Cars are sensationally expensive items that, unlike houses, begin to lose
value the moment you take possession of them. It's for that reason that car
advertisers try so very hard to distract you with comedy, mystery, and sheer
elan. Here are the six tiny epics that entertained us the most:
1. RAV 4: With
a domestic rivalry that takes the marital mayhem of 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' and
multiplies it by the conjugal chaos of 'Wars of the Roses' the advertisers
trying to sell you a Rav 4 are almost too convincing in their contention
that the surprisingly spacious school run staple (leggy Broadway star Leigh
Zimmerman manages to squeeze into one, for example) is so desirable that it
will destroy your marriage.
Click here for the video
Read
a review of the Rav 4
2. Mercedes E-Class:
More potential divorce proceedings are conjured up in praise of the Mercedes
E-Class. The car that Jeremy Clarkson described as 'preposterously fast' is
also it seems, like its compatriot Michael Schumacher, a master in the wet.
Click here for the video
Read
a review of the Mercedes E-class
3. Honda Accord:
Honda went with a rather different aesthetic for their much-loved
'Rube Goldberg' commercial for the Honda Accord. Fans of the classic
boadgame Mousetrap found the advert irresistible. Jeremy Clarkson put the
finished car in his 10 ugliest cars of all time (Along with 37 others). When
it's in pieces though, we love it.
Click here for the video
Read
Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Accord
4. Citroen C4:
With its Jacques Lu Cont music and so-retro-it's-now Transformer chic
the Citroen C4 ad is the car ad that all other ads want to be. It's
generated countless spinoffs (and arguably prepared the ground for Michael
Bay's Transformers feature film this summer) and is the car ad that makes
even non-drivers think about buying a rapidly-depreciating chunk of metal.
Click here for the video
Read
Jeremy Clarkson's review of the C4
5. Skoda Octavia 4x4:
The Skoda Octavia ad is one of those pieces of film that makes you
think so hard about how it was done that you tend to forget what it's about.
Apparently it's a hybrid 4x4 and family saloon or something, but we're just
wondering how that tubby chap got so bendy.
Click here for the video
Read
Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Octavia
6. Skoda Fabia: Go
on, admit it, you want a car made of cake don't you? If the wicked witch
that lived in a gingerbread cottage owned a car, she'd drive a Skoda. Made
of sponge. With jelly lights.
Click here for the video
Read
Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Fabia
For some truly wondrous vintage car commercials we recommend you take a look
at TV Party.com, who have some curiosities from the 1950s that are
comfortably the match of today's CGI creations in ingenuity, creativity, and
sheer silliness.
Click here for the videos
We've shown you our super six: If you have a particular favourite ad that
we've missed let us know in the form below and we'll try to find the video
and add the link.
Here are some of the commercials you have recommended so far:
Robin, Dubai recommends this VW
Jetta ad
Chris from Watford likes The
Impossible Dream from Honda
Subin B. Paul, London is a fan of that
classic Renault Clio commercial
JJ, London recommends this Golf
GTI ad
Ihsan, KL, Malaysia recommends Guy
Richie's BMW M5 epic starring with Madonna
Rob, West Mids, recommends this crazy
Citroen CX commercial apparently. Is this the one you meant Rob?
Parental advisory: Zaid, London, England likes this ad for the
Peugeot 207
Queron Flower in Bristol likes this
classic Peugeot 206 commercial
Amy in London likes Gene Kelly's new moves in this
recent Golf ad
Keep them coming.
How about "we used to have one like that" in the volvo ad.
John, Wilmslow, Cheshire
My all time favourite car ad was "The professionals" send up for the Nissan Almera. I'd love to see that
one again! "litter makes the car look good"
John A keane, Manchester, Lancashire
VW Beetle. 'Snowplough'. Although shot over 40 years ago, few car commercials have approached this for simplicity and for perfect communication.
Nigel S, Maupertus sur Mer, France
What about the Human league Fiat Punto ad? the filling sattion and the brummie accent!
Andrew Porter, Cookstown, Northern Ireland
The Audi "not my style - Taxi" is the greatest car ad of all time. Pity you cannot locate a link for it!
John O'Connell, Dublin, Ireland,
Another vote for the b&w Audi A4 "Tell Charles I'm on my way" advert. Also, Fiat's ad for the Coupe ("In Italy, no-one grows up wanting to be a train driver", or something like that) and the "Audi RS4 - A Unique Sound" advert which I've only ever seen on YouTube.
Stelios, London,
The Audi ad from 10+ years ago, shot black and white during a test drive where the driver says the immortal words at the end 'Not really my style, know what I mean - Taxi!' Genius.
