'When you know what you're doing.......March 1974'

[SAKO]

I was leafing through a March 1974 edition of House and Garden magazine; please don't ask why , when I stumbled across this advert for Rothmans, with the catchy tag 'when you know what you're doing'.

Whether as a smoker he knew what he was doing is a matter of opinion, but he certainly knew what he was doing when it came to choosing a car. Does that dashboard look familiar?

I wonder whether Mr Chapman bagged a free supply of Rothmans, or whether Rothmans' own Don Draper bagged himself a free +2?

[nebogipfel]

Yes that ad' used to be in "Motor Sport" on the back cover if I remember correctly and was another reason I wanted a Plus 2 back in the good old days

[Spyder fan]

I remember that advert from a huge hoarding on the bridge at Coulsdon South station (South London not far from Caterham). It would have been early 70's and my dad would drive us past it in his Humber Hawk every Friday or Saturday morning on our way to Bolney in Sussex where we had a holiday home (static caravan).
I used to think it was incredibly cool and it was obviously a sports car dash board although I was never curious enough to know which one. It's probably one of the reasons that when I first smoked in 1978 I used to have Rothmans King Size as my smoke of choice. My alleigance changed to Marlboro or Benson & Hedges until I gave up in 1990. When I first drove a +2 back in 2002 I immediately remembered that old advert.

The money I have saved by not smoking since 1990 has been well spent on my cars. At todays prices 20 a day = ?48 per week or about ?2500 per year.....gulp!

Sako, thanks for rekindling the old memory.


Alan

[ardee_selby]

Sako, thanks for rekindling the old memory. Alan

Hi Sako,

Yes indeed. It really brought back memories

Cheers - Richard

[Robbie693]

I've got a copy on my wall, It too was the reason I wanted a Plus 2. Although, at the time of first seeing it, I didn't know it was a Plus 2!

The fag is pasted in by the way (what would be called 'Photoshopped' nowadays).

Someone bought me a pack of Rothmans in tribute years ago - very rough smoke I recall!

Robbie

[Chancer]

I remember it well, I was 15 at the time and a clandestine smoker, it definitely influenced me, i didnt know what car it was but it looked really cool to me, thereafter I smoked Rothmans to show the world how cool I was, just in case the Honda SS50 moped hadnt already put the message across

I am sure there was another advert, may not have been Rothmans where the packet was placed in the centre console of a Jag XJ6, thankfully I managed to give up for good some 30 years ago.

I recently dragged my Elan out of storage to renew my vows, I hadnt seen her for many years and when i looked at the dashboard and the array of rocker switches it took me right back to the cigarrette advert that so influenced me.

[SAKO]

In March 74 I was 6 years and 9 months old. My transport at the time was probably a Raleigh Tomahawk.

Perhaps I saw this advert then, and in some strange, subliminal way it influenced my future motoring destiny.

Even stranger, what if the 130S in the photo is actually the very one currently sitting in my garage! Sadly I will never know, but strange things happen...

[alexblack13]

Loose the fag and keep the timepiece! ...

Did Rolex get in on the act too? .....

Al' ....

[SAKO]

!!!!!!!! As a watch fan I clocked the submariner too!

Amazing that a mint early 70s Rolex Submariner is worth as much as a fair to half decent Elan +2.

[ardee_selby]

!!!!!!!! As a watch fan I clocked the submariner too!

Amazing that a mint early 70s Rolex Submariner is worth as much as a fair to half decent Elan +2.

Is it a Submariner? I always thought he was a pilot and it was a "pilots" GMT Master.

Cheers - Richard

[SAKO]

Interesting observation Richard.

The dial looks like a submariner but the bezel may be a little slim for a submariner. Could be a pilots as you suggest, although it's easy to suspect a submariner given Rolex's predilection these days for diving watches. Google images not very helpful.

Opinions?

[Pastapesto]

Sako

Looks like it has the four speed gearstick gaitor as the five speed had a much more bulbous affair
and I dont think you could see the chrome surroud when it was fitted. So perhaps it was not your (130/5) car after all. Sorry to shoot that idea down

[SAKO]

Maybe they swapped over to a chrome one to match the watch?

[alexblack13]

Pretty sure it's a GMT Master....

I too am a Rolex fan.. Great bit of kit. I own a Submariner. 1980's... Goes back to my Scuba days...

Just don't ever need to repair them Or sit down when you get the quote..

Al'.....

[reb53]

Just don't ever need to repair them Or sit down when you get the quote..

Al'.....

Getting slightly off topic here, but don't ever take your expensive watch into a High Street jeweller to get repaired/serviced. They rarely do the work themselves, just send it out to a trade worker and clip the ticket on the way through.
In this part of the world, (N.Z.), the usual mark-up is 500%.
Pays to do a bit of phoning around and getting quotes.

I've had watches sent to me from the States to get it fixed 'cos even with the postage hassles it's well worth getting the same job for a fraction of the "usual" price.
( I might add that I fix clocks, not watches, but I know all the local watch repairers ).

Cheers
Ralph.