British Car Advertising of the 1960s

Heon Stevenson has written for several classic car magazines. He is an Individual Friend of the History of Advertising Trust. He lives in Cambridge, England.

“meticulously researched and well presented...fascinating...detailed”—Classic Car Mart; “extremely scholarly work...an amazing piece of scholarship”—The Automobile; “informative...a good book”—Classics Monthly; “what a brilliant book!...fabulous”—Classic Cars; “Stevenson flexes historical muscle”—Old Cars Weekly; “gives great insight into the world of selling cars via the printed page...enlightening”—The Sacred Octagon; “fascinating...thorough...well illustrated...thoroughly and impartially recommended”—Newsletter of the History of Advertising Trust; “a book of the richest scholarship, most engagingly presented...a veritable trip down memory lane...desirable and entertaining”—The Flying Lady; “this exhaustive work appears to be a unique look at an important advertising category and is worth the price of admission”—SpeedReaders.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments     Preface      Introduction      Part One—Family Marques: Engines of an Industry1. Austin: “You invest in an Austin”      2. Ford: “Made with care by Ford of Britain”      3. Hillman: “A better buy because it's better built!”      4. Morris: “People feel strong about Morris”      5. Reliant: “Make your family self-reliant”      6. Singer: “Motoring’s most elegant experience”      7. Standard: “There’s a real V.I.P. car”      8. Vauxhall: “Everyone drives better in a Vauxhall”      Part Two—Luxury and Sporting Marques: Aspiration and Escape9. The “Bond Bombshell” and Other Specialists      10. Aston Martin and Lagonda: “Body beautiful (with a nature to match)”      11. Bentley: “Take a Bentley into partnership”      12. Daimler: “Prestige motoring in the modern manner”      13. Humber: “Luxury with a capital H”      14. Jaguar: “Grace…Space…Pace”      15. Jensen: “Pianissimo power”      16. MG: “Safety Fast!”      17. Riley: “Riley for Magnificent Motoring”      18. Rolls-Royce: “The Best Car in the World”      19. Rover: “One of the world's best engineered cars”      20. (Reliant) Scimitar: “Join the GTE set!”      21. Sunbeam: “For people with a ZEST for living”      22. Triumph: “Triumph put in what the others leave out”      23. Vanden Plas: “Prestige without ostentation”      24. Wolseley: “Buy wisely—buy Wolseley”      Part Three—Imported Marques: Britain Embraces the World25. Volkswagen, Renault and Citroën: Special Cases      26. Alfa Romeo to Wartburg: Importers Spread Their Wings      Conclusion      Appendices1. Year Letter Suffixes of Car Number (License) Plates      2. United Kingdom Purchase Tax Rates for Four-Wheeled Passenger Cars      3. The Value of the Pound 1958–1970 (2001)       4. The Value of the U.S. Dollar Against the Pound: Exchange Rates (1958–1970)      5. UK Car Production, Registrations, Exports and Imports (1958–1970)      6. Imports of Cars from Selected Countries (1958–1973)      7. Exports of Cars to Selected Markets (1958–1970)      8. Leading Automotive Advertisers (January–May 1968)      9. Division of Advertising Expenditure by Media Category (January–May 1968)      10. Car Manufacturers’ and Importers’ Advertising Agencies (1958–1970)      11. Contemporary Estimates of Advertising Expenditures by Marque and Model      12. Ages and Incomes of Owners of New Fords (1963)      Notes      Bibliography      Index