L.A. Vintage Commercials: Cal Worthington
If you, like me, were a latchkey kid in the LA area in the 80s, you may well have passed more than a few, or perhaps a few hundred, post-school afternoons watching cartoons. I spent countless blissful hours of my tender youth vegetating in this manner, but if you asked me to recount the plot of a single Voltron or G.I. Joe episode, I’d draw a blank (except for the Scooby-Doo where Phyllis Diller guest-starred).
What do I remember? The commercials. Not all of them of course, but the really good ones, the ones with the themes and the jingles that bring back the smoggy-lunged, air conditioned, TV-brainmushed afternoons like they were yesterday. And to my surprise, I found that I’m not alone in this. I went to college on the east coast, and whenever I ran into anyone from southern California, all I had to do was sing a few bars of the Pete Ellis Dodge jingle and baby – we had a stew goin’. Instant cultural camaraderie – like the ethnicity I always wanted but never had.
I’ll begin with perhaps the most famous and beloved of all these commercials, the Cal Worthington genre. Cal is a car-selling cowboy; the closest visual equivalent I can think of is the Sam Elliott character in Lebowski. Cal was a throwback to the days when California still had a bit of a wild-west aesthetic, though why he bought ad space for his several Ford dealerships during children’s cartoons remains unclear to me.
The genius of the Worthington commercials was severalfold. First was their jingle – a simply and catchy tune that wormed its way into your head like a weevil, based on its uncanny similarity to the camp ditty “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Even trickier was his lyrical sleight of hand. The song’s chorus “Go see Cal” was often replaced with the sound-alike nonsense phrase “Pussycow” so that impressionable young viewers such as myself were titillated. Did Cal just say “pussy”? Is there something adult-themed going on at Worthington Ford? I swore years ago to find out, but never got around to it.
The Cal Worthington commercials stuck in the adolescent brain also thanks to their thematic bait-and-switch. The introduction to these ads invariably promised “Cal Worthington and his dog Spot”yet the animal accompanying Cal was never a dog. It was an elephant, a tiger, a goat, or some other god-forsaken fauna, but the promised dog never materialized. Watching these ads as a nine-year-old, I first realized: grownups are filthy, filthy liars.
To be fair to Cal, though, making these commercials was hard work, because showbiz animals, like human actors, piss all over you. The difference is that with animals it’s not merely a euphemism. Cal braved both a mighty geyser of elephant urine and a close-up stream of baby-goat whiz to bring us these classic ads. Thanks pardner. And for what it’s worth, Cal’s business still appears to be going strong, and while I may have an unhealthy obsession with the guy, at least I’m not as stalker-y as the person who created this cyberhagiography.
I do have a couple of old reel-to-reel tapes of my mom on KMPC and her show she had with my step father. They were recorded about 1956. I played them about 15 years ago, so I know what they are… but no longer have a deck to play them on. Would sure like to have CDs made of them.
In the 1960s I wasn’t a fan of KRLA. If you remember, there was a war between KRLA and KHJ and I was a huge fan of KHJ. I collected the little printed “BOSS 30″ list of the top songs. I wonder why we cared what song was number 1 or not, but it was akin to a scoreboard and we wanted our favorite songs to be on the list. If our favorite song became number 1, we bragged at lunch hour to all our friends. Seems silly today. There is a wonderful website that has a decade of these little “BOSS 30″ lists for EVERY WEEK here….
http://home.earthlink.net/~khj93/gallery/gallery_1965.html
On these little lists, you will see many of the D.J.s I used to love to listen to.
“Humble Harve” came from KRLA with much fanfare in 1967 and they held a contest to attend the “Humble Harve Hello Happening” on Feburary 18, 1967. Every hour they would take a lucky caller who would get 2 tickets and 2 sweat shirts in the mail. The party was held at the Hollywood Palladium and there must have been a thousand kids there. I took my girlfriend Esther to the party. Among the musical guests were “The Sopwith Camel” who sang “Hello, Hello” and “The New Vaudeville Band” who sang “Winchester Cathedral.” I will never forget that afternoon or the long ride on the bus back home to La Cienega Heights, where I lived.
How about Bob Yeakel Oldsmobile?
Or was it Yeakel Plymouth? How about Beany and Cecil?
