My piece on the Oldsmobile Toronado XS yesterday revealed a high level of appreciation for personal luxury coupes from Curbivores – a lot of us are Brougham fans here, after all – but elicited a rather lukewarm response to the Toronado itself. So, tell me: what personal luxury coupe from the 1970s would you want instead?
The Lincoln Mark V is perhaps the most dramatic and stunning personal luxury coupe but, well, it’s a bit big. I realize that’s like saying, “I liked the horror movie but it was a bit too scary, don’t you reckon?” Nevertheless, I’d prefer something a little bit more sensibly-sized, like the downsized ’79 Cadillac Eldorado.
It may surprise you to learn that I’m not much of a fan of pre-downsizing era Cadillacs. Those Coupe de Villes and Eldorados from earlier in the 1970s are just too gargantuan and gauche for my tastes, but the ’79 has an undeniable presence and yet a cleanness of line. The detailing is on point and the interior is warm and inviting.
If we want to stretch the QOTD to include coupes that weren’t separate line models like the Eldorado, then a ’77-79 Coupe de Ville is my other favourite classic Cadillac. The cherry on the parfait is the availability of Cadillac-exclusive V8s: the 425 in the ’77-79 Coupe de Ville and the 368 in the first few years of the downsized Eldorado.
If we’re talking mainstream brands, a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix is at the top of the list. There’s not a bad line on these and I like the ’77 headlights. Make mine a loaded LJ with two-tone paint and snowflake wheels and any of the available engines will do, just not the 301.
I’ve spoken before about my morbid fascination with the ’75-77 Dodge Charger and so I wouldn’t mind one of these…
…or the more attractive Dodge Magnum…
…or Ricardo Montalbán’s car of choice, the Chrysler Cordoba. With soft Corinthian leather, of course.
Finally, one other car I’d consider is the ’74-76 Buick Riviera. What can I say, I like underdogs. These are either reviled or forgotten and, while they don’t have the visual drama of the ’71-73 boat-tails, I think they’re quite handsome. I’ll take a ’76 S/R with the bucket/console set-up.
So, what are your choices?
I like the 1973 Mark IV Lincoln best. Dark brown metallic, on brown leather interior with thick pile brown carpet. 460 cid baby!
Can’t go wrong there. The Mark III and V are close behind. Iconic cars that define the personal luxury car era.
1970 Imperial Lebaron Coupe
(Or is that not strictly speaking a personal luxury coupe? Although if you are going to allow Coupe De Ville…
Wow, almost 19 feet of fuselage beauty. Great call!
Make mine a 300 convertible.
After that, any pre-1978 Grand Prix with the biggest available engine, although I wouldn’t kick a ’73-’74 454 Monte Carlo out of the garage.
If you’re going to go for an Imperial, why not get the ’73. At 235 inches long (in either 2-door hardtop coupe or 4-door hardtop sedan body-styles) the ’73 Imperial (with its 5 mph front bumpers) was the longest standard production automobile ever sold.
The problem with the ’72-’73 Imperials are those big, opera-lamp front turn-signals. They seem to be a love-it or hate-it proposition. Put me in the latter category.
I had ’70, 72, and 78 Marks, ’73, 76 Eldos, 70 , ’77 Monte’s, ’70 Gran Prix, ’70 Toro, 78 Magnum, 76 Cordoba, ’73 ’75 Imperials,76, ’77, ’78, New Yorker Broughms ’78 T-bird Heritage, even an Ambassador, those were all enjoyable in their ways with the 70 Toro and ’76 Cordoba standing out, but the best to me were my 72 Riviera GS and ’75 Imperial coupe and 77 New Yorker with every accessory and later automatic overdrive TorqueFlite was more comfortable, did everything well and got high 20’s mpg at speeds up to 100 mph on Cruise for 210,000 miles.
Yep if the CdV is a PLC than any 2Dr Imperial counts!?
For a 2-door personal luxury coupe from the ’70s I’d select a 1972 Ford Thunderbird. I like the looks of the front and back of the car. It’s just one long, red taillight across the back and I fancy that.
I’m not a ‘performance guy’; I just want to own a car that looks good to my eye. I already have an Owner’s Manual for the ’72 T-Bird + a Ford showroom catalog. All I’d need is the car.
I like the Mark IV tail light treatment better than the Mark V.
I do like the 1977 Grand Prix – make mine a loaded SJ with the 400 engine and moonroof. However, since we’re talking about the entire decade, I could still get a Continental Mark III for 1971. That will do nicely.
Those Mark IIIs have a great beltless power steering pump–mounted on the front of the massive crankshaft. Best setup I have ever seen! Never squeels!
Only the ’69’s IIRC. While an interesting idea it seems they’re bit finicky in that they like to leak a lot. As in really a lot.
Also of note is that the cars so equipped will also have hydraulic windshield wipers. Infinitely variable speeds within their range but you can imagine trying to keep them working today.
Yes, this green 1971 MK III, a Hemmings drive report car from Palm Springs. I dream about heading up CA Route 1 to Lucia and Big Sur with my main squeeze by my side in this Continental.
The Riviera is no underdog- This is an underdog!
Get me the Barcelona model, or preferably the Oleg Cassini one in black and copper. That is the ne plus ultra of underdogs….
Make mine a 401 4-speed, done up as Bobby Allison’s Coca Cola NASCAR racer. =)
I’d go with a ’76 or ’77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham with the Cutlass Salon’s suspension package. The exterior styling is simple and tasteful, and I love the decadence of those loose-pillow seats Oldsmobile invented for the ’72 Ninety Eight Regency.
The ’72 Imperial also had loose-pillow seats in the 4 door hardtop.
Grandma’s last car was the ’77 Regal version in this same color scheme…very sharp looking.
I would quite happily take any one of them. They’re rare enough around here that any one in nice shape with a motivated seller would be welcome.
I own and enjoy a MkV, but one’s enough. Years ago, a buddy had an early downsized Toronado with an Olds 350. It was an excellent car, for the type, roadable, decent handling in a manageable size, so another one would be most welcome.
