BENSENVILLE, IL — It’s the end of an era for Chicagoland viewers who grew up watching a shaggy haired dude accepting a wad of cash for his old wreck of a car in one of the most iconic local TV commercials ever produced.
After 78 wonderful years of proudly serving gearheads and other vehicle owners looking to save a buck by fixing their cars with used auto parts, Victory Auto Wreckers announced it will permanently close the auto salvage yard in Bensenville on Nov. 18.
Owner Kyle Weisner told Dean Richards Sunday during an interview on WGN that it was time to close the gates and smell the roses. “Victory Auto Wreckers near O’Hare” has been in business since 1945, and Weisner’s family has owned it since 1967.
The 10-acre salvage yard at 710 Green Street, Bensenville, next to O’Hare International Airport, was founded in 1945 by a couple of World War II vets, hence the name “Victory.” Weisner’s family bought the business in 1967.
“It’s time, it's a great business, but it’s a lot of work,” Weisner told Richards, who’s been with the family salvage business for 42 years, 24 years as the company president. “I think the family members want to take it a little bit easier … Everything ends. It could be five minutes or 56 years.”
The famous local TV spot first aired in 1985. It made a cult figure of employee Bob Zajdel, whose foot almost got famously clobbered by the falling car door. The cheesy but revered commercial that was shot in two takes lives on in perpetuity on YouTube.
The commercial also launched the career of Richards, who was assigned the task of voicing the commercial when he first joined WGN in 1991, and is now one of the country’s top entertainment journalists.
In 2018, Victory Auto Wreckers underwent a million dollar makeover and paved the self-service auto salvage yard notorious for its mud after a hard rain, as well as added smartphone apps allowing customers to be notified when a coveted car part arrived on the property. Victory Auto Wreckers announced a contest for local fans to submit a replacement commercial, but they were inundated with videos from wannabe Don Drapers. The contest was called off due to some voting fishiness.
The Weisner family has no plans to sell the business to another buyer, but “Victory Auto Wreckers at 710 E. Green Street near O’Hare” apparently stands in the way of the I-390 Elgin-O’Hare expansion. As the beloved Chicagoland business fades into the mists of memory along with Bozo and Garfield Goose — we’ll always have Bob Zajdel’s leather watch band.
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November 07, 2023 at 01:13AM
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Iconic Chicagoland Business Victory Auto Wreckers To Close In November - Patch
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