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Clarence Young Autohobby

Auto Dealer Promos

There are promos of everything from recordings to soap. The term "auto dealer" has to be added to fully clarify the subject at hand. Automobile manufacturers have long recognized the value of having small replicas of the full-size cars that they manufacture. At different times the purposes have been different, but the ultimate goal has always been to sell more cars. You will find truck line and bus line promos here as well.

Definition of "Dealer Promo"

Automobile dealer promos are, very simply, scale model replicas authorized by the respective manufacturers for use by their franchised dealers.

Descriptive Terms Used For Promos

Bank...Most promotional car banks feature both the coin slot and the access door underneath the car. The purpose of this is to prevent distraction from the appearance of the car.

Double click to enlarge.

Chip...A chip is a missing component of the body or body part of the model.

Double click to enlarge.

Coaster...A promo without any mechanicals is a coaster, a term coined by the promo manufacturers. There were several different coaster types over the years with varying types of chassis. The thing all coasters had in common was that they featured no mechanicals.

Detailed Chassis Type

Metal Chassis Type

Double click to enlarge.

Detailed...This means that a promo has been touched up with paint details. Sometimes factory original unpainted chrome will be painted silver or sometimes a parking light or headlight might be painted. Factory blackwall tires may have been painted white also. Shown here is a 53 Chrysler which has the headlights and parking lights detailed in white with the center emblem detailed in black and the tire sidewalls, originally in black, have been painted white.

Double click to enlarge.

Edge Edges...refers to the outer edges of a promo. There can be leading edges as found on the front of a promo. There can be side edges as found with a fin or rain drip rail. There can be trailing edges such as a fin tip. A model that has not been handled properly or has been played with might exhibit dents here in there in the edges. A really sharp model will have crisp edges without dents. The 57 Thunderbird shown features sharp trailing edges and fin tips.

Double click to enlarge.

Friction...A flywheel motor added some kid appeal, noise and action, to promotional cars. There were several different kinds of frictions over the years with varying types of chassis. The thing all frictions had in common was that they featured an axle with a gear wheel that connected to the flywheel inside.

Open Friction Type

Closed Friction Type

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A hairline crack...will be visible but will not display pronounced separation.

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An impact crack will display pronounced separation.

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A stress crack results from warpage (shrinkage) on some 50's promos.

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Johan smile...Many warping promos feature bodies on the front, which curl upward from the sides of the grills. The grills didn't warp (being made of styrene) so the bodies seem to be smiling above the grill. This happened primarily with Johan cars so...."the Johan smile."

Double click to enlarge.

Marks and scratches...A mark is a paint or body blemish which has minimal depth. A scratch is a paint or body blemish which has sufficient depth to be felt. Since the missing paint in the example shown cannot be felt, it is termed a "mark."

Double click to enlarge.

Melt damage can come from three primary sources: Type 1--chemical reaction damage and Type 2--original factory assembly heat tool damage and Type 3--random exposure to nearby heat source damage.

Heat tool damage... Promo parts were often sealed in place with a heat tool. If this tool was ever dropped and touched any part of the promo, heat tool damage resulted. A heat tool is similar to a wood burning tool. This item refers to Type 2.

Wheel melt...The high petroleum content of some promo tires tends to eat or "melt" the plastic hubs centered inside the tire resulting in the wheel cover melting away. The example shown is an example of Type 1.

Type 1

Type 2

Type 3

Double click to enlarge.

XX% paint...Most painted metal model cars have a tendency to chip. The estimated amount of paint remaining is expressed as a percentage.

Picture Coming

Radio version...Some 60's promos were offered as radio cars. Instead of the promo having a conventional interior, there was a speaker for the battery operated radio inside the shell of the promo. The picture shows the radio controls on the chassis underneath.

Double click to enlarge.

Retail trade version...This is the version of a dealer promotional model that was sold in toy or retail stores.

The "Promo" Debate

Retro promo...A model distributed by auto dealers which is out of production is termed a "retro promo." This term does not apply to models now out of production but which were in production when distributed.

Rub...This refers to two possible occurrences. 1..An unprotected car might jiggle in a box during movement, and as a result, the roof may be chafed or "rubbed." This can also occur on the sides of the body. 2..The preceding situation can also affect plated chrome parts and "rub" off the chrome plating revealing colored plastic underneath.

Double click to enlarge.

