With the festive season fast approaching, it is easy to become swept up in the commercial aspects that have become a hallmark of this time of year. We can lose focus on those things that have changed our lives for the better. It isn’t about receiving the latest cellphone, tools, or fashion items. This is a time when we all have an opportunity to reflect upon our lives and how sometimes things with no monetary value are, in essence, priceless. Many companies will produce memorable commercials to celebrate the festive season, but this video from Chevrolet is one of the best I’ve seen. When you watch it, you can’t help but be moved.
Writing for Barn Finds is a rare privilege. Every time I sit at my computer putting together an article, I do so with a sense of pride. While I aim to provide helpful information to our readers, I also hope to provide entertainment and enjoyment. I recognize that I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for my late father. He was a man of great humility, compassion, and honor. He instilled these values into my siblings and me. However, he also ignited and encouraged my passion for classic cars. I will always be grateful for that, and I have moments where I’ll look at a feature car and wish that I had the chance to share it with him. I remember him every day and appreciate all that he gave me. That is the spirit embraced by this Chevrolet commercial and the one that we have a chance to celebrate. It helps us remember those we’ve loved, those we’ve lost, and the fact that we can keep their memories alive. It also demonstrates that we can give so much back to our loved ones in ways that we may never consider.
This year, Barn Finds celebrated its 10th Anniversary. I have been part of the team for the last 3½ years, and it has been a wonderful experience. However, we wouldn’t exist without the support from our dedicated members and readers. This is a chance for me to thank you for your undying support and for the fantastic tips that you forward to us. I hope that you have an opportunity to reflect on your life and relish all that fortune has provided for you. May you do so in a spirit of peace and love, and I hope that 2022 favors you with good luck and happiness.
Soo touching movie! Woow!!
Snif, aw jeez, yeah, Hollywood can lay it on with a patching trowel if need be. I suppose it’s better than zombies disemboweling each other, or how many exercise bikes with cell phone technology do we really need? GM has always been touted as a “family” provider in transportation, EVERYBODY could drive a Chevy. It was truly “Americas car”. So it’s no surprise Hollywood, ( contracted by GM, I’m sure) would create this in these, shall we say, uncertain times. Accuracy isn’t always Hollywoods strong point. Who would leave a car like that in a shed with the top down. No birds? It wouldn’t look like that, that’s for sure. I was told I could have had a job being an authenticator for vintage car related stuff, naturally, I declined,,,me? In L.A.? When classics are $500 bucks again,,
Obviously, this is the “long” version, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like buying a Chevy, especially for $3,495, or whatever it was in ’66, but I’m the biggest complainer that we are forgetting our past, and as schmaltzy and inaccurate as it may be, this puts home a good message,,one thing that has stood the test of time, regardless how nuts it gets,,is family.
Have a safe holiday season,,,and in a totally unrelated matter,,,GO PACK!!!
Chicago bears fan! They still suck….Haven’t been to a game since Hamptons’ knee was blown out. respected Rogers; till he lied about his vaccination. look forward to you’re comments. Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to all! Nagy sux.Pace. McCaskies too! HoHoHo
👍👍👍 Here’s a “like” for Adam’s write-up.
A great commercial, but I cringe at the end as he drives it down the gravel road with the top down and the dust flying.
I saw that commercial and afterwards I needed a shot of insulin.
One of the best commercials I’ve ever seen. Period!
another like for Adam !!
Nice piece, Adam. Don’t let the cynics spoil the message you intended.
Even as a Ford guy I have enjoyed that commercial every time I have seen it.
It’s as perfect as these things get. It’s not a documentary. Thank you Adam. Family. Dogs. Cars. Memories. Kindness. It doesn’t get much better.
A wonderful Christmas card. A scene that could be duplicated thousands of times across this great country. How many are buried in the barn or garage across the land That Dad is going to get to but chances are never will. How many daughters or sons will take up the torch to make dad smile like he did 50 years ago? I am a dog person and a collector so a great card. Right on GM.
Absolutely Loved this! Gotta admit, 69 years old and I shed tears watching it.
Hey Buddy, I’m 70 and shed tears watching it! Thank you all for posting this; LOVED it!
