1970s Car Commercials : Life in America in the 70s

If you grew up in the 1970s then you probably will remember these car commercials. Ford was king with a huge advertising budget and second was Chevy. The 70s was a great decade. A little rocky but over all a good decade. American automobiles in the 70's were not yet reliable as they are not however, the body styles were amazing and not as boring as they are today. Enjoy the video of Car Commercials of the 1970s!

[@hmedina79]

OMG! I’m old!!

[@vinsanitynelson4943]

Ford's 1971 station wagon claim (at 5:10 min mark) was already available in our family's 1966 Plymouth Fury III wagon had all of those options and a 440 Magnum engine to boot.

[@michaelfisher7170]

Lol the Lincoln Contenental...."I'm 30 feet long and nine feet wide and will utterly destroy anything before me." I remember those huge cars. Miss em too.

[@KB-ke3fi]

You bet. I had a 1982 Oldsmobile 98 fully loaded. It could hold 7 people and 4 bodies in the trunk. It was well over 20 feet long and weighed 6,000 pounds. over 6 feet wide and the interior lit up like a jetliner. Stereo was magnificent. You could hit a cow with it and not even know it.

[@michaelfisher7170]

@@KB-ke3fi thats great! I had an old 55 98 myself. It had its dents and scratches but it ran like a dream. Power windows, seats, chrome everywhere! Felt like floating a battleship down the highway..Then stupidly I got married and sold it. I miss that car.

[@Tom-wo9uu]

The rolling shot of the Continental reminded me of the beginning of Space Balls, where the ship just keeps going on and on and on. What a beautiful, HUGE car. If I was alive in the 70s, I'd proudly take up two spaces with it at the grocery store!

[@UncleWally3]

The content may change but the “tell ‘em what they wanna hear” strategy’s the same; still works magic for Donny Boy.

[@alanm.4298]

I worked at a Chevy dealership in 1971. #1 Corvette dealer in the world. Chevy did a sercice history study at our store. 70% of Corvettes sold were back for "major repair" in one month. 90% in three months. We had one come in for "a strange engine noise" 5 tiimes. The 6th time it came back, the mechanic drove it out back, put a brick on the accelerator pedal and walked away. The engine running wide open blew up in 15 or 20 minutes and was replaced under warranty. Don't get me started on the Blazer! On the other hand, I really liked the Chevelles with a 4-speed. And my former brother-in-law later bought a 1964 Corvette for $500 that had been cut up and stripped to make a drag racer and restored it to better than showroom condition. It was relatively easy for him, since he owned another Chevy dealership (much smaller, but with a complete body and machine shops).

[@KB-ke3fi]

Thank the Democrats for screwing America even back then.

[@gray_space_alien]

I remember every one of these commercials and quite a few more. Funny stuff now.

[@juliegood7999]

What a wonderful time to grow up…wasn’t able to drive but always wanted a 77 Malibu as if they or times would never change

[@jant4741]

Lot of solid beautiful automobiles with engines that sounded so~ good.

[@paulbaratta1566]

Our Granada caught fire parked on Massachusetts Ave!

[@onazram1]

They were loads

[@victorsuarez3546]

They were several actors and TV actors in these commercials. Cool to see them before they made it big.

[@CraigTrader]

4:35 Gotta love the rich Corinthian leather in that Chrysler Cordoba!

[@AJDIYNetwork]

I love the nostalgia. I don’t remember much in the 70s. The 80s is really where it all began for me.

[@RV411CHANNEL]

Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@ravisriram6746]

One of my high-school class-mates had a Matador; another, the Javelin. One of my teachers drove a Pacer. AMC gave the big three some needed competition in those days.

[@timconway7860]

THAT'S a Matador???

[@KB-ke3fi]

ugliest cars ever designed.

[@jeffshultz3883]

Aww! Brand new 1978 Ford Granada was the driver training car at school way back then. Three speed on the column! How many kids today can drive a standard or even know what three speed on the column means?

