Shame that they smashed that fiberglass fastback. After all, it makes for a very interesting-looking Ford truck.
Chevrolet’s “Real People” commercials are often mocked on social media for not seeming as real as General Motors would like us to believe, but back in 1967, Ford had a “fooling the consumer” commercial that easily trumps anything in the modern era. This week’s “Throwback Thursday” video comes to us from the Osborn Tramain YouTube channel and it features a that slightly ridiculous commercial in which the Motor Company disguised a new pickup as a fastback coupe.
Remarkable Automotive Advancement
This 1967 Ford commercial begins with the narrator claiming that we are about to “witness a demonstration of a remarkable automotive advancement,” followed by offering us a look at “Test Unit No. 27.” This test unit is very clearly a then-new Ford pickup with the badges removed and an odd bed cover added.
Next, we meet Mr. Dave Morris, a farmer from Honesdale, Pennsylvania. He climbs into the driver’s seat and proclaims that it is comfortable while smoking his pipe. As he takes the mystery machine for a drive on a rough road, he states the ride is nice and smooth, followed by an explanation of how the twin-I-beam suspension makes that smooth ride possible.
The Amazing Part
After Mr. Morris and the narrator have gone for a ride, we learn the most amazing part of this vehicle. It turns out that this isn’t a car at all! It is actually a 1967 Ford pickup. Mr. Morris doesn’t seem to believe the narrator at first, so he smashes the fastback-style cap with a mallet, providing that it is definitely a truck and not a car.
We have to wonder if this was literally the first car or truck that Mr. Morris had ever seen, because even with the boxy lines of cars from the 1960s, there is no way that the addition of the fake fastback would make anyone think that a 1967 Ford truck was actually a car.
It is ridiculous, maybe even more so than Chevrolet’s current ad campaign, but it is a classic Ford truck commercial, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
