Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - Gone in 60 Seconds: Crazy Automobile Stunt Commercials

Episode Date: June 14, 2025

Dramatic car stunts are not just the stuff of movies.They’re also the stuff of car commercials.We’ll talk about one ad where skydivers risked their lives spelling out the word “Honda” in the sky, a commercial where a car speeds on the roof of a skyscraper, and a story about a car that was dropped from an airplane - and the parachute didn’t work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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They've done their homework. And here's the other thing. Sell-off vacations is based here in Canada. Canadians helping Canadians enjoy affordable getaways. So book your next vacation with selloffvacations.com and happy travels. This is an Apostrophe podcast production. We're going to show you our big news to the Baker. What a relief! You're under the influence of Terry O'Reilly. Henry Blight Halicki was a director, writer, stunt driver, actor, and owner of a car impoundant towing business in California.

In 1974, he came up with an idea for a movie. It was titled, Gone in 60 Seconds. ["Gone in 60 Seconds"] The basic plot of the movie was that 48 cars had to be stolen in five days to pull off an insurance scam. There was no official script, just a few pages outlining the sparse dialogue which was mostly ad-libbed. There were no real actors in the movie, just friends and neighbors of Halicki's. The police

officers and firefighters in the movie were real police officers and firefighters. Even the bystanders in the movie were just real bystanders. For one of the main car stunts, all Halicki had in the way of a description for the crew was a piece of cardboard with a circle drawn on it. It was what you would call a loose film shoot. Gone in 60 Seconds is strictly a B-mo movie, but it has become a cult film. It's famous because it contains a 40-minute car chase, the longest in film history. And during that 40-minute car chase, which takes place through five cities, a total of 93 vehicles were destroyed. The H.B. Helicki and company Junkyard owned all 93 of them.

Occasionally, Helicki would have to halt filming for several days, repair the cars, then continue production. ["The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future"] Helicki did his own stunt driving, and the 40-minute car chase is chock full of death-defying stunts. In one scene, the Mustang Huliki was driving gets rear ended and his car spins into a light

pole at 160 km or 100 miles per hour. Huliki was badly injured. When people ran to his rescue, he was unconscious. When he came to, his first words were, Did we get the shot? Filming resumed three weeks later with Helicki in a full leg cast and several broken ribs. Near the end of the famous 40-minute car chase, Helicki's Mustang is being chased by over 20 police cars. As the yellow Mustang speeds along the highway, it comes roaring over a hill and suddenly comes upon an

accident scene with smashed cars spread across the road. The Mustang is going too fast to stop. This next moment is what film historians call the jump that set the standard for car stunts. Haliki's Mustang hits the stalled cars and takes flight. The car manages to attain a jump height of 9 meters or 30 feet over a distance of 39 meters or 128 feet. To put that jump in perspective, it was done with no computer graphic tricks, no rocket boosters or no hydraulic catapults, things all car stunts use today.

It was just a flat out historic car jump. It's still remembered to this day. Henry Helicki would remember it too. He compacted 10 vertebrae performing the stunt. Helicki said his injuries were not that serious. But his cameraman said Helicki never walked the same again. Dramatic car stunts aren't just the stuff of movies, they are also the stuff of car commercials. Car manufacturers are always looking for ways to make their brand stand out to the public.

And one of those ways is to film a dramatic car stunt. A stunt that usually shows off an exciting aspect of the automobile. Often, these car stunts are persuasive, sometimes they're jaw-dropping, and occasionally, car commercials can actually be death-defying. the influence. In 1972, Volkswagen pulled off a stunt that not many other cars could have achieved. The goal was to prove that the VW was airtight. Try looking at a Volkswagen this way. It's the only small car with a sealed steel bottom that leaves nothing exposed beneath it.

And the VW is built to take a little punishment. As small as the VW is, it's covered with 13 pounds of paint outside and in, even in places you can't see, but which corrosion can find. In fact, the VW is so well put together, it's practically airtight. At that point, the announcer gets in and literally drives the beetle straight into a lake. The VW didn't sink, it floated. And as it floated, the announcer casually rests his elbow out the window and says,

Now, what other car gives you this kind of quality at this kind of price? It was a dramatic stunt you don't see coming, and it clearly showed the airtight, watertight quality of the Beetle. Words on the screen at the end of the commercial said the suggested retail price was $1999. And if you look closer at the smaller type, it said, the VW will definitely float, but it won't float indefinitely.

