The car business is a multi-trillion dollar industry with stiff competition. This leads to some hilariously desperate attempts to draw buyers into the showrooms.
We've seen some painfully bad marketing ploys from Lincoln over the past few years, but it's hard to top what Chrysler did for Imperial back int he '60s. Back then, Cadillac absolutely dominated the luxury market, despite some competition from the stylish Lincoln Continental. Imperial was Chrysler's luxury brand and despite being a well built, sturdy car, it was a distant third in sales.
Maybe that's why Imperial ran organized tours of foreign countries for sophisticated buyers back in 1965. There was the Chateau Tour of northwest France, the Riviera Tour of France's south, and the "Oriental Rendezvous" of Japan (advertising picture above). That smacks of desperation to me.
What do you think is the most laughably, depressingly foolish attempt to get car buyers?
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Photo Credit: Imperial via OldCarBrochures