Merry Christmas from Postive Earth

With wishes for a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. Thank you for visiting Positive Earth! 

Minis as Advertising Vehicles

The classic Mini has always been a blank canvas for the creative types. From John Cooper's hot rod Cooper and Cooper S models to platforms for sometimes zany creations, Minis spur the imagination. In the UK, the classic Mini has been used for a number of memorable advertising campaigns. These are some of our favorites.

The Outspan Mini

Courtesy thisbrighton.co.uk

The promotional brainchild of the Capespan firm of South Africa, the Outspan Mini was a fiberglass representation of an orange placed on a shortened Mini platform. Outspan ordered five of the potentially roly-poly little cars for PR duty in the UK in the early 1970s. Orange was certainly the theme with an orange interior made even more so with the use of orange tinted glass for the side windows. The only break from the sea of orange was the green OUTSPAN lettering and the stalk on top. The Outspan Minis contained a driver and a young lady who would alight from the giant orange bearing a basket of fruit to mingle with curious onlookers.

Outspan Minis are still a nostalgic favorite in the UK with the surviving cars making appearances at Mini rallies and historic motoring events.

Flickr User homer____simpson

Duckhams Mini

Based on another shortened Mini platform, the Duckhams Mini was built in 1968 to resemble an outsized gallon can of Duckhams motor oil. The "can" was sheetmetal over a tubular steel frame and the rear axle was taken from a Ford product to, one assumes, give it an aggressive stance. As with other promotional vehicles, the Duckhams Oil Mini was frequently seen at motorsports events and on the open road to promote the brand. Duckhams was also associated with Formula 1 racing particularly with Lotus. 

The Duckhams Mini currently resides in the British Motor Heritage Museum in Gaydon.


Levis Mini

Does the original still exist?

While not as flamboyant as the first two cars here, the Levis Mini was done up in denim blue with orange top stitching recalling the seams on the iconic Levis jeans. A representation of the trademark brass button appeared on the bonnet along with zipper graphics on the sides of the car. Sadly, there is not much information available about the Levis promotional Mini, other than a few images of miniatures around the Internet.

Of course the modern MINI are as much a canvas for today's American marketers with versions running about with giant Red Bull cans on their back and there is even a MINI wienermobile in the wild.

A British Car Festival From Long Ago

The committee making arrangements for the 23rd annual British Car Festival is hard at work to make it one of South Alabama British Car Club's best shows ever.By the way, if you have not entered your car in this year's event you can print an entry form here.

The first show that I was able to attend as an honest-to-goodness British car owner was the 1997 edition that was conducted at the beautiful Bellingrath Gardens site in south Mobile. My 1976 MGB was still mostly dark blue with a faded brown bootlid and it had a gross-looking velour interior, but it was mine and I was proud of it. 

This television advert promoting the event packs a lot of information into 30 seconds. 

Still Sensational

Here is an ad for Jaguar's sublime E-Type or XK-E as it was informally called here in the states. From 1965, this advert touts the new 4.2 liter engine as well as a raft of standard features that made the E-Type such great value for the price.

The price noted below for the roadster is a princely $5,525.00. In 2013 dollars we're talking about $41,000.00. Can you think of a modern two-seat high performance roadster that makes you stop to just look at it for that kind of  money?

I can't either.

Triumph GT6 US TV Commercial

I suspect that the television advertisement posted here coincides with the American introduction of the Triumph GT6 in 1966. Terms like "fastback"  and four speed "stick" take us back to a time when such phrases were code for fashionable driving fun. The GT6 hit a sweet spot in the market where its good looks and straight 6 power earned it the nickname "Poor Man's E-Type."

We've been spoiled by improvements in steadying cameras as you'll note from the bouncing shots taken both from the chase car and from the interior of the GT6. I can't imagine what contortions the camera guy went through to get the steering wheel and dashboard shots used in the ad.  

From Triumph to Tragedy

The last Triumph made - the Acclaim - has been written about on these pages in the past, but I ran across this UK market television ad that I wanted to share. 

Briefly, the Acclaim was Triumph's "last chance saloon" based on the Honda Civic (or Ballade in some markets). It was the first fruits gained from the British Leyland/Honda partnership that eventually brought cars to Rover and MG. 

Diggin' the Scene with a Spitfire Lean

Many of us recall the mostly black and white world that was the realm of enthusiast publications in the 1970s and before. Color was reserved for the covers and the occasional big-buck launch ad. As time progressed and costs were driven down more advertisers took advantage of color.

The shades-of-gray ad here is from 1974 and touts the cornering prowess of the Triumph Spitfire. The copywriter felt the need to educate the reader about cornering G-forces in a few words to make the comparison that followed as compelling as possible. It was also a subtle way of reminding potential customers that the whole rear axle tuck thing was now tamed.

