Chrysler CEO Lee Iaccoca knew star power and hired Tina Turner in 1989 to star in a series of advertisements for the Plymouth family (Voyager, Acclaim, Laser, Sundance) to help reinvigorate the brand's image. He featured her in an ad for the Plymouth Sundance compact, where she delivered the very Iaccoca-esque pitch: „I wanna warn you about this car, this Plymouth Sundance. Over half the people who test drive a Sundance, buy a Sundance. So if you're not serious about a new car, you better stay away from this one.“
She even promoted the Voyager minivan and returned in 1990 for the new Laser sports car, which was a marked departure for the automaker: „Sometimes you get to know someone so well they kinda get predictable, well not this time. No matter what you thought about it before, my friend, this is not for wallflowers.“
In another ad for the Acclaim midsize sedan, she said: „Now this car is built for comfort … I wonder what else we have in common.“
Plymouth Executive: There's no better way for a car company to show off its great new body styles than having one of the finest bodies in show business as its spokesperson. Singer Tina Turner recently took on that role for the Chrysler Corp. The leggy superstar entertainer is featured in TV commercials for Chrysler's 1990 Plymouth line. Ms. Turner, who Plymouth executives said is 'perfect' for the advertising campaign, is featured touting the new 1990 Plymouth Acclaim, among other models in the line. The new video campaign was recently unveiled at a showing in Highland Park, Michigan.
However, Tina's favorite cars were from the other side of the Atlantic. „It may sound silly, but one of my favorite escapes, and a secret pleasure, was driving my Jaguar. I loved it because it was something I could do by myself, one of the few times I could be alone and free.“ The XJ6 was from Sammy Davis Jr., who gave it to her as thanks for appearing in a show with him in Las Vegas in 1970.