Christian, there should be a way to record those tapes to CD’s. I know someone out there will know.
I lived in Pasadena so we supported the local station. All time favorites? KFWB in pre-news days and KSFO (San Francisco) in the 70’s!
My grandmother wrote for radio before the days of TV. She had some of her stories on KHJ and Mom helped with sound effects for the ball games when she was a little girl. We’re talking Hollywood in the 30’s here! Seems to me one of the studio’s was above the Earl C. Anthony car showroom.
Hey Jeff…. I remember “Beanie and Cecil”…
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16zsa_beanie-and-cecil-monstrous-monster_fun
How about “Pinky Lee”?
http://www.archive.org/details/Pinky_Lee_Show
And also “Soupy Sales”!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8VtY_li3Sc
And “Lloyd Thaxton’s Dance Party”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZqaHd06xk
And “Hollywood A Go-Go” with guest star, the late Bobby Fuller….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXN8354RT-4&feature=PlayList&p=802C65C999BFEBE9&index=20
And “Sherry Lewis & Lambchops!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3WDdzuwW3M
Engineer Bill?
Red Light…..Green Light…..
More TV shows:
Cannonball, Rescue-8. The Whirley Birds and of course Route 66
Doug, You probably missed it, but here is Engineer Bill again….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzvdlE45XEI
Do you guys remember “Baby Daphne’s Cartoon Castle” from 1966 to 68 or so? She was really funny and many adults watched her antics from 9 until 10 am weekdays…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lB7CiPYGuw
I’m so glad to see somebody else remembers Baby Daphne! Nobody I know ever heard of her. And my mom couldn’t stand her…..”MAAAKE UUP!”
Thanks Christian. A friend of mine recalls bartending when Engineer Bill came on (during Happy Hour). “Red Light”, “Green Light” and of course “Happy Highball”. They did a lot of business during that time of day!
Next to Sherriff John, and Hobo Kelly, Baby Daphne was the best. I liked her tennis shoes. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t she the same women that played on Please don’t eat the daises and possibly Sgt Carter’s girl friend in Gomer Pyle USMC???
Hey Mike,
Patricia Blake played “Baby Daphne”… earlier she played a princess on another local cartoon show, so Daphne was a change from her previous incarnation.
It was Elizabeth McRae who played Sutton’s girlfriend on Gomer Pyle, though there is a resemblance. Pat Cowley played in the TV series “Don’t Eat the Daisys.”
Ok, I stand corrected. Thanks for the update. What other shows did Patrica Blake play in, I can’t remember?
Does anyone remember the name of the deli on Hollywood Way and Magnolia Blvd in Burbank? They had the best corned beef sandwiches in the valley.
How about Newberrys department store on Magnolia and the other one up on the Golden Mall (San Fernando Road)in burbank?
The best place for hot dogs was a place called The Hot Dog, it was next to the Travelodge on Hollywood Way and then moved up to that goofy intersection of Hollywood way and some other street that formed a pie section of the road.
How about Larry’s Hot Dog on Burbank and Ontario?
Hmm……..all this talk of food is making me hungry! I remember going to the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market in the 50’s. So many sights and smells for a little kid!
One place had fresh horseradish sauce. To draw attention to their display, they had a “kicking horse”. Every time the horse (or was it a donkey (?) kicked it’s rear legs, a “puff” of horseradish went out. It was funny to see unsuspecting people get a jolt of fresh sauce.
The pet store at the Farmer’s Market was always an interesting place to see new and exciting animals too.
How about Powerine, Douglas, Richfield, Signal, Flying A and Hancock Gas stations to name just a few?
