These days, most of the car ads that you’ll see will show off the car’s capability. Everything will be there, from its luxurious interior to cutting-edge technology and exterior looks. On top of that, there might be a beautiful model endorsing it. These are the primary attributes you can expect. If you honestly study it, you can call it artful deception.
The ads we see these days are unimaginably different from the car ads that used to run in past decades. These are the kind of ads people would actually sit and study in old magazines and newspapers. The most significant element of difference is the humor, which was at a whole new level in vintage car ads.
Not only were these ads funny, but they were equally educational. It’s a great marketing move. So, here are 41 highly creative and hilarious vintage car ads!
What’s gremlin anatomy?
Well, we’re honestly asking this question, and not in a funny way. We never learned about it in high school. Did any of you happen to study it in your textbooks? If you do know about it, please consider helping us out!
Phew, thankfully, that’s just the name of the car. Anyways, isn’t it a pretty small car? Also, we wonder how a doggo would feel sitting in that place, as shown in the image. Well, it still has some pretty impressive specifications, though.
The best offer you can get
If you only read the headline and the image, it’d look like you’re getting two cars with one on top of the other for that sum, which would be pretty weird. But, they’re saying that you’re getting the features of two cars for the price of one.
These cars do make sense if you look at them properly and read the whole add. If you read everything, you’ll understand what they’re offering and how they’re offering. After that, you’d be in awe because that’s some excellent marketing right there.
Sweet lies
We are all against lying to the bank. It’s wrong, and nobody should do that. However, we have something for you that says otherwise. So, take a look at this vintage ad and tell us what you think about it…
The ad smoothly and convincingly says that you can tell the bank that it is an economy car, just for all the accounts and other purposes. Looking at this car, can you say that it is an economy car, out of all things? That’s a pure race-bred Daytona Shelby right there.
Environment-friendly
Looking at this image, you’d say that this car or its ad is not even close to vintage. In our defense, that’s a pretty great ad. The car claims to have a lower impact on the environment than others, and it turns out that this claim is valid.
The car indeed has the lowest carbon dioxide emission range in all of Europe. We don’t know what’s up with the crash test. Most of all, what’s up with the panda? We think it’s a way to say that their car has a low environmental impact. Creative advertising at its best!
A classified Harley ad
Let’s break it to you. This hilarious classified ad isn’t the last one that you’ll be seeing. We love Harleys. They’re known to be the best bikes on the market. But, let’s not overlook the main point, which is the difficult situation of this man.
He’s unfortunately stuck in a pickle. The bike’s features and description are pretty neat. But, the man’s girlfriend is pregnant, and his wife knows about it! Not only that, but the lawyer wants money! Somebody, please help the man and buy his Harley.
Smart marketing
Porsche really pulled off some great marketing here. The whole thing is beautifully written. Now, here’s the catch. You could’ve bought this Porsche for only $3,595 back in the day. It is the Mid-Engine Porsche, which is a classic two-seater sports car.
Considering the rates and everything, it’s actually a car that young people could afford. Well, we envy all the youngsters of this generation, and they might be jealous themselves as well because it isn’t possible to get a Porsche for that price today.
A classified, smug, and pointless ad
We looked at this ad, and we immediately thought, “What’s the point of this ad in the first place?” Then it got to us, and we couldn’t stop laughing about it! We pity those who actually wanted to buy a vehicle, came across this ad and took it seriously until they read it to the end.
Instead of an ad, it is more like the person just wants to let people know that he has a 2005 Toyota in excellent condition and that he looks after it. He just wanted to let you all know, guys, he’s not selling it. Don’t fall for it.
Guts and glory
BMW might have indeed made a lot of enemies with this ad. It’s an impressive one, but they directly put up the photos of seven other great cars from great companies beside it and compared their car with them head-on.
That’s quite a roast, and BMW is quite the risk-taker. It looks like they’d do anything to be on the top of the game and outshine others. We love how hilariously BMW puts its competitors down in this ad.
No difference at all
Basically, this ad says that there’s no significant difference between a Lamborghini and a Volvo. For starters, we’d ask you to look at this image and wonder how it is even possible in the first place? They look entirely different!
However, here are some questions for you. Which car would you prefer here? Will it be a Lamborghini Countach with a storage unit, or will it be a Volvo station wagon? It’s not even close to a trick question. Yet, this is an excellent attempt from Volvo.
Police cars?
Yes, you are looking at Volkswagen police cars. It would’ve been more reasonable if it was something other than the car you’ll see in the image. Perhaps, something a bit more spacious, or at least with four doors, perhaps.
We don’t even know how these were even chosen to be used as police cars. Fact: They were actually used in Scottsboro, Alabama, as police cars. We wonder how people sat in the back seat, criminals especially. It’s definitely not so roomy back there.
Double meaning car joke
This one is one of the most hilarious ads so far. First of all, we just love the tagline. It’s all the Japanese you need to know. It sounds so funny and catchy, yet so confident. Even the artwork is excellent. Okay, fine, let’s address the elephant in the room.
The joke is the best part about this ad, just like every other one, but this one is something else. If you got the joke, you’re smart. Although the joke doesn’t make any literal sense, it’s enough to give you an idea! Now that’s funny.