[@utbob2010]

Three on a tree.

[@chipperthompson8746]

At one time, I had a 1973 Lincoln Continental. A true "LAND YACHT"! Put a tape measure to it one day, 19 feet long!

[@geneyoung8023]

wouldn't you really rather have a Buick,I'll always remember that phrase😊

[@landonbenford8369]

OMG!!!!!😳 That First commercial stars the late James Hampton!!! He was the father in the original "Teen Wolf (1985)". He was also the PG&E spokesman in "The China Syndrome (1979)".

[@dangeroreilly2028]

I enjoyed all those I saw, but I would have enjoyed the lesser known Ford Capri, the sexy European. And, Mean Mary Jean for Plymouth! And Gremlin- "Where's the other half of your car, toots?" I still remember that one.

[@ew1usnr]

All those cars look so much better than what is being sold now.

[@ashleymarie7452]

They were actually all TRASH cars.

[@garyp.7501]

@@ashleymarie7452 The 280z was pretty nice. The Plymouth Cricket, not so much.

[@jimjimagain1066]

That Mustang during the first minute was HORRIBLE. Remember they were rationing gas in 1973/74.

[@garneauweld1100]

My grandmother loved her Grem, but I was going to drive it off the pier and into the ocean the day she died. It went to California and was chopped for drag racing.

[@obryan240]

Forgot the Plymouth Cricket existed.

[@jerrygarner]

“Nobody swings like Ford.” I remember Mrs. Ford. I think she drove a Wagonmaster.

[@frankgordon8829]

They would mention EVERYTHING as an option! "Full 24" radio antennae! 4 Glass-ply tires!" 1/2 of the cars biggest feature was telling you what a piece of crap the other brand is. I was SO hoping to see Ricardo Montalban say "Corinthian leather!"

[@stebstebanesier6205]

"Rich, "Corinthian leather!"

[@vincentlussier8264]

They kept showing the price of the $20,000 Mercedes but they didn't show the price of the Ford Grenada! I guess none of us really payed much attention to these commercials at the time. They just got on the way when watched our tv shows.The only good thing about tv commercials was they gave is the chance to go to the bathroom and grab a snack, no different than today. But the nostalgia these commercials have is they bring back memories of all kinds to us all.

[@joelcda6883]

LOL, comparing a Mercedes to a Ford Granada! My friend had a late-70s, canary yellow Granada that you could hear coming from blocks away.

[@danlitchfield894]

That was fun! Great video

[@stratman1021]

The Lincoln Continental at the end must have been the precursor to the M1 Abrams tank.

[@MGB-learning]

Great flash back!

[@airforceveteran71]

A Plymouth Cricket for $1915....who can forget the Plymouth Arrow too.

[@djdon60]

was blessed, with a VERY photographic memory. Gee, though, I didn't realise Squire Fridell(first video)was in there! One thing, more: in my opinion, Kevin Mc.Carthy looked better, without the moustache. Oh and, LOVE this post!

[@iamgermane]

Plymouth Cricket was an imported Hillman Avenger. Chrysler engineered?? From their subsidiary! Later owned by Peugeot?

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-1983]

Great collections of old commercials. It's interesting how they push cars much the same way always the best of this that or something else.

[@webchez69]

No they pushed cars differently then. They pointed your attention to different little pieces, and generic ideas, as "luxury, style, comfort, reliable" Plus they made laughable statements then, "It looks, like a racing car", "PLUS it is $200 less than our competitor". "and it comes with radial tires". Those were the days of people that bought the cars by the way they looked.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-1983]

@@webchez69 they always buy cars because how they look. Wireless customer service pay $100,000 for a new pickup!? Look this one up. 1965 Chrysler New Yorker commercial. The most beautiful Chrysler ever..... They pushed the Edsel the same way. We know how big of a flop that was in it's day. Then we can just go down the list. Great new styling. They talk about the crisp body lines. Bingo back and find a print ads for a Model T. I did push your attention to stuff they called luxury items. I look at it now, like the luxury seating and I view it as being a little bit of a joke compared to the luxury items today. But in a couple of decades from now, what will those people think of today's advertising?

