The role of car brochures has diminished in recent decades as the internet provides more detailed information, but they remain a touchstone for many drivers. How can advertising agencies mainly stay relevant when their product is obsolete?
Despite developing two other digital archives, the Old Car Manual Project remains the finest comprehensive collection of marketing materials for American automobiles.
True, the Old Car Brochures and Old Car Advertisements websites lack some of the features in the Antique Automobile Club of America’s digital library, such as sharing uploaded content through social media.
Foreign automakers aren’t covered by the Old Car websites unless their goods are associated with a domestic manufacturer. You’ll need to check out the Automotive History Preservation Society’s more extensive but narrower coverage for imports.
On the bright side, the Old Car websites usually have a wider selection of resources for the automakers they cover. They also offer a repair handbook collection. In addition, the Old Car Brochures website has information from Canadian, Mexican, Australian, and New Zealand manufacturers.
Old Car Brochures has recently had technological challenges, such as broken connections. Because the organization is handled entirely by volunteers and not for profit, I suppose these issues have persisted.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the website, Webmaster Rusty Petrovic adds, “We’re going to work hard to add new material and enhance the library.” “Be on the lookout for some major changes!”
The Old Car Brochures section of the website has been redesigned and now has a new URL (http://www.oldcarbrochures.org) rather than the previous one (http://www.oldcarbrochures.com).
Donations of historical materials, as well as cash, are welcome. A historical DVD is also available for purchase (go here). That begs the question: if you could only give to one of the organizations that preserve automobile materials, which one would you choose?
I’m leaning about backing the Old Car Manual Project. However, I hope that all three of the above-mentioned digital libraries can find a “win-win” manner to interact in the future. Why compete with each other when none of them are business enterprises?
The “old car brochures wanted” game requires players to find old car brochures. The player with the most points wins.