Triumph's smallest car in the US at the time was actually modestly priced at $3,295.00, or a tad over $15,000.00 in 2012 dollars.

Happy 50th birthday Spitfire!

Rover's Last Gasp in the USA

Ah, poor Rover. They were never really taken seriously as mainstream cars in the USA instead, they were the choice of those who sought the obscure or different. Rover's last attempt to make a go of it in the American market was the Sterling marque - a product of a close collaboration between Rover and Honda in the UK. 

Check out this US television ad wherein Sterling will give you back some of the money you'll spend to purchase one.

 

Maybe it is a Sports Car

Courtesy, tocmp.com

I was trolling through the car advertisements over at The Old Car Manual Project and I ran across this gem of an ad from 1962. Pontiac was just introducing the Grand Prix as their personal luxury car with a "sporty" flair. 

The sharp-eyed amongst you have already spotted the car Pontiac chose as the "full-blooded competition sports car" on the right as a Lotus Seven. Obviously it is a competition car as someone has helpfully added a white shoe polish number to the windshield and the steering wheel is on the wrong side. Exotic stuff for sure.

As GM's performance division, Pontiac chose model names that made the prospective buyer think about motorsports and speed. Names such as Bonneville, Grand Prix, Le Mans and later Trans Am, and Can Am brought an air of Walter Mitty racer to the marque. They even lifted the "GTO" moniker from Ferrari for the first of what became known as muscle cars.

But today, the humble Seven is still being produced in England and Pontiac is another orphaned GM division. 

Plymouth Cricket/Hillman Avenger

Can you find a more orphaned car than the Plymouth Cricket?

Born of the Chrysler Corporation's need for a small car in its US lineup, the Pentastar brand imported the British built Hillman Avenger. Hillman, one of the marques of the Chrysler-owned Rootes Group, was no stranger to American roads. The Husky and Minx models were sold here when they were current models.

Today, both Plymouth and Hillman are defunct marques and I can't tell you the last time I saw a Plymouth Cricket on the road. Enjoy the snappy jingle in the 1971 Chrysler ad below. 

 

Getting All Zoomy

In the late 1950s and early 1960s jet aircraft were about as advanced a form of travel as could be imagined. Rocket ships were still in their infancy and the world was probably still trying to wrap their heads around the concept of manned spaceflight. It's no small wonder that the builders of our favorite cars wanted to associate themselves with jet aircraft and I've found a couple of vintage ads that did just that.

First up is an advert from Austin Healey touting the new "100" and its record-setting speed on the Bonneville salt flats. This 1954 magazine ad shows a well dressed couple in their new Big Healey with its windshield folded chatting with the pilot of an F-84 jet fighter.

I doubt that the couple traveled very far in the open top two-seater; the lady's hair is perfect and the gentleman's hat is still on his head cocked just so. The photo just cries out to be part of a caption contest.

Early in the following decade, the MGB was introduced and MG also wanted in on the jet plane image as well. This time, however, the subject is Lute Eldridge - Lockheed F-104 Test Pilot. As you can see from the images, ol' Lute enjoys quality time with his spanking new MGB roadster on his way to another day of testing the razor-winged wonder from Lockheed.

MG apparently specified action in their ad and they got it in spades. Our test pilot friend starts his day by folding down the MG's convertible top so he can soak up that southern California sun. Around lunchtime the top is finally stowed and he's off, kicking up clouds of dust as he motors through the desert short cut to the airfield.

Have you seen other advertising images of British sports cars and aircraft? Drop me line in the comments section.

US MGB Magazine Ad - 1963

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the best selling British sports car of all time and there are celebrations planed worldwide to mark the event. The anniversary is the theme of SABCC's 22nd annual British Car Festival this fall.

When MG introduced the MGB, there was plenty to be proud of; no more drafty side curtains, a large, lockable boot, a more spacious interior. It was indeed a major departure from the MGA. 

This ad is from the 1962-1963 introductory marketing blitz that Hambro (the BMC importer) designed to get the word out. The image they chose was of an Iris Blue car and they used "B" (bee) references liberally while trumpeting the new car's improvements .

Billy Preston's Bentley

William Everett Preston was the '60s leading session keyboardist backing up such superstars as Ray Charles and Sam Cooke before gaining fame in his own right by being given an artist's credit on the Beatles smash hit "Get Back". He also appears in the iconic Apple Records rooftop Beatles concert film.  Billy went on to a successful solo career in the '70s with his best-known hit "Will It Go Round In Circles".

Billy was good to himself in that he bought a white Bentley and installed a rockin'  Craig tape player - according to the advert at left.

I'm not sure of the model of the car, but the number plate is quite visible. Does anyone know if it is still on the road today?

