by David Burrell – – –
The search continues through the AMHF’s wonderful collection of brochures and print advertisements to find examples of Australian car companies and their advertising agencies reusing overseas content. This instalment of the series features Chevrolet, Pontiac and Toyota.
1962 PONTIAC
To convert US Pontiac Venturas into Australian Laurentians, the image of two US models, above, is reversed, white wall tyres eliminated, chrome trim re-drawn, doors added to the US coupe bodies, hub caps changed and steering wheels moved to the right.
TOYOTA CORONA
The heads on the two people in the background of the Japanese advertisement were changed for Australia and other right hand drive countries.
1968 PONTIAC
Someone in GMH’s advertising agency was paid to reverse the image, above, add two doors and change the steering wheel location, so that a Bonneville coupe becomes a Parisienne four door, below.
1965 CHEVROLET
A Chevrolet Biscayne, with two gents in the front, is inexpensively transformed into an Australian Bel Air by flipping the image and scrubbing out “1965” on the number plate.
1966 CHEVROLET
Here’s another Biscayne to Bel Air transformation. All the Australian advertising agency had to do was recolour the roof, airbrush new turn indicator lights, change over the steering wheel, add Bel Air badges and draw new chrome side trim. So simple. So cheap to do.
There will be more in this series of copy cats soon.
