"TO SPARK THE WIDE WORLD" 1970s CHAMPION AUTOMOBILE SPARK PLUGS PROMO FILM XD43885

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“To Spark the Wide World ” is a color, 70s-era promotional film for Champion company of Toledo, Ohio. The film particularly underscores Champion spark plug production, the company’s growing international business, and the employees at factories from Mexico to England. It also showcases the company's philanthropic efforts, and financial support for employees and their families. Champion was founded by Albert Champion in 1905 and remained a family business until the 1980s. Today it is owned by Federal-Mogul Corp. producing spark plugs for a wide range of applications, as well as wiper blades, batteries, oil filters, lighting, and glow plugs.
Big Ben, pedestrian traffic around London, the Queen's Guard wearing bearskins (0:07). Royal Warrant crest to HM Queen Elizabeth II on the facade of Champion Upton, England factory (0:14). Champion factory and warehouse Toledo, Ohio (0:22). Young blonde British woman Margaret in UK factory before footage cuts to another young, female employee Mary in Detroit factory performing same job (0:26). Champion factory in Mexico City, voice over of female operator calling in to HQ in Toledo (0:36). Mexican employee Samuel sits and operates machinery along assembly line (0:45). Champion production plant Belgium, female operator calls in to HQ in Toledo (0:51). Champion logo plastered across globe, images of other Champion factories in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Venezuela, Canada screen (0:58). Other corporations under Champion umbrella: DeVilbiss, Magnaflux, Baron Steel Co., Port Industry Toledo (1:06). R.A. and F.D. Stranahan (1:40). Exterior/ interior shots original Champion plant/ small shop in Toledo Ohio (1:43). (1:51). Champion International Ignition and Engine Performance Conference in Mexico City, Columna de la Independencia, conference center (1:54). Mazda RX-2 pulls into gas station, Wankel Rotary Engine (2:32). Champion engineers testing spark plugs for Wankel Engine, tests on all kinds of engines - lawnmowers, outboards, race car engines (2:50). Worldwide research and engineering efforts, engineers at work in largest research and engineering center at HQ in Toledo (3:50). Secretaries in filing room and power filing cabinet containing designs for all Champion Spark Plugs (4:08). First step in production of Champion Spark Plug: interior Baron Drawn Steel Co, production of steel parts make their way down assembly line (4:23). Step two: insulators produced at one of five ceramic plants, aluminum oxide refined in rotating vats (4:52). Profile of American factory worker Shelly, montage scenes of various parts of assembly line as Shelly narrates (5:13). British employee Anne narrates as her hands quickly add insulation to blank steel pieces on rotating machine (5:44). Mexican employee Samuel narrates as he works the rotary block tamper machine (6:02). After hours activities for employees: puck-up games of baseball, soccer, tennis, art group paints at studio (7:06). Interview with Marilyn who is in charge of inspecting final product, inspection process (7:37). Champion corporate HQ, marketing in Japanese, German, Spanish, other languages (9:16). Champion Racing Program: scenes of motorbike, car, boat races and interview with Champion’s coordinator of racing (9:55). Blue Flame Run at Bonneville Salt Flats (10:30). Logos of Champion corporate and civic partners - Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, International Red Cross; Champion employees volunteering, exterior Stranahan Theater, scholarship fund for children of employees (10:53). Indy 500 driver, Jerry Grant, speaks to high schoolers as part of Champion Spark Plug Company Highway Safety Program (12:01). Champion subsidiaries: Magnaflux - nondestructive testing systems i.e. steel frames of buildings John Hancock Building, Chicago and frames of large jets (12:52). DeVilbiss Company - spray painting technology: car frames painted on assembly line, medical equipment like Doppler Ultrasound, Minidop used to identify blood flow problems (13:14). Example of Champion PR material for special anti-pollution campaign (14:46). 1970s Dodge Ram Van mobile service laboratory, training seminar given out of back of truck; Champion Technical Services Training Schools classes (15:06). Montage (16:05). Robert A. Stranahan Jr. exits office, interview with Stranahan before he gets into Champion Grumman G-1159 Gulfstream II (16:54). The End (18:48).
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@rickintexas1584]

I love these glimpses into the past. I am a mechanical engineer, so I especially like the look of the old engineering process. Many thanks for this video.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for being a sub! Please consider supporting us on Patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm

[@manhoot]

This was electrifying to say the least

[@hotdogrelish]

It kinda ignited me too!

[@DaveInCanada081]

It sparked alot of interest.

[@mollybell5779]

Y'all are very punny. 😂

[@therealxunil2]

The worst part of this pun is that I didn’t get to post it first!

[@maifantasia3650]

I'm shocked to read so many puns, with positive potential, on the explosive topic of the humble spark plug.

[@bsteven885]

The narrator sounds like Peter Thomas, the velvet voiceover of the original Forensic Files, along with many other public and commercial TV programs in the late 20th & early 21st century. R.I.P., good sir!

[@maifantasia3650]

At 17:34, the narration says, "In Europe . . ." The video shows Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia. The giveaways are the W Class trams and, in the background, Melbourne's Parliament House and the spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

[@K-Riz314]

Great observation. This channel has some of the best viewer engagement on the platform. Knowledgeable commenters are my favorite commenters.

[@maifantasia3650]

@@K-Riz314 - thank you. Not only for viewers of the channel, additional background information also assists PeriscopeFilm.

[@ArtsDecoratifs]

The 14th Champion International Ignition and Engine Performance Conference occurred in 1977.

[@tylerzorn6152]

I remember seeing this in school. Wow things have changed. Kinda sad when i think about it. But, still a great film. Thanks.

