SanchinMiata
SanchinMiata Reader
3/27/22 9:33 a.m.

Ok, hoping someone can help me with this...

I was an impressionable young guy in the late 60's - early 70's when the Trans Am series was in it's heyday.  Seared into my brain is a television advertisement that was very simple. It featured what appeared to be a trans am Camaro being hammered around a race track. There were some amazing corner exit shots and the soundtrack was mostly a solid lifter small block singing at at full chat. 

I want to say that it was a Gulf Oil ad, but I'm not sure. I've been trying to find it but no amount of googleage has yielded fruit and I'm beginning to doubt myself.

Does anyone else remember the ad? Does it exist in the digital world somewhere? 
Or is this a leftover from my "better living through chemicals" days?

Slippery
Slippery GRM+ Memberand UberDork
3/27/22 9:37 a.m.

I wasnt around yet back then, but I want to see that ad. 

Oldboy Speedwell
Oldboy Speedwell Reader
3/27/22 10:38 a.m.

Purple haze are in my brain too, but I weren't birthed til 1970 so ain't no way  I'd seen it on the teevee.

Your description piqued my interest though because I love that era of classic Trans Am.

Sadly, couldn't find it digitized for viewing pleasure, but rest assured you're not impacted by acid damage because I did find a couple of forum threads on the topic, and your hunch was correct - it was a Gulf advert.

link:

https://www.camaros.net/threads/gulf-commercial-featuring-69-z-28.189335/

Good snippet excerpt from there:

"My memory of the commercial…it was either a 67 or 68 Z/28 race-prepped for the Trans Am Series. It was definitely not a ’69 Camaro, even though the commercial ran on TV in 1969.

The race course was, I believe, Bridgehampton. Records show that Trans Am racing ran there in ’68, ’69, & ’70.

The Gulf No-Nox commercial had absolutely no voice over. It was strictly the awsomely sweet sound of a Z/28 screaming up the tach and going through the gears around the course.

In this commercial, captions appeared at the bottom of the screen. It went something like…
“Camaro Z/28. 425 Horsepower”
“Bridgehampton Racecourse”
“No knock.”
“No ping.”
“Gulf No-Nox.”

There was probably more to the captions, but I can’t remember all of it now."

 

A different thread on another forum:

https://nastyz28.com/threads/camaro-commercials.320589/

:

(consolation prize)

 

That car is wickedly tremendous:

https://themotorhood.com/themotorhood/2015/7/31/a-camaros-tribute-to-the-gulf-legacy

 

.

.

Steve_Jones
Steve_Jones Dork
3/27/22 10:39 a.m.

It was for Gulf No-Nox. It was a 69 Z28. The car sold at Barret Jackson in 2009 or so, I remember looking at the car with the write up about it. Let me do some digging. 

Steve_Jones
Steve_Jones Dork
3/27/22 10:54 a.m.
Oldboy Speedwell
Oldboy Speedwell Reader
3/27/22 12:33 p.m.
Steve_Jones said:

Photos when it was for sale

AWESOME!

& holy moly man did Gulf have it played during some primo airtime or what?

From the description in the sale link:

  • Featured in three Gulf advertisements which aired during both the 1968 presidential debate and the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing

.

stukndapast
stukndapast Reader
3/27/22 3:07 p.m.
Steve_Jones said:

Photos when it was for sale

That'a a '67 Camaro, not a '69.

 

Steve_Jones
Steve_Jones Dork
3/27/22 3:23 p.m.

In reply to stukndapast :

That's the car. I was going from memory, car is a 67, commercial was in 69. 

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/27/22 10:49 p.m.
Oldboy Speedwell said:
Steve_Jones said:

Photos when it was for sale

AWESOME!

& holy moly man did Gulf have it played during some primo airtime or what?

From the description in the sale link:

  • Featured in three Gulf advertisements which aired during both the 1968 presidential debate and the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing

.

On the same channel?  wink

Bookmarking in case the commercial surfaces.

aug_west
aug_west
8/18/22 5:57 p.m.

In reply to SanchinMiata :

I remember that ad, it believe it was for Gulf No-Nox gas.  My recollection is that it had text but no words saying something like "Ontario Motor Speedway, actual speed 148 MPH, fuel used Gulf No-Nox, same as you buy." or something like that, the only sound was the engine and showed different views of the car at speed notably an overhead shot as the car went through a slight bend and the tail flicked slightly, snapped back and headed straight down the track away from the viewer.  I believe I saw it on "The Wonderful World of Disney" I'm pretty sure it was a 67-68 Camaro and it's has become my dream car ever since.  I once had a 69 but hope to one day get a 67-68 and paint it in Gulf livery.  I look every once in a while hoping that someone has posted the ad, today's search led me to your post. I've never found the ad but thanks to your post I'm sure that I didn't just dream it up.

03Panther
03Panther UberDork
8/19/22 12:40 a.m.

I don't remember that ad; was not into racing. Already into what later were named muscle cars. We called 'em hot rods, at the time. 
My wife, being a couple years older than me, did have a 69 Z28, from 71 till the early 80s. Bone stock 302 4speed. If I recall, the street versions would turn 8K on the tach (may have "only" been 6) so a fully prepped one really had a sweeeeet sound!!!

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/19/22 1:39 p.m.

Good news: It's real, most people remember it being an ad for Gulf No-Nox which makes sense considering the sponsorship. Lots of different recollections on the circuit involved, some remember it being one California track or another, some remember Bridgehampton, so at least you can be sure it was someplace dry and sandy-looking cheeky

Bad news: It appears to have been lost to history despite being almost a Superbowl ad.

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