Just stumbled upon this wonderful link. I goggled “Betty White Joe Yokum Handy Hints” (very old KTLA Ch 5’s 15 minute mid-day filler before he went on the air at KFWB) and this came up. I am one of the ancients who grew up in LA from mid 40’s until my elopement to Alabama in 1964. Good heavens .. so many memories. KFWB, Channel 98 Color Radio, Bill Balance (especially during the frequent and very funny times he would be “sanctioned” for some sort of verbal ooopppss!). KRLA, KHJ, KFI, KPOL. Von’s Market, Ralph’s, Market Basket, Safeway, Farmer’s Market, Gower Gulch, Wallach’s Music City (It’s Music City, Sunset & Vine), The Pike, Marineland, POP, Redondo Beach (well before Kings Harbor), Palos Verdes in the Spring when the flower farms were in bloom, Foster’s Freeze, McClary’s, The Witch Stand, Stan’s Drive-In .. yes, Cal Worthington, HJ Caruso, Earl Scheib, Frank Sennes Moulin Rogue, The Palladium, Shelly’s Man Hole, The Pink Poodle, The Arden Theater, salt water taffy from Avalon, fresh hand-made warm flour tortillas on Brooklyn Ave, Olvra Street, the MTA Bldg @ 6th & Los Angeles, Clifton’s Cafeteria… Gezzzzz! Safety was never an issue. I use to ride from my aunt’s house in Belmont Shores up Long Beach Blvd on the bus (remember pay zones?) to the PE/Red Car in Lynwood, transfer to downtown, pick up another bus in front of the May Company on Broadway and ride all the way out to Redondo Beach … for about a buck 50, day or night .. no one bothered me except to ask why I was out so late. Sack dresses, poodle skirts, head scarves, died-to-match skirts and angora sweaters, t-strap flats and Virgin Pins. Running the Bristol Circles in a pearlized pink VW bug named Sputnik Jr (baby moons on front, mags on back … of course) lobbing a full quart of Amway Dish Drops at the fountain on Highland (hell/pledge week), watching the LAPD watching drag racers on the LA river bed (modified and lowered racers had to pass the 2-pack high stack of cigs for a full 360 around the car to avoid getting busted), swiping the pledge rocks from El Camino JC and leaving them at East LA JC without getting caught, sneaking in the back door at the Crescendo to listen to the George Shearing Quintet .. only to get run out the front door by a rather indignant bartender, first time fully baked in the ladies room of the Red Velvet on Sunset, waking up on the sand at Pismo, knowing that it would never be as scary or as wonderful again. Can’t believe 45 years have passed so quickly between the then I knew and the now I know, but WOW … I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for listening to an almost old woman prattle on.
Just thought of another car dealership: Maywood Bell Ford…:”In the little town of Bell, California”. HA! HJ Caruso. I’d forgotten that one.
Oh gosh, I remember Maywood Bell Ford… do you remember Mark C. Bloome, a tire dealer next door to the Moulin Rouge on Sunset Blvd? How about “George Allen Motors, which was a Rambler/Nash dealer?
Sure I recall Stans Drive-In. That was on the south east corner of Sunset and Vine, if I recall correctly. They had the best milk shakes.
How about the Hollywood Ranch Market a few blocks further down Vine Street? They had the famous 10 cent cup of coffee and as kids we used to watch the automatic donut making machine. The smell was heavenly. They were open 24 hours a day. They were across the street from the channel 9 studios where they broadcast Engineer Bill’s Cartoon Express and the Steve Allen Show. Steve used to interview common folks over at the Ranch Market for his show.. something that Jay Leno did on the Tonight Show over the past few years. Here is a photo of the Ranch Market…
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/RanchMarket.jpg
Here is the Moulin Rouge and to the left, you will see “Mark C. Bloome”, the tire dealer I mentioned. Nice photo!
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/MoulinRouge1.jpg
Here is the channel 9 TV studio where Steve Allen and Engineer Bill were broadcast from in the 1950s. The building is still there. I think it’s part of the Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Oscars) if I am not mistaken.
Here is the channel 9 TV studio where Steve Allen and Engineer Bill were broadcast from in the 1950s. The building is still there. I think it’s part of the Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Oscars) if I am not mistaken.
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/KHJ.jpg
So many memories. How about the lunch counter at Woolworth’s or Thrifty’s and K-mart had submarine sandwiches and apple dumplings with caramel sauce. When Ralph Williams (the Lonely Lynwood Ford Dealer) commercials were filmed, my brother and I would ride our bikes up to the corner to watch. My Mom would let us ride the bus to Long Beach to go to the pike in the summer.
Christina… How fun you actually saw Ralph Williams make the Ford commercials! Ha! I liked his dog “Storm” and the cars, but my favorite announcer was always Dick Lane.. “Whooooh Nelly!”
