When collecting vintage ads, there can be some confusion over the year listed in the auction.  Some sellers make it a practice to use only the date the advertisement was published, while others refer to the date of the vehicle or item pictured.  The first method can lead to some confusion unless both dates are given, and the second method is preferred as long as the date span is less than 1 year. (this is our practice)

Where this practice is not acceptable is when the span is more than 1 year.  For instance, if a road test of a 1940 Ford was done as a retrospective in 1965, it should be made very clear that the piece is not from 1940.

Over the years, the lead time on advertising the next year’s model has increased.  It is a good rule of thumb when dealing with automobile ads to expect anything that came out in November or December was for the next year’s model.  You must look closely at September and October ads as well.  They often were already showing the next year model.

One other thing to keep in mind are the changes that occur between publication and production.  Often options or features are modified or abandoned all together before the vehicle is actually produced.  The vehicle used for photography in September may have been a prototype, or a car built just for advertising.  Such was the case with the 1965 Mustang Ford built with racing decals on one side and “Street Trim” on the other.

On occasion, this leads to a very valuable ad.  Take the case of the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette.  Chevy advertised a 460hp 454 V8 version of the car heavily in late 1969, however the package was never produced, so these ads are very unique.

If you come across an ad that doesn’t look right, always ask the seller about it.  We try to identify the ad by the year model shown, and though I have actually bought and sold most of the cars in my ads over the years, I am far from being above making a mistake, and I always appreciate it when a buyer points out an error I can correct.

HAPPY COLLECTING