benjaminhuf

Good point. Well, I have another possibility that's far-fetched, but....Iirc right after Nazis were finally defeated in 1945 the Americans realized in the summer of that year that somehow and at some point Germany would need to be revived economically. There was a huge partially-damaged factory in Germany that had been meant for producing the "people's car," and there was some thought that it could be returned to that. I think for a brief time this huge factory was offered to American car companies for a small sum if they would revive it and make it work. I think all of the American companies passed on the opportunity, saying that they didn't want to make a small rear-engined car for a bombed out country....But probably almost no one in the US would have known in late 1945 about what several years later became famous as the VW Bug, and so that theory doesn't seem to hold water. Maybe the ad writers stayed up late and just got a little wacky? Seems unlikely too, but they didn't repeat any of these ads as far as I've seen so far. And often Buick had ads running twice a month, which meant they had to come up with well over twenty ads a year. It's a lot of work to come up with a new headline about the same car every two weeks.

I think probably this is just the person who was writing the ad trying to make a little joke. As you know in late 1945 it had been 4 years since people had been able to buy a car. It had been so long that it was by then a strange thing to think about even getting a new car, or even seeing one. But the ad is trying to say, I think, "Don't worry! The engine is still in front. It's just a car. It's just a little better than the pre-War Buicks is all. Bring your money and buy it!"

I use to own an Oldsmobile 98, and for many years I've enjoyed classic Oldsmobile ads in old magazines. Here are some from 1923 that are high rez and probably not available elsewhere in good resolution. If you click on them twice and press the plus you'll probably be able to read the text. I have Oldsmobile ads for most years from c.1910 to c.1960 in case anyone has any requests.

1916

One from 1914 and two from 1915....

Some Buicks from 1929, and if it's ok to add an extra here's an advertisement for a piano some Buick people probably had in their homes. (Even adjusting for inflation, a Steinway at $875 was more affordable way back then for a comfortable but middle-class family that owned a Buick than it would be today....)

Thanks to others for the Buick ads you posted. Here are some more—two for 1937 models and then two for 1939 models.

Neil: Yes, I agree that ad copy is wonderfully over-the-top. I enjoy the words as much as I enjoy the art in these old ads. I did find some information on the ad agency used starting in c. 1935 from the book "The Buick: A Complete History" by Terry Dunham and Lawrence Gustin. The edition I have was published in 1980, but I think it's since been revised and expanded. Anyway, on p. 160-163 of the edition I have here's what it says.... "Harlow Curtice planned a zesty campaign for the new 1936 Buicks from the beginning. AC's advertising [where Curtice was president before being promoted to lead Buick] had been handled by Erwin Wasey & Co. during Curtice's spark plug days, and he had been impressed with the capabilities of the account executive Arthur Kudner....when Kudner decided to organize his own firm Curtice quickly offered him the account. It was a decision he never regretted. Curtice brought Kudner and his men right into the Buick offices, kept no secrets from them, treated them as an integral part of the Buick team. There were there for some nine months before their first ads appeared. Their close collaboration—most unusual in the industry—paid off. Art Kudner and his group were fired up. Eye-catching and provocative headlines like "Hot? It's a Ball of Fire!"...followed...."Buick's the Buy" became the first Kudner advertising theme—and a lot of people bought. Production of the 1936 models would total 168,596 units, a 317-percent increase over 1935. And Buick would outsell Pontiac and move into sixth place in the industry." And in the late 1930s and early 1940s one of Buick's significant competitive advantages over it seems almost all other brands for a few years was in terms of piston design, giving Buick engines more power than found in almost all other cars. And the ads like that vivid one you quoted make the most of that.

From October of 1945, I think this might be the first postwar advertisement for the 1946 Buick.

An advertisement from October of 1940 for the 1941 Buick—the Fireball that was the "Best Buick Yet"....

An ad from Nov. of 1945 advertising the 1946 Buick. It's high resolution, and so if you double click on it and enlarge it you should be able to read the text.

More Buick advertisements from 1928. It was only a little earlier that Buick went to sometimes doing color advertisements, which was obviously quite expensive at the time. And clearly the electric windshield wiper was a significant development that year.

Since I was kid I've enjoyed old car advertisements in old magazines like the National Geographic, and the Buick ads were and are special favorites. These high resolution images of Buick ads come from the Saturday Evening Post, and most are unlikely to be found in good resolution elsewhere. Hope people will consider sharing any pre-World War II Buick ads they have. This set is from 1928, but I also have Buick advertisements for most years from 1913 to 1941 if by any chance there are any requests for ads for a particular year. If you double click on them you can enlarge them to read the text if you'd like....

Great Peerless ad. And what an amazing warranty on that electric car! And here are a few more from 1928.

Since I was a kid looking through my great-grandmother's old National Geographics I've liked old car ads. And at age 54 I still enjoy them....