John Lacy, Weybridge, Surrey
the peurgot ad when they use an elephant to make an old indian car look like the new peurgot one, cool music as well.
anthony ventre, paris, france
Any of the Barry Crump adverts for the Toyota Hilux filmed in
New Zealand in the 90's. These are the classics and as we know the Hilux will stand up to anything.
Jeff Baird, Angmering, West Sussex
Honda again!
The "Honda Choir" making the sounds of the Honda Civic. Like most of the other Honda ads, it's pure genius.
Nicky Butler, London, UK
What a bout the Golf 'Singing in the rain ad'?!
Dan, Manchester,
Don't s'pose it was technically a car commercial but I loved the "Hate Something, Change Something" Honda ad for their diesel engines. The tune was so hooky I'd be humming it at work for days, much to the huge irritation of my colleagues. An added bonus. All together now "hate something, change something, make something betterrrrrrrrrr!!!"
Jane, Birmingham, West Midlands
The new Ford Mondeo ad is definitely worth a shout - I find it strangely moving watching cars floating over London. The music from Donnie Darko fits it perfectly as well.
Michael Hines, Manchester,
I really liked the peugeot ad in india where a v old peugeot is 'hammered' into the current model using various whacky techniques. great soundtrack.
queron flower, bristol, uk
The C4 advert has from the first reminded me of the opening of Terminator 2 - the War of the Machines - where the machines loom over the humans dealing out death and where the foot of one of them suddenly crushes one of the skulls littering the post-Armageddon landscape. Oddly enough I’ve never found myself wanting to buy a C4.
Bob T, London , UK
How about the Golf advert with Gene Kelly Singing in the Rain?
Amy, London,
Got to be the 5 minute long Ford Capri ad from the 70's with Martin Shaw from the Professionals. Or the Ronnie Barker ads for the Austin Princess from the same era. They don't make em like that anymore. Except for the Honda one with the bloke who looks like he's from the 70's driving along to the Andy Williams song - recorded in the 70's. I love the 70's...
Disco Stu, London,
My favourite's the current ad for the Alfa Spyder. It's not witty, or clever, it's just a beautiful car, beautifully shot, with a beautiful sound track. And it does what a car commercial is supposed to do: it makes you want to sell your children into slavery in order to buy one.
(Although I did always rather fancy that posh-totty wife the Renault 25 man had...)
Richard Cole, Haslemere, Surrey,
For me the 1995 advert for the Peugeot 406 was unrivalled. The soundtrack came from M People and it showed some of an average person's thoguhts each day.
Particularly poignant was the man saving the little girl from being run over by a truck.
The way the commercial was shot and the music used made this, for me, the best car ad ever.
Adrian M Lee, Old Harlow, Essex
I'd splurge for the "Transformer" option to be able and get up and walk OVER the traffic jams.
Duane Nason, London,
The VW add where the shopping trolley almost hits his car but the owner flies out of nowhere to save his paintwork. Had me in stitches every time.
Robin , Dubai,
The Impossible Dream by Honda. Soichiro would be applauding in his grave...
Chris, Watford,
There was a geat Audi advert for the first A4 where a 'city type' went for a test drive and was seen to be doing different things being fairly lecherous, loud and generally dislikeable.
Taking the car back to the dealer he's asked what he thought.."nah, not really my style" before shouting for a taxi..
Classic!
Would love to see it again.
Simon, Manchester, UK
England vs. France Ad by Annelise Hesme for Renault Clio.
Subin B. Paul, London, UK
Anther great one: The Great Pretender for Golf GTI
You needn't be a sad loser who wears magenta suits. You needn't crack jokes that nobody laughs at. What you do need is the Golf GTI. Poignant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0e-k1-8qRU
JJ, London,
These really are the only reason to watch the telly these days. As budgets plummet (to free up more money for executive bonuses) the TV is filled with 'real' (ie cheap) people and fewer & fewer big budget quality shows are aired - If it weren't for that Citroen ad I'd have eBayed my set long ago
Mikey, Bromley, Kent
bmw m5 with madonna in it. directed by guy ritchie.
citroen with a girl name nicole..
ihsan, KL, Malaysia
How about the Peugeot 207 ad ..the one with 2 lady bugs!
Zaid, London, England
Funny ad for Peugeot 106 during french ad run in the 90s where the whole idea was about would a woman (as the 106 was only for women!!) let her husband borrow her car.
One of the ads was in a firing range, two women pistol shooting
very funny
Gef Smith, Colmar, France
Citroen CX video with Grace Jones!
Rob, West Mids, UK
It wasn't a video, It was a poster.
There was an MG parked by a river on a sunny day with no one about, just a jacket lying on the ground by the door.
The simple caption.
"You can do it in an MG"
I always wondered if the small print added the essential detail ... but only if you put it in reverse and let the handbrake off
Pete, Edinburgh,