classic vw beetle commercial: the 1949 automobile show

[ncmountaingal1960]

Ironic that the VW Beetle was designed in the mid 1930 by Ferdinand Porsche and it looks more modern than those late 1940's cars. Porsche really was ahead of his time...

[VegardMinde]

In the late forties the last thing I would have bought would be the VW...

[davedial1951]

I was telling my wife about this commercial yesterday over lunch. I went looking for it today and found it here. I saw it during the late-1960s, I think. The joke of the commercial is that all the other cars in the commercial were gone from the market by the time this commercial aired--Studebaker being the last to go in 1966.

[JeffW77]

DeSoto announcer is Wink Martindale, famous radio announcer on KMPC in LA in the 60s-70s and sometime game show host. Packard announcer is McLean Stevenson--who became famous in the early 70s as Col. Henry Blake on the TV series "M*A*S*H"...I too remember this commercial--early teenage years for me, when GM and Chrysler deliberately built junk. Fords were a bit better. Anyway...that was then.

[rockinconcorde2]

notice how out of all the cars volkswagon is the only one thats still around.

[ontcan1]

VWs are so ugly and boring, I'd take a '49 Desoto, Studebaker, Packard or Hudson in a heart beat!

[rockinconcorde2]

@ontcan1 me too but beeltles kick butt so.

[MrStony06]

And We keep on seeing them on the streers...

[herbienbrian]

ha, thats great.

[LaVerne37]

Love the "Andrews Sisters," impersonators. I actually remember when this ad ran...my father hated the beetle...I loved them....still today, nothing like it on the road....many thanks for posting!

[JeffDeWitt]

I've got both a Beetle and a couple of Studebakers and they are all great cars... well two of them are, one of the Studebakers is a truck!

[CompuDJ]

one of the best commercials ever !

[hudson2441]

I'd choose a Packard, Stude, or Hudson any day over a VW bug, especially in the winter when it's inadequate heater would leave you frozen.

[vwadam]

Yes, I have many VWs, and they are 30-50 years old, so yes I work on them too. They are about as complicated as a lawn mower. Volkswagens rock.

The numbers speak for themselves, best selling car of the 20th century

[manicmorbidity]

Oh man, this commercial makes me the happiest <3

[KatellaGate]

I've watched almost all of these old VW commercials and this one is the most ironic. Almost 60 years later and the competition is long gone and forgotten, but everybody knows Volkswagen.

[Geotpf]

Uh...that's the point. All the other car makers mentioned were bankrupt by the time this ad aired (1960's? 1970's?).

[schmoop14]

1969, I believe, Geotpf. Hudson was still sort-of around (Hudson and Nash combined to make American Motors).

[nickyace]

I love this commercial! But I remember a version of it with a 49 Buick Roadmaster and them saying"Next year,every car in America will have holes in it's sides". These were the best generation of VW commercials EVER!

[deadflo]

@nickyace

yeah I remember that line too, every time I see one of those old Buicks!

Thanks for posting beetlejuice, I havent seen this in years. Wonder what year this ran?

[maraujo1984]

It's so sad to see the VW alone in the crow with his salesman... but finally!!! VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE IS THE KING!!! The Bettle is the past, the present and the future!!! Many cars came in and leave during 70 years and volkswagen still remains as a brand new car!!!

[beetlejuice150]

No, I didn't know that. Thank's for your infotmation. This is what makes the internet a nice place. I'll add their names to the tags, in case someone would seach for them.

Spread the beetle message !!!

[jlasf]

This spot is so well done and so smart. Of course, it's great that all of the other cars featured - Hudson, DeSoto, Packard, Studebaker - went out of business decades ago. So ironic. By the way, did you catch McLean Stevenson - later of MASH fame - as one of the spokesmen? The other is Wink Martindale - later of game show fame, sort of.

[beetlejuice150]

Leuk om te horen. In other words: nice to read your friendly words!

[moolox]

i`ve watched 20 now and still can`t get enough!! dank u well!!