At the end of 1966 and into early 1967, Dodge launched an ad campaign to introduce their 1967 line-up, primarily the Dodge Dart, Dodge Coronet, and Dodge Monaco. The company picked a veteran performer, actress Pamela Austin, to play the role of “Bore Hunter” and “Dodge Girl.”

Bore Hunter, Pamela Austin, in Dodge advertising campaign. Photo from phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com

Austin was the daughter of an Air Force man whose duty took the family to Europe for several years. She attended ballet classes while living in Hungary and Germany, which led to a passion in dancing. Austin studied dancing at Sacramento State College in 1959 which eventually led to a gig as a dancer at Tony Martin’s night club in Hollywood. Martin was a singer that once had a variety show on NBC from 1954-1956. Part of Austin’s career with the night club was touring with Martin for 6-months of the year while performing at different venues.

Pamela Austin. Photo from glamourgirlofthesiverscreen

Scoring a minor role in the Elvis Presley movie, Blue Hawaii, Austin began posing for special holiday calling cards while sharing an apartment with fellow Warner Brothers feminine TV hopeful, 18-year-old Kathy Bennett. Bennett had several roles in TV movies and was looking for movie roles at the time. Both women were becoming fixtures at casting calls.

In 1962 Austin was hinted at having a major role in an upcoming TV show. The press reports that the FBI, “which is cooperating officially with Warner Brothers in the filming of the TV special ‘FBI Code 98,’ okayed the casting of two of the prettiest actresses in the studio to portray FBI messengers. The beauties are Mikki Jameson and Pamela Austin.” Neither Jameson or Austin show up in the film credits.

Austin met Los Angeles Rams football player Charley Britt, and the two got engaged and married in 1963. She lands a lead role in the Elvis movie, “Kissing Cousins.” While Austin’s career was heading up, Britt’s football career was ending. The marriage ended in 1964 after the birth of their son.

Charley Britt. Photo from theantiorangepage.com

Bouncing back in 1966, Austin marries Guy Franklin McElwaine, a Hollywood press agent, in Los Angeles. Shortly after, Austin lands the two-year contract with Dodge.

In a day when car manufacturers counted on consumers trading in their cars every two years, the ad campaigns were ramped up to create hype each new car season.

In Austin’s role as “the Dodge Girl,” colorful print ads began appearing in car magazines and TV commercials emphasized Pam’s curvaceous body.

This ad campaign feature Austin as leader of the “Dodge Rebellion” and the catch phrase was used in every print ad and commercial.

This two-year period would end up being the pinnacle of Austin’s career. A series of television commercials promoting the new 1967 Dodge Automobiles, which included the Dodge Dart, Dodge Coronet, and Dodge Monaco.

Joan Parker became the Dodge Fever Girl for 1968-1969. Photo from blogspot.com

These commercials had Austin portraying a ditzy type of spokeswoman, who would fall into all kinds of predicaments within a commercial.

She filled the role as “Bore Hunter” and leader of the Dodge Rebellion until late 1967 when Dodge replaced her with 23-year-old Joan Parker of Warwick, New York, as its new advertising symbol.

Parker brought in the next marketing campaign, “The White Hat Girl,” that wanted consumers to catch “Dodge Fever.”

Pamela Austin was last seen by automotive enthusiasts when she crowned 22-year-old Kathy Jeanette Patty, the first native-born “Dodge Girl,” at the 58th Annual Detroit Auto Show in November of 1973.