An illustrated history of how the motor car has been advertised

 

The following pages present an illustrated potted history of motor car advertising from around the world from the late 1890s onwards

The early years      The 1920s and 30s      The post-war period       The 1960s and 70s      The 1980s onwards

   

An 1897 advert for the Stirling Daimler car, one of the first "production" cars built in Britain. Note the phrases which describe the range of models available:

Motor Dogcarts

Motor Stanhopes

Motor Victorias

Motor Wagonettes

 

A humerous advert for Strathmore Automobiles from 1899. Strathmore were one of the many early American car makers which quicky came and went.

 

1904. Electric cars were amongst many which were being produced in the early years of car making. This ad features the Pope-Waverley Electric.

 

 

Advert for the American built Mercedes car from 1907. Note the monumental $7500 price tag, although they did pay the duty!

 

Thomas B Jeffery were one of the many bicycle manufacturers of the late 19th Century which switched to car making at the beginning of the 20th Century and this ad shows their New Rambler model.

 

 

Pierce Arrow was renowned for its expensive luxury cars in the early years of the 20th Century. This ad features their new model for the 1909 season.

 

 

Laurin and Klement were the forerunners of the modern Skoda company and were one of the leading Eastern European car makers in the early part of the 20th Century. Their cars were sold in England via a dealership on London's Tottenham Court Road and in 1909 coud be purchased for an impressive £195.

 

 

 

 As one of the leading British car makers of the era, Rover advertised their cars in many of the prominent publications of the period.
 

 

This Mercedes advert from 1912 emphasises the economical running costs of its new 15/20 HP model.

 

A 1914 advert for the prolific Ford Model T.

 

 

 

 

In 1917, Vauxhall produced a series of ads showing how their cars were being used by military forces in the heart of war zones. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An early colour car advert. This one showing a Willy's Overland Model 90 -emphasising the car's value.

 

An advert from Canadian company McLaughin Motors showing the many possible uses of their cars. 1919.

                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        

  

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