1966 was a year when the whole world developed a Beatles kind of groove–the car ads reflected this shift in culture.
’66 kicked off an amazing year in the automotive world because cars evolved from mere transportation into a symbol of rebellion.
Madison Avenue picked up on that vibe because magazines pumped out ads that sold horsepower and racing stripes.
Jerry Sutherland
The 1966 Barracuda Formula S is a good example.
Let’s be honest—the ’66 Barracuda was basically a Valiant with more glass. That didn’t stop Plymouth from pumping out ads that focused on the extra performance in the ‘S’ package. This wasn’t your Aunt Edna’s slant-six Valiant–the ad copy made that clear. It read: “There are plenty of fish in the sea, but there’s only ’66 Barracuda. Watch it get away”.
The Ford Galaxie for 1966 also had ad copy with a 60s groove.
Ford was pushing the 7-liter (428 cubic inch) V-8, but they were also selling how quiet and smooth the big Galaxies were in ’66. The 428 big block presented a challenge so Ford simply said this— “Ford 7-litre…either the quickest quiet car or the quietest quick car”. That was a compromise, but you know the more-power guys were bolting on headers the day after they wheeled their 7-litre Galaxie off the dealer’s lot.
A 1966 Olds 442 ad read “Swinging new kind of sports-car excitement!”.
They didn’t call them the Swinging Sixties for nothing, so the ‘swinging’ part of the copy made sense, but the ‘sports-car excitement’ was a stretch. A 442 was all about straight-ahead, pedal-to-the-metal insanity—not carving corners like a Dino Ferrari.
The ‘66 GTO ad was more on the nose.
It read: “To all the other cars from the GTO.What’s new pussycats?”. Talk about truth in advertising because the Goat took no prisoners on the mean streets back in ‘66.
The first Gen Dodge Charger had its own brand of style back in 1966, but the 426 hemi option upped the game.
The Elephant engine was a game changer in ’66 and the Charger buyers were lucky enough to have it on the option sheet. The bold copy simply read ‘Boss Hoss’—the 426 hemi didn’t need any more of an introduction.
Speaking of horses, the 1966 Mustang Shelby GT 350 H was another fast pony.
Hertz rented (to drivers over 25) these weekend warriors in 1966, so they all led brutal lives on and off the track. The copy was simple: “There are only 1000 of these for rent in the entire world. Hertz has them all”. Good for Mustang—even better for Hertz.
The last ad features a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere with the 426 hemi.
The street hemi was the alpha male back in ’66 because these cars were King Kong on 4 wheels–on the street and at the track. Plymouth cashed in on NASCAR legend Richard Petty that year, so the copy read: “The only chance you’ll get to pass Richard Petty’s Hemi!”. Richard’s car was on a trailer—it was brilliant and honest ad copy.
This was 60 years ago, but the car and the ads are timeless.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
