A copy of a large photo of Cal Worthington at the Worthington Ford dealership on Saturday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Make no mistake, boy, Southern California is auto country.
So auto dealer Calvin Coolidge Worthington decided to have a little fun, draw attention, and clear his lots with My Dog Spot TV commercials featuring a live, growling gorilla.
The commercials, which also featured animals other than a dog named Spot — a penguin, camel, elephant, bear, lion, hippopotamus, and tiger — helped Worthington build an empire of 27 merchants that sold more than 1 million cars sold.
Worthington Ford dealership on Saturday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Many of these commercials were filmed under the large “Worthington Ford in Long Beach” sign at the dealership he bought in 1963.
Now this sign marks the end of an era. Worthington’s family said they sold the 3-acre store, the last dealership to still bear the name of the legendary car salesman, who died in 2012.
“It’s very sad,” Nick Worthington, Cal’s grandson, said in an interview with ABC7. “Our employees have been with us for over 40 years.
“It’s a part of everyone’s childhood and life that grows up here,” he added. “It’s hard to close this book to everyone.”
On Saturday, Shawn Abdallah, the dealership’s finance director, said news of the sale “came as a shock, although there have been rumors for a number of months that something like this was in the works.”
“The rumors were confirmed on Thursday,” he said, “when Nick had everyone gathered here in a conference room for some important news.
“He said, ‘You’ve probably heard the rumors and today I’m here to confirm them.’ ‘ Abdallah recalled. “He was very emotional. And yes, there were tears everywhere.”
The buyer, Nouri/Shaver Automobile Group, plans to keep all of Worthington Ford’s employees, but they will have to reapply for their jobs, Abdallah said.
The iconic large blue “Worthington” sign overlooking Bellflower Boulevard, Abdallah said, “will not be taken down until March 1.”
Worthington Ford dealership on Saturday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, visitors don’t have to go far to see reminders of the flashy stunts that made the Oklahoma transplant hard-selling during a 65-year career that made him an icon of quirky Southern California culture.
The story goes on
The showroom of the shiny new Ford models, for example, features a floor-to-ceiling photo of Worthington, cheek to cheek, with a tiger: the most likeable of all animals, which has helped him develop a cult following.
It’s reminiscent of a quirky time when here, in the capital of auto and highway culture, car salesmen dressed like Napoleon wore haloes and adopted exotic animals for a sale.
Worthington’s signature gimmicks were the “Dog Spot” ads, which first aired in 1971. They were originally intended to be parodies of two competitors: Ralph Williams and Fletcher Jones.
Williams had launched an advertising campaign featuring a German shepherd named Storm, and Jones made appearances on television cuddling puppies.
Anthony Crawford looks at new vehicles at Worthington Ford on Saturday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“I decided to imitate her,” Worthington recalled in an interview. So he borrowed a gorilla, chained it to a car bumper and let the cameras roll.
Trying to appear unperturbed, the lanky pitchman, wearing a cowboy hat and a broad grin, launched this typically folksy tactic with greetings: “Howdy, I’m Cal Worthington and this is my dog Spot.”
“I found this little guy at the animal shelter,” he added, smiling, “and he’s so full of love.”
The dealership’s new owners will change the name to BP Ford.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.