This week’s Throwback Thursday video features a television commercial for the 1995 Chevrolet Camaro. It is an odd commercial, starting off without any branding while the voiceover guy complains that there are some things in life that you have to wait for – as giant words flash on the screen.
A Summer Home – The Corner Office – A Six Figure Income – all come over time, but as a bright red 1995 Chevrolet Camaro blasts out of the tunnel, the narrator proclaims that the car of your dreams should not be one of the things that you have to wait for.
A lovely young lady is behind the wheel of the red 1995 Chevrolet Camaro, banging through gears and working the steering wheel and she zips along the tight, twisty road. With some artsy camera work, the 1995 V6 Camaro appears to be blasting along the straight stretches between the hard turns and the narrator points out some odd features – none of which are impressive in the modern age of the muscle car.
The 1995 Chevy Camaro had dual air bags, a fuel injected V6 and antilock brakes in a fun coupe – all for just $14,995. That base price of less than $15k seems incredibly cheap in 2017, but even back in 1995, this car was a great deal for someone who wanted the look and feel of the Chevy Camaro without the big power of the Z28 or SS models. At that price, someone who dreamed of owning an American muscle car could get into a V6 Camaro without breaking the bank…making it somewhat of an affordable dream car.
Of course, like all good TV commercials for sports cars from the 1990s, this 4th gen Camaro ad has some ambiguous, guitar-heavy rock music blaring in the background – something which has been a trend in Camaro ads for decades.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