Billy Preston left us all too soon in 2006.

A "Special" Delivery

Old commercials selling the British car experience are fun to post and this one is for an early seventies Triumph Spitfire. I'm far from being an expert in the ways of Spitfire, but I think this might be a '74 model in the ad. Spitfire fans, feel free to weigh in here.

This ad attempts to show the Spit's speed and handling characteristics while transporting a very pregnant passenger to a hospital. It is amusing to watch the police "chase" without news helicopters, drawn sidearms or the driver being beaten senseless.

Ah, but no, the couple in the Spitfire is being given a police escort to the "hatching grounds". I suppose it was simpler time, wasn't it?

MGs in the Constabulary

I found this gem of an old advert at the MG Owners Holland website. I've written about police service MGs before but I've never seen an ad touting the connection. This obviously pre-war ad proudly notes that 33 police departments chose MGs.  I'm not sure what models these are, but they may be NAs. Any positive identification would be appreciated.

An Ad That Pushes All the Right Buttons

What a shame we don't have more roads like the one in this Triumph TR6 advert from 1973. Purportedly an English back road it shows the TR6 at its best - top down on a sunny day. It really makes you want to call the toll-free phone number at the bottom of the page to get in touch with your Triumph dealer

The only thing that's missing is a lovely young companion in the passenger seat.  

Sometimes a Handbrake...

... is just a handbrake. However, this 1970 UK advert for the venerable MG Midget pulled out all the stops to convince guys that it is indeed a man's car. So, what more incentive do you need to slide into a an MG Midget than a winsome young thing in a short dress carefully studying the handbrake lever?  In the late sixties-early seventies period MG used a number of images designed to grab the attention of a lad in rut.

Just an aside here: the young lady must be all of four feet-six and weigh 80 pounds. Helps the Midget interior look more commodious than it really is, I suppose.

Still Another Golden Anniversary

Unless you've been living under a rock (and being the height of hurricane season along the US Gulf Coast, it doesn't sound like a bad idea) you'll know that 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the iconic Jaguar E-Type. It is also the 50th anniversary of the revival of the midget name by MG.

Click the image for a larger version

Followers of all things Triumph will point out that this year is also the 50th anniversary of the launch of the venerable TR4 sports car. Like the soon-to-come MGB, the new Triumph TR4 brought such niceties as roll up windows, high sided doors and face level ventilation. And when compared to its TR3 predecessor, the TR4's boot was absolutely cavernous. Essentially, the TR4 was the TR3 chassis with a new body styled by the Italian design house Michelotti.

The TR4 soldiered on with the same basic engine as the TR2 and TR3, however a displacement increase from 1991cc to 2138cc along with some improvements to the intake manifold and cylinder head made for more urge when the loud pedal was pressed. Getting the power to the road was made easier with a new, fully synchronized four speed gearbox. Of course, a Laycock overdrive (operating on second, third and top) could be specified.      

In 1965, the TR4A was introduced which brought with it independent rear suspension and some minor trim changes. Curiously, a number of TR4As were not fitted with the new rear suspension, an effort by the factory to offer a less expensive version. TR4As with independent rear suspension carry discreet "IRS" badges on the boot lid. 

The TR4 remained in production until 1967 when it was superseded by the TR5 (TR250 in the USA). 

Happy birthday, bruiser!

Triumph Herald Advert

Don't you just want to take it home? It's sad that we don't see more of these in the wild, but like most cars of the era, the Herald was biodegradable - especially in convertible form.  

Spitfire drivers would probably recognize the mechanicals in the Herald - they were closely related and it's not too much of a leap to consider it a four seat Spitfire. The chrome headlight peaks and "flinlets" at the rear capture the time in which it was designed. The Herald was built from 1959 through 1971. 

With its wood dash and sharp Italian styling by Michelotti, the Herald was a small car with a bit of flair.

A Mini with an Underbite

Most British car enthusiasts know that the Mini was withdrawn from the US market when it was determined that it could not be built to meet pending crashworthiness regulations in the late 1960s. Having spent some time behind the wheel of a classic Mini, I can attest that it is not a place you want to be if metal is to be bent.

Our cousins to the north in Canada, however got the Mini a lot longer than we did. Canadians appreciate small cars due to the fact that a lot of major Canadian cities are not unlike large European cities in street width and general layout. The Canadian government adopted a number of US regulations as they pertained to crash safety and lighting. While some US standards applied, not all did. Hence, the Canadian spec Mini.

I've posted a photo from a Canadian Mini brochure from the late 1970s. You'll note that the car has side marker lights, head restraints and a couple of gawdawful bumpers hanging off of it. The bumpers give it a, well, bumper car look.

Maybe it was best that we didn't get that one here.