The Story of James Robinson

Hey B.P. Girl,

I hope I don’t burst your bubble about a nostalgic youth, but here goes;

Pete Ellis was a HUGE corporation with car dealerships all up and down the state. The songs were the same tune and the little ball jumped up and down to follow the words. (These are 2 that I remember),

Pete Ellis Dodge-

Long Beach Freeway–

Firestone Exit–

South — Gate.

Pete Ellis Ford-

91 Freeway–

Bellflower Exit–

DOW — NEY.

The corporation was sued, class action in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and lost due to fraud, price fixing and loan sharking. The courts seized everything statewide and sold it to pay the plaintiffs and the lawyers.

His father, the champion of those kooky commercials was none other than “Cal Worthington”, Whose own corporation’s holdings nearly echoed that of the son. His songs were:

In need of a set of wheels, GO SEE CAL

Have no time to waste, GO SEE CAL

If you need the best of deals, Never leave without the wheels,

GO SEE CAL, GO SEE CAL, GO SEE CAL!

I know Cal Worthington had two dealerships in Los Angeles County and one here in San Diego. Every Weekend, I would hear the TV spew out: IT’S CAL WORTHINGTON AND HIS DOG : SPOT! (Usually a leopard or a brown bear or something) and he would say that he would stand on his head to make you a great deal, or eat a bug…Yuck!

Well, thanks for the great question. I hope I didn’t ruin your image thinking that two guys sat in a room thinking this up… As you now realize it was a giant room with many people thinking about these ads.

James in San Diego