[@DoctorShocktor]

Yeah, people live longer than ever, medicine has advanced immensely, crime is on a downward trend, technology has brought us amazing things for our lives, air, water, food are all cleaner and healthier, on and on… Absolutely nothing “sad” about any of that.

[@tylerzorn6152]

Crime is down,....OMG....how funny. Delusional.

[@joshuagibson2520]

​@@DoctorShocktorand freedom is being assaulted non stop.

[@lightdark00]

Finally some film that was kept in pretty good conditions.

[@jimhaines8370]

I bought these films from a Auto Parts general store type place in remote north eastern California that at one time were a Champion Spark plug warehouse and a pick up place for Champion employee reps. The reps would pick up catalogs and training material when they passed through and these were NOS and never viewed and left behind when the whole system changed. I bought them and watched them a couple times and after seeing this channel and how they save films called them and asked them if they would save them and post them and here they are. If you search Champion Spark Plug on this channel all three films will be first in line the fourth film I sent is just a compilation of the TV commercials they made. The 3 are A Plug for Performance To Spark the World Wide and The Spark Plug 1075 technology. I m really glad to be able in my own small way save these really neat time capsules and watch them over and over.

[@maifantasia3650]

The "in Japan" footage at 17:36 is Bangkok, Thailand. Main giveaway is the Thoresen & Co. Ltd. (Bangkok) sign. Also, in the same shot, interesting to see an old Air Vietnam office signboard.

[@carlosnavarro921]

Back when champion were quality spark plugs before they were bought out by Federal Mogol , now I won't use them in my lawn mower let alone a car

[@andyvonyeast332]

I completely agree. I used Champion for a long time until manufacturing was moved out of the US. Now I only install NGK.

[@carlosnavarro921]

same here even my lawnmower gets ngk@@andyvonyeast332

[@joshacollins84]

Federal Mogul did screw up Champion. The products that come out of India are garbage. These facilities that get bought up and shipped to India always become junk. They take the older equipment from the US and ship them to India via the cheapest bidder. Along the way the equipment gets damaged and stripped for parts. By the time they show up in India they are useless, but then the same corrupt "upper class" that caused that force the workers to improvise. So again more pilfering gets done before anything grts to the factory and then the machines are useless. The products come over here in poor shape so the Indian managers high "quality control" which is usually a family member that then gets in on the grift and more money gets wasted but quality stays poor. I have seen this happen 1st hand with another company, and I feel comfortable predicting it happens to other companies as well.

[@DoctorShocktor]

Stay in school kids. Every one of those factory drones described their job in terms of long term income to hang onto until retirement, no film included of their crushed souls. One brief mention of how much “fun” it was to inspect spark plugs eight hours a day, five days a week for 25 years. I worked in a factory for three days once, everyone around me that had been their for years said they wished they had gone to college, then there was no way they would be there. Kids, even if you’re at a corporation, go into sales, or marketing, or research, or anything but mindless assembly or quality testing. Or go into the trades, build your own product or service business, go into forestry, art, health care, finance, law, ANYTHING that brings you variety in your day… life is far, far too short to be locked in a hot, smelly factory for 25 years.

[@ToddMiller-nl2wn]

Some factories had programs where a line worker could make their way up the corporate ladder if they wanted to. Assembly line work wasn’t always a dead end job.

[@maifantasia3650]

Some people are suited to be machine operators and would stress out in an environment that was constantly changing. Nothing to do with educational opportunities and a lot to do with their personality traits.

[@davestewart2067]

Will agree about learning a trade but to state “go to college” is ridiculous. Especially now, as so much “college” today is an overpriced waste.

[@GTCanuk]

The Windsor Ontario Canada plant closed in the late 80's or early 90's

[@scratchdog2216]

NGK

[@joshacollins84]

Yes, they also make spark plugs. You get a silver star today. Lol

[@kkampy4052]

All in China now

[@jimhaines8370]

Actually Champion still makes insulators in Cambridge, Ohio and they have plug final assembly in Burlington, Iowa

[@willarddevoe5893]

As soon as my ohmmeter warns me i have a resistor plug, i want out. Please always have a standard replacement, but don't try to make me use a PDF. Any $1400 magneto is going to run hotter and safer at altitude with a solid spark plug, and yes, i have a Devilbiss sprayer.

[@DoctorShocktor]

Ah… nothing like a good old fashioned corporate propaganda film rewriting history. Yea!!! Champion was founded in BOSTON, by ALBERT CHAMPION (His freaking name is on the company) ALONG with the Stranahan brothers. (At least Periscope Films mentions it in their caption) Later, Champion was dissatisfied in his role and position at Champion Spark Plugs and moved to Lansing, MI to form a little company you may know, now known as AC Delco (The AC being his initials after the Stranahan brothers sued him over the name after they moved to Toledo to get Willy Overland and Ford Contracts. AC Delco thrived on GM contracts through William Durant, then not too much later, Autolite was formed in Toledo to try to get Ford business. Autolite had a famous HUGE union strike conflict involving workers, strike breakers, the police and the national guard where two men were killed and many injured. Autolite being one of top five purchasers of tear gas that year, by the way. So then Ford bought Autolite but had to sell it to bendix over antitrust lawsuits and it later became Motorcraft. Quite the mess over plain old little spark plugs.

[@AdmiralBosch19]

Thanks for posting this! Not something I had ever heard about. Gonna read about it as I go to sleep.

[@stevemchale6363]

MAN, THATS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE

[@1978garfield]

Always seemed odd to me that Ford couldn't own Autolite but there was no problem with GM owning AC Delco.