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tlake Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2018 Posts: 27 Location: WA
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Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:08 pm Post subject: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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This commercial had the daughter of Fay Wray, the actress who played the same heroine role in the famous 1933 King Kong movie.
Apparently the commercial wasn't shown much back in the day, because all that registered with viewers was King Kong, not the 411
1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21474 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Fabulous! Thank you for posting this!
Ray |
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Pepperbilly Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2017 Posts: 971 Location: Seattle, Wa
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Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:13 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Thanks for posting! I remember also a 411/412 commercial where one or two were circling a high speed banked track. Anybody have that one?
Bill |
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tlake Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2018 Posts: 27 Location: WA
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Is this it
1973 412 TV commercial |
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Pepperbilly Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2017 Posts: 971 Location: Seattle, Wa
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2020 7:52 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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tlake,
Yep, that’s it! Not quite a banked test track but you know how memories are. Luxury automatic but funny thing is the close up of the gear selector shows the driver apparently jamming it into 1st while driving!!! This is a wonderful 412 ad because it shows the cars in action. Love it!
Bill |
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tlake Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2018 Posts: 27 Location: WA
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:08 am Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Pepperbilly wrote: |
tlake,
Yep, that’s it! Not quite a banked test track but you know how memories are. Luxury automatic but funny thing is the close up of the gear selector shows the driver apparently jamming it into 1st while driving!!! This is a wonderful 412 ad because it shows the cars in action. Love it!
Bill |
Yes, I know about the memory playing tricks. I also noticed the stick shifted way back. 1st was good for 35 mph, so it might have been done on the slow corners.
A fully automatic automatic was something the Citroen DS didn't have, nor the NSU Ro80, or even the Porsche 911 BMWs continued to have a trunklid automatic badge until the late '70s. Automatic was certainly something special in Europe.
At around 180 in long, no manual choke, a real automatic and comfy room for 4, the 411/412 were ahead of their time. Really, the midsize car of the '80s.
This appreciative comment on the video says it all:
"I had a amazing 74 412 Coupe in that wonderful silver blue metallic color. man I loved that car. The gas heater was the finest invention ever keeping those Chicago winters cozy. Never skidded on snow once with that car. Loved doing the 5 hour drives from Chicago to SIU back in the mid 70's on the interstate. What a great highway car too."
Running right they weren't slow cars, even with automatic. You would need a Mercedes 300TD to match an automatic 411/412. |
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Pepperbilly Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2017 Posts: 971 Location: Seattle, Wa
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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tlake,
I totally agree! Stick or automatic... these were fun, spirited cars to drive when everything worked right.
Bill |
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Chris Walden Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2010 Posts: 143 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:57 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Hee hee.. indeed "when everything worked right". Had my first one, a ten year old '73 two door, not been such a marvelous car I probably would not have subsequently purchased the other two royal pains in search of the same bliss. And this back in the day when they weren't just a hobby, but needed transportation! Now having just watched several of the you tube type 4 videos that followed tlake's videos really makes me want another one (wife says no). Not sure why the styling was so galvanizing. I loved both the original and Brook Stevens update.
Chris |
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tlake Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2018 Posts: 27 Location: WA
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:06 am Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Chris,
I have been thinking the same thing concerning the styling. It really doesn't look that unusual next to other imports of the day, like the Saab 99, Peugeot 504, Volvo 1800ES sport wagon or BMW 2002. All I can say is that people were used to Valiants and Novas, and hatchbacks or cars that resembled hatchbacks, hadn't really started yet. I like the color of the sedan in the 1973 commercial.
The flipside to the 412's styling reception, was that at the same time people were going nuts over the Volvo 1800ES, with the West Coast distributor ordering all 1800s in that wagon configuration in 1972 |
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Chris Walden Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2010 Posts: 143 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: 1972 King Kong 411 TV commercial |
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Yeah, I always likened the styling to the Saab 99's. So, too sophisticated for the traditional V dubber? Not sophisticated enough for everyone else? My memory may be flawed, but wasn't the rumored new VW in the states supposed to have been the K70? What ever the case a lot of people missed out. As I have stated in this forum before the two door (with, as the T4-isti among us knows, 4 spd. and front/rear sway bars) was as rewarding to drive as my previous BMW 2002's. In the end though, and having nothing to do with dismal sales, its real achilles heel was its propensity to rust out before your very eyes.
Chris |
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