The T-birds up to ’72 were nice driving machines with exceptional looks, and are rare. Likely I’d be the only one around with a Bunkie-beak Bird. I regard the move to the MkIV platform to be a step backwards for the T-Bird, in terms of function and appearance.
I would love an Imperial or a New Yorker, too. Elegant looks with a 440!
My latest project is a ’77 Mercury Marquis. Perhaps its not quite “personal luxury” but I’m looking forward to completing it as a cool cruiser.
Here’s a wildcard, 1971 Cougar XR7 with the 429 CJ/4-speed. Some may argue 71-73s were still ponycars, but they seem pretty PLC to me!
https://bangshift.com/general-news/car-features/ford-car-features/money-no-object-1971-mercury-cougar-xr7-429-ram-air-good-gold/
I think most would agree that the ’71-’73 Cougar had crossed over into personal luxury territory in all but name. Frankly, the Cougar had been flirting with the category all along. HFII had always wanted it to be a mini-Thunderbird.
You wouldn’t think so if you’d ever spent a moment in the rear seat of a 1971-73 Cougar – an undistinguished, cramped (although not as much as the related Mustang), pit of molded plastic. Not befitting of a “personal luxury” car by any standard, and the front seat environment wasn’t much better. Pretty much all of the other cars mentioned here had nicely trimmed rear seating areas, even if they ended up being used rarely.
Has there been a CC on the ’71-’73 Cougar? Seems like the proposition that it was leaning towards (if not already there) a PLC would an excellent topic for discussion.
Lawrence Jones did a 73 convertible but it seems like the discussion mostly occurred in comments for topics like this. The Dodge Charger is the other car, in my opinion, that bordered on PLC like the Couga, even in the hot muscle car years.
Well played!
Well, I guess my first choice would be a Cadet Blue ’77 Dodge Charger SE with the matching blue velour interior. Maybe with a 318 to avoid the troublesome Lean Burn on the 360.
I’d also really like a ’71 Pontiac Grand Prix. It’s tough to choose between these two for me.
So many choices. 71-73 Riviera. Any 70’s Mark. Any 70’s T-Bird. 79 Riv or Eldo. 76/76 Cordoba 73 Cutlass Supreme 78 Grand Prix or Regal. 78/79 Concord D/L (not sure if Concords count)
First, as much as I love them, I think your question’s phrasing eliminates the “big coupes” that were 2 door versions of “big sedans”. Therefore, the Continental Town Coupe or the New Yorker St. Regis coupe or any Coupe DeVille are disqualified. Which is too bad, because one of those first two might be my pick.
On to Personal Luxury Coupes in a proper sense. It would be one of two: A Continental Mark III or a Continental Mark V. The Mark IV just doesn’t do it for me, though I might be able to settle for a 72. The III is simply beautiful and makes good power out of that premium gas pre-malaise 460. The Mark V is a stunning design in its own right, and a car with undeniable presence.
Smaller cars like the Grand Prix, Cordoba, etc are OK, but they do not make the rarified grade we are discussing here.
I might expand my options to a 70-71 Thunderbird, now that I think of it. Just for the sheer audaciousness of that front end.
I’m not sure that would make even my top 10 choice for this question, but there is something oddly cool about the bunkie beak. The fastback bodystyle was audacious too, there were a lot of chopped top fastback concept cars rolled out by Ford in the late 60s, – Mercury El Gato, Ford Super Cobra, and Thunderbird Saturn I & II – but the Thunderbird was the only model to actually have a true chopped top option resembling them
But JPC, wouldn’t your own definition of personal-luxury coupes not being a coupe version of a 4-door sedan disqualify the ’70-’71 ‘Birds?
Of course, this is one instance where everybody thinks of the 4 door as a sedan version of a coupe rather than the reverse, given every other generation of T-Birds had exactly two doors.
Something like the ’76-’77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham could go either way. The Cutlass was available as a sedan too and even a wagon, but the coupes had a shorter wheelbase and overall length as well as distinct sheetmetal mostly not shared with the sedans, making it seem almost like a separate entity. In ’76, only the coupe got the loose-cushion, button-tufted Brougham treatment.
I would call those a 4 door version of a coupe if anything, not the other way around. Besides, there were three bodystyles in 70-71, one a formal coupe with a massive rear pillar, the suicide door 4-door based on it, and the chopped top fastback coupe.
The formal coupe without rear quarter windows was offered in 1971 but not 1970. (The alternative coupe was offered the final year of three successive Thunderbird “generations”: 1966, ’69, and ’71.)
Near the end of 1974 when I was a teenager, I test-drove a ’71 formal coupe but was warned against buying it because of problems with the printed-circuit wiring behind the dashboard.
Ah, I’ve never been privy to this generation so the rooflines were a bit of a mystery to me.
What was wrong with the printed circuit boards? Most Fords of the late 60s(and going into the late 90s) used the same basic circuit board construction on the backs of the clusters
I see lots of comments about two very different coupe segments – personal luxury and specialty coupes. The former consists of Eldorado, Toronado, Riviera, Mark, and Thunderbird (61-76). The latter consists of Córdoba, Grand Prix (69-ish and newer), Monte Carlo, Cougar XR7 (74+), Thunderbird (77+), et.al.
I interpret the author’s subject to be the former. My choices from the 70s include the 79 Toro, the 72 Riv, and the 70 Bird.
In terms of mid specialty coupes, the 1970s might have been their apex, but emissions-choked engines, 5 MPH bumpers, and poor quality conspired against their legacy. Forced choices are the 71 Grand Prix and any vintage Córdoba. In a state of deviant behavior, I can also appreciate the Oleg Cassini Matador.
Put me down for a ’79 Eldorado as well. Either that beautiful black with red pinstripe in the article or red with a classy white vinyl roof would do nicely. Although I certainly wouldn’t turn down a Mark V either, should one show up in my driveway.
My choice is a 1970 Monte Carlo. My father-in-law bought a dark green MC with dark green vinal roof new in June of 1970. His daughter was a real cutie but the Monte Carlo was drop dead beautiful!
You might be sleeping on the couch tonight…..
