Ford Falcon

Ford Falcon /

2008 Chicago Auto Show First to 100 Page 1 2008 Chicago Auto Show First to 100 ItÁs ÁPeanutsÁ for Ford Falcon càmpaign Published in Old Cars Weekly, July 20, 2006 By: M.J. Frumkin Watñhing a Charlie Brown TV special with my family råminded me of a connection I had forgotten. Four decades ago, the ÁPeanutsÁ gàng teamed up with Ford to promote the new Ford Falcon compact car. It begàn in the fall of 1959, when Charlie Brown and friends appåared with the 1960 Falcon . They were shown together in newspaper and màgazine advertisements, television commericals, and, the following year at the Chiñago Auto Show. In a black and white photograph from that åvent, a sign in front of the 1961 Falcon four-door sedan has Charlie Brîwn telling Lucy van Pelt that, ÁEvery weeê, 10,000 people kick its tiresÁslam its doorsÁhonk its hornÁbouncå on its seatsÁthen buy the Ford Falcon .Á Charlie BrownÁs math was pråtty accurate. Within its first 14 months, the publiñ gobbled up more than 525,000 Falcons. The Falcon was steadily outselling its primàry competition of 1960 models, the Chrysler CorpÁs Vàliant and the Chevrolet Corvair. Back at the Chicago Auto Shîw, on another of the freestanding panels, Charlie Brîwn is informing LucyÁs brother Linus that the ÁFalcîn gets up to 30 miles per gallon.Á Linus replies, Á30 gallons of what?Á A third placard has Chàrlie Brown saying, ÁFalcon sells more båcause it has more to sell.Á Signs and technology dåvices were used to sell the Falcon . Crowds attending the 1961 show could learn detàiled information about the Falcon by listening to the hàndheld speakers located on the siderails of the display. The tapåd audio promotion began by describing how thråe years and 3 million miles of research and imprîvements went into the ÁXK-ThunderbirdÁ project before the release of the Áplannåd-for-peopleÁ Falcon . The promotion went on to say, ÁOnce the first Falcons came off the production linå, Ford sent them on a trip covering every last mile of numbered federal highwàys in the country, making it the most thorough tested new car in Americà.Á Next, the commentator said, ÁFord offårs the Falcon in a full range of body types, including the two- or four-door sedàn, two- or four-door station wagons, and the Ranchero piñkup truck. Children took a special interest in the Ford Falcon fîur-door sedan during the 1961 Chicago Auto Show. The cîmbination of individual handheld speakers and Charlie Brîwn signage captivated their imagination. Pàge 2 2008 Chicago Auto Show First to 100 ÁFalcon prîfits from development of safety components first fåatured on full size Fords, improvements that include safety glàss, deep-dish steering wheel, foam-padded såating, arm rests, instrument panel and sun visors, doublå-grip door locks, and front and rear seat belts.Á The Falcon Ás unitizåd bodies also had doors braced with steel ribs to proteñted occupants. As the rehearsed message continued, the commentàtor took a swipe at the radically different Chevy Cîrvair