Set your Wayback Machine for circa 1950 as we take a tour of your local DeSoto-Plymouth dealer.

We got a kick out of this old promotional reel from a couple of angles. First, we enjoyed the scenes featuring vintage auto service equipment. We grew up in car dealerships—not in these years of course, we’re not that old—but a lot of this equipment was still in use when we arrived on the scene. We used it, in fact. We instantly recognized the trusty John Bean Visualiner, an optical wheel alignment system with console heads that resemble a pair of vintage outboard motors, and we fondly remember the tune-up machine and lube rack furniture, too. They built rugged shop equipment in those days and with reasonable care, it lasted nearly forever.

The DeSoto-Plymouth dealer arrangement was one of several dual franchise agreements used by the Chrsyler Corporation back then—others included Chrysler-Plymouth and Dodge-Plymouth. In pricing and features, DeSoto was ranked below Chrysler and above Dodge, so the DeSoto-Plymouth dual provided a nice blend of upmarket and value-priced cars. And since Plymouth sold nearly six times as many cars as DeSoto, the low-priced brand gave the dual franchises a healthy boost in sales volume. This old theatrical spot features a familiar voice: He’s George Fenneman, announcer and sidekick for Groucho Marx, DeSoto-Plymouth’s loyal spokesman. Enjoy the video.