How does that saying go, that comedy equals tragedy-plus-time? Going back through the annals of Auto Show history reveals that the Chevrolet Volt promotional dance at the 2009 LA Auto Show didn’t wait quite long enough to be comedic.
See, our friends at Autoblog turned us on to this tragic bit of automotive marketing from the Chicago Auto Show back in 1988, for the Chevrolet Cavalier. So it, too, was General Motors’ doing, and it, too, featured a song-and-dance number so excruciating to watch, it’s rumored that the video broadcast is what killed young Heather O’Rourke (Poltergeist).
To the credit of the Chevy Volt’s “E-V” dance from ’09, it featured a song that at least had lyrics which boasted of the gas-electric car’s unique drivetrain. The Chevy Footlockers – those poor sleeveless shirt- and bowtie-clad macho men – had to go into their dance number despite no logical connection between the stage show and the car that they were representing. That’s not even to mention the mustaches, the mullets, and the ridiculously forced incorporation of nunchucks.
Watch the full dance number below, and relish the fact that for all the faults of modern society, at least we’re safely out of the ’80s:
Comments
Thank goodness one of those nunchucks didn’t get loose and either clobber one of the boys or worse yet, put a big dent in the car.LOL
As an 80’s kid, I’m still impressed with the dancing in this old video. And I understand who Chevy was trying to market the Cavalier Z24 to at the time – by having energetic street performers dancing to 80’s electronic music. The Chevy Cavalier Z24 model was the sports car aimed at younger people back in ’88 who could not afford more expensive GM models. I’d like to see more old school clips from GM at different auto shows. Thanks for sharing this one.
Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, Chevrolet Beretta GTZ, Camaro Iroc Z, Lumina Z34, Firebird GTA C4Vette, Cavalier Z24………………..
Old cars of the 80’s and 90’s that my youth filled with passion
Regards from Spain
This was my era too but where I am from we never understood or accepted this kind of promotion. We mocked it then like we cringe at it now.
Note too we also never had much desire for the locally built Cavalier either.
This may have played well in the areas near bodies of salt water but here near the great lakes we just shook out heads and wondered why they had to do stuff like this.
I reaally like the deelightful Geo dancers much more!!!
And Toyota goes way back