’70 Grand Prix. Not even close to being a contest.
Spotted this beautiful example in my neighborhood a few weeks back. White interior in immaculate condition. What a great color combination – nothing you’d see on a choice list today…
Absolutely amazing traction on this car…
Ok, can we finally drop references to Corinthian leather.
LOL. +1
Ted, every comment you leave involves taking our writers to task for word choice. If we make a mistake, we appreciate being corrected. If you’re just being sour grapes, you’re not contributing to the discussion.
Corinthian leather is as tied to the Córdoba as “wide track” is to Pontiac, or “ultimate driving machine” is to BMW. If you see a negative connotation to the mere mention of it, that’s on you.
Sure, Corinthian leather’s a cliche. But those Cordoba commercials always bring me back to lazy summer Sunday afternoons watching golf on TV with my dad. I ‘ll gladly put up with a cliche or two in exchange for some fond memories.
I love the Cordobas (70 and 80), the Marks III, IV, and VII, Citroen’s SM, and the 1969 and 1970 Grand Prix and Monte Carlo. Along with the Mercedes SL’s and the BMW 635 Csi coupe too. It’s a personal coupe smorgasbord! and I can’t wait to indulge with my ’73 “Eco-modded” Mark IV, Y’see, you can have a Mk IV and have a green side too!
You made it easy with the first picture: Continental Mark V! Can’t beat its razor sharp lines and imposing long hood/short deck proportions!
That’s an easy one to answer William. A 78 or 79 Chrysler Cordoba. I had 3 and loved them all. And 2 of them were identically matched to what I would want today. Charcoal grey body, silver top and leather seats with a 400 4b as power.
As an aside, I had a “pre” CC effect happen early this week. for the first time in years I saw a red Dodge Magnum of that vintage on the highway. Unfortunately traveling at highway speed the opposite way does not make for good picture taking. It had crossed my mind to write in about it anyhow, then we end up talking about personal luxury coupes anyhow.
CC in action!
Olds Cutlass Supreme!
I’m as hard core a Ford guy as there is but I’d buy a ’73 Monte Carlo with a 454. As luck would have it a friend has one that’s just sitting in his barn and I’ve been beating him down to sell it to me but I haven’t broken him yet 🙁 …
1970-72 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1976-77 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (must be a 350 or bigger V8)
1973 Pontiac Grand Prix
1972 Ford Thunderbird
JP,
I’m with you, here’s my MK III and MK V.
Top of the food chain in ’70 and ’79
Nice, Glenn!
I already bought and got rid of one. Back in 2004 I bought a 1979 Ford thunderbird.
It was dark jade metallic with a matching interior and a white top.
It was a beater but I loved it
I really like the downsized 1979 GM E-body personal luxury coupes, no matter if it’s a Buick Riviera, Cadillac ElDorado or Oldsmobile Toronado.. I’d take either one of these three, especially if they have the Oldsmobile gas 350.
350 and three speed auto based on the excellent and durable TurboHydromatic 350.
Excellent choice and right before GM ruined them with sub 350 cubic inch engines, although I’d take the Eldorado with the 368 big block.
I’d have to agree.
The odd thing about this type of car, they were all very impractical compared to their equivalent sedans, no rear seat room (the Mark V is 19 feet long, only my wife can get into the rear seat!), but…everyone loves them! It was the triumph of style over practicality, virtually no current domestic manufacturer seems to get this today, the current sedans have the tight quarters and access issues of the coupes, but the style of, well, a sedan.
True, Glenn. It’s one of the reasons sedans have fallen out of favor. The manufacturers have done it to themselves.
That’s easy.
77-78 Lincoln Mark V in triple black with a 460 under the hood.
Absolutely predictable answer but, hey, that’s the car I want to have in my garage one day.
Of course, maybe I could go for a 76 Cutlass Supreme, a 70 Monte Carlo, 71 Buick Riviera, or a 78 Eldorado if I were completely desperate. But all those listed would be backup options if I can’t get the Lincoln.
’78 Chrysler Cordoba- had one in high school.
Spinnaker white, with light blue landau top, matching leather upholstery, console shift automatic, 400-4Bbl. Manual windows and locks, A/C and AM-FM 8 Track.
Mine was a real beater, but if I could have it new…..
A lot of good choices, particularly the Grand Prix, but I’d have to go with a Mark V. Long, low, razor-edged, and with the presence of ten lesser cars. Make mine a ’78 Diamond Jubilee with the 460.
Lincoln Mk V all the way! Classic straight edge lines and the last of the true full size American car. Make mine a Cartier ’77-’78 7.5L 460. The ’79 tu-tone white and blue Bill Blass IMO is the nicest Mk V, although in ’79 the 6.6L 400m was the sole motor. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/8e/1b/00/8e1b00421cf7a9d801e16a2caea464e8.jpg
The thing that I like of Seventies cars over 60’s is the chassis capabilities, and brakes, electronics are better. Yes the sixites had high compression engines and better looking bumpers. The Mark V is my favorite American luxury car of all time.
A 1971 Mark III in either maroon poly, dark blue poly, or light pewter poly.
Mark 3 lincoln triple black.
Red top of the line 77-79 tbird.
May have to settle for something other than black as my color chip sheets don’t list black as a choice.
Any of the B-body Mopars…400 V8 (or a 440 if I can talk a dealer into it), AC, AM/FM, HD suspension, and little else.
Where to start, and where would it end? Either way, Syke is going to suffer a relapse!
I’ll stick with my Monte Carlo
Yes, I can detect a subtle inference that the choice should be one of US origin, but here goes:
Mercedes Benz 280 SE 3.5 coupe with 4 speed and sunroof in cypress green metallic with the cream interior. and fitted luggage.
If this is disallowed then I’d gladly have a waterfall grille Imperial coupe and see if they’d option it with the vent windows. Also in green with leather. Thank you!
Friends of ours had a downsized Olds Toronado on which they had a lot of restoration work. It was a beautiful car, elegantly styled, comfortable, quiet, roomy (the back seat was comfortable for two 6-foot-tall men). Any of the GM cars on that chassis would appeal to me, except for diesels or known problematic Cadillac engines.
