We’ve wrapped up our week reviewing Motor Trend’s coverage of the new 1977 domestic cars. So now it’s time for you to choose: imagine if you were buying a new car in 1977, what would you have picked? One of the new downsized models from GM? Would a personal luxury coupe have captured your fancy? A traditional “Big American Car”? Or would you have motored away in something smaller?
As for me, let me start by saying that I was 10-years-old in 1977 and an emerging hard-core car nut. At that time, there was one car that I really, really wanted–yep, a 1977 Firebird Trans Am. My buddies and I thought Trans Ams were just the coolest cars and we were crazy for them, “Screaming Chickens” and all. Remember, we were Malaise-era kids, so our automotive expectations were much lower. Cars like the Camaro and Firebird were about as good as it got in terms of available “muscle.” I was certain that I would be a Trans Am driver (nope, never ever happened). But if it had… my pick would have basically been like the Smokey and the Bandit car, a black/gold Trans Am with a black interior and the real Pontiac 400 V8. I can just see the younger version of me beaming as I grasped the padded Formula steering wheel, gazed at my instruments housed in their “machine turned aluminum” trim panel and looked out over the long, sculpted hood…
The other cars I was infatuated with as a kid were the new downsized GM full-sized cars. These really were a big deal at the time, and generated a lot of buzz. They felt so new and smart, and it was very exciting to spot the first ones as they appeared on the streets. My Pop got a 1977 Caprice Classic sedan as a company car in January 1977, and I was absolutely crazy about it (as were my buddies–hard to imagine 10-year-old boys excited about a family sedan today…). So now, as a rational adult (most of the time at least), I would have to answer this week’s QOTD by selecting a downsized full-sized car from GM. But which one?
That is a hard question for me, because I genuinely love all of the GM full-sized cars from 1977, and would happily have owned any of them. So I’m going to cheat a bit with my answer…
For a B-Body sedan, my choice would be the Caprice. I’d want it to be very similar to the one my Pop had, Dark Blue-Green Metallic with no vinyl top, sport mirrors and sport wheel covers, Chevy 350 4V V8, F41 suspension and loaded with options. Unlike Pop’s car, which had vinyl seats, “my” Caprice would have come with the more upscale Special Custom velour interior in saddle tan.
For a B-Body Coupe, I would have a Pontiac Bonneville. Make mine Nautilus Blue, with body-colored Rally II wheels, sport mirrors and no vinyl top. Inside would be blue velour, with all the toys, including the Rally gauge cluster and built-in AM/FM CB radio. Power would come from a genuine Pontiac 400 4V V8, and handling would come courtesy of the Rally RTS package. This beauty would put personal luxury intermediates to shame!
For a B-Body wagon, my pick would be the Oldsmobile Customer Cruiser. Please give me that distinctive Olds woodgrain treatment (I love the way it wraps over the wheel arches), and since these woodgrain-trimmed wagons often seemed to come in some shade of tan or brown, I’d stick with the Light Buckskin as shown on the car pictured above. In fact, that’s exactly what my Custom Cruiser would look like, down to the tan vinyl interior and cornering lights. Under hood you’d find the Olds-made 403 4V V8 and inside would be every comfort and convenience feature Oldsmobile had on offer (including AM/FM Stereo with 8-track stereo tape player), all the better to keep the kiddies entertained and the parents relatively stress free.
Moving on the C-Body, my choice for the larger sedan would be the Buick Electra 225. While lighter colors and earth tones were all the rage in 1977, I’d have gone in a slightly different direction: my Electra would have been Black with a Black vinyl roof and a red interior. Though I am usually a top-trim-level person, in this case I’d stick with the base car for my red interior–the Limited and Park Avenue velours in red would be a bit “much” for my tastes, then or now. However, I am staying true to form on the options front–I’d add everything I could, and my Electra 225 would roll on Buick’s beautiful chrome Road Wheels. Powering my black beauty would be a Buick-built 350 4V V8.
For the C-Body 2-door, I’d definitely want to bring home a Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Since it’s a Cadillac, I’d go positively berserk with options: Astroroof, wire wheel covers, Firemist paint (make mine Cerulean Blue with a matching Cabriolet vinyl roof), Cadillac 425 V8 with Electronic Fuel Injection, 50/50 power adjustable and reclining seats in Antique Light Blue leather, plus anything that could illuminate, be power-operated or work automatically would be specified for my Coupe DeVille. Take that, Continental Mark V!
So those are my (ample) choices for 1977? What are yours?
For station wagons, I’m with ya on the Custom Cruiser speced the way you describe.
I know that 1977 was close to the nadir of Corvette performance but I’d still love a 1977 Corvette with L-82 and 4-speed manual. There isn’t a Corvette who’s styling I didn’t like and there would be something special about having one from the year of my birth.
My partner has a 1978 Corvette (with automatic). It drove well and made a great sound. And 99% of all driving a normal mature person would do never needed the “performance” of earlier and later models.
It was more of an automotive statement and/or love of its style than anything else. Also, using a 1977 Corvette’s “performance” would quickly put you at, or over, the legal limits of mature behavior.
So, a 1977 Vette would (IMHO) be fine.
BUT, he could never put that car into gear in cold weather without it stalling once. After a restart, all was well. We would leave the office together on late cold nights and when he started his engine and was waiting for it to warm up, I’d start my fuel injected 1978 280Z, and smoothly drive away. He’d put the Vette into gear and it would stall.
Every time.
I think it annoyed him.
Also, his glove box would either fall open on bumps, or not open at all.
I picked him up more than once at the dealer to have something fixed and on the ride home, he’d open and close the Z’s glove box, over and over, pondering its construction and operation.
Also, it cost a lot more than the Z.
Sounds like my Malibu. I figured it was because the car was old (’79 and I only became of driving age in ’96) but maybe that was just a “feature” of Malaise-era cars.
