This is a Dealer Match Book cover for the 1961 Comet. It is from D&E Motors Inc., in Williamsville, NY. Now I just have to find one from Manor Motor Sales, where my Comet came from!
This is a real unique item. The follow explaination of what this is was provided to me by Phil Skinner
"This is a master matt for use in newspapers. Automotive editors love to
write about new cars, but the cost and time to go to a dealership, take
a good photo, create a master, etc., was too much, so to help promote
their product, the car companies produced thousands of these photos. The
newspaper could run the photo with the pre-printed cut-line or use their
own.
From this master, the newspaper would make a reverse plate laid up into
a full-page format for the actually printing process. The didn't print
directly from this surface."
I have taken three scans below. One of the panel itself in black and white, one of the panel in color and one of what the ad looked like in the paper.
Here is the panel scanned in black and white and I adjusted the contrast and brightness so you see the picture of the Comet. This scan looks best on a LCD (Flat Screen) display. (if you have a picture tube type monitor then look at the version below) I have no idea how this was used to transfer the picture to newsprint but you can see for yourself the Comet on this panel. Especially if you click on the picture and see the blown up version.
Here is the panel scanned in black and white and I adjusted the contrast and brightness so you see the picture of the Comet. This scan looks best on a picture tube type display. (if you have a LCD (Flat Screen) display then look at the version above this one) I have no idea how this was used to transfer the picture to newsprint but you can see for yourself the Comet on this panel. Especially if you click on the picture and see the blown up version.
Here is what the ad would have looked like made from this panel. This came with the panel and it was from the Public Relations Department of the Lincoln-Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company.