The ’73-’77 Grand Prix or Monte Carlo have their appeal, too, because of their styling. Maybe even a Buick Regal from the same period. Cutlass Supremes? They were thick on the ground, and didn’t quite click with me.
None of the Ford products really grab me, mostly because they were so extremely overdone, and had enough overhang that they looked ridiculous even in their own time. None of the pre-1977 GM full-sized coupes do it for me either, because they looked so terribly bloated.
Chrysler products? I just never have been able to warm up to them, especially after driving a ’62 Valiant and then a ’61 Dodge Lancer while I was in college. The build quality of Chrysler products, and their fit and finish, always seemed just a bit “off.”
First choice – Mark III, despite that scary power steering pump.
Second choice – first-gen Monte Carlo.
Either car in whatever years still offered high-compression engines – ’70, ’71?
Happy Motoring, Mark
I’ll take that Boeing 727 in the third picture. What? That’s not one of the choices? Totally deserves a Rampside Classic entry, though.
Brilliant! I love the 727, too.
Kind of between things for me. I’d want either a ’73 Buick Electra 225 or a ’72 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron. I tend to like the more understated styling of the early ’70s compared to the Neo-baroque styling that started in 1974 for almost all the big coupes. I’m leaning more towards the ’72 Chrysler though.
My Dad bought a new Mark V Cartier in the summer of 78 – a beautiful car. My personal favorite was the Mark III and I never tire of watching it in action in The French Connection.
a 71-72 Eldorado or Riviera in a Firemist color.
If the Coupe de Ville is allowed, then I choose the 1972 Lincoln Continental coupe, with Twin Comfort dual power front seats, black leather upholstery (standard type, not Town Car-style), and extra-cost Copper Moondust Metallic paint.
1972 Citroen SM s’il vous plaît.
C’mon everybody the SM was Motor Trend Car of the Year in ’72! It was brought to the US to compete with Eldorado, Mark IV and Thunderbird.
Needs more velour! 😀
Ha! For seventies America I’m afraid you’re right. The coolest prof at my engineering school drove an SM. He had an HP-35 on his belt too.
Thought this was American cars, my choices there are prior to this post. Of foreign makes the SM I drove never broke and was superb. Had M-B, BMW, Audi, Bentley, all very nice, also drove a friends Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, and a sleeper Mazda Cosmo 5 passenger coupe with gorgeous styling and wonderful feel. It was love with the SM, 365 GT 2+2 and Mazda. Also loved my Citroen DS 23 Pallas even more than the SM but alas it was a sedan.
Can I say 1970 Mercury Marauder? Otherwise Dodge Magnum.
1979 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Coupe. One year only laminated wood trim interior. My parents had one when I was a kid. This was peak Oldsmobile. Sadly, 1977-1979 B & C’s were also peak GM in my opinion. When they were downsized yet again in 1980 they just never had the presence that this car had. Oldsmobile tried up-sizing again in the 1990’s with the Aurora and the last 98. The 98 was a shell of itself without all the chrome and RWD V8 goodness. They Aurora was never truly affordable in the way the 1979 98’s were. And 10 years later when you finally could get a deal on an Aurora you did not want one because of the threat of an engine that could grenade at any moment. RIP Oldsmobile, under different management you could have been so much more.
The ’80 98 wasn’t downsized; it was just facelifted. The interior remained much the same. The downsizing and conversion to transverse V6/FWD/unibody occured in 1985.
My parents owned both generations. The length may have been the same but the track was narrower and you could notice the size (width) difference. Also, by 1981 (year my parents owned) you could no longer get either the 350 or the 403. Top gasoline-engine was the 307. Again, you could notice the difference. This to me is down-sizing. My parents 1979 had the Olds 350 gas-engine installed.
My parents also had the 1986 Fleetwood Brougham D’Elegance again with the 307 and despite the significantly higher price of the 86 Caddy vs. the 79 Olds, I would still have taken the Olds with 100K on it than the Caddy with 0 miles.
Maybe I just wasn’t a fan of the 307, but to me the only worthwhile “Brougham” car GM built in the 1980’s that could even come close to up-staging the 1979 Olds 98 Coupe was the Turbo & Intercooled 1987 Buick Grand National. Or the ultra-rare (exists in theory according to Buick Internet Blogs) 1987 Buick Regal Limited Coupe with the special order Turbocharged 3.8 Liter engine.
It exists…I have seen two. One looked basically like a Grand National in white-buckets, console, alloys, etc. The other looked like it was Grannys car: gold, with a velour bench seat, column shift, hood ornament, and even door moldings.
I saw it in Bristol, TN on the power tour…his plates were ROYAL T.
Thanks for the confirmation John, Very cool. I have only seen pics of one on the internet. You should consider yourself lucky to have seen two in real life. Happy motoring.
77 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ black with a red interior T Tops 400/TH400
runner up:
78 Dodge Magnum GT black and silver 2 tone with a red interior T Tops 400/727
My father bought a new Eldorado in 1980 and it was without a doubt the worst car he ever owned, in spite of its good looks. It may have been sized right but it sure wasn’t built right. It was the final straw that moved him to imports, in spite of the fact that one of his closest childhood friends owned a GM dealership.
While it came out in ’69, the best of the decade’s personal luxury coupes, in my opinion, is the 1970 Grand Prix SJ, before they started to mess up the styling. Nothing like that enormous hood but the proportions are brilliant.
1970 Thunderbird, though in reality it’s a car more rooted in Sixties in terms of styling. Ironicsince its platform-mate the Mark III predicted what personal luxury would be in the Seventies.
Since we are talking ’70’s I would have to say a 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ. A friend from years ago had the 1969 version, which is really the same car, and it left an indelible impression on me. Why?, still svelte, with guts under the hood and no disco-duck era opera windows, landau top or stand up hood ornament.
Cordoba with a 360 engine
1973 Monte Carlo. Primrose yellow with slotted Corvette style rims and white swivel bucket seats.
What, a 1971 Super Beetle with the standard “L” (Luxus) package is just too ostentatious? ?