Whether or not I had sufficiently warmed it up was the deciding factor in whether it stalled just the once, or multiple times…
I can relate. I find these B bodies rather dull myself, yet my Partner has always had great respect for them. Being 13 years my senior, and a Certified Mechanic, as well as highly involved in classic cars, he finds that G.M.’s downsized B and C bodies were designed incredibly well, from an owners’ point of view, especially mechanically. Upon reconsidering, I wouldn’t mind a Chevrolet Bel Air coupe, with its unique “bent-glass” rear window, in red, with whitewalls, and every power accessory available, even a sunroof! Note: the Bel Air model was still available in Canada, with this window design. Shown here is the 1979 Caprice Classic Landau coupe.
You’ve got me curious: why the Bel Air rather than the Caprice? The Bel Air was the cheapest big Chev, and it was deliberately made to look like it with a much uglier, tackier front end and interior.
You can see from this angle what a truly great design this was, even with all the chrome rocker and wheel well mouldings. I loved that bent and wrapped rear window design, too. I don’t imagine there are many of these left today in either Impala or Caprice trim but as Bel-Airs? Does anyone have production figures for those?
From a looks and feature standpoint, I love the ’77 Caprice Coupe, but it’s just too big (as were the domestic intermediates).
Based on size, I’d end up with a Nova Rally 2 door equipped with the 350 V-8, four speed manual, and 9C1 handling package (if available).
It’s rather amusing that I’d spurn the newest GM product for their oldest platform (outside the Corvette), but for me size trumps all, and GM made some big improvements to the (RWD) X-body during it’s lifetime.
I did buy a 77 Nova, though I bought it used in 79. Mine was a 2 door and I bought it because it was a “nice” size and I liked the vaguely European styling. But after living with it, in and around the San Francisco area, I decided it was still a big car. The rear seat legroom was a joke, and for the size of the car it had a ridiculous amount of trunk space. Pleasant car to drive though.
A car the size of the FWD “X” bodies would have been more to my liking, if it had existed.
That’s surprising-
I enjoyed driving a Fox body Mustang for many years, and would expect the Nova size to match up closely, but upon investigation, it’s about 10 % bigger in each dimension. That’s valuable information I may use in the future.
As far as the “X” bodies go- Good in concept, but having owned an ’82 Citation X-11, the reality does not measure up.
Why wait until 1978? I’d get a 1977 and it should be pretty much the same.
One change: I’d look into rust proofing, or maybe have a winter beater.
Is that you in the picture, rlp?
I would have actually brought both the 1977 Chevrolet Nova Concours 4 Door Sedan as my everyday drive and service car and the 1977 Cadillac Seville 4 Door Sedan for special occasions.
I was 17 years old when the 77s came out, and was in prime car-nut-dom. My tastes, however, skewed older than most my age, who were all in love with Firebirds and Camaros.
There were really only 2 cars that I was in love with in 1977 – The big Lincoln and the big Chrysler. In hindsight, the Lincoln would have been the better choice. A 77 Town Coupe with a 460 – well there was simply nothing wrong with that. They had a lot of colors to chose from, but I recall a really attractive aqua.
The Chrysler would be a New Yorker 4 door hardtop that was the exact duplicate of the one I eventually owned – Russet Sunfire Metallic with beige vinyl roof and beige velour inside. It was a stunner.
I have since decided that a Mark V would be a viable option as well, which would have made this a 3 way tie, maybe to be decided by 2 out of 3 coin tosses. So you people all enjoy your GM B and C body cars. I will stretch out in a REAL full-sized car as long as they are available. 🙂
If my budget were more limited, the Volare or Aspen wagon would be nice, with the biggest engine available and in the highest trim level. The LeBaron/Diplomat wagon was an even nicer package if I could wait a bit. I like the Sportabout, but would probably have passed on the older design.
Here it was.
You did find a nice one! I test drove a ’77 NYB with a buckskin tan top over pale yellow around 1991. I was indecisive about whether I wanted another old car, or go modern. The car sold out from under me. It was the same colors as the ’76 Cutlass I had once owned, I think having another yellow car also slowed me down. Now, if I had found yours……..
The Russet Sunfire was a 1 year only color that was not often seen on these. I have never seen a color combo that I like better. In real life, it was a balance of red and copper, much like on some more recent Fords and Mazdas.
That was a very popular colour scheme here in Australia too. Back in the early-mid seventies all the big 3 had their own slight variations on this colour paint and vinyl roof treatment, on all sizes of cars.
Oh my goodness! That photo looks exactly like my first car, except mine had those amazing tufted leather seats in brown. Like you, my tastes were much older than my numerical age.
I turned 16 just as the 77’s were coming out and we all got cars for our birthday. My older brother chose a ’75 Trans Am, my younger brother picked a ’79 Datsun Z. They laughed when I chose mine, but they always wanted to borrow it for date night.
After messing with the picture.
you also have a Scamp or a Dart Swinger in the driveway if I am not mistaken
Yup, a 71 Scamp.
Oh wait . . .
+1 on the scout!!!
Solid choice! And that orange/white color combo is tough to beat. Looks great and screams ‘mid ’70’s’.
Come to think of it, the ’70’s may have sucked for ‘regular cars’, but for trucks and sport utilities this was the golden age. They were tough as nails rugged, had all the power you’d ever need and were still oriented towards the outdoorsy enthusiast and were as much leisure vehicles as hard working rigs true to their roots. No sign of gentrification, softening, or outright neutering to suit yuppies and soccer moms.
Yup, the Scout is my choice at least on the budget of normal human. Of course with no budget, an Aston Martin Vantage would be my choice….
New Yorker Brougham pulling up to a 1977 Boz Scaggs concert at the 11 second to 18 second mark…
southflorida:
A LOT of mid-1970s domestic cars were made for
that song, lol!
This aqua? (Excuse the soft focus of the photo…)
That’s the one, but on looking, I think that was a 78 or 79 choice. I’m sure I will be able to settle on something in the showroom.
Dismal year so it’s an easy choice, and to echo the author, make it a Trans Am for me as well. 4 speed withOUT T-tops please, black/gold black interior SE trim or blue/blue with black interior like my Dad’s 78.
