Naturally I had to stop and shoot this twosome, as they’re both getting on in years. And they represent the first generation FWD cars of their size class by their respective makers. I had to come up with something to tie them together, although I’m sure you can come up with others too. Like the fact that these both are very space efficient cars for their respective classes. And have great visibility. And…
Strictly speaking, the FWD LeSabre arrived one year after the Electra, but there was very little to differentiate them except for a slightly raked C pillar compared to the Electra’s upright one. And just why did Buick introduce the Electra in 1985, to sell alongside the bigger old B-Body RWD LeSabre for one year? Never mind; trying to make sense of GM in the 80’s is an exercise in masochism.
Given the composite headlights, this would be a 1987 or newer model. It’s showing its age. But like so many old GM cars, it’s still moving. And it’s about as close to being a generic GM car of the era as it gets.
Oh, and it even has the ever-so useful trunk rack. Just why were folks willing to shell out extra money for this device that was guaranteed never to be used? These cars had huge trunks.Never mind…again.
The Rabbit/Golf preceded the new big FWD Buicks by ten years. There’s no question that the Golf had a huge impact on GM, as it did on so many other manufacturers. Sure, FWD small cars had been around for some time, but there was something seminal about the Golf. It was just so logical; light, roomy, good performance and handling, and efficient. It aced all the categories, and of course most of all, it was a Volkswagen; the replacement for the Beetle. It’s a miracle they pulled it off so well after decades of dithering.
Based on the license plate, this is a 1982. And the headlights are not original.
LED replacement headlights. Is this a thing now? Is it a good thing? Paging Daniel Stern.
Not surprisingly, it’s a diesel. The survival rates have favored the diesel version by something like 10:1, at least out here. They were simple and rugged to start with, and they developed a cult following.
But this one’s a hybrid too. Ok. Whatever you say. Covering all your eco bases.
A reminder of simpler times, at least automotively-speaking.
Never see any first-gen Rabbits anymore in central VA. I had two back in the day, a first-year 1975 and a first of the Westmoreland, PA Rabbits, a 1979. Both were 4-speed gasoline-powered 2-doors.
The 75 was surprisingly spunky, when it ran; the 79 was more sedate and quieter. Neither was a paragon of reliability, especially the first with its finicky carburetor. The second had FI.
I had a Rabbit 4 door, gas/automatic. Excellent mpg. Near constant electrical problems.
I don’t remember the last time I saw an early Rabbit in NC. Seem to be extinct. My grandfather had an early Westmoreland Rabbit with the square headlights, brown with brown vinyl interior. I hadn’t thought about it in years.
The early FWD GM B and C bodies are everywhere to this day. Usually with lots of body damage, probably on their 16th owner, but chugging right along……
I don’t know what percentage of total production the Cabrio-convertibles were (Wiki says they started in 1980), but they seem to be an outsized percentage of survivors here in Great Lakes country. I’ll guess that many were three-season cars stored in winters, and passed down through a few loving owners looking for a cheap summer toy.
But yeah, when the Rabbit sedan appeared in the mid-1970s, it immediately looked like the future, and they were everywhere.
It seems like VW’s been teasing a new Cabrio/Golf convertible for a long time now. I’d love to see that happen on the new platform.
Those VW Golfs were exorbitantly expensive here new and survivors are rare, but better cars than the FWD BMC cars we’d had since the early 60s, the Japanese did them cheaper so thats what took over the roads.
Paul,
The Buick LeSabre is a 1987, according to Carfax.
PJ,
You forgot also to mention ‘LIMITED’ in your comment.
I just checked as well…he-hee.
Needless to say, GM had WAY too may cars in the ’70s & ’80s, and even going up into the mid ’90s (FWD A-bodies anyone?). Not helped by the fact that many of the cars were (generally speaking) produced from up to 4 or 5 of its brands at one time. The same trend continued with the minivans & SUVs as well into the the next century.
I don’t think ANYONE was making hybrids when that VW Golf Diesel was new; that “hybrid” badge can’t be authentic for that car. On a semi-related note, look what I found at my local Wal-Mart the other week: a diesel-powered Ford Escort.
According to Internet sources (Wikipedia included), the diesel engine (a 2.0L Mazda RF 4-cylinder) was offered from 1984 to ’87 and made all of 52 hp. In addition, 1985 was the final year for this front end; the headlights were upgraded to composite units in the later half of that year. Visually the only to tell it’s a diesel (besides its darn good condition for its age, a decade older than me!) is the badging on the front fenders.