Friend of mine’s got a ’73 in white with a black full vinyl top, moonroof, swivel buckets with full console & floor shifter, and best of all a 454. I so want it…
Many good suggestions, and although it wouldn’t be my first choice, I think that the 1970 Buick Riviera deserves an honorable mention.
As a general rule, I’m just not a ‘luxury’ kinda guy. Out of the box, I see everything after about ’74 as a SEVERE downgrade from the muscle cars that came before. That said, sticking strictly to the ‘rules’ as it were, Im guessing a ’75 small Fury in RoadRunner trim isn’t in the vein of this whole thing? So a round eye Cordoba wouldn’t be a bad ride. I couldn’t do with all the ghastly gingerbread of the brougham era…Id require my ‘Doba to be a slick top model with as much motor as I could get, buckets, T tops, and period aftermarket mags wrapped in RWLs. A little work under the hood to remove the smog garbage, tuning up for performance and uncorking the exhaust would make it livable. The badgemate Charger…NOPE. I can handle this bodystyle as a Chrysler and even as a Dodge but definitely NOT as a Charger.
Now, if I can fudge the rules by just one year and get something I would REALLY like to own….
http://www.autoquid.com/car-detail/other/Dodge-Other-CMX-1980-dodge-mirada-440-v-8-727_252210263242.html
This is done up right! A nice solid color with no vinyl roof, swapped to the Cordoba LS’ nosecone (best of the J cars) and the stance is just about perfect. Cragars or Keystones would have been my first choice but those sweet Centerlines are staggered perfectly and the RWLs seal the deal. Apparently the car has been upgraded to a warm 440, hence those traction bars. Yup, this is something I could put in my collection with NO regrets.
You have to wonder if Chrysler hadn’t been in such a precarious financial situation at the end of the decade, if the second generation Cordoba/Mirada might have sold much better. They really were the last of the old school, big, RWD personal luxury cars. The downsized 1980 Thunderbird and Cougar were just awful, and GM’s downsized, intermediate personal luxury cars were still nothing to write home about, either.
But with a lot of consumers thinking Chrysler was a dead company walking, plus the quality horror stories, as well as some miserable engine management systems, pretty much meant no one was going to give the 2G Cordoba and Mirada much of a look. Too bad, because, in hindsight, they really weren’t all that bad for the class.
I think youre halfway onto something there. No doubt, Ma Mopar was getting the side eye from wary buyers. These also dropped right at the same time as a major recession hit. Gas prices spiked some too in 1980 as I remember. The Omnirizon and the truck line was doing pretty well in these years, and we all know the K car success story. The M body is closely related to these, and the knee jerk abandonment of rwd cars was premature. These were plenty competitive with the GM G bodies and if ChryCo would have just stayed the course with them, they may not have been sales leaders but would have maintained a presence. In those days if you wanted a fast Mopar, 4 cyls and fwd were about it.
In order to get the loan guarantees, Iacocca probably didn’t have much choice. From what I recall, he got static for the Imperial fiasco, claiming, “It was too far along for me to stop it”. Between the M-body (which had been cleaned up enough from the Aspen/Volaré days and was still selling okay) and the issues with the J-body, it was a no-brainer for Iacocca to cut the J-body loose.
FWIW, it’s worth noting that the final, eighties RWD personal luxury coupes from GM and Ford were either killed off or went in a decidedly European trajectory from their traditional brougham-tastic beginnings. It’s hard to imagine what direction Chrysler would have taken if they’d have stuck with the J-body past 1983.
Chrysler’s RWD cars were not going to sell to anyone but government fleets and people who were still mad about Richard Petty switching to GM. The Volare chassis wasn’t competitive with GM or Ford RWD cars for the general public, and Chrysler didn’t have the resources to build a new RWD chassis for a small slice of the market.
I think I’d have to do the BMW 635CSi and if it just had to be American, then there can be no other correct choice besides a boat-tail Riviera.
Anything from Fomoco is off the list – this was the peak era of those Ford seats with negative lumbar support, that my back hurts just thinking about.
Cutlass, Monte Carlo, Grand Prix…sorry, I can’t picture myself ever buying a Colonnade and not going for a four-door sedan. It’s one of my all-time favorite rooflines.
So, Cordoba almost by default. No Corinthian leather – Castilian cloth in green, or maybe Boca Raton in baby blue or light tan.
Actually, no, scratch that – a gen 1 Accord is personally luxurious enough. Make mine blue-on-blue with manual.
Great comments from all of you! You are bringing back memories. Ohwoneston mentions a Chrysler 360 Lean Burn for 1977. As I recall from my days working at Chrysler, the Lean Burn was a featured 400 2-barrel engine with electronic ignition that purportedly offered power and thrift on fuel. Not that thrifty, I might add. To celebrate this mid-year “wonder,” the Distribution Manager in the New York Zone Office ordered decalcomania a/k/a “decals” in red and metallic silver using a scroll font that said “Lean Burn.” They were made available to the dealers to add to the rear fenders of Lean Burn equipped models to add some panache for the prospective buyers. A real pants wetter if I may be sarcastic. Again, I love all of your comments.
Only two pieces of flair?
There’s only one choice for personal luxury coupes during the 1970s.
The 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Collector’s Series…
Had one just like the photo, loved the looks but I like driving my cars. Only experienced one Mark V That qualified . I owned the blue one when I ran across a car from Alaska, the engine had more power suspension cornered like a good cop car and it was special code triple black with chrome wires. I wanted to buy it but it was being sent back to Alaska as an illegal vehicle in California. The cars that had ultimate comfort, still had power (130 mph, good mpg, beautiful looks, and with a bad back be able to drive 1100 miles in a day and still move and walk at the end of the day and be assured the headlights turned off as I entered the house as the hidden headlight doors thunked closed.) it was my ’77 triple Spinnaker white New Yorker coupe. Did 12 years and 210,000 miles with 440 interceptor lean burn. Had a friend bet he could easily beat it to Reno up winding highway 70 in Feather River Canyon in the sierra’s, His car n Eagle Talon TSI Turbo AWD, supposedly good cornering. My New Yorker quietly and swiftly, cornering without lean, blew the Talons doors off, waiting for him for over 30 minutes in Reno. I should have kept it forever but decided to concentrate on my earlier cars; a ’56 DeSoto Adventurer, ’57 Fury coupe, ’63 Electra Limited convertible (it’s as quiet as a coupe with the top up, still perfect with 458,000 miles), ’64 Riviera, and 5 ’64-65-66 Imperial Crown convertible, coupe and 4 doors. Still miss the ’77.