Wilt Chamberlain in a Beetle
You are looking at the 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, and of course, basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain. Honesty is the best part here. Volkswagen has wonderfully combined honesty educationally and funnily and developed a genius combination!
They literally said that this car isn’t for you if you are as tall as Wilt. The rest of the ad talks about certain car specifications in an equally quirky way. All in all, we must say that Volkswagen had some pretty great marketing ideas back then!
Double meaning car joke pt.2
Once again, we are looking at a Japanese car ad with probably the same template as the one we saw before. Also, it has a similar turn of phrase like the previous car, and just like the last one, it is hilarious.
It looks like they are pretty good at it, or it might be the only joke they have. Either way, it’s still funny if they used it a thousand more times. The Japanese language right at the middle of the sentence is some excellent wordplay.
2-in-1
Dodge almost makes it look like they’re selling two different cars. It is literally, but they actually say that the Dodge Shadow 1992 works like two cars. If you actually read the text, the marketers sound highly confident in what they’re saying.
There’s a beach look for the beach and a muscle look for other occasions, but what if you want to go to the Muscle Beach in LA? Sorry, we tried to be funny like these vintage ads, but it looks like we can’t pull it off. They are better at it. Let’s leave it to them.
Dark humor
This ad is pretty ahead of time and different from other ads since most of the ones we’ve seen talk about the car’s specifications. Instead, this ad sells convenience to its customers, which is quite a clever marketing move.
But, it hilariously does that by indirectly hinting that if you ever want to hide a dead body in the car safely, then this car is for you. That’s dark. Or, you can keep other things there as well that are a little less morbid.
No words
Well, here is the thing. You don’t need to be very smart or speak multiple languages to understand this ad. Also, the ad’s excellent because it has many great messages hidden in it., which makes you study and remember the ad more.
The clues are laid out there pretty clearly. It’s all about your perception. Let’s make it simple. There isn’t much to do, but you need to choose. Which side will you choose? Obviously, love is the answer. But, which form of love do you prefer?
Great value for money?
This ad is of the vintage Dodge Daytona. This car was, and still is, such a beauty. The ad is quite the takeaway, and once again, it involves innovative marketing. We have heard about cars going 0-100mph in a certain amount of seconds, but take a look at this ad.
Have you heard of a car going from $0-$11,000? The Dodge Daytona does! That being said, all it needs is a signature! Well, apart from that, it also reaches speeds up to 149mph. That’s great as well. This car certainly offers excellent value for the money.
An open challenge
There are its specs, there’s the image, there’s your advantage, and then there’s the challenge. What do you say? Wanna race? If you want our opinion, then we’d say to count your odds because we think you’d lose this one.
Indeed, old cars aren’t always the best when it comes to technicality. They have a lot of problems. But, it isn’t the case with this beauty, which is still a beast. This Porsche has aged like fine wine, as most car lovers would agree.
Perfect usage of the billboard
This one isn’t a car ad. It’s a public service announcement and a pretty sensible one at that. Tailgating a truck will turn your car into a convertible. Not the convertible that you know and love, but it’ll actually take the roof off your car.
So, it’s best to drive safely and steer clear of these trucks, giving them more room. You wouldn’t want your sedan to be a convertible now, would you? Nonetheless, we have never seen a billboard being used so ideally.
Issued in public interest
Here is another great message on a billboard. However, it is not as innovative as the previous one, but it is still pretty cool. People should actually consider splitting their parking because it would be a huge money saver.
Most of us know that the SmartCar is the smallest thing in the game, which is also why it’s famous. But, we just realized that they also have an excellent image for being one of the most innovative marketers and advertisers in the car world.
Competitive nature
The joke in this ad is more like the ones that go like, “three people walked in the bar.” The only difference is that you’d say three cars walked in a bar: A Ferrari, a Rolls Royce, and a Porsche. That’s a pretty bold ad from Citroen, we must say.
Man, they took the bull by the horns, and directly comparing their car to a Porsche, Rolls Royce, and Ferrari is a big thing indeed. That too, the comparison is about how their car is better than the others in particular aspects. Pretty confident marketers!
Showing them who rules
Subaru has indeed got some savage comebacks for its competitors. This comeback is probably the most savage of them all. Have a look at Subaru’s humble words for itself and its competitors like BMW and Audi. Subaru definitely hit them on the head with this one.
It’s like Subaru’s showing them who the OG is. Although Audi and BMW did win the beauty contest, Subaru won the award for internal beauty, meaning the engine. It technically is a more critical aspect. Great job on the marketing anyways!
Titanic?
That’s a pretty great job by Fiat on impersonating Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and The Titanic. We might have honestly bought that and thought it was the movie’s actual scene if it was the ship instead of the car.
However, the point is that the car has a pretty huge sunroof with enough room for you to reenact the famous Titanic pose. Great job, Fiat! Also, the advertising is even better than the features! So, excellent job on the marketing.
Which one is better?
Now, here are two billboards. One is an Audi, and the other is a BMW. It looks like there’s a little trash talk going on between the two. So, the stage is set for both the cars and their companies to prove their point. Which side will you choose?
If we look at the bottom left, Audi started it with a billboard, to which BMW put up a billboard saying checkmate. Then, Audi put up another billboard saying that their pawn is no match to the king. Looks like it is a match, considering that BMW bought a blimp that says, “game over.”
