Victory Auto Wreckers
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| Victory Auto Wreckers | |
| Type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1948 |
| Headquarters | Bensenville, Illinois, USA |
| Key people | Ken Weisner, Kyle Weisner, Co-owners and Managers |
| Industry | Retail, Wrecking yard |
| Products | Scrap metal, Used car parts, Automobiles |
| Website | www.victoryautowreckers.com |
Victory Auto Wreckers is an auto salvage yard located in the Chicago suburb of Bensenville, Illinois. It is best known for its distinctive and ubiquitous television commercial which has been airing on local stations nonstop since 1981.
Contents |
[edit] Business
Victory Auto Wreckers has been operating at the same location near O'Hare International Airport since 1948. The business, which claims to be "the original self-service yard" [1], purchases wrecked or decommissioned vehicles and then allows customers to browse through their lots in search of workable parts. Any unusable parts are crushed and sold to scrap metal dealers. The ten-acre facility processes approximately 13,000-15,000 automobiles every year, and they also sell a small percentage of their automobiles intact [2] [3].
Victory is currently owned and managed by Ken and Kyle Weisner.
[edit] Advertising
Victory's commercial as it exists today is largely unchanged from the version that first aired in 1981. Though relatively unsophisticated, its sheer longevity has made it the subject of much discussion among Chicagoans, and it has become a veritable part of the local culture. Many newspaper and magazine articles have been written about it, and a QuickTime version of it has circulated throughout the Internet. It also appears briefly in the 1992 film Wayne's World, which is set in the Chicago suburbs. Indeed, television historian Steve Jajkowski has said, "It is as much a part of Chicago TV as Bozo, (former anchorman) Fahey Flynn and Svengoolie" [4].
The commercial was filmed in a residential area near the salvage yard, and it stars Bob Zajdel, a young man from Elmwood Park who had been working for Victory at the time. In the commercial, Zajdel attempts to enter his noticeably old 1971 Chevrolet, but his car door suddenly detaches from its hinges and falls to the ground. An exasperated Zajdel jumps back and sighs in frustration, but an announcer quickly declares, "That old car may be worth money!" He explains:
"Call Victory Auto Wreckers at 860-2000 for a quote! Victory will buy no matter what condition your car is in. Victory will tow it away free, and you might get cash on the spot! Or, save money by fixing up your car with used parts. Victory has ten acres of used parts–starters, transmissions, batteries–for all types of cars! Victory Auto Wreckers: 710 East Green in Bensenville near O'Hare, 860-2000"
Images of the salvage yard flash past the screen, and the commercial concludes with Zajdel receiving one $20 bill (and two bills of obscure denomination) as a tow truck pulls his car away.
Victory has made a handful of changes to the commercial since 1981. Most notably, the current spot uses a different announcer and some new graphics displaying the address. In addition, the first line of the commercial was originally "That old car is worth money," but it was later tweaked to "That old car may be worth money" to reflect the falling price of scrap steel. The actual footage used in the commercial has remained the same, however, as evident by Zajdel's period hairstyle (described by Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl as a "gypsy shag" [5]), as well as his clothing and accessories, such as his very wide watchband.
One can currently see the commercial on WGN-TV, WFLD-TV, WPWR-TV, in Spanish on WSNS-TV, and in Polish on WFBT's Polvision. Chicago Sun-Times writer Tom McNamee has estimated that the commercial airs over 25 times every week [6]. Zajdel himself has become a minor local celebrity, although, ironically, he did not receive any extra money for his work in the now famous commercial.
[edit] External links
- A modified version of the commercial at YouTube
- A longer version of the commercial at YouTube
- Interview with Bob Zajdel
- Official Website