You mentioned the lunch counters. My grandmother took me to the Woolworths counter on Hollywood Blvd. back in the mid-1950s (I was very small) and the grilled cheese sandwiches with that real butter and Wisconsin cheese were amazing. I also remember they had a dynamite hamburger with the best potato salad ever. I recall she went down the aisles with those wooden floors and milk glass lights overhead and instead of shelves they had a toy department which had counters that had glass dividers. In each cubicle was a different kind of toy. I ran over to the big bin with the rubber cars. They were each a different color and they were 4 to 6 inches long and would flex and not break. They each were in a different color, blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, purple and red. There were sedans, convertibles, panel trucks and even a fire truck. It seems they were only a quarter each and they did have metal axels with pure white rubber tires. I’ve seen them occasionally in antique stores now for 20 bucks a piece in good condition. I had 50 or more of them as a kid. I also had an Revell HO train set and Texaco toy 1/24 gas station. But when I went into the military in 1969, my mom took my old box of toys down from the garage and gave them to my 7 year old brother. When I got back, literally everything I had was destroyed, had a marker taken to them or the dog was using it for a chew toy. Yikes.
My mom actually worked for Cal Worthington as a switchboard operator at the Dodge store (that’s the one that eventually became Pete Ellis Dodge). I remeber the grilled cheese and potato salad.Do you remember the dill pickle spears? They were way better than the pickles from the grocers. If we were really well behaved, we maybe even got a root beer float. The toys I remember the most were the slinky, chatty cathy and there was one called the wheel-o. Anybody else remember that one?
I remember the Wheel-O and I have a Slinky on my coffee table today… and everyone who comes over plays with it. My sister had a Chatty Kathy.
Oh gosh, the Root Beer Floats were amazing. Do you remember White Rock or Mission Sodas?
The pickles were wonderful. At the A & P supermarket in La Cienega Heights in the 1960s, there was a brilliant Jewish Deli. It was next door to Adohr Farms Milk. They had wonderful sandwiches made on yellow egg rolls and their pickles were in a glass barrel on the counter with a sign… “A NICKEL A SCHNICKEL ONCE WAS A RHYME, WHAT WAS ONCE A NICKLE IS NOW A DIME” .. and they were wonderful, crisp and very delicious.
I remember White Rock. I also remember Royal Crown Cola and Yoo-Hoo. There was a little luncheonette in South Gate down the street from Mom’s day job (Jorgensen Steel). It was called Kosher Murphy’s. I can still taste those pickles. I also remember Adohr Farms had a plant in South Gate too.
Does anyone recall Shasta Cream Soda? I use to go to the Rexall drug store in Lynwood that was next to the Buster Brown shoe store (remember the foot x-ray machine?). Rexall drugs had the most wonderful soda fountains and real, live “soda jerks”. I remember my father, mother and I going into the drug store to get a Rx filled and I wanted a chocolate malt and the soda jerk said that it would make me fat … to which I commented in full 5 year-old voice .. “My Daddy likes fat girls!”. My father giggled .. my mother didn’t .. as she was on a constant battle with the bulge. I got my malt and my father got the silent treatment. We had Kneudsen’s deliver our milk in glass bottles and other dairy products every other morning. To this day, when I pick up a container of milk, I still shake it to make sure the cream at the top (which always stuck to the little round lid), gets mixed properly! Obviously, it’s not necessary anymore, but .. hey .. I’m an old woman. Good heavens .. that seems so long ago.
Does anybody remember old downtown Pasadena? Nash’s, Buffum’s, Hertel’s? Remember the days when the department stores had the little lunch rooms? I know that some of the higher end department stores still do, but somehow, it’s just not the same.
Or how about Googie’s in downtown L.A.? LOVED that place!!
Bugs, was that the Rexall on Long Beach Blvd or the one by the (plunge) natatorium?
Pamela: I remember JW Robinson’s on Colorado Blvd use to have the most wonderful luncheon room on the 3rd floor. The elevator tender was always in uniform and announced what each floor had (Ladies Ready-To-Wear, notions, leather goods, etc). Sometimes they would have a special buffet and a fashion show. When I was growing up Colorado Blvd was what Rodeo Drive is now. When a lady went shopping on Colorado Blvd, she never was seen without her hat, gloves, shoes & matching bag and her seams were straight, her hair combed and her make-up on. One never was seen with rollers and you NEVER smoked on the street .. it just wasn’t done. Nothing giggled or bounced due to the abundance of rubber in your gurdle .. even if you wore a size 6. Good training at the time I guess .. but being far from a size 6 now .. I’m grateful for elastic waistbands and a much looser fit.