Not surprisingly, it’s also a 5-speed stick-shift model to make the most out of whatever torque that engine had. A couple of former Escort owners on this site do not praise the 3-speed automatics of that era. I have found a rare car indeed.
The Rabbit is in such good condition. The wheels look very nicely repainted, but the aluminum color really clashes with the extreme beigey-ness. The LED headlights probably work well, but around here we are used to the headlights melting the snow as it accumulates while driving in winter. Those things never warm up, being too efficient to generate any real heat. I don’t like seeing them on oncoming vehicles because they momentarily blind you when they go over tracks.
That Buick sure looks rough. I am a fan of these for many reasons. Durability, cost and simplicity, as well as visibility and comfort. They are typical GM of the period, but they had an adequate formula going on there. The fact that I still see these on a regular basis here in Carkillingland is a testament to the design. I agree about the trunk rack. Never seen one used that I can remember.
Here in Ontario you still see those GM front drives around as well. About 12 years ago, a friend had the Olds 98 version that I drove one weekend. It had a few issues (in order to start it you had to turn on the key while someone else went under the car to mess with a starter cable) but otherwise ran and drove well, with decent mileage. The first generation Rabbits are pretty much gone, but they were quite popular back in the day. A friend’s parents bought a new gas 2-door with a 4-speed back in ‘78, and they got several years of good use out of it. I remember it being quite roomy inside, with good handling and performance.
The Rabbit looks bedazzeled
It looks possessed!
Seeing how much the Golf has grown over the years makes me think VW should consider introducing the Polo to North America.
I’m a little surprised that VW didn’t try bringing over the up! to compete with the Mini, Fiat 500, etc.
My dad’s Rabbit diesel spent most of its time at Valley Autohouse in Abbotsford, putting their kids through college and ensuring I never got a dime for college. Such unreliable, loud, smelly junk. However, like many dads of the era, my dad liked to carefully measure the fuel mileage, and the Rabbit excelled in this regard. On one trip, he drove closely behind a semi truck hoping to be swept up in its drag, resulting, of course, in my dad having to slam on his brakes when the truck driver became irritated. In the end, our family would have been further ahead with a Chevette. Or even a Pinto. Or almost any other compact car offered by any manufacturer.
The full matte black fender flares definitely added to the looks of the GTI and early Jettas, but I find they look industrial on this particular Rabbit LS. Like an aftermarket accessory. Maybe it’s because the cashmere paint looks so 1970s, when the Rabbit/Golf round headlights and partial rear wheel arch cladding was an iconic part of the original design.
Rabbits were so very clean, and yes, very logical. Seemed very hip in its’ day.
Yet so irritating with many problems: cheap window cranks, bad oil seals, weak struts. Carburetion, in itself an issue until FI arrived. When VW brought someone in from Chevy to run Westmoreland seemed to me the next thing, powder blue Westmoreland Rabbits were available with vinyl tops and full wheel covers. IIRC.
“GM and Ford recently invented the “world car”, eight years after the Rabbit.” — 1982 VW brochure.
A great marketing reply to the then new North American Ford Escort and GM J-body.
For a corporation that traditionally relied so heavily on very commercial, well received styling and engineering, that many people aspired to own, to think that GM banked a whole generation of their product design on such an anonymous styling theme that spanned their product range for a decade.
Ford got it so right with their aero design direction in the 80s. While this Buick indefensibly looks like a base ’82 Chev Cavalier derivative. GM had so much on the line to lose.
I looked at a diesel Rabbit pickup at the VW dealer about long enough to read the horsepower and sticker price. Didn’t bother to test drive.
I ended up with a Mk I Fiesta instead. It was almost $1k less than a gas Rabbit. Some of the same issues, weak struts, breakable window cranks, but nothing major. The Weber carb on the 1600cc Kent engine was trouble-free. The US version with round headlights looked so similar that many folks mistook it for a Rabbit.
Yes LED replacements for sealed beams are a “thing” now and ones from reputable mfgs are even used as OEM on MD and HD trucks. The kid that adopted me put the Truck lite ones as used on Freightshakers and they do work well. Now those off brand ones on the other hand are most likely crap.
I love the hybrid idea. As in sometimes it runs but the rest of the time it is a zero emissions vehicle?
The Buick is a twin to my youngest brother’s first car, though his traded the trunk rack for the even sportier wire wheel covers.