Cal Worthington ... Dies

[APACHERAT]

No comment is needed.

>" Cal Worthington, who built a fortune from a series of West Coast car dealerships and became a TV fixture thanks to commercials urging customers to "go see Cal," has died. He was 92.

Dave Karalis, general manager of Cal Worthington Ford in Long Beach, says Worthington died Sunday after watching football with family at his Big W Ranch in Orland, Calif., north of Sacramento. No cause of death was released.

The Oklahoma native founded his first dealership in the late 1940s in Southern California.

As his business empire grew to other western states and Alaska, Worthington starred in a series of TV and radio spots.

The ads featured his "dog" Spot, with animals ranging from tigers to elephants..."<

Cal Worthington, Car Dealer Famed for TV Ads, Dies - ABC News

 

[GottaGo]

I remember seeing him on the commercials during my visits to California.

Sort of the iconic car salesman... :lol:

 

[APACHERAT]

I remember seeing him on the commercials during my visits to California.

Sort of the iconic car salesman... :lol:

I grew up watching Cal and his dog Spot.

 

[head of joaquin]

Oh man, I loved Cal. He brought irony to the dreary world of car commercials. I loved it when one of his dogs Spot was a hippo. Where in God's name did you get a hippo?

Nobody could describe a hemi engine was as much verve as Cal.

 

[ItAin'tFree]

When I lived in El Paso we got some of the LA stations. Cal and his "dog" spot was always good for a laugh.

Tow it away.

 

[APACHERAT]

Oh man, I loved Cal. He brought irony to the dreary world of car commercials. I loved it when one of his dogs Spot was a hippo. Where in God's name did you get a hippo?

Nobody could describe a hemi engine was as much verve as Cal.

I remember Cal's first dog named Spot. It was a German Shepard.

As for the hippo, it's obvious he found it on the "West Side." There are still a lot of hippos to be found on the West Side of L.A. :lol:

The 426 Hemi. Good old Yankee engineering.

 

[polgara]

No comment is needed.

>" Cal Worthington, who built a fortune from a series of West Coast car dealerships and became a TV fixture thanks to commercials urging customers to "go see Cal," has died. He was 92.

Dave Karalis, general manager of Cal Worthington Ford in Long Beach, says Worthington died Sunday after watching football with family at his Big W Ranch in Orland, Calif., north of Sacramento. No cause of death was released.

The Oklahoma native founded his first dealership in the late 1940s in Southern California.

As his business empire grew to other western states and Alaska, Worthington starred in a series of TV and radio spots.

The ads featured his "dog" Spot, with animals ranging from tigers to elephants..."<

Cal Worthington, Car Dealer Famed for TV Ads, Dies - ABC News

Good afternoon, APACHERAT. :2wave:

That man sounds like he believed that life is a lot of fun! :thumbs: And here I am, living in NE Ohio! It figures. :lamo: RIP, Cal!

 

[Grim17]

 

[APACHERAT]

Good afternoon, APACHERAT. :2wave:

That man sounds like he believed that life is a lot of fun! :thumbs: And here I am, living in NE Ohio! It figures. :lamo: RIP, Cal!

Hay Polgara, good afternoon. :2wave:

Cal Worthington was responsible for keeping television on the air after the last prime time program was aired at night. He advertised on late night television and during the day time on the weekends.

There were tens of millions on the west coast who grew up watching Cal and his numerous dogs named "Spot." Hippos, elephants, monkeys, outrages, etc. selling cars on television.

There were a few others during the early days of television on the west coast. I forget his name but he owned the largest Ford dealership on the west coast and was the first to have his German Shepard dog with him. Then their was the Latino American with the pencil mustache who owned the Felix Chevrolet dealership just west of downtown L.A. You couldn't miss the big neon sign of Felix the Cat as you drove down the Harbor freeway.

When the invasion from south of the border was in full swing, illegal aliens needed cars so during the 80's numerous used car dealerships sprung up to cater to the illegal alien population. Instead of using "Spot" they had hot Latina's showing a lot of skin and cleavage selling used cars on Spanish language television.

Then there was the Earl Schieb commercials.
"I'll paint any car any color for just 29.95, no ups, no downs and no extras."