Mopar Flashback Friday: I Built a Dodge…I Built a Dodge!

This week’s Mopar Flashback Friday takes us back to 1956, with a classic marketing video which showcases the Dodge Lancer. This video is very unlike any modern car commercial, as it is more than two minutes long, it doesn’t actually mention the name of any vehicles and it has a unique theme song that makes it more like a short musical production than a long commercial.

1956 Dodge Lancer

Making this promotional video even more unusual when comparing it to modern commercials, the first mention of the Dodge brand is 37 seconds into the video,the first car is shown a minute and 17 seconds into the clip and the first clear Dodge badging comes at the 1:38 mark. Today, all of the information in the average car commercial is jammed into 30 or 60 seconds.

The video begins with footage of raw, liquid steel being poured and turned into flat, pressed steel. Amidst a collection of action shots from inside a 1950s automobile factory, the announcers introduction is joined by the dramatic theme song that plays a big part in this vintage Dodge commercial being so cool. As the footage continues, we see workers assembling a dashboard followed by teams of welders at work and a mechanic putting together the top end of an engine. More than halfway through the video, the complete car lowers into view, at which point we can see the rear end of a 1956 Dodge Lancer.

1956 Dodge Lancer Engine

Towards the end of the video, we see the 1956 Dodge roll off of the assembly line, followed by footage of a sedan, convertible and coupe cruising on the open road. As we watch the 1956 Dodge lineup roll down the highway, the song reaches its triumphant crescendo:

“I took me a press
I took me some steel
I took my two hands
and build an automobile!
I built a Dodge.
I built a Dodge!”

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

 

 

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