The year is 1989. The Cold War is winding down, the World Wide Web is in its infancy, and the Mitsubishi Eclipse GS Turbo is one of the hottest imports on American roads. Mitsubishi used the celestial name of the sports car liberally in its advertising—and in this case, referenced the total solar eclipse that occurred on August 21st, 2017. Which is today.
“Astronomers tell us there won’t be a total eclipse in America until the year 2017. They are very much mistaken,” says the voiceover in the commercial below. “This is the year of the Eclipse…try not to stare.” The ad is accompanied by distinctly Japanese-sounding music with the rising sun in the background. It closes with the Mitsubishi Motors logo and the tagline, “Suddenly, the obvious choice.”
The emphasis on “the year 2017” makes it sound like a distant point in the future, which it certainly was at the time. I wonder if anyone in 1989 could have guessed the successor to the sporty Mitsubishi Eclipse in 2017 would be a crossover.
In 1989, Mitsubishi recommended you “try not to stare” at the Eclipse. For what it’s worth, we at The Drive have a few recommendations of our own regarding the first-gen Eclipse.
Enjoy the ad below. No special glasses required.