I would have to go with the LeSabre sport coupe. But, really, any of the Bs with the upgraded suspension would have been fine.
I’m not an expert, and I am a HUGE fan of the LeSabre Sport Coupe, in fact at the moment it’s the #1 classic car I want!
That said, wasn’t the only engine choice in 1977 in the LeSabre Sport Coupe a 301 V8? It doesn’t sound that sporty to me…
Actually for 1977 you could get a Buick 350 4V V8 or an Olds-built 403 4V V8 in the LeSabre Sport Coupe, either of which would be much better than the standard 301 V8.
So what’s the best sport coupe engine in the 1977-1979 years? I don’t like the looks of the 1980 and later… Is the v6 turbo significantly lighter? Is the 403 significantly more powerful than the 350 4v? Is it heavier?
My family had an early turbo V6 in a Buick Regal. Hard pass.
The LeSabre’s pretty enough I might even take it with an Iron Duke. 😉
Wish I could afford this one! https://abetter.bid/en/27759366-1978-buick-lesabre
Now I wish I hadn’t clicked that link.
Well if I were single, which I was at 2 years old in 1977, that TA is hard to pass up. Maybe if I was driving at that time I’d feel differently. But to me those are the quintessential late-70’s car.
If I had kids, like I do today, I’d choose a Buick or Pontiac wagon.
I turned five in 1977. I was much more into Smokey and the Bandit than Star Wars (seen Smokey and the Bandit dozen of times in my life, Star Wars maybe once or twice). So a Special Edition Trans Am would be my dream ’77 car purchase. Realistically, I would purchase a F150 Super Cab in black or maybe some two tone combo.
This is tough for me, as I like a lot of 77 cars. I guess the obvious choice for me would’ve been a Mark V, Triple Black with a 460 under the hood. If I didn’t have the scratch for it, maybe a Grand Marquis Four Door in a really nice dark blue or a Ford Thunderbird in the same color with a 400. If I was to look at the GM options instead, probably an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with the 403 engine. Maybe a Firebird Trans Am without T-Tops and a Manual in SE Trim if I wanted a really nice fun car. I don’t know, I guess the dilemma is that GM had more stuff that I liked, but the stuff from Ford I did like, I liked more than the stuff from GM.
’77 Capri II Ghia, yellow
’77 VW Rabbit L 2-door, orange
’77 Caprice Coupe, 350/350, F41
Price less of an object:
’77 Seville, darker color
If it had to be a big ‘un, then I guess a Chrysler hardtop sedan. Last of the breed. In black, or at least in a dark colour. Only downside is the interior, those seats with all those buttons… *shiver*…
If I could also get a smaller car, I’d go for a Pacer. They just look like nothing else on the road. With a 4-speed stickshift, please.
You are in luck – Everyone remembers the tufts and buttons, but for 77 only, the New Yorker’s velour interior was this delightfully classic version. This was what mine had, but in beige. Let me tell you, those seats were so wonderfully firm and supportive, as comfy as any car seat I can ever recall owning.
Yowza!!
(Oh yes, the seats look pretty fantastic too.) 😉
Yes, the seats… very, very nice… seats…
he he
Thanks JP — didn’t know that, makes me want one even more. With velours seats.
That ribbed velour lived on for quite a few years in other Mopars, even quite a few lesser models. My ’82 Charger 2.2 was upholstered in a tan and brown version of it, and a gen 1 Caravan my Dad’s company owned had it in light and dark blue as an extra cost upgrade. That stuff wore like iron. It was crazy durable as well as comfortable.
The girl in the back looks like a carrot in in a salad.
Brendan wins this thread! 🙂
I have a sudden urge to eat healthy.
What exactly are those “lavaliere straps” on the inside C pillars for? Did they really make it easier getting inside or something?
Back in 1977 I wanted a new Z28, and I also liked the Capri II. That year, a guy down the street who I went to high school with had a new Datsun Z, another great choice. Looking back now, I still like the Capri, and the newly fuel injected Scirocco; these would be my picks
I was looking at trading my 71 Riviera for a new 77 Riviera. But a slightly used 76 Riviera was also available. If I had it to do over, I would go for the 77 Riviera. A Coupe DeVille with optional electronic fuel injection was also a possibility, but probably much too expensive, with a base price about $2000 more than the Riviera.
B-Car Bonneville with 400 4V. Sedan in two tone silver/gunmetal with burgundy interior. Rally wheels, rally gauges and HD suspension.
Not really a huge GM guy but this was a real low point for Ford, whereas the B-Car was beginning a strong 20 year run, making it an excellent candidate for long-term ownership with the added benefit of upgrading the beast as various components wear.
LeSabre two-door. Man those were good cars.
I was 14 in 1977. So young me wanted an El Camino or a Monza Spyder. Reality in 1979 was a 79 Nova hatchback. At least it had a 305 V8.
NOW 52 year old me would have a C body. Sedan de Ville or a Olds 98 coupe.
In ’77, I was 13, and had my doubts about those boxy GM cars. I leaned toward the older big cars, so I would have leaned toward a big Chrylser, Lincoln, or Mercury. Since the Ford products were already in my experience – we had a ’76 LTD, I probably would have gone the New Yorker Brougham route.
Getting to pick a car today, I’d probably go with some sort of Firebird / Trans Am. I ended up having a LOT of experience with the big Fords, GM A, B, and C bodies of the times, so the F body Pontiac would be a way to scratch an itch that has seldom been attended to. I had a couple of opportunities to drive a ’77 era Trans Am in the mid 1980s, and it was a lot of fun.
I would have to go with a Grand Marquis Coupe. Two tone inside and out. Over the top, in what I consider, all the right ways!
Yup, dismal year. So I’ll go big with the Cherokee Chief.
Jim Grey can give me a ride when the Cherokee breaks down and/or rusts out.
