Cal Worthington facts for kids

Calvin Coolidge Worthington (born November 27, 1920 – died September 8, 2013) was an American car dealer. He became famous on the West Coast of the United States for his unusual radio and TV ads. His company, Worthington Dealership Group, sold cars across the western and southwestern U.S.

Cal Worthington was best known for his commercials that often started with "Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!" But "Spot" was never a real dog. Instead, "Spot" might be a tiger, an elephant, a chimpanzee, or even a hippopotamus. Sometimes, "Spot" was a vehicle, like an airplane. These ads made him very popular.

In 1988, Worthington's businesses made about $316.8 million. This made him the biggest single owner of a car dealership chain at that time. His advertising company, called Spot Advertising, spent $15 million on commercials. He sold cars from 1945 until he passed away. He also owned a large 24,000-acre ranch in Orland, California.

Cal Worthington's Early Life

Calvin Coolidge Worthington was born on November 27, 1920, in Bly, Oklahoma. He was named after Calvin Coolidge, who became Vice President three weeks earlier. Cal grew up in a very poor family with eight brothers and sisters. He left school when he was 13 years old. His first job was carrying water for a road construction crew. He earned 15 cents an hour. At age 15, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program that helped young men find work during the Great Depression.

Serving in World War II

When World War II began, Worthington joined the Army Air Corps. He became a Second Lieutenant and was known as an aerobatics champion. He flew B-17 Flying Fortress planes as a pilot with the 390th Bomb Group. He flew 29 dangerous missions over Germany. After the war, he left the Army as a captain. He received the Air Medal five times and the Distinguished Flying Cross. General Jimmy Doolittle himself gave him this award.

Worthington's military service was often talked about in aviation magazines. This was because he had trained pilots who later became some of America's first astronauts.

Cal's Business Journey

Starting His Career

After the Army, Worthington wanted to be a commercial pilot. However, he could not because he did not have a college degree. He sold his car for $500 to buy a gas station in Corpus Christi, Texas. The gas station was not successful, but he managed to sell it for the same price he paid.

Then, he started selling used cars in front of the post office in Corpus Christi. He would talk to people in a friendly way as they came to get their mail. He soon moved to a dirt lot and made a $500 profit in just one week by selling three cars. This made him decide that selling cars would be his career.

Moving to California

In 1949, Worthington moved to Huntington Park, California. There, he opened a Hudson Motor Car dealership. He was one of the first to use television advertising. He bought time for a three-hour live country music TV show on Los Angeles station KTLA. This show was called Cal's Corral.

As TV became more common, he became a Ford dealer. He started using shorter one-minute and 30-second commercials. By the 1970s, Worthington's commercials were shown all night long on many Los Angeles TV stations. They would play during old movies from midnight to six in the morning.

One of Cal's competitors in the 1960s was Chick Lambert. Chick was a salesman who often appeared in ads with his German Shepherd dog named Storm. Storm would sit on cars or walk with Chick. Cal Worthington decided to make his own unique ads. He started his "dog Spot" commercials with a gorilla that roared. People loved it, and the "Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!" campaign began.

Growing Across the West Coast

The Worthington Dealership Group grew very large. It covered much of the American Southwest and West. At its biggest, the company had 29 dealerships. These were in places like Anchorage, Alaska; Phoenix, Arizona; and many cities in California, Nevada, Texas, and Washington. The last dealership, in Long Beach, California, closed in 2023. The family now focuses on real estate and farming.

Cal Worthington was also one of the first to create "auto malls." These are places where many car dealerships are located together. By 2002, he also owned three shopping centers and an office tower. His businesses were making about $600 million a year.

"My Dog Spot" Commercials

For about 25 years, from the 1960s to the 1990s, Cal Worthington ran his famous "My Dog Spot" ads. These commercials were very unusual. They started as a funny copy of another salesman's ads that featured a puppy. Cal's ads always introduced "Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!" But "Spot" was never a dog. Instead, it was an exotic animal on a leash.

Some of the many creatures that appeared as "Spot" included a killer whale from SeaWorld, a lion, an elephant, a goose, a tiger, a bull, various snakes, a rhinoceros, a skunk, a bear, a roller-skating chimpanzee, a carabao (water buffalo), and a hippopotamus. Sometimes, "Spot" was even a famous person, like football player Deacon Jones. Cal worked with circuses and animal trainers to get these animals for his commercials.

The commercials also had a catchy jingle. It was sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It." The lyrics were changed to "If you want a car or truck, go see Cal, if you want to save a buck, go see Cal." Cal wrote the lyrics and sang the song himself. The jingle was so popular that some children thought his name was "Go see Cal."

In some ads, Worthington would promise to do a funny stunt for a sale. He might say he would eat a bug or "stand upon my head 'til my ears are turning red." Experts say he was "probably the best known car dealer pitchman in television history."

Cal Worthington's Personal Life and Death

Cal Worthington was married and divorced four times. He never owned a car himself. Instead, he would borrow one from his dealerships. In 2007, he said he didn't really like selling cars. He felt he "just kind of got trapped in it after the war." He said he "didn't have the skills to do anything else" and "just wanted to fly."

Cal Worthington kept his pilot's license and medical certification until two years before he died. He was even trained to fly a Lear Jet.

Worthington passed away on September 8, 2013, at his ranch in Orland, California. He was 92 years old. After his death, his grandson Nick Worthington became the general manager of the family's car business. The family sold their last car dealership in 2023 to focus on commercial real estate and farming.

Cal in Popular Culture

Cal Worthington appeared in movies and on TV as himself. His commercials were also used in many films. Other actors have even played characters based on him.

Movies

• Cal Worthington played a car dealer in the 1973 movie Save the Tiger.
• His ads were made fun of in Marty Feldman's 1977 comedy film The Last Remake of Beau Geste.
• In the 1993 movie Made in America, the character Hal Jackson, played by Ted Danson, is based on Cal Worthington. Hal Jackson is a car dealer who makes wild commercials with large animals.

Television

• Worthington appeared many times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
• In a 1972 episode of the cartoon Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, a character buys a bad car from a salesman like Cal Worthington.
• In 1974, the TV show Emergency! had an episode where paramedics rescue a car salesman trapped with a tiger during a commercial shoot.

See also

In Spanish: Cal Worthington para niños