Ha ha. Definitely. Haha. Audi's 100 CS Quattro Equipped Cars Back in 1986, Audi needed a way to launch its 100 CS Quattro equipped cars. Essentially, the Audi Quattro was an all-wheel car, sending power to both axles when required. While that seems like standard fare today, it was a new concept to most people in the mid-80s. So the people at Audi and its advertising agency came up with a dramatic idea for a television commercial. In Finland, there was a famous Olympic-style ski jump not far from Helsinki.

This snow-covered ski ramp was 138 meters or 452 feet long. It had an angle of 37.5 degrees or a jaw-droppingly steep 80% gradient. Skiers would take off down the ramp, pick up incredible speed, then become airborne at the takeoff point. The people at Audi wanted their new Quattro to tackle the ramp. Only, they didn't want to drive down the steep ramp. They wanted to drive up. Back in 86, companies didn't use the array of backup fail-safe systems they employ today

when doing stunts that include things like pulleys and cables and harnesses. When Audi wanted its new Quattro model to successfully climb one of the steepest, slipperiest ski ramps in the world, the only modification on the car was snow tires. That was it. And if the car started to slide uncontrollably down the ramp, there was nothing anyone could do about it. At the start of the commercial, the Audi Quattro begins its seemingly impossible climb. It's a breathtaking scene.

The angle of the ski jump is shockingly severe. The ramp is covered in snow and the Audi is not just inching up the icy slope, it's actually clipping along. And in just 20 real-time seconds, the Audi Quattro easily climbed to the top of the ramp. Quattro easily climbed to the top of the ramp. That stunt put Audi Quattro and all-wheel drive on the map. The commercial is nearly 40 years old now and people still remember it to this day. As a matter of fact, it was such a legendary commercial for Audi, the car company recreated it again in 2005 to celebrate 25 years of Quattro.

Speaking of death-defying car stunts, Continental tires filmed a spectacular one in 1992. The Continental tire company began in Germany in 1871. It was the first company to incorporate tread patterns into their tires. Prior to that, all tires were smooth. The addition of tread significantly improved the grip, braking and cornering performance of tires. Filmed in South Africa, this entire commercial takes place atop the roof of a skyscraper. The roof is perfectly flat with no fencing or barriers at the edges. And it's a long way down. As the commercial begins, a stunt driver accelerates on the roof at full speed,

then jams on the brakes just as he comes to the very edge of the building. Yikes! In testing conditions, the case for precision German engineering rests on our tires. Then the driver accelerates again, whips the car completely around and then stops absolutely parallel to the very edge of the skyscraper, with the left tires hanging ever so slightly off the building. To watch this maneuvering is absolutely toe-curling. Next, the driver throws the car into reverse, floors the gas pedal, then jams on the brakes

and stops just in time as half of the rear tires hang over the edge. We rest our case. Continental tires. German engineering where you need it most on a car. You can watch this heart-stopping commercial by searching continental tires rooftop ad on YouTube In 2011 BMW pulled off a pretty good stunt to advertise the acceleration power of its new motorcycle The commercial was titled the oldest Oldest Trick in the World.

In the first scene, a man successfully yanks a tablecloth out from under a wine glass, a wine bottle and a flower vase. The oldest trick in the world. Then the scene changes. Now we see a very long dining room table, maybe 35 feet long. By my count, there are four large candelabras, at least 70 wine glasses, over 100 plates, three very elaborate flower vases, multiple buckets of wine cooling on ice, and all of this is sitting on a white

tablecloth. I mean, this long table is just covered with breakable items. A BMW motorcycle backs into the scene and is attached to the tablecloth with two ropes and a clip. The bike is idling just two feet and a clip. The bike is idling just two feet from the table. The goal was to accelerate so fast, so quickly, that it would pull the tablecloth out from under all those dinner pieces on the 35 foot long table from a standing start without breaking or disturbing anything.

Which seemed impossible. Then the BMW motorcycle takes off and pulls the entire 35-foot tablecloth out from under all those plates and glasses without a single piece moving or even wobbling. Words on the screen say, BMW motorcycles, welcome to planet power. It was an amazing demonstration of acceleration. When we come back, a car stunt that doesn't involve a car. Cash now until June 15. Terms apply. Occasionally, the best car stunts don't even involve a car.