Now if only Chevrolet would build something this desirable again…
this kinda reminds me of a couple jewelry commercials ive seen where they try to tug at your heart so you will run to their store a flop down money for their jewelry, dont get me wrong, this is a tender commercial with all the new chevys sittin at the house, but bottom line is they make you tear up and go buy stuff… in the jewelry commercials they are doing a ring thing where this woman’s brother is a soldier and he gave it to a battle buddy to give his sister back home in case he dies… well of course he dies, buddy makes it home and gives her the ring, then they fall in love and buddy marries the dead soldiers sister, yes its tender and heartfelt, but again… go buy our jewelry for christmas… then another 1 is where husband buys wifey a puppy, she smiles snuggles said puppy and says i got you a little something also, pan camera and coming thru the snow is a new truck with mandatory red bow on hood… merry christmas e’erbody… spend till you max your credit cards out… sorry… rant over… i drive older fords… :)
After watching this commercial about an old Chevy
makes me really want to go out & buy an expensive new
truck – NOT!
The one I really hated was shown last Christmas,
where the wife buys matching watches,& then the husband
takes her outside & shows her the TWO new pickups (GMC?)
that he bought.
Great article Adam. It is a message we all need hear now and then. It reminds me of my Dad who drove Studebakers, at least until 1961. In ’61 when he decided to replace the ’56 Champion, I said “getting a Lark, right?” He said, “No, Studebaker won’t be around much longer and you never buy an orphan.” He bought a Ford and three years later Studebaker was gone. I want a Studebaker so badly that my wife tells me to find one and buy it. Unfortunately, I have not yet found a ’52 Champion Starlight coupe or a ’56 Champion 4 door sedan. Maybe some day.
My oldest told me about this commercial last weekend, but I’d not seen it till now. I admit it brought a tear to the eye while watching it. I know someone that had lost his wife years ago, and there’s no way you’d tear the wifes car from him, wild horses or not.
Comment was made about driving down a gravel road, well I had that growing up. What got me was the car sitting in the barn with the top down and no car cover on it, but then again it’s a story.
A terrific video that helps remind all of us Bow Tie Guys of the many special moments we’ve had in our Chevy’s! Thanks Adam.
This is why we car lovers do what we do.
Just scrolling through the photos reminded me of the movie Christine first the car is in poor shape the its show me then the car is pristine and the owner is cleaning it.
Can’t get choked up over some idiot that didn’t run his car through the car wash and buy a car cover for $200. And BTW Go Pack!
Cheers, Adam!
After watching this, I’m given pause to reflect on family and many other important people and the wonderful vehicles they drove which enriched and brought great fullness to my life! My dad and his ’67 F-100, dad & mom in their turquoise ’64 Galaxie 500 ragtop, hauling hay with Grandpa A. in his ’49 GMC 3/4-ton flatbed pick-up, Grandpa H.’s ’52 Ford p/u that he took us fishing in and the day he had to jump in the river to haul my drowning butt out so my Mom wouldn’t yell at us( ironic-yes! But my mom would have still yelled and we would have been in trouble, no matter if I had drowned!), Dad’s ’69 390 LTD in which I discovered that crossing RxR tracks at 105mph could cause the whole vehicle to try to go sideways on old 210 highway, the ’59 3/4-ton Chevy flatbed Dad gave $150 for so my brother and I had a vehicle to drive to school and also work on the farms with (think floor starter, pull choke, 4-speed trans, stop speed of 55 mph-going downhill with the wind at your back and screen door latch hooks to hold the doors shut), Grandpa A.’s 45 WD Allis Chalmer tractor that we helped him farm with, my Father-in-law’s numerous red, Chevy 1/2-ton farm trucks, my Dad’s gray Harry Ferguson tractor we farmed with, the ’48/’49 ton and a half 2-speed axle flatbed farm truck that my cousin and I spent a summer hauling hay with while also refining our double-clutching skills, the school bus Smokey Lloyd drove to haul us to school before we got the ’59 Chevy, the 707 that flew me out of Kansas City to San Antonio-October 1971 to join our “Uncle Sam’s” Air Force for the next 25+ yrs, my buddy-George’s Datsun 2wd p/u that we bummed around the Alaskan wilderness on our days off, my buddy Ed’s “59 Dodge p/u we had to pull out of various Alaskan creeks a time or two, my first car-’74 Plymouth Duster which carried me and my blushing bride to K.I. Sawyer AFB to begin our life together (still going strong 47 yrs later, us not the Duster, but its 3-spd slant-6 did give us 22-25 mpg most times), ’77 Subaru 4wd wagon that gave us 103-K miles before being adopted by neighbors as we were leaving the U.P./K.I. Sawyer; the same Subie which drove us through many stormy Northern Michigan days and nights where a small legend began-Do you remember when we almost got cut off in traffic, and Dad down-shifted the trans and up-shifted the 4wd selector, made a quick turn into a snow-filled side street then turn down the cleared sidewalk for half a block before getting back on the street, all without wrecking the car; the ’70 Ford Maverick “fishing car” my boys and I inadvertently jumped some Indiana RxR tracks with on a Saturday fishing trip-orange juice, powdered donuts and a box full of crickets went everywhere, a month later we were still finding crickets; ’74 Sportster that I rode when I met “ole man Branch” from Branch HD Wabash, IN-he had been a B-17 waist gunner in WWII and was always a joy to visit; ’81 Honda Accord “boonie car” we drove on Guam-drilled holes in the floorboard to drain the rain-water and bug-bombed twice a year to thin out the bugs; ’80 Toyota p/u with hm-made flatbed our boys learned to drive on; and that brings us to “Rosie” ’99 Toyota Avalon that has carried us all over the mid-west and western U.S. and is still going strong at 323.6K miles, miles and miles of smiles and smiles! You know….even this would make a great short movie and I’d bet each of you would have a similar story to share! Who knows….we might have even crossed paths somewhere along the way! For now….Merry Christmas,Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays and have a great New Year! Peace and Goodwill to all!