I had a lot of passenger time in a ’78 Bonneville 2-door, so a ’77 version is pretty tempting. Were the Pontiac 400s still available in the B bodies?
A Firebird (non Trans Am) with the 400 Pontiac and a 4-speed would be hard to turn down, also.
My first impulse would be to buy a Volkswagen Scirocco, since I had a 78 and really liked it. But if it was buy whatever you want, then a Porsche 911 immediately comes to mind, or a Trans-Am. On a slightly more practical level, an Audi 5000.
+1
I had a ’78 Scirocco and loved it. I picked Rabbit over Scirocco because I didn’t like the ’77 bumpers, the ’78s like we had were much nicer.
Thought about the 911 but in ’77 it suffered from serious emission issues and wasn’t very fast. It also looked weak with those big bumpers and the narrow body. The ’78 3.0 SC fixed all of that and would go to the top of my list.
I’m the same age as GN, and was obsessed in 1977. I loved the Corvette, like every other red blooded American kid, and of course the Trans Am, but the car I’d have chosen in ’77 would have undoubtedly been the Seville.
Before the downsized B Bodies, etc., the first big new car hype I can remember being a big deal as a kid was the “Baby Cadillac”. Even before the Seville was released it had been buzzed about, and once it hit the streets it was heavily scrutinized and mostly lauded. I know it wasn’t a new model in ’77, but I can recall it still being a pretty big deal. The Seville was its own one car “First Wave” of the downsizing trend at GM and throughout the industry, I remember thinking at the time and still think today that it was a very nicely executed design. Granted, it wasn’t an all new platform, per se, it didn’t bring a whole lot of new features to the table, other than standard fuel injection, but I still would love to own one.
+100
I bought a 76 Rabbit. What a diff from the family 73 Montego.
My family bought a 77 Lemans Safari in 1977 so I got a soft spot for them, I think a Lemans CanAm or GT would be cool to have owned back then.
Gremlin with 232 and 4-speed.
I know I’m supposed to choose American, But ’77 was a great year to buy a top trim Rabbit stick shift. Fuel injected 1.6 was a strong runner and durable as well, just need to make sure the valve seal recall is done. Sunroof and AC would be a must as well. Scirocco would be my first choice except not enough headroom for me. And I would have been working for the VW dealer then, so repairs would have been easy and affordable. I actually did buy a ’77 Rabbit, but this was in 1987.
I’ll take the Caprice Classic if I have to buy American Car and not allowed to buy a truck this year.
I think for sure a corvette 4 speed stick w/ T-tops and the L-82.
Or just stick with what I actually bought in ’77…a 1974 Fiat X1-9. Most fun car I’ve ever owned, like a slot car. But a total nightmare for maintenance & reliability. The old 5 foot tall Italian guy who kept her running always greeted me with a big smile, of course. I’m still on the lookout for a good southern example of the ’74 (the only year without ugly federalized bumpers). Alas, I haven’t seen one in decades…
There are a few of them in Portland. I saw one on I-5 last week late at night being driven properly 🙂
yeah, i know… its a ’78… (give or take a year or so)… always loved these cars
Yup you and I would both be a year early. That color scheme would be my pick, too.
Specialty: red W72 4 speed Trans Am with T-tops and Rallye II wheels
Personal: black over red Grand Prix SJ with T-tops and Rallye II wheels
Subcompact: blue V8 Monza
Compact: black over red Volare Premier wagon and pray it was a good one
Mid-Size: bronze Cutlass Supreme with a 403 and Super Stock wheels
Full Size: Delta 88 pace car
Wagon: white with woodgrain Colony Park or Country Squire
Pickup: green Power Wagon 250 with the graphics package
SUV: red/silver with red plaid interior Ramcharger SE 4X4 or a silver Cherokee Chief 2 door
Van: Dodge Street Van with painted murals, sidepipes and an interior made for good times
For an American car, I would pick the Toronado as a protest of the coming downsizing of expectations and the end of doing something like an oversized FWD personal luxury coupe just because we can.
If we expand to include foreign cars I would go with the last of the line Audi 100LS. The late models had added fuel injection and some luxury features like cruise control and velour interior. The later generations are better remembered but had to add another cylinder to cope with weight gain which shows some backsliding from German efficiency.
for a truck I really like the Chevy Blazer
but for everyday driving definitely the Maserati Khamsin
Gorgeous colour on a gorgeous car. I have the brochure for the ’75 (or ’74) Khamsin in my collection. I’ve seen one in the flesh, once, but not in this fantastic hue.
For 1977, if I had fleet similar to what today, it’d be as follows:
Family Car: 1977 Caprice Classic 4-door, LM1 350, F41 suspension, 3.08:1 gears
Truck: 1977 Ford F-150 (heavy half ton), 2WD Reg cab Long box 460-4V, C6
Fun Car: 1977 Trans Am 400, 4 Speed.
For ‘cars’ the choices are pretty dismal. I do like the F body Aspen/Volare but I’d hold out til ’78. They were fully sorted by then, and that’s the one year to get the one I really want: the Super Coupe. Make it a T-top with either the 4bbl 360/TF OR 318/4spd and the rest of the details can fall in place.
For ‘trucks’ OTOH…’77 has a lot to love.
The AMC era Jeeps are the ones that hooked me for life. A Cherokee Chief or J-10 Honcho equipped with the 401/ T-18 granny gear manual would be hard to top. Id probably stay true to my roots and pick a CJ-7 Renegade with that same T-18 and 304 V8. No top necessary.
The Dodge Boys have some solid picks also in the ‘Adult Toys’ section. A full tilt ’70’s Tradesman Street Van with all the requisite period goodies (slot mags, side pipes, shag carpet etc) is HIGH on my vehicular bucket list. The Power Wagon pickups were damn sharp as were the Warlocks. 4×4 preferred, but 2wd would work. Gimme a 440, manual and the stepside would be non negotiable. But I’d probably pull the trigger on a 4×4 Ramcharger or Trailduster. Make it a 440/4spd with a soft top. These things rival Jeep CJs/Wranglers as my all time favorite 4×4, but I’ve owned 5 of those, never a RC/TD.
