The 1962 advertisement below for a Phoenix Jeep dealer, is headlined "Hitch Up the Old and the New" and it tells a story. Unfortunately it's a story that in the 21st century seems to be over. It's the story of marketing the Jeep brand by evoking the heritage of this simple, elegant machine, and the story of how a piece of technology connects us with history.
The ad from Ray Korte Rambler-Jeep places the practical, modern Jeep (and Rambler) in the context of the history of the automobile industry, the village blacksmith, and famous brands of the old west. It makes a convincing case that the old values are still alive in the "RK" brand and the vehicles it sells.
Although this ad is an impressive and unique example created by a local dealer, it also has some similarities to much of the advertising created over the years by Willys-Overland, Kaiser, AMC and Chrysler to sell Jeeps by referencing the vehicle's history.
The advertisement appeared on 11 February 1962 in Arizona Days and Ways magazine, a Sunday supplement that ran from 1953 to 1965 in the Arizona Republic newspaper.
A few years earlier, the August-September 1958 edition of Jeep News had published a brief article including this photo of Ray Korte Jr. (left) making a donation to a representative of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Jeep Posse. They're standing below the sign painted on a wall, as seen at the bottom of the ad above.
Korte was said to be a strong supporter of the Jeep Posse, who wanted to install new lights to aid in night rescue operations. Various counties in the western U.S. utilized the volunteer posses, mainly to assist with back country search and rescue. (See the Clark County, Nevada Posse in The Rat Pack meets the Rat Patrol on CJ3B.info.)
The building on VanBuren Street in Phoenix was still standing as of 2009 (right). It has since been nicely renovated to become a music venue in 2017, and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Ray Korte Sr. had opened a Kaiser-Frazer dealership in 1944, then moved to this location in 1959, after buying the Willys Jeep dealership from Tovrea Supply Company (who sold Jeeps and farm implements in east Phoenix), and also acquiring an American Motors franchise.
Colin Peabody in Phoenix recalls, "Tovrea also had the Jeep dealership in Tucson and in 1951, sold it to Galloway Motors, which was still in business into the early 1980s, when Galloway sold to his son in law, Steve Christie. Galloway sold Jeeps, Kaisers (saw my first Darrin there) and later Ramblers and Chryslers. This photo of Galloway Motors in Tucson was taken in about 1956. Steve Christie sent it to me a few years ago."
After the death of Ray Korte Sr. in 1964, Ray Korte Jr. moved Ray Korte Rambler-Jeep further north in Phoenix, to Camelback Road. This Jerry Duchscherer postcard photo must have been taken soon after the move, judging from the new 1963-64 Wagoneers on display. The CJ-3Bs were probably way at the back of the lot. In 1970 Ray Korte Jr. sold the Rambler-Jeep business and purchased a Chevrolet dealership over in Scottsdale.
Thanks to Tanner Collision for recording the history of the Korte dealership.
See Willys Engineering on CJ3B.info for some details on Ken Jordan and his work on designing the new Wagoneer. Everybody from designer to dealer is part of the story on CJ3B.info.
Thanks to Glenn Byron for finding the scan of the 1962 ad. -- Derek Redmond
Also on CJ3B.info, see other CJ-3B Advertising and Literature.
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