This was from a simpler time…
Back in the 1990s there were still some car dealerships making homegrown, cringey commercials which are far better than the stiff, awkward commercials we get to see today. At the top of our list of favorites is this one starring none other than Burt Reynolds as Bandit, only this time he’s in a Dodge Ram.
Shot for Patsy Lou Williamson in Flint, Michigan this TV spot was advertising some Burt Reynolds Edition Rams the dealership was selling as a promotion. The black trucks had some gold pinstriping, hood scoop, and the name “Bandit” on the doors as well as across the tailgate, just in case you didn’t get what it was supposed to be. Legally they probably couldn’t put the screaming chicken on the hood, but people couldn’t added that to their truck later and we hope they did.
Anyway, this brief commercial shows Bandit running from the cops in Michigan because supposedly he buys all his cars from Patsy Lou Williamson. That, of course, necessitates running from the law because it just does, ok?
So Patsy Lou makes an appearance after she bails Bandit out of jail. Then she chides Burt Reynolds to “drive carefully” using the best mom voice possible. Reynolds kind of laughs it off, says “always” and then speeds off in his truck.
There isn’t much to this commercial, which is the equivalent of a Twinkie. It might taste good in the moment, but you get little of value from it and you might have a little regret after or you might really want another. Check it out for yourself to see where you land.
Sadly, the picture quality of this commercial is pretty awful, so you can’t make out all the details. However, you get the general idea and we can’t find a better version of it.
