In the 1950s, products for women were no doubt designed and marketed by men. Take for example the 1955 Dodge Le Femme, a truly absurd car (by today’s standards) that came with a matching purse, raincoat and umbrella as well as a bright pint interior with rose-patterned trim.
It’s the equivalent of offering a car today with a…tampon dispenser in the glovebox.
Across the pond there was the Daimler 104 Ladies’ Model with electric windows, a simplified gear change (no, I did not make that up), an umbrella and a vanity case under the dashboard.
There was also the Porsche 365 Damen with a detuned engine and simplified tire changing kit. The latter, I imagine, was a white piece of the card with the words, “Ask a man to do it,” in block capitals.
Advertising of the day was no better. In the ‘70s, a television advertisement for the British-made Ford Cortina 2000 GXL came with the line, “She doesn’t appreciate the 2-litre engine of the new Cortina. She just understands how smooth the ride is.” Or how about the classic Volkswagen print ad that featured the opening howler: “Women are soft and gentle, but they hit things…”
Unsurprisingly, feminism rose up in the 1970s and advertisers began treating women like equals. Oh wait, no they didn’t. Here’s an Australian ad for the Toyota Yaris that was very famously banned for its sexist content and, “For good clean getaways,” tagline.
Thanks to the YouTube time machine, this ad will no doubt be preserved for a very long time. Check it out below.
By Tristan Hankins
Sources: Telegraph
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