I’m an Olds-Buick guy, but in the personal luxury coupe category, I really am drawn to the first gen Monte Carlo. Make mine loaded, non-SS (but with the F40 “special suspension”), with a 454 under the six-foot long hood. Mmmm-hmmm!
Matador coupe with the Barcelona package. Love a goofy-looking car with opera windows!
’72 BMW 3.0 CSI. Oh what the hell, ’72 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
BMW 6 series. I know it’s not from detroit, but it’s personal, it’s luxurious, and it’s a coupe.
I previously would have chosen a ’79 Eldo or a Mark V. But now I’m kind of leaning towards the ’70 T Bird Sportsback. But without the vinyl top.
Put me down for a Magnum XE or a 73-74 Buick Gran Sport. Drop back a decade and I’ll take a 67 Grand Prix.
this one….
My choice too! My wife’s godfather has a blue/white Bill Blass Mark VI in less-than-great condition. I told him if it was a Mark V, I’d buy it from him!
1970 Grand Prix SJ, if it could be delivered with a four-speed. Otherwise, 1970 Monte Carlo SS.
I’d go for a Riviera of a different sort — the often-overlooked 1977-78 B-body Riv. Despite being a stopgap model born out of necessity, I like the design. I know I’m one of the few who like this car, but to my eyes it’s a clean and classy design, not overly garish like mid-70s coupes, and not fully downsized like the models that replaced it. Just right, in size and design, and that’s what matters most in the world of 1970s personal luxury coupes.
The specific model I’d choose would be the black & silver 1978 75th anniversary model:
I like those
A friend had one as pictured. Parked next to my ’64, Buick did a nice job of bringing back some lines of the ’60’s. Only reason I didn’t buy one, I couldn’t find one, nice cars.
My picks:
1971/72 Cadillac Eldorado convertible coupe
1971/72 Buick Riviera GS
1971/72 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (454)
1977/80 Mercedes SLC 450 5.0 (homologation special)
1977/78 Lincoln MK V Cartier (460) w/moonroof
When I was in my late 30s I was able to indulge in my passion for old cars, America cars at that time. My first purchase was a 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham in triple black for $200. That 429 was a smooth runner unfortunately the twin turbine hydromatic didn’t have long to live and I couldn’t afford to have it rebuilt. The HOA was giving me a lot of grief so I donated it to the Salvation Army. The Caddy was quickly followed by a 1972 Imperial Lebaron hardtop sedan. That one was also $200. I could not get it to run properly so I stored it in some guys storage lot. The guy sold the property and absconded with the Imperial. Next up was probably my most reliable car at the time, a 1975 Buick Electra 225 Limited 4 door hardtop with the 455. This became my daily driver for a few years never left me stranded, everything worked. The funny thing about this car was despite its outside dimensions it “shrank around you” as you drove it. Loved it! One day someone offered me 5x what I paid for it and I sold it. The Electra was soon followed by a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz 3x yellow. What a boat! This became my daily driver for a number of years but stranded me a couple of times with fuel problems. I had the car for 10 years and sold it for the same amount that I had paid for it. My wife insisted that I should get a newer car because the Eldorado was giving me problems so I stored the Eldorado and purchased a 1984 BMW 745i (E23). Some years later I bough a 1977 Mk V from a charity auction in Phoenix. The Mk was an Emilio Pucci edition. Charcoal grey metallic paint, crocodile print Vinyl roof in white. And white leather interior. At first my intention was to flip it. I listed it on eBay and it didn’t do well. By this point I started to really like the car so I started to address some of the deferred maintenance and that made a great difference. This had been a one owner car with all the documentation to verify it’s relatively low mileage. My son liked the car so much that he borrowed it the day of his wedding. Unfortunately when time came to pay the property tax I was short on cash and relisted the Mk on eBay. This time it sold quickly but I lost $250 on the deal.
My picks for the 1971/72 cars is that they performed much better. I had a chance to drive a 1972 Eldorado back to back with my 1978 and it was like night and day. The Mk V is a great car and people who say it is too big don’t realize that the Mk V was downsized from the Mk IV. It was 700 lbs lighter.
What I really want is a 1980-81 Toronado, but if it has to be from the ’70s either a ’74-’76 Toronado or a boat-tailed Riviera.
There are many I love, but if I had to choose one, it may be the ’75 or ’76 Olds Toronado. Can you say “ahead of its time”? Way back in 1975 you could buy a new Toro with front wheel drive (with a flat floor, front and rear), driver and passenger airbags, antilock brakes (in back anyway), and high-mount brake lights up near the rear window. I’ll take a top-line Brougham model with what appears to be the same front seats as the 98 Regency, as well as its dashboard and similar door panel trim.
Other contenders include the smaller, more tasteful ’79 Toronado and its Eldorado and Riviera sisters. The Riv has the best exterior styling, but the Toro has the best interior. The Eldo is in-between on both, IMO. Interesting how all three of these had styling cues drawn more from their original mid-’60s versions than the ’78s they replaced. Any of these would be an easier daily driver than the mid-’70s versions. I love the over-the-topness of the Lincoln Mark IV and V. Not technically a PLC, but the ’78 Buick Park Avenue coupe is peak Brougham for me.