The wild card and investment speculation pick would be a Bronco. I have a MAJOR soft spot for these things and ’77 is the last year for the old school bobtail style. 1st gen Broncos bring STUPID money nowadays so that’s nothing to take lightly.
Ooh, I forgot Dodge’s trucks, those were good. Lil Red Express for me.
Trouble is, you’d be a year early. The LRET was ’78 & 79 only. BUT, the Warlock had a similar package, 2 or 4wd just not the performance mods. LRET outperformed just about anything else you could buy in those 2 years. Warlock…well they just look bitchin.
Stumbled onto this pic…it wouldn’t take much for this beast to be my dream truck. Scrap those goofy 5-stars for 15×10 slot mags, tubular bumpers at both ends with a pre-runner style grill guard/KC lites up front and fit that big block with fenderwell headers dumping into side pipes with 8″ Cherry Bombs. It’s already a blue 4×4 with soft top which is ideal for me.
Love that soft top
I’d have to go with a 1977 Monte Carlo Landau with the 350 4V and 3:08 highway gear positraction. The 2.56 base gear would have been too low. Power everything and a/c. F40 suspension and rally wheel trim. And the swivel bucket seats.
Nice!
Monza town coupe. Just cause I like the look. Or a cutlass supreme coupe. Cause it’s a great looking car
Or for the practical side a granada sedan
This. We’re on the same page, but I’d go Sunbird 2 door notch as I think it’s better looking and Mercury Monarch for the same reason.
Yep. A B-body. Even though I’m a Fomoco-Mopar guy myself. Probably the 4 door Caprice — loaded. Otherwise a nice Grand Marquis 4 door in white or a New Yorker with a 440. I believe 1977 was GM’s year and I’d happily ride that coattail of success.
Not a very original idea, but hey, a great product should never be ignored, especially during that era.
1977 VW Scirocco – Italian Style – German Common Sense – Best of Both Worlds
No matter what you choose it’s a looser.
You can see just what the options and specifications were for some of the 1977 GM cars here:
https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits.html
I was an “adult” in 1977 and was on active duty in the Air Force. Towards the end of the 1977 calendar year I decided that I needed to replace my used and abused ’73 Nova with something more practical. I looked at a new Camaro but found it a poor substitute for the ones from my youth. I was in my “down on big cars” phase so most of the full-size and intermediates held no appeal for me. Surprisingly I was impressed by the Ford Fairmont, which I believe debuted in late 1977 as a MY 78 offering. The Fairmont was available with the 302 V8 and was quite quick, relatively speaking, what kept me from buying one was that the 302 was only available with the automatic in California and I wanted the four speed. As regular readers of this space might remember I ended up buying a 1978 VW Rabbit in the early spring of 1978. It is hard to believe that 1977 was nearly 40 years ago.
Jeep Wagoneer and Cherokee Chief; Lincoln Town Car and Mark V; any of the Cadillacs with the exception of Coupe de Ville; Oldsmobile 88, 98, and Custom Cruiser; Pontiac Bonneville, Catalina, Safari/Grand Safari, and Firebird; Chevrolet Camaro and Caprice; Ford F-Series and Club Wagon/Econoline; and Dodge Sportsman.
Tough choice…for ’77 it’d still be a full-size, but the question is which? ’77 New Yorker brougham hardtop coupe in midnight blue over blue leather, with the polished road wheels? That standard 440 sounds quite appealing. On the Ford side of the house, the Mark V makes a persuasive argument. Bill Blass edition with moonroof and turbine alloys. Over at GM, it’s hard to ignore the LeSabre sport coupe. Silver with red cloth interior, 403 and the “performance” 3.08 axle ratio. The hot rod of the group, if less premium.
Decisions…
Hindsight being 20/20 and all that… For me there are a number of Choices in 1977. Mercedes Tops the list . Pretty much any 1977 Mercedes USA model but let’s start with 1977’s World’s Fastest 5 passenger Production Car the Mercedes 6.9 .It had a Fuel Injected 417 cubic in overhead cam V8. which was very exoctic at the time. I drove one on a after service road test with a coworker of mine. We took it around the outskirts of Tampa International Airport on Memorial Hwy ,because we couldn’t be clocked by radar due to all of the interference from the airport. We had it up to 150MPH with more throttle to go but we did not have enough road and it was as quiet as a church inside. We just held a normal conversation at 150mph. It was their Flagship. Next it would be the 450SL roadster but in reality I could only afford a Datsun (Nissan) 240Z or Toyota Celica which would be my other fine picks.
I was confining my choices to American-built cars. If we were going worldwide, the 6.9 would definitely be on my list. Saw one at a car show a couple weekends ago, still impressive after all these years.
Given that I’m dealing with a rather aged ’77 Dodge Chinook right now, I’d like to have experienced one when it was brand new.
Trans Am, and Caprice Coupe. Still would be perfectly happy with those two today.
What’s currently in my driveway, a 1977 Malibu Classic. Sure it’s an old design next to its siblings, but its kept drawing me back to them after my first exposures to cars (first ride was in a 76 Malibu Classic sedan the year before this excerise takes place.
I would find a cooperative Dodge truck dealer and put together what might be the D100 with the oddest option combination ever built.
Color: dark green.
Body: extended cab.
Bed: 8 foot.
Engine: 440.
Trans: A833 if available, 3-speed if not…if nether, 727 Loadflite.
Axle: 9.25″ wih 2.94 and Sure Grip.
Interior: work truck, vinyl seats, no carpet, only options AM FM with CB (hey, its a 1977) and cassette. Manual brakes and steering, please.
Oh, yeah…and factory air conditioning.
For 1977, trucks still had no catalysts, so all the engine would need is 3″ dual exhaust, a supertuned Thermoquad, and a recurved distributor to really rip.
’77 Olds Cutlass Salon, Black on black, no vinyl roof 403/Hydramatic. Maybe a Yellow Firebird Formula 400.
