So i find myself lately looking thru all my old magazines just looking at the adds, ive looked at them here and there but didnt pay the most attention to them, i collect speed equipment and have found some odd parts here and there, in the quest of finding out what they are or who made them ive gotten to really liking all the olds adds in the magazines, i find myself scanning them on the computer, looking for adds for parts i have etc etc, they are all just neat, heres a few that ive scanned. and a few parts i have that ive found adds for. JEFF
I have always loved looking at ads from old mags. This ad is a full page from an early '50s mag. I have divided it in two parts to make it easier to read. It is entertaining to compare those prices to current ebay auctions when they occasionally come up.
Some of my favorites are the early to mid sixties adds from Dragmaster and Kellison showing their dragster frames. I'd scan a couple if my scanner was working. Just the thought of being able to buy that much coolness right from an add in a magazine!
Those are great! I especially love the Hedman headers one in the first post. Look slike i may have to print it out for the work space.
In the early sixties, there were only a handful of advertising agencies specializing in the speed equipment business. Dean Moon was one of the few guys that created his own ads. I worked for Bob Fall writing press releases and then went full time when he "gave" me some accounts to service. Two of the first accounts I handled were Dragmaster and Kellison. Bob was also the rep for Chicago Decal in SoCal and we had boxes of speed equipment sample decals that we'd throw in the trash a couple of times a year! There are a couple of other ad guys on the HAMB that did ads for the industry. Quite frankly, having made a living in this business going back to the early sixties, I have a somewhat cynical at***ude toward the definition of "traditional" as promoted by some here.
I'd love a set-o-valve covers that had "your name" onnem. I have some old little books. The ads kill me. $2500 for a DONE T-Bucket. Tucknroll in some guys 36 Ford that cost $650.00 and that was alot. Way high end.
Ed Almquist was one of the pioneer Hot Rodders and Speed Equipment manufacturers. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple months ago at Garlits' HOF banquet where Ed was one of the inductees. I don't know how old this picture is but this is what he looks like now. He sure does not look nearly 90.
All of the ads posted so far were done by real commercial artists. There was no such thing as photoshop or even Mac's with pagemaker. The cam in the Crower ad was photographed hanging by fish line and then the line was airbrushed out. My favorite ads were the MG Mitten ads in R&T and Sports Car Graphic. All of the products were line drawings by Dave "Big" Deal and owner Marion Weber wrote the copy. For pure creativity, it's hard to beat the American Mags ad that were done by an east coast agency. The best one was a Cadillac Limo with mags photographed in front of the White House. Needless to say, that was long before Homeland Security blocked off access. I think Stan Goldstein (sp?) came up with that one. In 1967, a third page ad in HOT ROD with a second color was $995. Circulation was north of 750,000 readers per issue. Believe it or not, a lot of clients paid part of their bills with quarters and dollar bills collected for catalogs. We had more damn fun and got paid well for promoting speed equipment in what I consider the prime time of hot rodding; the sixties.
Seen several over the years, wish I'd bought all the singles I've p***ed on over the years. Amazingly enough every one I've ever seen was painted RED between the fins.
These out of a 65 HRM. I wished they had the dragster frame priced. I'd a liked to seen what they were selling for .
I just picked up a dozen 1964 Hot Rods at a yard sale. " Nobody wants those,,,,,how about a buck"? Stupid me, I thought at first he meant each. I wanted to call the guy with the 36 Ford with white tuck and roll and a 51 Merc flattie for $650.00, but his number was el4-8924
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