Porsche

Playboy Oct. 1964

Only $4200!  Lie still my beating heart! That works out to ~$32,000 in 2015 money.

That's SUPER cheap for a Porsche.  Different times, I guess.

Pall Mall

Playboy Nov. 1968

Toyota Corona

Playboy Nov. 1968

Plymouth Road Runner

Playboy Nov. 1968

Ford Cobra

Playboy Nov. 1968

MG Sprite

Playboy Sept. 1966

Back in the day they actually sold MGs in America.  Check out that 30 mpg.  Not bad, even for today.  That's a super cheap car, too.  The quoted $2000 works out to $14,490 in today's dollars.  You won't fine any car at that price except maybe a base-model Yaris anymore.  Bring back the old days!

Firestone

Playboy Sept. 1966

Triumph TR-4A

Playboy Sept. 1966

Firestone Tires

Playboy Nov. 1967

Ford Performance Buyer's Digest

Playboy Jan. 1969

I'd personally love to get my hands on some of the illustrations from an old Performance Digest.  

Volkswagen Beetle

Playboy Oct. 1968

     Volkswagen is one of the only companies that makes self-deprecation cute.  Other ads I've commented on come off as pretentious or confusing.  Here, however, VW simply states that the Beetle is - yet again - the same as it always had been.  It's one of the only cars that's been marketed as ugly as if it were a good thing.

Plymouth Fury

Playboy Nov. 1967

     I found it amusing that this ad for the '68 Fury touts its "massive" stature and that it's the heaviest car out there... things that are considered negatives in today's green world of lightweight materials and fuel efficiency.

Bonus Friday - Cars and Shoes

Playboy Oct. 1968

   Once again I give you a nice half-page double ad from a vintage Playboy.  I've got a soft spot for Datsuns, so I am drawn particularly strongly to the classic Fairlady Roadster on the top there.  As usual, I like to point out the power figures on old sports cars like this: 96 horsepower from a 1.6 liter engine. (135 with the 2.0)  Synchros were new enough that they still advertised them.  Also note that "the works" included such options as a clock and defrosters.  For less than $3000 no less!

But let's not ignore this nice ad for luxurious shoes for pampering your feet!  Do I detect the scent of subtle sexism?  Women don't normally nuzzle my feet, so maybe I just need some French Shriners to get some of that foot-fawning action.

Fiat 124 Spider

Playboy Oct. 1968

New Thunderbird

Playboy Nov. 1967

     Ad text:
     New and bound to create a storm: 429 exciting cubic inches of new Thunder Jet V-8.  More power than ever for the Bird, available now to people who can't wait to escape the ordinary.  What else?  A dazzling range of options, everything from Automatic Climate Control to AM/FM Stereo Radio (with lots of great etcetera in between!)  Even the Bird has never been the well built before!  Up, up, and away!
     Any way you want to fly this year, the Bird is there, one step ahead.  Standard this year: Flight Bench Seats, which means 6 people can fly in total comfort. (A new engineering achievement gives the man in the middle unprecedented leg room.)  You prefer buckets?  You may have them.  And 4 doors.  Or 2 doors, if you wish.  Don't wait.  Fly Thunderbird...  Unique in all the world.

Remington Auto-Home Shaver and AMX

Playboy Jan. 1969

     I found this one right after I showed you this last week.  I've been giving American Motors a hard time, so here's a pretty harmless ad for an odd pairing of razors and sportscars.

     What is interesting is the razor pictured above was apparently printed in several positions, and you won the car by comparing that picture to one in an AMC dealership.  I'd be curious to see what the winning ads looked like.  Anyone out there have a similar copy of this ad we could compare this one to?

American Motors AMX

Playboy Jan. 1969

     This ad is another in the same series as this one I showed a while back.  It follows the formula of comparing one of American's offerings to it's competitors.  Last time, I bashed the Javelin for being compared to the Mustang, which history proved to be the better (or at least more popular) car.  This time, I don't know what to say.  There isn't a car to compare the AMX to.  I'm sure the ad is trying to say "the AMX is like no other car out there!" but I'm really getting a "we didn't want to bother finding a car to compare it to" vibe here.  As I recall (readers feel free to correct me), the AMX was intended as a competitor for the souped-up Mustangs and Camaros that Ford and Chevy were putting out in those days.  Again, it lost the war as time saw American Motors bellyup and Ford and Chevy still chugging along.

1964 Thunderbird

National Geographic 1964

    It's good sometimes to take a minute to appreciate the simple things in life, and to remember that things haven't always been so easy.  Take this Thunderbird for example.  The car was considered luxurious and well-optioned when it had a padded armrest, seat belt and fuel-level and door-ajar warning lights, and retractable seat belts.  Nowadays we'd be astounded should they be absent.  Yet, they were once features to be advertised. Oh, how times have changed.

Toyota Corona

Playboy  Oct. 1968

    Toyota has always been a producer of small, cheap, reasonably reliable cars for the masses.  Some of them are now collectible and I've personally seen a Corona or two at shows and featured in magazines.  This is actually the third generation of Corona.

1964 Cadillac

National Geographic 1964

Although the term "six-fo" usually refers to a lowrider '64 Impala, here's a six-fo I'd prefer.  Cadillac's offering in 1964 had those tail-fins we all know and love, and was "tucking rim" well before the Volkswagen and Honda scenesters were.

Though I want to know how he managed to park his car in the middle of the street at 4:40 p.m. (see the clock in the background). Where's the New York traffic at?