AutoCult Any Car (1971) (USA)

About the original

The Diversity of Choice

The new Edition 2022 is a different kind of book – it is THE book for the automotive enthusiast who wants to learn more about the stories of long forgotten automobiles, brands and other developments. Whether rare, fast or strange – many interesting stories in conjunction with precise historical accuracy, flanged by many historical photographs and illustrations of autocult models produced in 2022, make this book (as well as all future editions) a reading experience for those interested in automotive history.

When looking at the car for the first time, which went down in automotive history as the “Anycar”, most people are likely to react with a uncomprehending shake of the head.

For European-influenced eyes, the first thing that immediately catches the eye is the rear area, which is unmistakably reminiscent of a VW Beetle. But also the front suddenly looks familiar, the massive radiator grille of an American road cruiser and also at the rear of the car features a typical fin, as the once charismatically shaped US-cars…

And that’s the point. Particularly the enormous diversity of the car industry was the intention that led to the construction of the car – as many parts of the most diverse cars as possible should be put together. The deep meaning behind it was based on an initiative of the bank ‘Manufactures Hanover Trust Company’. In 1971, the financial institution wanted to appeal specifically to US car buyers with its lending and therefore created the slogan “Our Anycar loan. For any car you have in mind”. The underlying idea was that all sorts of car buyers, and that was almost every household in the USA, should feel addressed by it. With this in mind, the New York based bank turned to customizer Gene Winfield and asked for an authentic design matching to their advertising slogan. His creation became nationally known through the advertisements placed by the bank.