Autolite spark plugs ad (1969)
Mario Andretti won the 1969 Indy 500 with Autolite spark plugs. With $206,000 up for grabs, you don’t scrimp on anything. That’s why Mario used Autolite plugs. Why Autolite? Because there are no better plugs. Not at any price. Next time, ask for Autolite.
* In fact, the first 4 finishers rode with Autolite spark plugs.
Cheltenham in use for an ad for Autolite spark plugs from 1969. At this time, the Autolite trade name was owned by the Ford Motor Company, which had acquired it in 1961, together with some – but not all – other assets. From Wikipedia:
A federal antitrust lawsuit was filed against Ford, which dragged on through the remainder of the 1960s, ultimately being decided in 1972 by the Supreme Court against Ford, and Ford was forced to sell its Autolite-related assets to the Bendix Corporation by 1973.
Fun fact for typophiles:
In 1963, the portion of the Autolite company which was not acquired by Ford merged with the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, and the Eltra Corporation was formed.