What ’70s imports could be considered PLCs? The Citroen SM has already been mentioned, and it would be a blast to drive or even ride in with that magic carpet ride pneumatic suspension. All the brilliance of the DS, plus a hatchback and a Maserati V6 the DS never got. That’s probably my first choice. My second would be a ’79 Toyota Celica Supra – not strictly a PLC, it too is a hatchback and was a variant of a smaller sport coupe – but there were several comparisons in the buff books at the time comparing the first Supra to the likes of V6 Regals and Monte Carlos, and it was certainly plush enough to compete with them. The Volvo 262C was supposedly influenced by the Lincoln Mark; I remember how hard I found it to believe that sensible, stodgy Volvo would even build a car that seemed to flout its own values. Could the rotary-engined ’76-’78 Mazda Cosmo (pics below) be considered a mini-PLC? Sure – it had opera windows, a big waterfall grille, velour, plenty of woodgrain, even a vinyl roof on the notchback models (were those exported to the US? I barely remember Cosmos of any type during the three years they were sold here). The fastbacks got opera windows as well in an arrangement not unlike late-’70s Thunderbirds and LTDs.
I don’t think we got those Cosmo coupes here in the States but hell yea, it definitely qualifies! Look at that roofline, it looks like a baby Cordoba 😀 !
The opera windows in the Mazda Cosmo roll down, unlike the 70’s PLCs from Detroit.
I mentioned it earlier in a reply. Mine was Charcoal gray with full power, leather interior, fell in love with it it was fast too,over 140 on the speedo (5 speed), fell in love with it, Bought a silver blue one as a parts car, but buffed it and drove it too.
Oleg
Cassini
Matador
Tempting…
I want one of these Stutz coupes. These things are so excessively 70’s that they even taste like the one of Elvis’ jump suits. You want presence? You’ve got presence! You want comfort? You got comfort! You want to single-handedly wage war on gasoline, one tank at a time? You got a 500 cubic inch Caddy V8!
I guess what I’m saying is that this the perfect car for this question.
Good call!
HQ LS Monaro 350/350 in orange hold the vinyl top thanks.
Yes, with GTS wheels naturally, which were Pontiac items anyway.
I’ll have mine in Orchid, a gorgeous pink metallic.
You didn’t say they had to be American, so I’d go with a 3.5 liter W111 or a two door Bentley T1.
1970 Pontiac Grand Prix. The 1970 held true to the radically redesigned 1969, while 1971 dumbed-down the grill and went to silly-looking single headlights, so I’m being specific about the year.
Without question I would get the Mark V at the very top. Biggest engine for that generation too.
How original, I know.
I’ve always understood PLC’s to be mid-sized US cars; although other countries and sizes could apply. To wit: A 1975 Chevy Monza Town Coupe or a 1976 BMW 635CSi could be PLCs.
If this would qualify (and I think it would):1977 Pontiac (Grand Am) Can Am
If the above doesn’t, than one of these:
1974-76 Mercury Cougar XR-7
1975-79 Chrysler Cordoba
1974-1977 Pontiac Grand Prix
The Lincoln Mark V and the ’79-’85 Eldorado are favorites, but for me it’d have to be a car with a connection to my own childhood and family. In our driveway there was a succession of ’70’s personal luxury coupes, starting early with a ’73 Satellite Sebring Plus, followed by a ’75 Corodba, then a ’77 Monte Carlo, but the car I’d love to own today was the one that cemented my love for the Brougham era. In 1980 my father brought home a Toronado XSC in black, with black vinyl half top and deep maroon leather bucket seat interior. It was an absolutely stunning car, and the one that I recall many family road trips in during my early teens. If I could find that car today I’d have to find a way to purchase it, regardless of cost. Which is why I never look for one.
I haven’t seen them mentioned yet so I’ll throw a vote to the 1977 and 78 Chrysler Lebaron coupe and it’s Dodge Diplomat twin. One of the better down sized styling efforts IMO.
Always have a soft spot for Oldsmobiles
75 Chrysler Cordoba. 78 Monte Carlo.
But likely would have purchased a loaded 78 AMC Concord 2 door with all the Brougham features of a personal luxury car but without the bulk
Like this:
I once had a ’78 like that in triple black… with the 2.0L VW 4 cylinder and a slushbox. What a slug…
A lot of good possible choices, 74-76 Riviera, 75-78 Eldorado, 77-78 Riviera, 71-73 Riviera, 79 -> E-body, but I think the ultimate personal luxury car would be the 1978 Lincoln Mark V Diamond Jubilee. Gold or blue. To bad FoMoCo didn’t have the “power pull down trunk”. 🙂
Didn’t need it, the Mk V trunk closes almost as easily as the Caddy. s power pull down.
In high school, I most admired the clean lines of the 1976-77 Buick Regal, in black, no vinyl top, with a red bucket seat and console interior, Buick’s rally wheels, all power accessories and the biggest engine available. So equipped, a real captain of the lacrosse team sort of car – a great athlete, who is also a good student and a gentleman.
I’m biased by the comments … before I looked at them, I would have said BMW CS or 635. If it had to be American, I was leaning to Grand Prix, but after seeing the Can Am, a car I had forgotten about for a few decades, it hit all the right buttons for me. And finally to stretch the PLC definition a bit, how about an El Camino?
1st gen Monte Carlo. Period. Can you say “pillarless hardtop”? Thank you.
Thinking outside the broughamy box here, but I’d dig a Peugeot 504 coupe.
None. I don’t like 2-doors, and all these bloatmobiles were just as dumb with 4 doors.
IMHO, two doors of mainline sedans don’t count as PLC’s, such as DeVille, 98, Can Am, etc. The whole point was a unique styled coupe.
From 3 generations of GM PLC’s 70 Monte Carlo SS454, 73 Monte Carlo S, and 1979 Hurst/Olds Cutlass [based on Supreme].
The 77-79 CDV had a unique roifline, much different than the sedan de Ville.
Well, it would depend which one of the following crossed my path first:
1. ’72 Thunderbird, maroon or red metallic with red bucket seat interior
2. ’77-’79 Thunderbird, dark color, well optioned
3. ’77-’79 Cougar XR-7, dark color and well optioned, particularly the ’78 Midnight/Chamois edition with bucket seats
There would be a few Lincoln Marks on this list as well, but I live in CA and have suffered enough of their smog-related travails.