I’m with you on both, with the only exception being the color on the Cutlass, I drove a ’77 Cutlass White/white landau top with white leather interior. Draw back was it drank gas like no car I’ve ever owned!! But she rode and drove like a dream and turned heads everywhere.
Always loved the yellow Formula over the TA’s… still had to have the rear spoiler though.
I think the Porsche 928 debuted in 1977. Sure, it’s water cooled, too heavy, and has the engine in the wrong end of the car for the Porschofiles, plus it eventually became a symbol for midlife crisis. But for pre-adolescent boy in 1977, it was the coolest thing on four wheels.
I was goin for a BMW 320i (1st year for that too) however, you changed my mind. I’d ridden in a 1st gen. 928 & was in love, at first ride.
Nova 4-door with a 350.
Hard to say, as none of the big American cars of this year really appeal to my tastes in a car I’d ever want to own, even back then. I have always been a fan of the Cordoba, so I guess that’ll be my answer, especially considering that 1977s still featured the original round headlights. Make mine with rich Corinthian Leather!
In 1977 I bought a new Honda Civic CVCC 5-speed just like the one in this photo. Had been driving a ’72 Pinto, which was already rusting away. I never even considered anything else, American, Japanese or European. I just adored that Civic. Everything so smooth and well-made. Fast-revving engine, scooter handling, good room with the hatchback. My first FWD, I took it out on the first snow that winter just so see what FWD was like. I still miss that car.
I turned 16 in 1977. One of my summer job coworkers had just bought a white/lipstick Thunderbird with the 400 V-8 and white leather upholstery. She let me drive it a couple of times and I was in heaven! Later that year my aunt bought an aqua/white Mustang II Ghia V-8. Very nice car that would burn rubber (!), but it just didn’t float my boat like the Thunderbird did.
Fast forward about 17 years: I was yearning for a car I could park on the streets of San Francisco and not have to worry about it. What did I find on a used car lot but a bright orange/white ’77 Bobcat station wagon, loaded, V-6. AC, factory 8-track, tan interior and a mid-year sport package. (Think white painted lower body with related pinstripes, white wheels, and a chin spoiler!) It was in great shape but so hideous it called to me and I made it mine. Drove it around for about 3 years. Funny…as a teenager, I would have been horrified to own that.
I wouldn’t have bought a new 1977 anything. Then or now. If it was 1977 and I had new car dollars, I’d look for a really nice then-only-21-years-old ’56 Chevy better than the one I owned that year.
Good call – start buying all of the Chargers, Challengers, Cudas and Road Runners you can get your hands on. Because in 1977, anything made by Chrysler was worth bupkus in the used car lot. 🙂
Muscle cars in general were worth nothing for awhile during that time. A friend bought a ’69 Chevelle SS396 from the local VW dealer’s used car lot for $900 with about 80,000 miles on it, in good condition. Nobody wanted them because gas and insurance were ridiculous.
I wonder what was the low point in resale value for muscle cars from the (first) golden age (’63-’72)? When I was in high school (’80-’82) with the ’79 gasoline crisis still in fresh memory, several of my classmates could afford first-gen Mustangs, ’68-’72 GM A-body coupes, and late-’60s Chargers – they weren’t widely seen as classics yet, just old used cars, and most people seemed more concerned with fuel economy than acceleration.
A C10 Chevy pick up with a BBC, junk any smog equipment and modify as appropriate. The cars were totally uninteresting pale imitations of what they were only 7 years earlier.
But today, they make sense as cheap canvas for improvements…
AMC Matador sedan with the 129hp 360 2BBL.
Because if you’re going to do malaise, at least do it right!
Barcelona, baby!
Sadly, that package was only available on the sedan in ’78.
Yeah, but you could get the Barcelona II package on a ’77 Matador Coupe – that would definitely be my choice! Malaise all the way!
’77 is definitely a GM year. Make mine a Caddy Coupe DeVille in yellow, with a white vinyl roof and white leather interior, and whatever the best V8 was that year – I’d have to spend some time with the option list to outfit the car properly. If it had to be a four door, a Sedan DeVille, in that case no vinyl roof and in some nice green or blue. For a wagon, a Buick Estate. For hauling stuff, a Suburban. If it absolutely had to be a non-GM car, I would consider a Ford Fairmont, a Volvo 240 or a Hornet Sportabout. If I lived in Europe, a Mercedes sedan would’ve worked just fine, but I’d never have bought one here in the US. Chrysler or Japan Inc. had nothing I’d have wanted that year, and the usual suspects such as Corvettes and Trans Ams leave me cold, then and now.
Fairmont was still a year away, 1978 model year was first, out in fall 1977, 39 years ago. Just being picky.
I’d like Firebird with 400 and 4 speed, in Rockford Files Esprit trim, but not brown, maybe red or blue.
AFAIK, the 400 wasn’t an RPO in base or Esprit. It required a Formula or T/A. You could add Esprit-type interior, and omit the spoilers and formula stripes.
First pick would be a Continental Mk. V, probably a Bill Blass-love that nautical look.
Then again, a Buick Electra, black with black vinyl roof sounds pretty sweet too. I’d have to have the Park Avenue whorehouse red velour though.
Lincoln Town Coupe or Mercury Grand Marquis 460 C I My wife had a 78 Grand Marquis coupe (same body size and style as the 77}. It was one of our favorite cars of all time.
I currently own a 76 Grand Marquis. Even after 40 years, their still nice ride’s. I love mine.
17 in ’77 and wanted a dark blue, white landau Buick Regal with black S/R interior.
With the genuine Buick 350 of course, not that ridiculous V6 that at the time was grossly overtaxed for the job at hand and rough idling.
Today though I would take the Caprice F41 or LeSabre Sport Coupe.
Monte Carlo, in blue.
Make mine in red!
Our family Impala was wrecked, and insurance paid for a rental during repairs. We got a 1977 orange Pinto wagon. I LOVED that rental. I begged my parents to never pick up the Impala…and to let us keep the Pinto. My cries remained ignored.