Christina: Long Beach Blvd… across the PE tracks. THE PLUNGE!!!!! Gezzzzzz .. I haven’t heard that in 50 years. Did you grow up in Lynwood??
I remember we had RELIANCE MILK at my cousins house in Norwalk in the 1950s and we got CARNATION MILK in Echo Park and Silverlake. When we moved to La Cienega Heights we got ADOHR FARMS MILK. We had Challenge Butter, Helms Bread that was delivered and Kneudson’s cottage cheese.
My grandmother lived in Long Beach and on Pine Avenue there was a beautiful Buffum’s store with a lunch room. At South Bay Center in North Redondo Beach there was a lunch room at May Co. which was nicknamed “Garbage Gardens”. Across the parking lot was a bowling alley with a restaurant called “The Steak Knife” which had great food. In the mid-1970s, the South Bay Center had a collection of railway cars made into a restaurant called “PUTNEY STATION”.
Googies was great in downtown L.A. but I enjoyed the one on La Cienega near Beverly Drive on Restaurant Row. Across the street was SARNAZ and TAIL OF THE COCK.
Speaking of La Cienega and Beverly Drive… how many of you remember the REXALL DRUG STORE which was called “The largest drug store in the world” and took the entire ground floor on the southeast corner? They had everything there including a massive magazine selection that was about 40 feet long. They sold books, records, perfumes and candy on a massive scale. The building is still there, but remodelled and floors added and doesn’t resemble it’s former art deco appearance. Here is a photo of it….
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/rexall1.jpg
Yes, I went to St Emydius, Hosler and then Lynwood High. Spent many, many afternoons at the plunge. We’d always stop afterward at Thrifty’s for an ice cream cone.
I have to apologize… it wasn’t Googies on Restaurant Row on La Cienega.. it was called HUDDLE and it was a “Googie Style” coffee shop. Here is a photo of it and Sarnaz…
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/restrow2.jpg
On Fairfax and Sunset was “Carolina Pines, Jr.” which had wonderful southern style cooking. Here it is from the 1950s…
http://www.synthetrix.com/apc/87.html
I remember Putney Station. I ate there. I also remember the Bob’s Big Boy accross the street on Hawthorne Blvd next door to the Akron store.
I also remember getting milk from Scottsman’s dairy in Compton. If I remember right it was on Sante Fe off of Pine.
I went to Lindberg Elementary from K through 4th. Lived at 3365 Virginia till 1955. Moved to San Gabriel and attended St. Andrews in South Pas. Got expelled from Ramona Convent … twice. Married a boy from Cantwell Catholic .. eloped actually. Got through the Southeast Asia thing (we never called it Viet Nam .. that was years later) had 3 daughters (now 7 grand kids) went nuts between the mid 70’s and early 80’s, regained balance (but not much smarts). Have lived long enough to collect Social Security and marvel at all that has happened from then to now. Gezzzzz .. just goes to show you how quickly time passes when you are not paying attention. hehe.
Here is the original HUDDLE on La Cienenga artist conception. It opened in 1952….
http://www.synthetrix.com/huddle/Huddle2Rend.jpg
For dozens of memories of Old L.A. in the 50s and 60s, especially of classic motel designs… go to…
http://www.synthetrix.com/potf.html
Christian: Clear up a old question for me. A friend of mine and I get in to an argument over Ciro’s vs Crazy Horse Review. I say it was originally Ciro’s and BECAME the Crazy Horse in the 60’s … about the same time the Moulin Rogue morphed into the Hullabaloo (eck!). So many of the old-school palaces went either dark or tacky at that end of Sunset.
Hi Bugs.. you win!! Remember that Ciro’s was that name back in the 1930s. Take a look at the cartoon from the 1940s below, which actually spoofed Ciros!
HISTORY OF CIROS
1930s clover club, where ciro’s would be located.
