by David Burrell – – –
In this continuing series, the AMHF’s collection of brochures continues to produce examples of Australian car companies and their advertising agencies reusing overseas print advertisements and brochures.
1957 CHRYSLER ROYAL
Chrysler Australia re-purposed a 1956 De Soto brochure and print advertisement image, above, for the 1957 Chrysler Royal, below. They even used the US’s “Forward Look” description, despite the aging Royal being a stodgy old ’53 Plymouth that was partially hidden under welded-on rear fins.
1958 AUSTIN WESTMINSTER
BMC Australia joined the copycat club when it unashamedly placed an A95 Westminster on a golf course, exactly where a 1958 Oldsmobile had once resided. BMCA obviously could not afford colour for this advertisement, which appeared in Reader’s Digest.
1955 CHEVROLET
The Americans enjoyed a full colour view of the underside of a ’55 Bel Air coupe, above. Meanwhile, in Australia, we got a mauve tinted version of the same brochure image depicting a four-door sedan, below.
1963 PONTIAC
The US advertisement above is for a two-door US Grand Prix coupe. After the Australian advertising agency artists do their magic, it becomes a four-door pillared Australian Laurentian.
There will be more in this series of copycat ads soon.