In a movie theater in Madrid, the audience was getting settled in to watch upcoming trailers before the main feature. The lights go down and the trailer starts. But just as it starts, a latecomer walks down the aisle looking for a seat. The trailer suddenly stops for a second, a spotlight hits the latecomer, a small red car icon flashes on the screen, and two alarm beeps are heard. Then the trailer starts up again. A few moments later, a couple comes in late looking for seats. Then a few seconds after that, a fourth person stumbles in late, walks down to the very front row looking for the only remaining empty seat.

The spotlight hits him, red car icon flashes on screen, alarm goes off. Noisy. The audience in the cinema doesn't know what's going on, but they're getting annoyed. Then words on the screen say, the new Volkswagen Passat with pedestrian detector. That's when the audience realized it was actually a live commercial for Volkswagen. A very surprising live demonstration

to explain the new VW detection technology, which stops the vehicle if a pedestrian crosses in front of the car unexpectedly. As the marketing world knows, the best way to explain new car technology is to show how it works. Which VW did, without a car, in a movie theater. And by the way, after the stunt was revealed to the audience, a final line appeared on the screen that said, it's better to never arrive late at a cinema. Speaking of live stunts, Honda pulled one off in the UK.

The idea began when Honda invited advertising companies to pitch ideas to dramatize Honda's campaign theme line, Difficult is Worth Doing. It wanted a big idea that would stop the trend of people ignoring commercial breaks. Here's the idea they chose. First, Honda promoted the fact it was doing a live, dramatic, one-time-only three-minute television commercial at precisely 8.10 p.m. on May 29. That got the attention of viewers and the British press. Then on May 29, at precisely 8-10 pm, viewers crowded around their TVs to watch the stunt unfold.

What they saw was a small aircraft in the air being filmed from another plane flying beside it. 30 seconds for green light, 30 seconds. 30 seconds, still coming. Then, at 14,000 feet, the aircraft's door opened... 9, 8, 6, 7... and out jumped 16 skydivers. 3, 2, 1...

As they fell at a rate of 217 kilometers or 135 miles per hour, the skydivers slowly joined hands and created the letter H. Then they separated, then rejoined, forming an O. Then came the trickiest letter of all, the N. It looked like the skydivers were struggling, not quite able to form the letter, but then... They got it. Next came the letter D, followed by the final A, spelling out Honda at what was then 5,000 feet with the Earth coming at them fast.

This amazing stunt was filmed with two additional skydiving camera people, multiple cameras aboard the two planes, cameras on the helmets of the skydivers, and body cameras. It was a huge undertaking that cost a reported 500,000 British pounds. 500,000 British pounds. The live Honda skydiving commercial was watched by 2.2 million people in the UK that night. Channel 4, who aired the commercial, said the viewing audience for the Honda ad was astounding compared to regular commercial breaks.

Was a 500,000 pound ad worth it? Well, Honda dealers in the UK sold 1 million pounds worth of cars in a single weekend. According to Honda, that spelled success. When we return, a car has a little trouble with a parachute. Now until June 15th, terms apply. One of my favorite stories of a car stunt involved a British sports car called the MGB. By the early 70s, foreign sports cars were starting to break into the North American market, and the sleek little MGB was a sexy option in 1973. MGB's advertising manager, Bob Burden, wanted a blockbuster television commercial as the company was facing increased competition from Japanese imports.

The creative director of MGB's advertising agency was a Canadian named Mayhew, and he had a big idea. As Mayhew described it, three competitor cars, a Datsun, a Fiat, and a Porsche, would be racing across the desert, leaving plumes of dust in their wake. Then, an MGB would be dropped out of an airplane a mile and a half up in the sky and would fall dramatically to the earth with a parachute. A skydiver, who jumped out of the same plane, would land beside the MGB, hop in, and drive away, leaving the competitors in the dust.

Burden just stared at Mayhew blankly. But what's the selling point? He asked. Mayhew said, MGB, still one jump ahead. With that line, Burden was sold. With that line, Burden was sold. Filming would take place over the Mojave Desert in California, not far from the Edwards Air Force Base where Chuck Yeager had broken the sound barrier in 1947. The cost of this stunt exceeded anything previously spent on an MGB commercial by a factor of 10. exceeded anything previously spent on an MGB commercial by a factor of 10. Burton's nervous boss wished him luck with an undercurrent of, don't come back if it doesn't work. On the morning of the shoot, two brand new red MGBs were polished and ready.

