Hot Rod Magazine’s May 1969 edition was a massive collection of hot cars and hot car ads.
The car ads were a collection of marketing gems that truly reflected how cool things were back in 1969, because advertisers didn’t hold back in ’69—they didn’t have to.
Jerry Sutherland
The first ad was found on the inner front page of the May 1969 edition.
The ad was for a 1969 Swinger and the copy read “6000 rpm for less than 3000 dollars”. Those aren’t the words you’d hear in today’s hyper-sensitive, CO2-obsessed world where everybody wins a prize for showing up. These 340 Darts not only showed up—they won the brawls. Just ask anyone who ran a big block against these small block street warriors.
The second ad was for a ’69 Olds W-31. They called it Dr. Oldsmobile’s Roaring Success and they weren’t kidding. The W-31 option was part of their “W-Machine” lineup and it could best be described as an Olds version of the Plymouth Road Runner.
The Oldsmobile Performance Committee marketing was aimed at a newer, hipper buyer—the opposite of a traditional typical Olds buyer. The W-31 option featured a Rocket 350 V-8 with a forced air induction system under the front bumper. The small-block Olds pumped out a listed 325 horsepower—just enough to skate by nervous insurance agents.
The third ad was for the legendary ’69 Mustang Mach 1.
This was a massive two-page ad because Ford clearly wanted to make a bold statement with their latest version of the Mustang. The ad copy read, “If you haven’t got a past yet…get one now”. You’d definitely acquire a past with the 428 Cubic inch big block option rate (conservatively) at 335 horsepower. These cars fought for traction because of insane weight distribution, but they could still do a 5.7 second 0-60 time.
The fourth entry in the cool car ads competition came from AMC in the form of the American Motors/Hurst SC/Rambler.
AMC was late to the 60s muscle car wars, but by 1969 they were definitely over the target with their SC/Rambler. They took a humble little Rambler American and added a 390 cubic inch AMX V-8 Special, and a Hurst 4-speed with T-handle plus a functional hood scoop with cold air induction. They weighed about 3300 pounds, and they could crack the 14-second barrier at the track.
That’s how cool 1969 was—they could take an econo-box sedan and turn it into a beast.
The fifth and final example is a 1969 Cuda 340 ad that took up two pages. The copy was hardcore, “Cuda 340 storms the quarter right in front of everybody” and “Plymouth tells it like it is”. If you’re not familiar with late 60s jargon ‘tell it like it is’ is what hippie-radicals said when they were fighting the Establishment. By 1969 it was so commonplace it became an ad slogan—the psychedelic Cuda graphic was the icing on the cake.
The ‘Cuda ad told readers to turn to another page for the track results where could learn how Ronnie Sox (legendary Mopar track guy) drove a stock Cuda to a best ET of 13.86 at 101.01. Chrysler did a few tweaks on the 340 and Ronnie hit a best time of 13.38/105.63. That’s how Ronnie rolled back in ’69.
What did these ads really teach us about 1969? It was a simple lesson—life was less complicated and a lot more fun.
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.
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