Sport Utility Vehicle: A VW Print Ad from 1963
by David Gendell
In 1963, the Mad Men behind Volkswagen’s famous print ad campaigns, Manhattan-based DDB agency, colorfully merged a VW “Station Wagon” with a Sailfish to memorably demonstrate the extraordinary possibilities offered by the vehicle.
The vehicle is an air-cooled, 21-window, VW Samba bus. Suggested retail price on the East Coast was $2655.
The boat is a Sailfish, developed in 1947 by Alcort, a small Connecticut iceboat building company that was looking to broaden its product line. Legend holds that the Sailfish evolved from work the company undertook in response to a proposal to build Red Cross lifesaving paddleboards. Alcort never built the paddleboards, but the Sailfish were quickly ubiquitous along the waterfront. In August 1949 LIFE magazine described it as “The World’s Wettest, Sportiest boat.” And reported that the Sailfish “caught on instantly.”
The original Sailfish was 11-feet, seven-and-a-half inches LOA and carried a 65-square-foot sail. Shortly after introduction a turbo’ed version appeared, the Super Sailfish. The larger, more powerful Super Sailfish checked in at 13-feet, seven inches LOA and carried a 75-square-foot sail.
The pregnant wife of one of Alcort’s founders enjoyed the boats but was looking for a small cockpit. In response, in 1952, Alcort launched the Sunfish and it soon became ubiquitous. At first, the Sailfish and Sunfish were both produced in wood. Fiberglass hulls were produced beginning in 1959-60, although wood build-it-yourself kits remained available.
By the time this ad was created, Alcort had sold more than 40,000 boats and a Sailfish kits were selling for $209. However, by 1963, the Sailfish and the Super Sailfish production lines were winding down and Alcort was focusing on the larger Sailfish MK II featuring an evolved design and aluminum spars, retailing in 1963 for $394.
Alert Sailfish aficionados point out that the iconic VW ad features a Sailfish hull and a Super Saifish rig. No doubt paired by the ad men for maximum visual effect.
So… where are they now? We found a 1963 Super Sailfish MKII, in nice condition and with a trailer, for sale in Florida for $850. As for the bus, a similar, perfectly restored 1963 VW Samba, bus sold in a 2011 auction for $217,800.