[@tomtalley2192]

I started driving in the 70's, and was a car guy. I can proudly say, of all the cars I owned, none were in these commercials. And some I don't remember. The Plymouth Cricket? The Saint Regis?

[@mongrelhalfbreedobern]

Dodge and Plymouth drivers were in a heap of trouble

[@peter455sd]

Cars were cool,women were hot and life was infinitely easier in America...

[@marvmattison5248]

Yes and the women had real bodies, no tattoos, and tan lines. Remember tan lies?!!

[@jupiteral8217]

The music was better too.

[@chrisparker7214]

That's right no politically correct c***

[@keithcarey6312]

You wouldn’t like my new time travel story. Three people from 2033 landed there and called it a “cursed decade.”

[@Mrfrenchdeux]

Halter tops.

[@honestone490]

I like how they stated the EPA mileage of the vehicles. They made sure that they clarified that if was the results of an EPA dynameter test. Who uses the term anymore in their advertisements or is too small nowadays to even read on the TV screen?

[@KB-ke3fi]

EPA ruined the great American Automobile.

[@landonbenford8369]

Did you read the fine print?? With the 2.3 4 cylinder. With a 4 speed stick. WithOut air conditioning or power steering. Haha

[@wataboutya9310]

The first car I owned was a 1974 AMC Gremlin. Paid $800 for it in 1979.

[@DB-gr7ch]

A 1978 Ford Granada, or a Mercedes 280 SE...very tough decision....

[@CountryballstudiosYT]

The maverick commercial was actually a spoof of the AMC sandwich commercial

[@richcar3434]

That station wagon was made for Linda Blair....it needed an exorcism...

[@richcar3434]

When you squint your eyes just right, the Granada......... is still no Mercedes.

[@davidanddeborahcohen5341]

You forgot the real Corinthian leather!

[@JackF99]

Of which there was actually no such thing. 😂

[@richkuban2027]

Was waiting for that line he was so well known for.

[@larslarsheim1741]

The good old days when you bought a new American made car and hopefully it would run long enough to get you home

[@daynadiggle8169]

Wow ! General Bulkarter selling Mustangs after Hogan's Heroes ended !

[@CountryballstudiosYT]

Also the Granada was made to look like it’s 10 times more expensive. In some commercials they said something like “ Granada looks like a Cadillac but has the price of a rabbit” at the end

[@texaswunderkind]

Cars today could be a lot cheaper if they were so stripped down that manufacturers bragged about steel-belted radial tires and rack-and-pinion steering.

[@erin19030]

I owned a 1971 gremlin. It had a 232 cu in straight six with an AM manual transmission that sucked. First gear was not synchronized and ya had to double clutch it. My wife couldn’t get the hang of it, the 2nd gear started grinding too. I put a can of STP in the trans and traded it in for a 72 Gran Torino, which now I find was a souped up 1971 Falcon

[@brucedale7912]

You shood’a shelled out the extra fifty bucks for the FM manual transmission. Or the 8~track automatic.

[@backroom12]

I never even heard of the cricket and I’m almost 50 lol guess it didn’t last long

[@edschultheis9537]

The 1970s.... When a few thousand dollars would buy a lot of car. When every car had an ash tray and cigarette lighter, but no cars had any cupholders. Third party, after market cruise control kits could be purchased and added to vehicles.

[@texaswunderkind]

Minimum wage in 1971 was $1.60 an hour, up from $1.00 an hour in 1967. I hope a few thousand would buy a car, or no one could afford to drive them.

[@Ridndirrty]

Hidden windshield wipers!

[@jamesziegler2763]

interesting

[@barrydiamond5193]

My first car was a 1974 Gremlin.

[@timsmith2525]

Mustang II fuel economy and luxury?! I don't think so.

[@texaswunderkind]

The Pinto Mustangs really were abominations.