It might be easier to list the cars that got zero votes:
’73-76 Thunderbird
’74-76 (Torino) Elite
’74-’79 Cougar
’78-’79 Monte Carlo
’78-’79 Grand Prix
’71-’74 Satellite Sebring Plus
’70-’74 Charger SE
I’d happily take a 72 Sebring (440, please!), but didn’t really think it was a PLC.
I think the Sebring Plus kind of straddles the edge of PLC-dom.
My Dad owned a ’73, equipped with buckets, console, and full complement of power equipment. It was most certainly marketed as a toned down version (or maybe the adult’s version, or “thinking man’s” version) of the Road Runner. It was the same car, essentially, but with vinyl roof treatments, interior trimmings and common options, I’d probably consider it a PLC. Ours was replaced by a Cordoba, which was sort of the next logical step on Mopar mid-sized ladder in the mid ’70’s, which is another reason I see it that way.
I thought the mention of the ’71-74 Mopar B-body coupes in a seventies personal luxury car QOTD would get some users thinking. Really, it was a previous CC on the Satellite Sebring Plus that got me thinking about it.
In hindsight, Chrysler had really blown it by dumping big-bucks into the E-body, when they should have been developing a competitor to the Pontiac Grand Prix with unique sheetmetal (you know, like they did in 1975 with the hit Cordoba). Instead, they came up with the idea of giving the new, 1971 B-body distinct sheetmetal just between the generic 2-door coupe and the other 4-door and station wagon models. The hope was the swoopy styling of the coupes, combined with lathering on lots of PLC-type options, might get some PLC cross-shoppers.
Needless to say, it didn’t work so well. The problem was the B-bodies were still perceived as musclecars, not to mention that it was still possible to buy a bargain-basement Satellite or Charger coupe. The wild graphics and stripes on the musclecar versions didn’t help matters any, either.
I’d go for the original Road Runner: base Sebring coupe…no options except AC, 440, 4 speed, HD suspension, fast-ratio manual steering, 15″ wheels, and disc brakes. Taxicab interior, no carpet, bench seat, crank windows.
Oh, rudiger, you reminded me of an odd car I saw on eBay a few months ago: a ’74 Gran Torino Elite with the 351 CJ engine. I knew that the CJ was offered in the ’74 (only) Cougar XR-7, but didn’t know it was available in the Gran Torino Elite as well. The listing showed a Marti Report, so it was the real deal.
It was a nice clean, well optioned car, so I’d have to add such a unique car to my list.
I would have thought that the 351CJ was gone after the Mustang was downsized for 1974 and never would have guessed it was still available for 1974 in a few other Fords.
A Torino Elite with that engine would certainly make it an unorthodox (and probably the most desirable) find.
I could be mistaken but I recall reading that the CJ could be ordered with the 4-speed in the Torino for the last time in 74, not sure about the offshoots of it. I’ve never seen a 74 Torino with one, so if that’s true those may be some of the all time rarest powertrain combos.
I almost owned a 74 Cougar, so a CJ equipped one was high on my list
Charger SE didn’t occur to me, that’s a very tantalizing choice, especially the 70. In the more broughamy spirit of the PLC I’d pick the 72 with the SE specific and one year only roofline
1979 Riviera with the Olds 350 V-8. Charcoal gray with oyster leather interior and Astroroof!
Any of the following will do nicely, in this order:
’70 Eldorado, dark silver gray, red leather interior, sunroof, no vinyl top
’70-’71 Continental Mark III, dark blue, matching leather interior, sunroof, no vinyl top.
’70 Toronado GT, solid dark color other than green, tan interior, sunroof, no vinyl top.
’71-’72 Grand Prix, same as above.
’70-’72 Monte Carlo, same as above loaded, 454,
’70 T-Bird Landau, same as above
’70 Riviera, same as above, front clip swapped for ’66-’67 units.
Not crazy about subsequent ’70’s personal luxury coupes, except maybe ’79 E-body models,
My two choices would be >>>
a 72\72 Pontiac GP
Or a 74 Mercury Cougar
1970 Olds 98 coupe
Wow… all the replies already.
I had a ’76 Cordoba I loved. Daily drove it through the mid ’90’s. Another one of those, please. Or any of its Charger/Magnum variations. Love to find one with the funkadelic native print looking seats. My ’76 had the awesome maroon velveteen looking seats. So comfy at 85 mph during my phase of driving a county south on weekends to a friends place to go hang out at a heavy metal bar.
But… I do like Fords. A basket-handle ‘Bird would be quite fine.
It’s a shame Chrysler could never get their quality act together. When you got a good one, they were great. But it was just way too easy to get a bad one, and those are the memories that really stick with a person after they’ve laid out a big amount of cash for a vehicle.
Lean burn could be a problem, but when I drove them daily it worked.
And if not, it is easily replaced.
I did own a 1971 Riviera and then a 1976 Riviera with the S/R interior package. Both were used cars when I bought them. The 76 used a quart of oil every 700 miles which the service department did not think was a problem. Then it started to use coolant and I traded it for an Olds diesel.
Frying pan, fire, etc. etc.
Actually the diesel was fairly reliable while I owned it. It had 25000 miles on it when I bought it and I traded it off at 75000.
If I could do over my first cars I would not have started with a 69 GTO, but would have gotten something with an automatic and A/C. Then the 71 Riviera would not have been. My guess would be that I might have gone for a downsized 77, possibly a fuel injected DeVille, but more likely a Buick.
Bendix had a working electronic fuel injection system that Bosch bought the right to build as the D-jetronic in the mid 60’s. I find it disappointing that domestic makes did not offer EFI by the mid 70’s or sooner.
Another vote for an AMC Matador Coupe – 1st or 2nd generation.
More fun, more exclusive, and less pretentious.
https://www.bmt216a.dk/Images/L/BMT216A721.jpg
I have been thinking about some of the cars posed as “Personal Luxury Coupes”. I think this a distinctly American niche of luxury coupes from luxury brands, Cadillac, Lincoln, and Imperial. Anything else doesn’t qualify. Most european luxury coupes fall under the category of Grand Tourers. Japanese cars such as Lexus SC300/400 have more in common with the GT class.