There were dozens of details to contend with. Wind was the biggest factor, but luckily it was a spectacular still morning. The FTC insisted the commercial had to be authentic. It had to be a real car that landed and drove away, no tricks, or the commercial could not be aired. So every single detail of the drop and landing had to be calculated to the last millimeter. A small armada of aircraft got ready. Two small Cessnas and a helicopter to do the filming, and a Caribou mothership to drop the MGB. With the early morning light just right, it was go time. The planes climbed into the sky, and at 8,000 feet, the caribou opened its huge rear doors,

and the red MGB slid out. The skydiver jumped. It was a beautiful sight. Both seemed to be falling in slow motion. The skydiver's chute opened, then everyone went silent. The car's chute wasn't opening. The car started falling a lot faster than the skydiver. Everyone just stared as the MGB gracefully smashed to the ground.

The skydiver landed beside the brand new MGB, which was now a completely flattened pancake. Bob Burden went pale. As it turned out, the parachute lines had snagged and tore on bolts inside the caribou, rendering the parachute inoperable. Mayhew, the creative director, just shrugged his shoulders, turned to Burden and said, let's try it again with the backup MGB. Burden responded saying, but I don't have a backup job. Mayhew put his arm around him and said, You can only be fired once,

whether you destroy one car or two. With that inescapable logic, Take Two was called. The planes lifted to the sky, the caribou's hatch opened, gleaming MGB number two slipped out, the skydiver jumped, and everyone held their breath. Suddenly the car's chute opened. Then the skydiver's chute unfolded. Both drifted perfectly to the

desert floor as the three competitor cars raced towards them. The skydiver landed, hopped into the MGB and sped away. To the wild applause of one Bob Burton. At the National MGB Dealers' Meeting later that month, the parachute ad received a standing ovation. The commercial generated press from outlets across the country. It won a top advertising award. And when Bob Burden was asked how they pulled it off, he replied in the most understated way, it took a couple of goes but it worked fine.

Little did everyone know that a couple of goes meant a couple of cars. Over the years I've worked on just about every car brand you can imagine. Ford, Chevrolet, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mini, Mini Vans, and pickup trucks. And I can tell you, it is an extremely competitive category. Every year, new models come out, new commercials are required, and millions are spent to one up each other. That one-upmanship often leads to brinksmanship. Driving up a snow-covered nearly perpendicular ski jump

is a scary proposition, but a highly persuasive one. Driving a car into a lake is a daring way to prove a point. And pulling the tablecloth out from under hundreds of breakable dinnerware pieces is a memorable feast for the eyes. But then there are the truly death-defying ideas like spelling out a brand name using live skydivers or speeding on the top of a skyscraper or dropping a car from an airplane at 8,000

feet. It's all about gaining attention in a world of indifferent viewers. The payoff can be huge. You just have to hope the parachute opens when you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the TereStream Mobile Recording Studio. Producer Debbie O'Reilly, Chief Sound Engineer Jeff Devine. Under the influence theme by Casey Pick, Jeremiah Pick, and James Aitin. Tunes provided by APM Music. Follow me at Terry O Influence. This podcast is powered by A- Acast. See you next week. record.

I'm a big book reader and love to read about interesting destinations. But here's an idea. Why not pack a book and actually book a vacation to an interesting destination? The folks at Sell-Off Vacations can help make that happen. And here's the great thing about them. They've been booking vacations for over 30 years and you want that in a travel expert. And they not only offer Sun packages and flights and cruises and hotels, Sell-Off Vacations also offers you something called their Best Price Promise, which means they will not only match a competitor's price, they'll beat it. Now, whether you want to see a new corner of this great country, and a lot of people are doing that

this year, or if you want to head off to the Mediterranean or other parts of Europe or the Caribbean, there are options for every budget. And sell-off vacation experts know these travel destinations because they've been there. And again, you want that in a travel expert. They've done their homework. And here's the other thing. Sell-off Vacations is based here in Canada. Canadians helping Canadians enjoy affordable getaways. So book your next vacation with selloffvacations.com. And happy travels.