1938 closed for a year.
1938-1939 Club Seville, with glass dance floor placed over pool filled with live fish.
1940 became Ciro’s on sunset strip
1954 Sammy Davis Jr. made his comeback here after his near-fatal auto accident, where he lost his eye.
1965 reopened for 1 year as “rock and roll” club
1966 became “twisters” club called ‘Crazy Horse’
1967 became ‘It’s Boss’, a “Go-go” dance club.
CIRO’S SPOOFED BY NAME IN A CARTOON BY WARNER BROTHERS IN THE 1940s…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEzKuKY3xFc
Bugs, loved your comments on Colorado Blvd! I remember when I was little, taking the bus with my mom to go shopping. (raised in Monrovia). I too remember Robinson’s. And I remember my grandma wouldn’t even go around the corner to the “little store” without her stockings, girdle, heels…the whole nine yards! My grandma smoked, and not only would she not walk down the street with a cigarette, she would SIT to have a smoke! It was considered unladylike to do otherwise. And ladies NEVER wore slacks!!
Pamela, I grew up in Monrovia, I went to Monroe, Clifton and MD, do you remember any of the little neighborhood markets , like Mrs. Mishiski on Alta Vista and Palm. My Grandma lived on West Walnut, and I can remember taking the trolley down colorado blvd to Myrtle , to go shopping. My Dad was a fire Inspector at the Monrovia Fire Dept.
Hey Robby! Sounds like you go back a bit further than I do. By the time I came along, there was no trolley, and MD had become MHS. I went to First Lutheran on Magnolia for elementary school, and graduated from Monrovia High in ‘76.
We lived on Stedman. But I do remember our local Woolworth’s, Art’s Yardage, Ball’s Children’s Store, the toy store on Myrtle Ave., and spent many happy hours at Monrovia Library. Don’t know if you know it, but they’ve built a beautiful new library. Thankfully, the tree that I used to sit in to read, was spared. Do you remember when the post office was on Foothill between Primrose and Stedman?
Oh, and Robby, do you remember when the Monrovia Unified School District building was on Lynwood, just south of Foothill, between Myrtle and Primrose? Not only is the building gone, the entire STREET is gone!
yes I remember the school dist. building on lynwood, I delivered the Monrovia News Post to them. as far as I know the Post office has always been on Palm. I dont remember it being on foothill, I remember the Lyric show, we used to see two movies and a cartoon on sat. afternoons, for 25 cents, also I remember seeing king kong at the monrovia show accross from library park. I remmeber the big sky, edwards, foothil drive movies, I graduated in 63 I worked at Lou Moodys wilshire gas station at highland and foothil in Arcadia. being teen in those days was great. crusing between henrys and bob in Pasadena.
Bugs, you were there before me. My Aunt & Uncle lived just a couple blocks away on Burton during that time. We didn’t move to town until ‘62.
Robby, it’s great to find somebody from Monrovia! What was the Lyric for you, was the Crest for me. $2.00 would get me and my brother in on a Saturday (again, 2 movies and a cartoon), buy us enough candy to make us sick and still leave a dime to call mom for a ride home. I too remember the Big Sky, and playing on the playground equipment in my pajamas, in the dark!
My mom and dad used to hang at Bob’s in Pasadena, before they got married. Where, and what, was Henry’s? The building that housed the post office is still standing, but I can’t remember what it is now.
Ouch Robby ….you be tell’n you age dear! Welcome to the pseudo-adult crowd. Ahhh … I certainly fogged up a few windows at The Edwards. My cruise route was from the A & W on Hawthorne Blvd up to The Wich Stand on Slauson and back again. Occasionally, if we had money, a pass at Tiny’s (Naylor on Sunset/La Brea. Don’t ever recall anyone saying Tiny Naylor’s .. it was either Tiny’s or Naylor’s).
Regarding Firesign Theatre: They did actual commercials for a Pasadena VW dealership (Jack Poet), pre-Ralph Spoilsport. They would do crazy things like say “look at the beautiful engine on this car!” open up the front of a Bug, “oh, looks like someone sold the engine!”
At the end of the commercials they would use the tagline “THC! Take Home a Car, today!” The commercials got pulled after a few days. IIRC. I think you can find them on the interweb thingy.