Yes, Mendocino has been used as a backdrop for movies and television series, but new car commercials, too? You bet, if you go back in time starting in 1956.
A headline in a September 1956 San Francisco Examiner said, “Mendocino Log: Cruising in a Jaguar.” Equipped with a 2.4-liter engine in a sedan, this car headed from San Francisco to the Heritage House with a driving time of just under four hours. Excursions to Mendocino and Fort Bragg were suggested as “worth the drive” and a trip to the top of the high school hill in Mendocino was recommended for the view. The Jaguar paused at the Pudding Creek bridge for a photo.
A travel story in a December 1956 Oakland Tribune might have been just another story about the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, except for the contribution by the Dodge dealers of the East Bay about a 1957 Dodge Custom 4-door sedan for the trip. It featured a 122” wheelbase, 212” in length, 325 cubic inch V8 engine and new higher tail fins. Praise was given to the frontend coil springs that gave a far better ride and steering qualities on crooked Highway 1. The new car with the lighthouse in the background was a featured photo.
Sometimes it was a travel newsprint story that served the purpose, complete with photos. In April 1957 an Oakland Tribune writer “borrowed” a Mercury Montclair Hardtop from Hacker Motors in Oakland for a tour up the coast with photos of scenic viewpoints, and the new car.
Vitals for the car included a turnpike cruiser engine, 290 hp, power steering and brakes and a push-button Merc-o-Matic gear shift. The interior was “really big” with a front seat width of 63.5” and a luggage compartment with 3.2 cubic feet of storage space. Overall length was 211.1” and safety features included a padded instrument panel.
The splashiest commercial was done in August 1968, and news about it was featured in several issues of the Mendocino Beacon. The headline read, “Lincoln Mercury TV Commercial at Heeser Drive.” The filming involved a helicopter 85’ from rotor tip to rotor tip transporting men and equipment to an offshore island. There a three-tier sign was constructed to say, “Lincoln Mercury Leads the Way.” It was 67’ long and 31’ high. The car was filmed racing along the road with the sign as a backdrop.
Newspaper clippings of all these photo shoots can be seen in the archives of the Kelley House Museum.
Celebrate this Oktoberfest with a demonstration of homebrewing plus beer tastings from our local Foggy Coast Brewers and North Coast Brewing Company. You’ll also get free admission to our current exhibit “On Tap: The History of Brewing on the Mendocino Coast.” September 13, Noon – 4PM.