Slush-cast, cold-cast, cold metal and pot-metal...All these terms refer to promo models and retail trade toys manufactured from the 1920's through the 1950's. A mixture of metals was heated to molten temperatures and then poured into a mold. Once a thick enough crust had formed around the mold, the mold was upended and the remaining unhardened slush metal was poured back into the pot of molten metal. This dumping saved metal and kept the model from being a heavy, cumbersome solid object. The inner side of the finished model reveals a very grainy in texture.

Pot-metal refers to the melting pot. The mixture of metals varied tremendously according to whatever scrap metal was available.

Slush-casting was done with metals of the lowest melting temperatures thus the additional terms cold-casting and cold-cast.

This method of casting is not as precise as modern diecasting.

Double click to enlarge.

Stress Mark...Sometimes when plastic is bent and returns to shape, it stretches the plastic and leaves a mark that is lighter in color than the original color. Observe this at the top of the mirror in the photo.

Double click to enlarge.

Torsion Chassis...From 1958 through 1966 some Chrysler product dealer promos featured a working Torsion-Aire Ride suspension.

Johan Style

SMP Style Black Chassis

Double click to enlarge.

Warp...Plastic promos of the 50's were made of plastic that shrank. Not all their parts did this, thus, there was a resulting "warped" look. This happened in varying degrees. I rate warp on a scale of 0 to 10. A "0" means that no warp has occurred. A "10" means that the warp is severe. The car pictured is a 10. In 1961 AMT/SMP produced warping and non-warping promos. By 1962 all AMT/SMP cars were of the non-warping variety. Johan did not introduce non-warping promos until 1964.

Notice: My rating system is changing to Modest, Moderate and Considerable. The car shown features considerable warp.

Double click to enlarge.

Wide-Track Chassis...Some 59 and 60 Pontiac promos featured a chassis which demonstrated the narrow track of other cars and the wider track of Pontiacs. 59 Pontiacs with this feature are rare and the 59 chassis is distinctly different from the 60 chassis.

Double click to enlarge.

Wind-up...Some promos from the 50's had spring wind-up mechanisms used to propel them across the floor. The winder was attached and accessed from the underside of the car.

Double click to enlarge.

The "Promo" Debate

Promotional model cars prior to 1970 were generally distributed in two ways--by car dealers and by toy stores. Generally, the dealer cars were to be preferred as they appeared in accurate colors often with little extras, whereas, the retail trade versions were often done in generic colors and were somewhat cheapened for the little kid market. After 1970 (Johan still made frictions in 1970.) true promotional cars and retail trade versions became identical except for packaging.

There are some collectors who insist upon dealer cars only and would even go so far as to say that the retail trade cars are not promos. Others, don't seem to have a problem collecting both since both types came from the same molds.

There are no iron-clad rules with promos so exceptions are very common. There is one case (54 Chevy Belair 4-door sedan) where the tire-wheel combo on the dealer promo car is inaccurate and in one way less accurate than the toy store version! The debate goes on and it is one of many facets of the hobby that makes the hobby interesting.

Historical Eras of Auto Dealer Promotionals

Further comments are below this table.

1920's	Pressed steel	Buddy-L	24 International
1920's	Paper on wood	Birchcraft	24 Chevrolet
1920's	Cast iron	Arcade	24 Mack
1920's	Diecast metal	Tootsietoy	29 Ford
1930's	Diecast metal	Tootsietoy	32 Graham
1930's	Cast iron	Arcade	32 Graham
1930's	Pressed steel	Cor Cor	32 Graham
1930's	Rubber	Firestone	36 Ford
1930's	Slush cast metal	National Products	34 Studebaker
1940's	Diecast metal	Strait Manufacturing	40 Mercury
1940's	Slush cast metal	Banthrico	49 Chevrolet
1940's	Plastic	Product Miniature	47 International
1940's	Aluminum	Aluminum Model Toys	46 Ford
1950's	Sand cast metal	Smith Miller	50 Mack
1950's	Slush cast metal	Mastercaster	51 Hudson
1950's	Plastic	AMT	58 Edsel
1960-80's	Diecast metal	Eska	62 International
1960-80's	Plastic	MPC	66 Dodge
1960-80's	Pressed steel	Nylint	63 Ford truck
1960-80's	Pewter	Unknown	87 Cadillac
1990's	Diecast metal	Brookfield	93 Dodge
1990's	Plastic	AMT/Ertl	92 Chevrolet
2000's	Plastic	Revell	2000 Corvette
2000's	Diecast Metal	Maisto	2000 Buick

In the 40's and lingering on into the 50's, color was a major reason for the promo's existence. Full-sized cars were in short supply and promo models could help potential buyers visualize the color they were ordering. In a way, these promos were 3-D color chips.

