Victory Auto Wreckers
Encyclopedia
Victory Auto Wreckers is an auto salvage yard
in Bensenville, Illinois
, near Chicago
's O'Hare International Airport
. It is well-known in the Chicago area for its television commercial, in which a young man struggles with a car door that has just detached from its hinges. The commercial has remained largely unchanged since 1985, making it the subject of frequent discussion in the local media. The Chicago Sun-Times
once described the advertisement as "an indelible commercial image known to almost any television viewer."
veterans. The company was purchased by Kenneth Weisner in 1967 and is now owned by his son, Kyle. Victory purchases wrecked or decommissioned vehicles and then allows customers to browse through their lots in search of workable parts. Any unusable parts are crushed and sold to scrap metal dealers. The 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) facility processes approximately 14,000 automobiles every year.
In 2002, the Bensenville Community Development Commission threatened to close Victory Auto Wreckers within two years as part of a zoning ordinance prohibiting junkyards, incinerators and wrecking yards. However, appellate court
judge Robert McLaren ruled that the facility should be considered a recycling
center, allowing the business to remain in operation.
and other stations up to 30 times per week. Television historian Steve Jajkowski argues that the commercial "is as much a part of Chicago TV as Bozo the Clown
, Fahey Flynn
and Svengoolie
."
The commercial is set in a residential area near the salvage yard. It stars Bob Zajdel, a shaggy-haired young man who had been working for Victory at the time. In the commercial, Zajdel attempts to enter his noticeably old and run-down 1971 Chevrolet, but his car door suddenly detaches from its hinges and falls to the ground. An exasperated Zajdel jumps back and sighs in frustration, but an announcer advises that the car may be worth money, and briefly describes Victory's services. In the next scene, Zajdel receives a pair of $20 bill
s (and a third bill of unclear value) when a tow truck
from Victory arrives to take his car.
Victory has introduced some changes to the commercial since 1985; more recent versions have had new announcers (including Dean Richards
) and some new graphics. However, the footage has remained the same, as evidenced by Zajdel's period clothing and hairstyle. Radio personality Steve Dahl
joked, "I've always been a fan of the ultra-wide watchband and the mullet – or perhaps in those days it was called a gypsy shag." Zajdel was never paid extra for his role in the commercial, but he has become a minor local celebrity, appearing in several newspaper interviews. He remarked to the Chicago Tribune
, "I still own the shirt I wore. And I still have the watchband from the commercial. . . I should take the watchband and the shirt, with a Victory T-shirt, and put them on eBay. I could make some money off it."
Kyle Weisner says of the advertisement, "There are companies that do a lot of advertising, like, for example Empire
, but they change their commercials weekly. With us, our message is the same, so we've never felt the need to change it."
Wrecking yard
A scrapyard or junkyard is the location of a dismantling business where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies...
in Bensenville, Illinois
Bensenville, Illinois
Bensenville is a village located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois, with a small section near O'Hare International Airport in Cook County, Illinois, overlapping into the city of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 20,703. Bensenville is home to the Edge Ice Arena, home of...
, near Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
. It is well-known in the Chicago area for its television commercial, in which a young man struggles with a car door that has just detached from its hinges. The commercial has remained largely unchanged since 1985, making it the subject of frequent discussion in the local media. The Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
once described the advertisement as "an indelible commercial image known to almost any television viewer."
Business
Victory Auto Wreckers was founded in the 1940s by a pair of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veterans. The company was purchased by Kenneth Weisner in 1967 and is now owned by his son, Kyle. Victory purchases wrecked or decommissioned vehicles and then allows customers to browse through their lots in search of workable parts. Any unusable parts are crushed and sold to scrap metal dealers. The 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) facility processes approximately 14,000 automobiles every year.
In 2002, the Bensenville Community Development Commission threatened to close Victory Auto Wreckers within two years as part of a zoning ordinance prohibiting junkyards, incinerators and wrecking yards. However, appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
judge Robert McLaren ruled that the facility should be considered a recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
center, allowing the business to remain in operation.
Advertising
Victory aired its first television commercial in 1981. By 1985, the video of the advertisement had deteriorated, and Victory turned to commercial director Ron Patris to create a replacement. That replacement commercial, filmed on May 20, 1985, has remained on the air to this day, with some minor modifications. According to one estimate, the spot appears on WGN-TVWGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
and other stations up to 30 times per week. Television historian Steve Jajkowski argues that the commercial "is as much a part of Chicago TV as Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.Originally created by Alan W...
, Fahey Flynn
Fahey Flynn
Fahey Flynn was a radio and television newscaster who spent the majority of his career in Chicago...
and Svengoolie
Svengoolie
Svengoolie is the name of a character from a long-running series of locally-produced television programs in the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area...
."
The commercial is set in a residential area near the salvage yard. It stars Bob Zajdel, a shaggy-haired young man who had been working for Victory at the time. In the commercial, Zajdel attempts to enter his noticeably old and run-down 1971 Chevrolet, but his car door suddenly detaches from its hinges and falls to the ground. An exasperated Zajdel jumps back and sighs in frustration, but an announcer advises that the car may be worth money, and briefly describes Victory's services. In the next scene, Zajdel receives a pair of $20 bill
United States twenty-dollar bill
The United States twenty-dollar bill is a denomination of United States currency. U.S. President Andrew Jackson is currently featured on the front side of the bill, which is why the twenty-dollar bill is often called a "Jackson," while the White House is featured on the reverse side.The...
s (and a third bill of unclear value) when a tow truck
Tow truck
A tow truck is a vehicle used to transport motor vehicles to another location , or to recover vehicles which are no longer on a drivable surface.Towing services are generally provided by an emergency road service operator...
from Victory arrives to take his car.
Victory has introduced some changes to the commercial since 1985; more recent versions have had new announcers (including Dean Richards
Dean Richards (reporter)
Dean Richards is a Chicago film critic and entertainment reporter for WGN-TV and a longtime radio host for WGN in Chicago.- Early life and education :...
) and some new graphics. However, the footage has remained the same, as evidenced by Zajdel's period clothing and hairstyle. Radio personality Steve Dahl
Steve Dahl
Steven Robert Dahl has been an American radio personality and humorist for more than thirty years. He is currently podcasting, and releases the podcasts for download daily from his own website as well as the iTunes store...
joked, "I've always been a fan of the ultra-wide watchband and the mullet – or perhaps in those days it was called a gypsy shag." Zajdel was never paid extra for his role in the commercial, but he has become a minor local celebrity, appearing in several newspaper interviews. He remarked to the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "I still own the shirt I wore. And I still have the watchband from the commercial. . . I should take the watchband and the shirt, with a Victory T-shirt, and put them on eBay. I could make some money off it."
Kyle Weisner says of the advertisement, "There are companies that do a lot of advertising, like, for example Empire
Empire Today
Empire Today, LLC is a Northlake, Illinois-based home improvement and home furnishing company, specializing in installed carpet, flooring, and window treatments. The company operates in more than 45 major metropolitan areas in the United States, making it one of the leading providers of installed...
, but they change their commercials weekly. With us, our message is the same, so we've never felt the need to change it."
See also
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- Empire TodayEmpire TodayEmpire Today, LLC is a Northlake, Illinois-based home improvement and home furnishing company, specializing in installed carpet, flooring, and window treatments. The company operates in more than 45 major metropolitan areas in the United States, making it one of the leading providers of installed...
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