The times have changed more than we’d like to admit sometimes. This commercial,which was first televised in 1956, drives that point home.

“Step into a Bel Air Sport Cou-pay…”

1956 represented a time when I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners and The Ed Sullivan Show ruled the airwaves. It also represented a time when Chevrolet commercials showed the latest models like the Chevrolet Beauville Wagon for women and the Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe (pronounced coy-pay in this video) for men.

“Best looking, best driving car on the road,” explains the narrator as the latest family car models from Chevrolet are shot cruising down the road. “Long, low, distinctive,” the voice drones on. “Chevy’s get up and go…”

To really pound home the point that station wagons were for women and coupes were for men, the commercial proudly points out as the Chevrolet Beauville Wagon is shot cruising down a two lane road, “How easily the Chevrolet handles. A little lady… a big station wagon. How nicely it corners on a bumpy road.” Yes, the narrator did say nine-passenger.

The nine-passenger Chevrolet Beauville, a modern lady’s car.

When the Bel Air Coupe is show on the same road, the narrator explains the power behind this sports coupe “set the 24-hour competition track record at Darlington, South Carolina.”

Weather you were a big strong man that needed a powerful Chevy coupe, or a stay at home Mom that had to pick up the kids from school, these commercials were designed to interrupt George Burns and Gracie Allen or Jack Benny to guide you to the right vehicle. If you happened to be watching the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet show, it would come as no surprise to see Harriet Nelson driving in a Chevrolet station wagon to pick up Ricky from school.

Ahhhh…. we long for those days when marketing was much more subdued.