In the early 50's promotional cars as coin banks were popular with Banthrico being the major producer. Action models with friction flywheels and wind-ups motors and remote control versions enjoyed some popularity in this era also. The new 58 Edsel had a "Road-Check" advertising program which promoted people coming into the dealership and trying out the new Edsel. After a test drive, the participant would receive a scale model of this fascinating car. In the 50's promo models were in the showroom on the dates that the new model year car debuted thus maximizing their promotional value.

In the 90's the promotional car almost ceased to be any longer "promotional." The promos of the era just became another collectible. The reason that this statement can be made is that many "promos" weren't distributed until late in the model year or even after the model year was over thus negating their promotional value.

In the early 2000's few promotional models were being made. The promo collector had to shift gears to stay up with the times. The retail diecast market provided current cars that looked just like the promos of the 1990's. In a way the 80-year era of the dealership promo had passed away. On the other hand, if the goal during that "promo era" had been simply to collect accurate replicas of the real thing, then lots of model cars were to be found of the new cars just hitting the highways.

Childhood Stories

Clarence Young, age 9, proudly displays a promo Cadillac.

Back in the 50's when I was growing up, my dad went to see all the new cars as soon as they were introduced. Naturally, I went along and learned to love cars.

The New 55 Ford When we went to the unveiling of the new 55 Ford, it was truly exciting. This car was so much flashier than the previous years. And, wow, the dealer had a display case with all kinds and colors of the new 55 promos. No, those were only for display, but the parts department had similar ones FOR SALE! I went home with a new black Ford Fairlane convertible. Such a small thing, but a day so happy for me that I remember it still. I had a NEW FORD for a whole year. My childhood goal then became not only getting new promos every year, but getting them on introduction day. It only happened a few other times, but was always a joyous event. I still have that boyish love for cars.

Here is my original collection taken sometime in 1958. The only one of these that I still have, is the 53-55 International pickup that you see back near the white horse. Click on the picture to enlarge.

New Car Season From my birth through October, 1958, I spent my summers in a rural part of Pennsylvania. We lived, however, on US Route 22, a major thoroughfare to New York City. I always kept a keen eye towards the highway. There were all kinds of wonderful cars to see and license plates to spot. But in early August the real emphasis was towards the car carriers. I took pride in spotting lots of new cars well before introduction day. Each new car spotted and identified was a thrill that lasted until another load of new cars passed by.

New 55 Chevy New car introduction days were exciting times not just for kids, but whole families. The day before the new 55 Chevy came out, we viewed a tantalizing advertisement for the new Chevy in the evening paper. It was so exciting to my dad that he loaded up the family and we went for a ride to the Chevy dealer hoping to see the new Chevy. But, no luck. The dealer's windows were all covered with paper. We would have to wait. The next afternoon after school, my dad, my brother and I went back to the dealer to see it and it was worth the wait. That Chevy was radical! Now that I reflect on all this, I understand why all the excitement even for adults. Twenty years before most people were driving Model A Fords and similar cars. Thirty years before they were driving Model T Fords. By the way, I didn't get my promo until the summer of 55--a long, long wait.

The End of the Original Collection

At some point in my teenage years, I came across a classified ad of someone wanting to purchase promo cars. I wrote the advertiser and we struck a deal at $2 a car plus shipping COD. The collection of around 150 cars was shipped from North Carolina to California. Being young and stupid I put the cars in two boxes and shipped them to him. I didn't wrap them or anything. It never occurred to me that the post office would not handle the box as carefully as I would. A week later I got an irate letter from the purchaser. He had received one box and the cars were damaged. He received the second box on the second day and refused it. I felt really terrible about this event and it shaped something within me. I think today that the reason that I over package is to compensate for this event long ago. Also, I give nitpicking descriptions to avoid someone "yelling" at me for not describing accurately.

The second box was returned and indeed the cars were damaged. This was also hurtful as my little cars had been pretty well kept. And, it was mostly my fault that they were now damaged.. The box was put away and forgotten until my senior year in college. In that year my parents bought a small farm with plans to move there. To facilitate the move, I was encouraged to deal with my things. I donated the remaining cars to a handicapped school in the area.

The International pickup, sole survivor of my original collection, was spared all of this turmoil because it was a different scale from the cars. It was packed away separately and forgotten until the mid 70's when I found it one cold winter day up in the attic. Therein is another story for another time.

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Clarence Young Autohobby PO Box 2021, Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-5243 828-768-5243 Contact.. Autohobby@surfbest.net Your comments and suggestions welcomed. PAYPAL DISCOVER MASTERCARD VISA