Legendary Car Dealer Cal Worthington Dead At 92

[TRE Cup]

There were radio commercials that did the whole satiric bit on both Ralph Williams and Cal Worthington. Was pretty edgy at the time and we thought hilarious

RIP

Cal

[sammyg2]

There are lots of businessmen out there to idolize who run or ran an honest business.
No need to put someone like cal worthington on a pedestal.
Yes, that is from personal experience.

[Steve Carlton]

What was your experience?

[Nate2046]

My favorite commercials as a kid, always had to sing along to the chorus "Pussycow....Pussycow.....Pussycow!" RIP Cal.

[glewis80SC]

Growing up in Southern California his commercials are part of everyday TV watching. Never met him or bought a car from him seemed like a nice guys, hopefully. RIP.

[Dansvan]

I respect his service to our country. I dis-respect the way his business was run. When I worked in one of his dealerships I had to sign a contract that said anything I won or received while on premises or working for the company belonged to him. Ie, promotions on the tool trucks, vender swag, etc. No one really paid attention to it but still. Red flag.

[rsrfan]

He even had a Ford dealership in Anchorage, Alaska. Growing up, I thought he was just a crazy local...

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by Dansvan

I respect his service to our country. I dis-respect the way his business was run. When I worked in one of his dealerships I had to sign a contract that said anything I won or received while on premises or working for the company belonged to him. Ie, promotions on the tool trucks, vender swag, etc. No one really paid attention to it but still. Red flag.

LOL, I've never heard anyone say ANYTHING good about him. My grandfather even said the guy was a world-class a**hole.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

What was your experience?

I was prolly 17 or so, my parents went to cal worthington to check out a car he had advertized and drug me along with them.

it was bait and switch, misdirection, drag it out, wear em down, switch numbers and pretend it was a mistake, etc.
every tactic of the con man taken to an extreme.

After a couple hours my parents finally came to the conclusion the car they were waiting to test drive was not being washed, it was not being "filled up", it was not out on a test drive with another customer, it simply did not exist.

my parents walked, but I can imagine how many other people fell for their con.
I realize allot of stealerships operate with sleazy tactics, but cal worthington's lot took it to an art form.

[McLovin]

Cal, uh, this is not the car I ordered. I distinctly ordered the Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with C.B. and optional rally fun pack.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

There are lots of businessmen out there to idolize who run or ran an honest business.
No need to put someone like cal worthington on a pedestal.
Yes, that is from personal experience.

10-4 on that Sammy...

All due respect to the passing of a fellow human being...

But at the end of the day he was nothing more than a used car salesman.

I saw car once that had written across the rear window "this car overheats, if you want one like it go see Cal."

[911_Dude]

LOL on the comments. I think I bought a truck from CW in the late 80's. No issues, that I recall.

[Steve Carlton]

No recalls issued?

[GH85Carrera]

We used to have a local used car dealer that was from the Cal business school. Get this they had the crazy one way tires spikes on the exit from the lot. As soon as you pulled in they wanted your keys so they could hide your car. You could not drive off the lot until you talked to several layers of salesmen.

I did not know all of that until I went there looking for an El Camino. As soon as I parked they wanted the keys to my 914. That will never happen. I told them the car is fine where it is. I drove their total POS El Camino that was rusty, only ran on 7 cylinders, the radiator leaked and the transmission slipped. I offered them 100 bucks for it and they acted offended. It took me 5 minutes to get out of there.

[Rusty Heap]

grin at the screaming deals for the dale.........yikes.


1986 Cal Worthington commercial - YouTube

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

grin at the screaming deals for the dale.........yikes.


1986 Cal Worthington commercial - YouTube

With an APR of over 21%

[Joe Bob]

The ads were so slimy that there were funny and sad at the same time.

Coupons

[jyl]

Remind me why we remember this guy fondly?

[flyenby]

I heard he sold a lot of cars to people who could not afford them...repo'd them quickly . That's he always had a lot of used low mile cars

[BE911SC]

Worthington also raced in the T-6 Texan class at the Mojave Air Races back in the early '70s.