar can give and pays tribute to Hispano’s past as manufacturers of aircraft engines (more about this in our Blog) The caption reads: “luxury, comfort, stamina and speed are the preserve of HISPANO-SUIZA”.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS 1926 HISPANO-SUIZA H6B FOR SALE
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce have a simple message for their customers, they make “the best car in the world” and just in case you are sceptical of their advice, the marketing department include a helpful and unbiased review from a current Rolls-Royce owner. The advert above is from 1927, only 7 years before our 20/25 Rolls left the production line.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS 1934 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 FOR SALE
What do you think of these vintage car advertising techniques? Each message was certainly a simple one – every manufacturer makes the best car in the world! Perhaps modern marketing has something to learn from this rather than hiding the cars behind social and lifestyle messages no one really cares about!