[@JackF99]

1970s cars: Strike up the bland!

[@mikedrown2721]

I was born in 1946😊

[@ROBinJVILLE]

boca brothers?

[@averyparticularsetofskills]

THANK YOU ! .....and yes, clearly imo

[@jimliu2560]

The only good car here was Nissan 280Z..

[@webchez69]

I was of driving age during the 1970s, and memorized every detail of those cars. However, all of those cars were very basic transportation vehicles which required constant maintenance and repair. In those days, your car was rusted, old ,and needing replacement after only 6 years or 100K miles. The only car in this video that was a superstar was the Datsun Z car!!! That was a car that had it all, and are still around because of their quality.!!!!

[@George-er9te]

At least car ads then told you something about the car , tell you bugger all today !!!

[@texaswunderkind]

Who watches ads? I haven't seen an ad in ten years. If I want to know about a car, I look up all of the details on the manufacturer's website.

[@iamgermane]

Ford Granada is equal to a Mercedes???

[@povertyspec9651]

The only good car on here is the Nissan Z.

[@marcm4268]

Bahhhh. I had a Cordoba. Yes ma’am a 1976 model the rust was free. Paid 400.00 for that crap-Mo-bile.

[@joefaller4525]

MY bother had a new, 1976 Cordoba, IT was beautiful. White with wire rims, burgundy interior, He sold it to another guy in town when he got married and it ran well for a long time.

[@geneyoung8023]

you can buy a car for under2,000 dollars 😊 brand new Corvette under $9,000😊

[@mikegrizwold2522]

Yeah but people made 4$ an hour

[@Sarasdad91]

The Ford mustang was a luxury car?

[@texaswunderkind]

They couldn't sell those rebadged Pintos as performance cars, so they tried to sell style, luxury, gas mileage...anything else to get you in the showroom.

[@edl617]

No tattoos

[@mac3792]

That wagon master is possessed.

[@steveharmon9000]

All 2 year cars. Then junk em. The panels would rust through then bye bye.

[@sananselmospacescienceodys7308]

1:35 If the driver was black this would be painful to watch.

[@bobbybricks2213]

Удивительный драндулет! Страшилище! Жалкий обрубок! В 1978 году General Motors купила у Mazda лицензию на производство Mazda 323. В США эта машина называлась Dodge Omni! Это небо по сравнению с этим чудовищем!

[@jameshoopes6467]

But he didn’t say, “rich, corinthian leather.” 😂 Geez, these cars were crap.

[@frankm7707]

That four cylinder ford mustang was a POS

[@jimsmith2005]

😂😂 you bet it was,,, that's why you dropped a 289 or 302 in it...😂

[@MustadMarine]

The absolute worst decade in American car making. This is when the US auto industry began to lose.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Well, the last car, the Continental, was the only one left from the 70's before the EPA screwed up the entire planet of great cars. After all it was 1970. The Mustang 2 was a piece of crap like all the rest of that crap from then on.

[@VarandMusic]

Granada / Mercedes No thank you

[@sagnbaby]

all these people are dead... makes you think/.

[@edschultheis9537]

The AMC Pacer... One of the absolute ugliest cars ever designed by man.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Every car in the 70's was a piece of crap.

[@ashleymarie7452]

What can you draw from these commercials? Everything they say is a damned lie! And meanwhile, the Japanese and the Germans were building much better automobiles. Especially the Japanese!

[@danr2513]

Mustang II was total garbage

[@RV411CHANNEL]

Thank you for your opinion! We appreciate all feedback.

[@JackF99]

Yeah but at least it was ugly

[@melissajones-zv8cd]

Crappy cars much like today's

[@johnyork5138]

All 70s autos were Awful, ALL of them.

[@richcar3434]

1970 gave us some of the highest horsepower musclcars, and they looked great...but yea, the rest of the decade was "crapola" as Archie Bunker would say.

[@richkuban2027]

Jeez, those looked like battering rams on the Datsun Z.