"Ugly But Honest."
In a personal ad, that description might be disastrous. But for one local family, it's been the ticket to a pretty good life.
For decades, the iconic slogan overlooking Tucson's Five Points intersection has been luring used-car buyers to Clyde Wanslee Auto Sales, 725 S. Sixth Ave.
Wanslee, the car lot's late founder, dreamed up the offbeat advertising message in the 1930s while studying at the University of Arizona, said his stepson Tom Epperson who now owns the firm.
"A marketing professor said, 'If you're going to be in business you need a slogan, something very simple that everyone will remember.' That's what Clyde came up with, and it did the trick."
The slogan initially was used on company letterhead. The big sign went up in the early 1950s.
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Wanslee dropped out of the university and spent most of his life selling vehicles while wearing his trademark cowboy hat. He died in 1984 at age 69.
The first part of the slogan was self-deprecating: Wanslee was referring to himself as ugly, though, according to Epperson, "he was not a bad-looking man."
The honest part reflected the founder's philosophy of making every customer happy, Epperson said.
On that point, it seems there's truth in advertising: Wanslee's has an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau, which notes there's not a single complaint filed against the firm.
Over the years, even Hollywood has been charmed by the Ugly But Honest sign.
It's been in two movies: the 1982 film "Hanky Panky" starring Gene Wilder and the late Gilda Radner, and 1991's "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" with co-stars Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson.
Today, much of the firm's business is done at a lot across the street, where Clyde's widow, Doris, 84, still comes in twice weekly to do the books. Epperson's wife and a sister-in-law also work there.
The Ugly But Honest sign should be around for decades to come, said Epperson, 66, who started work there as a teenager.
"I have two daughters and I tell them, 'No matter what happens, never sell that little piece of property. Always make sure to keep it nice and keep the sign up.' "
"It's a landmark," he said. "I wouldn't want to change it."
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Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at calaimo@azstarnet.com or at 573-4138.
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