Iconic auto dealer Cal Worthington dies at 92

[ZLoth]

This came across today.... from Sacramento Bee:

Iconic auto dealer Cal Worthington dies at 92

Cal Worthington, a legendary car dealer whose ubiquitous TV advertising introduced him and his dog Spot to millions of TV viewers, has died at 92.

Worthington, a war hero who became a business success, died Sunday while watching football on TV at his home in Orland, Sacramento attorney Larry Miles said.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Might as well ad this earlier article from the Sacramento Bee....

Used-car king Cal Worthington still flying high

There's a good chance you never would have heard the name Cal Worthington, encountered his "dog" Spot nor had the lyrics to his car dealership jingles burned into your memory for decades, had he earned a college degree.

After three years as a bomber pilot during World War II, flying scores of perilous missions over Germany, Poland and France, and helping the Allied forces to victory, Worthington figured he would settle down and become an airline pilot.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[oscar]

I remember his ads well.  They usually featured his "dog Spot" (always something exotic, like an elephant, tiger, or gorilla), and concluded with a jingle ending "go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal".

I don't know when those ads faded away, but they were inescapable when I lived in California in the 1970s.  I saw only low-key ads, at most, thereafter on later visits to family.  I also don't know if he used similar advertising in other places where he had dealerships, such as Anchorage.

[Henry]

It's kind of crazy to find out that he'd rather be flying than driving, but then again, he was a bomber pilot in World War II, so this is not surprising, as this quote shows:

He built a runway for his Learjet and keeps the plane parked in front of his house, not to show off but because it's practical. He'll use it for long trips to his dealerships and his office tower in Anchorage, Alaska, or to check on his other real estate holdings throughout the country.

Because of his age, he is required to pass an annual physical to keep flying the high-powered aircraft.

"I really like flying," Worthington said, practically giddy. "It's so neat to get in the seat of the Learjet and push those throttles forward. Man, that thing will pin you back."

Does he also enjoy driving?

"Hell, no," he said.

[agentsteel53]

I'm assuming he didn't subject himself to TSA control, so hell yeah flying beats driving.  I have friends who fly their private planes (little Cessna 152s in this case) everywhere when they want to travel more than about 300 miles.

[myosh_tino]

I too remember seeing his ads on TV.  It didn't matter what channel I was watching, I was bound to see one of his commercials.  You can still find some of his commercials on YouTube (search for "Cal Worthington").  The one I played was made in late '88 (he was advertising the new '89 arrivals).

[Indyroads]

If you want a car or truck go see Cal!
If you want to save a buck go see Cal!

If your axles are a-draggin...
And your tailpipe is a-saggin...go see Cal! go see Cal! go see Cal!

[oscar]

Slate put out an article over the weekend, in honor of what would've been Cal Worthington's 96th birthday. The article embeds several videos, including one at the end with a full version of the unforgettable "Go See Cal" jingle, and also showing several versions of "my dog Spot" (such as a killer whale, an elephant, and a tiger).