Quite a litany and a great memory for great memories. I served in the UP at Kinchelo AFB and watched B-52’s disappear behind the snow banks along the runway. Arrived there in a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain 2 door hardtop. Had to sell it because I didn’t have a State of Michigan approved insurance. Walked after that. But not to Sault Ste Marie.
Stu….I arrived at K.I. in April 1974. Attention-to-detail (memory recall) came as part of my USAF Medic training! Once, another troop asked me what vehicles I liked best (Ford guy-Chevy guy-Mopar, etc.)!? I told him my favorite vehicle was one with at least 2 wheels, preferably 4 or more, one that had a full tank of fuel and one that I could start with keys, a screwdriver or baling wire! He looked at me kind of weird and asked if I grew up in Detroit (was in the early ’70s)! Fun times!
I arrived at Kinchelo AFB (F-106 FIS) in Nov. 1965. Had already snowed in Oct. Big question was “What day is Summer on this year?”
merry christmas everyone!
Not to go schmaltzy on the good BF audience, but the commercial strikes a chord because it also shows what fellow car nuts will do for one of their own when the chips are down. I loved the “movie” and that 1966 Chevy hits it out of the park : ) Just enjoy the warm and fuzzies of it and don’t over analyze. We get enough of that dreck from the covid crisis, let it go for awhile here.
Preach on, NovaJohn!
Reminds me that chevy will never be what it was.
I love that commercial even though it brings a tear every time it comes on.
Great write up Adam!!!! Great commercial from Chevy! A real tear jerker. Memories connected to cars and family are a strong and powerful thing. Every time I look at my 65′ Galaxie, I can’t help but see my dad behind the wheel with a grin from ear to ear.
Thanks so much, Andre. My father was the same about his ’64 Galaxie 500. He adored that thing, and I think that it broke his heart to sell it. I have many great memories of dad, and of the time that we spent tinkering with classic cars. Every time I see a Galaxie, a Mustang, or a T-Bird, I think of him. Have a safe and happy holiday.
That commercial will pummel your emotions. It’s a cool commercial, but afterward I thought, I just bought a new 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. Where was it made? Mexico. The Japanese and other car companies have built plants and made cars in the United States (at a profit!). Where’s GM?
Agreed. With GM taking all of that bailout assistance years ago while still maintaining a penchant for building cars outside the country, it’s hard to be forgiving toward them.
That’s a pretty good commercial, made my wife’s eyes water. But the real tear jerker is this one from several years ago, it nearly gives me a break down every time I watch it. Maybe because I can relate, I’ve been trying to find my dads 65 GTO for the past 15 years, & I’ve come to the conclusion that it just doesn’t exist anymore. 😩 If this doesn’t make a grown man cry, then you aren’t human.
https://youtu.be/l02EGYwp2Go
I didn’t even try to find my old ’65 GTO. Red with a black interior. Only a 4 bbl on the 389 and an automatic trans. Still loved it. When I got married in 1971, still had the Goat and the Wife had a ’66 Impala SS.
I shed some tears as well, doesn’t matter how old or young you are it’s where your heart is. And your love for cars.
Adam, your heartfelt words coupled with the awesome video has released a flood. Thank you!
We really loved that commercial-Especially being we are a GMC/Chevrolet family-it brought back fond memories of my uncles 66 impala, my parents 65 impala SS convertible, and my uncles 67 stingray roadster with the 427 in it-oh the memories.
The daughter is a real cutie! Gear head chick, family values. I need to find one like that!