–our rental was just like this, but with the “rallye” style steel wheels with beauty rings.
At the time, I wanted a Toyota Celica liftback, but I was 25 and sporty then. Today, a Chevy Caprice coupe in Dark Firethorn Red would punch my ticket.
In actuality I actually did buy two 1977 cars.
First was one of my life’s worst and most unreliable automotive misadventures, my 1977 Sunroof Bright Yellow VW Bosch K Jetronic Rabbit which suffered repeated alternator failures, scorched hoods x2 from fuel injection fires, and transaxle/shifter issues. The VW dealers that I went to were less than useful, horrible in fact. That car was nicknamed the “Yellow Turd” by myself and my family. In actuality my litany of problems with the VW (so many times non running and in the shop) became a running joke. The jokes were more reliable and running than the car.
After slightly more than nine months of hell with the blazing yellow ( and fiery) VW Rabbit , with my name on the Honda Accord waiting list, my name came up for a blue 1977 Honda Accord ( no choice of color, when your name came up on the Honda list, you took whatever color was available–hard to remember or imagine that such a shortage supply issue for Hondas of that era existed–but that’s the way it was back then). The resulting, instant reliable automotive bliss contrasted so greatly with the VW ownership experience that we (myself and my family) never looked back and have happily purchased many Hondas as well as Toyota products over the past 39 years.
When one of my sons wanted a 2002 VW Jetta, opposed to my advice, it was amusing to see him live through recurring electrical, mechanical, and water leakage/Mold/Mildew problems, and then, as I did in 1977, we watched, in collective amusement, my son throw in the VW towel for a Honda Civic.
As the French would say, ” Plus Ca Change, plus c’est la meme chose” . Translation: the more things change, the more they stay the same. So it was again, an unreliable VW replaced by a reliable Honda.
So by my purchase experience in 1977, my VW Rabbit, a big thumbs down–actually two thumbs down, a true “Yellow Turd”.
Then my 1977 Honda Accord, a big thumbs up. A True Blue Accord.
Finis, the year 1977.
Since some trucks were brought up, my truck choices would be a GMC K-2500 High Sierra or a Dodge W-250 Adventurer.
Then again, an 8V-71 powered GMC Astro 95 axle tractor……..
Toyota, probably a Corolla or Celica coupe. So long as it didn’t spend its life in a rust-belt state, it’s the 1977 car most likely to still be running and regularly driven today.
Two words; Oil undercoating.
Does it have to be domestic??????
If yes, then either the Cadillac Seville (love the fuel injected Olds 350 V8 – and the suspension had been tamed with regards to freeway overpass expansion joints) or…..wait for it…..the Mercury Grand Marquis 2 door coupe with the 460 V8 and a two tone paint scheme. The roofline on the Mercury looked much better than the Ford LTD Landau coupe and the Merc is Brougham-tastic!
If I could go foreign, I’d be lusting for an Aston Martin V8 Vantage if I were single or a MBZ 450SEL 6.9 if I was a family man.
I probably would’ve wanted a Ford Capri II, but if I was my current age in ’77 (I was in diapers), and with my current salary adjusted accordingly, I probably couldn’t have justified those payments.
That said and as cars go, I’m more into looks than burning rubber. A Plymouth Arrow might have been a contender, but not in my GM town. I’d likely have signed on the dotted line for a nice, Camaro LT with a 250-6 and whatever tranny and color that was cheaper off the lot of the dealer’s selection.
Oh, we were supposed to be realistic? I missed that part. 🙂
If we’re talking what would we have bought at our current age, income level, and life station, just teleported back to ’77…hmm. Probably an Aspen wagon with the 360. Reasonably affordable, perhaps the only wagon for ’77 that wasn’t either enormous or tiny, and a bit of a sleeper with the 5.9 V8. Jade green metallic, non-SE (no woodgrain), green interior.
Shortly thereafter I’d be in rust and reliability hell with all the other early Aspen buyers. But it’s a compelling package on paper and in the showroom–how was I to know?
We had a ’77 Volare coupe that did rust, but was shockingly reliable, from what I remember. It was a looker… burgundy with matching interior, and a white, pebble-grained, vinyl half roof that went from the A- to the B-pillars. Your hypothetical Aspen wagon might have rusted almost immediately, but it would have been attractive and with a 15% chance of actually being a decent car.
The rather tasty Capri II 3 litre ‘S’ came out around that time, chin spoiler, ‘Ghia’ alloy wheels, smart pin striping, tartan seat inserts… (hey, it was the ’70s), the last new model before they facelifted it in1978 – I always liked the rectangular lights cutting into the bonnet top, stylistically reflecting the original 1969 model.
We didn’t get that version, alas — sealed beams and emissions-controlled Cologne 2.8, not the European lights or the Essex 3.0.
I have owned 2 1977 cars. In 1993 I bought a 77 Cordoba emerald green with light green cloth interior and white landau roof, 400/ Torqueflight. The Lean Burn system was even still working when I bought it, though it was quickly swapped out along with the carb. That was enough to wake up that car, only kept it for a year until the tags expired and parted it out to build a friend’s Cordoba.
Last year I picked up a 77 Dodge Aspen wagon with a Super Six, and a straight FL body. I need to get working on it so I can drive it.
My uncle Paul had a Pacer of that vintage, which is what I believe started me down the road of AMC fanaticism. I’d love to get one for myself, goofy, heavy, and fuel inefficient though it may be. It’s a Pacer, for God’s sake! How awesome would that be?
