by David Burrell – – –
I’m searching through the AMHF’s extensive collection to find examples of Australian car companies and their advertising agencies reusing overseas print advertisements and brochures. In those pre-internet days very few car enthusiasts would have had access to overseas brochures, so the copying remained undetected for decades.
1963 EH HOLLDEN
To obtain this unusual overhead perspective, GMH’s advertising folk did not have to think too hard. They used a 1963 Chevrolet Chevy II brochure. Even the two children in the back seat of the convertible were copied.
1962 PONTIAC
Simple artwork shows off the lines of the US Pontiac Star Chief, above. For the Australian brochure, below, the background colour was deleted, the Star Chief badge was replaced with Laurentian, the seat upholstery pattern was changed, hub caps were made plainer, the white walls on the tyres were blacked out and the steering wheel moved to the right. All very simple.
1962 FORD FAIRLANE
This is one of my all-time favourites. It involves combining the US 1960 Galaxie, 1962 Fairlane and 1962 Mercury Meteor brochures, to create the Australian Fairlane brochures for 1962 and 1963. It is a master class in the re-use and re-positioning of the cars, people and backgrounds.
1961-PONTIAC
More US artwork, below, from Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman. Fitz drew the cars, Van the backgrounds. The US original shows a 1961 Ventura four door hardtop. The Australian re-work depicts a much plainer four door Laurentian sedan.
There will be more instalments of Retro copy cats soon.
