We’ve all seen those crazy marketing cars that get built from time to time – think of the Red Bull Volkswagen Beetles, with a giant ‘can’ of the drink perched on their roofs, or the Outspan Orange-mobile of the 1970s – based on a classic Mini, it had a tiny turning circle, but was quite prone to rolling over.
But if you think using custom-built automobiles to sell wholly car-unrelated products is the invention of the modern marketing mind, then you’d be wrong. Apparently these unusual creations have a history stretching back more than 100 years.
Luckily, for fans of such outlandish vehicles, author James Hale has collated many of the best examples into a new book, called The Wonderful Wacky World of Marketingmobiles. Filled with illustrations, it shows off all manner of bespoke advertising motors.
The Cadbury’s Creme Egg-mobile is the cover star, a ludicrous creation commissioned in the later 1980s and based on an old Bedford Rascal van… with Citroën 2CV lights just for good measure.
So if you’ve ever wanted to see a police car transformed into a Zippo lighter, a three-wheeler shaped like a huge stiletto high heel or one of the infamous hot dog ‘Wienermobiles’ (no, we’re not kidding, that’s what they were called), this book is for you.
You can order the e-book using the ISBN 9781845847333, or its print equivalent with ISBN 9781845840037, and it should cost around €10.