Wanna buy a used F-4? Go see Cal. (nsfw)

[trof]

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[trof]

1. OK, you probably don't know who the hell Cal Worthington was.

Calvin Coolidge "Cal" Worthington (November 27, 1920 – September 8, 2013) was an American car dealer, best known on the West Coast of the United States, and to a more limited extent elsewhere, from minor appearances and parodies in a number of movies. He was best known for his unique radio and television advertisements for the Worthington Dealership Group. In these advertisements, he was usually joined by "his dog Spot," except that "Spot" was never a dog. Often, Spot was a tiger, a seal, an elephant, a chimpanzee, or a bear. In one ad, "Spot" was a hippopotamus, which Worthington rode in the commercial. On some occasions, "Spot" was a vehicle, such as an airplane that Worthington would be seen standing atop the wings of while airborne. "Spot" was officially retired in the mid-1980s; however he was mentioned occasionally in his later commercials.

According to a profile published in the Sacramento Bee in 1990, Worthington grossed $316.8 million in 1988, making him at the time the largest single owner of a car dealership chain. His advertising agency, named Spot Advertising, had Worthington as its only client and spent $15 million on commercials, the most of any auto dealer at the time. He sold automobiles from 1945 until his death and owned a 24,000-acre (9,700 ha; 38 sq mi) ranch located in Orland, California, north of Sacramento.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Worthington

[Aristus]

2. We got his commercials all the time up here in Washington.

He must have been as crooked as Spot's hind leg, because after the state attorney general cleaned house on the car dealerships in the 90's, Worthington's dealerships disappeared from The Evergreen State, and his commercials vanished from TV broadcasts.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. I grew up in L.A.

I know who he was and his "dog" Spot.

[LWolf]

13. Yep.

I didn't even watch the clip, and I've got "go see cal, go see cal, go see cal" now stuck in my head.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. There was Cal Worthington and his dog spot

the latter that was usually some kind of exotic animal. I think it was a take off on his rival car dealer, Ralph Williams who had a German Shepherd in his commercials who would pose on used cars and who was made fun of by Johnny Carson for being everywhere on TV when Johnny came out to the west coast. And I think both of them were mocking Fletcher Jones used cars who advertised a lot. He usually had a small dog wrapped around his neck that he cradled like a would be lover on his commercials.

[Capt.Rocky300]

3. Now, THIS................

is fucking excellent! Gotta send it to some Phantom buddies of mine. Hell, I'll send it to my A4 Navy buddies too. All of them that have seen the light and are Bernie supporters now. Anyway.......

Growing up in SoCal, the real Cal was part of the tv landscape. I had some contact with him in the mid '60's when I was a line boy at the local airport where he kept his plane. I used to put fuel in it and chat with him a little. For all the money he made he owned a rather modest little Piper Pacer that he didn't even keep hangered. He flew it only on rare occasions. He was always very friendly and polite.

I remember back sometime in the early '70's one of his former sales managers wrote an article for "Playboy" revealing how he operated as well as other dealers. It was a real eye opener. And I'm not talking about the girls on the pages in between. Can't remember any of it but I wondered how he got away with it for so long.

He even had a dealership in Anchorage when I lived there later in the '70's.

Thanks for posting.

[CanSocDem]

11. In the days of BUYER BEWARE...

...before 'somebody' thought that consumers should have some protection, car lots could get away with selling all forms of junk. Thanks to the consumer activist who cannot be named on DU, the mass marketing of unsafe vehicles came under some scrutiny and that particular market strategy died.

I remember an article from that time, profiling car salesmen from one of those big lots in SoCal. It seemed to be near the end of the 'good times' and the sales people would be eyeing potential buyers as they took the exit off the freeway. If they turned towards the car lot, the entire sales force went on high alert. If they actually stopped, you know they weren't going to leave without another car.

I spent a lot of time watching late nite movies and ol' Cal was as familiar as an old uncle. Glad to hear he was human.


.

[amerikat]

5. Cal is real americana.

The genuine stuff. I hate capitalism as much as the next guy and these folks bring the outrage to a new level.

[amerikat]

6. And I have enough F-4 tape to keep these babies flying for years.

Really I do!

[amerikat]

7. Cal commercial.. must see to get the full flavor.

[Kali]

8. we had (still do?) Tex Earnhardt

"That ain't no bull"

[Joe Shlabotnik]

9. Not in the market for an F-4 at the moment,

But I've always wanted to find a PBR to restore and boot around in lake Ontario in. Apparently they are almost impossible to find as they weren't worth bringing back.

[BarbaRosa]

12. Oh great, now I've got the earworm.

If you want a better car, go see Cal. . .

[deutsey]

14. Marking to see later...If this is a reference to Cal Worthington

that brings back memories of living in Long Beach, CA, back in the early '70s.

Man, thinking back on that time, it was like we were living on another planet.

[Blue_Tires]

15. Only if it's an F-4G Wild Weasel V

Those hold their value better than the other variants....

[trof]

16. Flew with one of the Wild Weasel pilots in the ALANG.

He had some TALES to tell.
Also some cassette recordings of intercom on some missions that were just mind blowing.
Those guys had some balls.

[Skittles]

17. I remember Cal

he was crazy hot

[denbot]

18. Grew up, and still live in the L.A. area.

Cal's commercials are so ingrained I feel he's as familiar as an Uncle. Had a co-worker who bought a car from one of his lots during the 70's.

It wasn't a good experience..