African ABU  Advertizing

Links to other  sections of advertizing pages (comprising USA, Australia,  Asia, Europe) Please advise if you have access to ads from other locations.

Although  A.B.Urfabriken began as a watch making firm in Sweden so long ago, the build quality of  its fishing equipment saw it sold right around the world!

I have a-massed a large number of advertizements (thanks to Gary M (Kingfisher) Wallace, Mike, Rikk, Uffe, Simon and others) linked elsewhere on this site but my favourites are  really all and any showing the ABU Garcia  brand. Enjoy many here  which are so interesting , so attractive, even a non fisherman would stop to read the details and be encourages to purchase based on the details provided.

 

So as usual,  a direct and personal quote from my friend Len Borgstom, always adds authenticity and images from The Kingfisher's collection of old fishing magazines help us understand. Images from Field and Tide June 1964 magazine by SEALANDAIR Publications, Durban ..... and  VELD & VLEI June 1954.

"South Africa was one of our first export countries outside Scandinavia. Robert Winquist was the export manager for the Swedish company Husqvarna. In those days Husqvarna made hunting guns. He gave us the names of their agents in several countries. South Africa was one of these. The name of the Husqvarna agent there was Cyril Caro & Co. The founder, Cyril Caro, visited the Husqvarna factory in Sweden and Mr. Winquist took Mr. Caro to the Morrum river to fish for salmon. This was in the early 1950s. A few years later when Cyril’s son, Tony, had taken over the leadership of the company, he came to Sweden and we became very good personal friends. So much so, that when Annika and I got married he came all the way to Sweden for our wedding...

Take care! Len"

 

In response to.... There must be lots more ..please contribute...

Dear Wayne


I am Coenraad van den Heever residing in South Africa and I seriously collect ABU reels, rods etc. for numerous years.  I have been following your website from 2008 when I discovered your brilliant work! Thank you for all your efforts to preserve the history of ABU and what it meant for the world of fishing. I agree with your statement on your advertising section that ABU as we knew it is consumed by the world of conglomerate’s... In my mind I am stuck in the past, when quality superseded everything else...As Simon Shimomura stated " The classic Ambassadeur was built with true craftsmanship when there was time to do the right job."     


Therefore, find attached ABU ads from South Africa that I scanned from a popular monthly fishing magazine namely "Stywe Lyne" or translated to "Tight Lines"  (please note, there is no relation to ABU Tight Lines!) . Kindly take cognisance that one advert on the Ultra Mags was written without any pictures.  I will do some more scanning in the coming weeks.


In the meantime, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you online. I hope there will be more interaction between us in the future. I have a couple of articles on ABU I would like to share with the world. 

African advertising....

1973
Ambassadeur 10 000 from Cyril Caro Agencies

1974
Ambassadeur 7000, rarely seen 8500

1975
Ambassadeur 5500 C and 6500 C High Speed

1979

Cardinal 54,55 and 55 from Cyril Caro Agencies

1981

Ambassadeur  7000, 8000C , 9000C and 10 000 CA from Fletcher's Wholesale in Knysna, South Africa.

1982
Ambassadeur ABU 12 medium game reel

1984
Ambassadeur Ultramags


1984
More Ambassadeur Ultramags I, XL II

Thankyou so much Coenraad! Look forward to further contributions...

Some fine advertising (review from SA magazine,  "Stywe Lyne" (Tight Lines), in March 1999

 

 

There must be lots more ..please contribute...