1940s Ford Advertising Footage Shows How Far We’ve Come
This Ford TV Commercial Is a Sign of the Times
Things were extremely different in the 1940s. Cars and trucks didn’t travel 10,000 miles between oil changes, and they didn’t employ technology that made NASA jealous. Furthermore, they didn’t have enough torque to reverse the rotation of the earth! No, these were simpler times with simpler cars.
Advertising was also quite different from what we are used to today. That’s quite evident when you scope out a vintage TV commercial like this one by Jeff Quitney, which documents the changes made to Ford’s lineup for the 1940 model year. There were plenty of amazing new improvements to brag about, including “smoother engine operation,” “more room for mechanics to work,” and “windshield washers.” Seriously?
All fancy stuff for an “aFordable” motor car from the ’40s. Ford was quite proud of these advancements, especially in regards to the business coupe. According to the TV commercial, it could fit luggage, salesman samples, and two additional passengers behind the front fold-back seats!
These were all big news in 1940, and a great reminder of just how far we’ve come in a mere 76 years. So next time you get mad at your GPS for struggling to get a signal, remember that you already have it made!
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >
