Illinois Business With Iconic TV Commercial Says Goodbye

A Chicago area auto business known for its legendary commercial will close up shop later this month.

According to WGN-TV, Bensenville-based Victory Auto Wreckers will close for good on Nov. 18.

Victory Auto Wreckers Commercial Started In The 1980s

Victory Auto Wreckers is known to many as the place with the television commercial featuring a driver whose door falls right off his car.

The commercial debuted in 1985 and ran for several years on Chicago TV stations.

According to WGN-TV, the commercial was filmed after Victory's original advertisement from 1981 "was run so many times it wore out the tape."

The station released raw footage of the commercial being filmed to celebrate its 33rd anniversary in 2018.

Bob Zajdel, the man featured in the commercial, is seen being told to shake his head as the door comes flying off the car. The scene was done in two takes.

Victory Auto Wreckers attempted to hold a contest for fans to create their own commercials for the business in 2015, but was unable to determine a winner saying it was "rigged" due to votes coming from outside the Chicago area.

Why Victory Auto Wreckers Is Closing

Victory Auto Wreckers has been operating its auto salvage yard in the Chicago area since 1945.

"Victory Auto Wreckers is a family owned three-generation business that has been in the same location since it was founded at the end of World War II, hence the name 'Victory," The business states on its website.

Kyle Weisner, whose family has owned the business since 1967, told WGN-TV that it was time to close and "take it a little easier."