Sunday 7: Classic Aussie car ads

And, sometimes they end up being better than the car itself.

So, here are some of our Aussie favourites from over the years.

Toyota Hilux “Bugger”
A poor farmer encounters a series of unfortunate events after his “unbreakable” Hilux proves a little too powerful for him.
The commercial aired in Australia and NZ, but was removed for a brief stint after the word “bugger” was deemed inappropriate. It was later re-aired after being ruled suitable for most audiences, and everyone could enjoy a bit of light-hearted humour once again.

Holden VU SS “Thunderstruck”
A ute doing donuts in the outback was once an acceptable sight on your TV, but you won’t see any of that in today’s censored society.
A young bloke in an Akubra drifts his VU SS ute through the dirt and brews a churning thunderstorm, to the tune of AC/DC’s famous ‘Thunderstruck’.
An Aussie legend some might say, but A Current Affair would probably now call them a bloody idiot. We say, it was one memorable ad.

1970s Chrysler “Hey Charger”
In the '70s, almost everyone wanted a Charger. This ad shows a couple driving through town in their Charger getting waves and cheers as they make their way down the street. ‘Hey Charger’ along with the ‘V’ sign made with two fingers are the classic takeaways from the ad. The car was a short wheelbase coupe with muscle car styling and power to match - the top of the line 770 SE featured a 275bhp V8 and a 3-speed auto, priced at $4850, or roughly $32,000 in today’s money.

1970s Holden’s “Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars”
Holden’s 1970s ad is a catchy tune that reflects on all things Aussie - football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars. While it was an adaptation of an American ad for Chevrolet, it was a memorable one for those around when it was aired, and it brings us back to a time when cars were designed, built and sold in Australia.

1978 Ford Falcon 500
Starring six of the best Aussie racing drivers - Allan Moffat, Colin Bond, John Goss, Dick Johnson, Ron Dickson and Murray Carter - standing on a race track in place of witches hats, a production model 1978 Falcon 500 then weaves dangerously closely in between each driver, all to prove the then-new Falcon’s upgraded suspension and tyres gave it much better ride and handling.
Again, something never to be seen in this day and age. Hopefully Ford proved its point.

Holden Monaro “Game over”
After Holden stopped producing the Monaro in the 70s, a comeback was welcomed by many a Holden fan. This ad showcases the return of the Monaro in 2001, and what better way than to have it speeding around the streets in a playstation game style video.

Toyota Avalon “Avalon drive and you’ll never turn back”
Aired in 2000, Toyota employed drag comedian Dame Edna to promote its new family car - the Avalon. “Big, new, refined Avalon. In the same class as a Falcon or Commodore - only much classier” as Edna put it. Unfortunately, the Avalon didn’t prove as classy and popular in Australia, where it was mostly described as underwhelming by critics..