It may be goofy, heavy and fuel inefficient but you’d attract lots of attention no matter where you drove it. The mighty Pacer! 😀
1977 Pontiac Can Am.
I would have to say either a 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with the 350 V8, 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 2 door with either a 350 V8 or 403 V8, 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with the 400 V8, 1977 Chevy Caprice Classic 2 door with the landau roof or a 1977 Oldsmobile 98 or Buick Electra
I consider 1977 to be the best year for the GM cars since 1973 due to the personal luxury cars and the downsized biggies
In ’77 I got to ride in (and illegally drive..) a lot of the new GM lineup as Dad had numerous dealership demos. The one I remember most was a ’77 Cutlass Salon coupe, red on red with a white half vinyl roof. It had every option available and a 403 under the hood. He drove it for quite a while, it was pretty expensive for ’77 and most customers settled for the supreme.
I think it stuck around until the ’78s came out and then got snapped up when people saw the shrunken replacement. If I’d had the cash, that’s what I would have bought. The Z-28 came out part way through the year and a yellow one with a 4 speed sat on the showroom floor briefly. That would have been a close second. I wouldn’t have even considered anything from Ford or Chrysler that year.
Being an AMC guy, I drooled over the ’77 Hornet AMX, which was a trim package, I know, but a very good looking package on a very useful car. I probably would have chosen the 6 cylinder and 4 speed for economy, and Firecracker Red for sure-with the Hornet decal on the hood. I’d have had a car that was sharp looking, fun to drive, economical, and reliable.
I suppose I would’ve chosen the Cadillac Seville in 1977. But I was also a huge fan of the down-sized DeVille/Fleetwood, so a Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance may have won out.
My mother obviously liked the down-sized C-bodies as she bought a ’77 Buick Electra 225 in ’77. I was only 12 and didn’t really pay attention to what was going on. I just knew we had a big, fancy car.
1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham:
I would be on the hunt for a leftover Cosworth Vega. If it has to be a ’77 it would be an optioned up Hornet.
77 lets see I had a Commer Cob van, a 51 Humber ten sedan as a work beater and a rusty 64 PB Velox, none of the cars in the post were available new here so I woulda just drove what I did, I already had enough cars to keep me amused.
If I were a car shopper in 1977, I would have rejoiced that the Thunderbird was once again a car I liked. I’ve always admired the 1977-79 T-birds – a completely distinctive design, large but not ridiculous, and traditional but not obsolete. Since I’ve always liked personal luxury coupes, and the Thunderbird is my favorite from the Class of ’77, I think that would have been my car.
Eric, I would have to say this would be my choice as well. I blame being smitten as a teenager at that time. Friends were lusting after new Firebirds and Camaros, but not me. I’ll take one of these basket handle beauties in black, with wire wheel covers, complete with a full power red interior and all of its cloth and vinyl and genuine imitation burled walnut glory.
Well, as I commented in GN’s ad piece, I did buy my first “newer” car in 1977, though it wasn’t new. I fact, between 1976 and 1981 I bought five cars which were of the same version as sold new in ’77 (calendar year, not model year): my Vega, Alfetta sedan, Fiesta (not sold in the US until MY1978), Scirocco and TransAm. If I could have afforded and wanted a new car, I honestly think I would have bought a V8 Monza Spyder. Today, with California smog laws enforced for 1976 and newer cars, I probably wouldn’t buy any 1977 car, but if I did, it would probably be a GM product for which repro parts and a newer CARB legal fuel injected motor are readily available. Camaro, Blazer, C10 pickup or Malibu, in that order. Or maybe a B Body wagon ….
Trans Am, Bright Blue. 400/4sp. Basically the same performance envelope as the Corvette, but it doesn’t seem quite as emasculated as the 77 Vette for some reason, and I really dig the split V grille and the quad rectangular headlights.
Let me think for a while about the T tops.
I would choose the 77 base caprice sedan with manual everything no vinyl roof
F41 350 4bbl with a posi. And a wagon with the same options.
Here is my 88 F41
For a car, I’m torn. On the one hand, I know how to play the option list to build a sleeper Fury…find a dealer willing to order a Pursuit model and spec it with…
440 V8
HD 727 trans
2.94 gears and Sure Grip.
Fast-ratio manual steering
Pushbar prep (HD front torsion bars)
HD cloth seat with rubber floor mat
Air conditioning
Am/FM/CB radio
15×8 HD steel wheels with center caps
On the other hand, I am strangely tempted by a Pinto wagon…2.3/4-speed, with manual brakes, manual steering and factory A/C. No woodgrain!
1977 was not the best year but….
Fuel efficient—-Dodge Colt 2DR with 4spd;
Regular——AMC Matador coupe W/O vinyl top (no Barcelona, please) with V8 and automatic.
Without a doubt, an AMC Pacer Wagon.
One of my all time favourite cars, and ’77 was my fav year for Pacer as it was the only one when the coupe and wagon were available prior to the less-appealing facelift.
A Gremlin X would be my close second choice. 2bbl 258 six and 4 speed manual preferred with either car.
The big 3 had practically nothing I would want for ’77. I’m not a great admirer of the boxy ‘sheer look’ that was in vogue at the time.
VW Beetle in metallic lime green with brown velour interior, AM/FM and sunroof. It was the Beetle sedan’s swansong year in the US market and they only came loaded (well, by bug standards) with everything the spring specials from earlier in the decade had.
A Dodge Aspen SuperCoupe. Special ordered with a 4 speed overdrive stick and slant six.
I would take a Volvo 244 with a manual and overdrive. I would then take it out on the highway and drive, drive, drive.
I’ve owned a 1977 model, a Buick Electra 225 that I profiled here a few years back. It was dead reliable for a then 35 year old car. Probably the best car I’ve owned on a sheer utility basis because it wasn’t kept up at all yet ran like a champ.
That said, it would not be my first choice for ’77. I’m with JPC on this: a Town Car (4 door for me) or a 4 door Chrysler New Yorker Brougham. The Lincoln in baby blue, powder blue, dark green or aqua. The Chrysler in black.
I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a ’77 DeVille or FWB on its own…but it just pales in comparison…the downsized GMs were great cars but step one in many ways towards the blandness we see today–in my opinion.
Cordoba, no question.In Claret or Starlight blue.
Lincoln continental black 4 door 460.red with whit fake convertible top mark v 460, or 2 tone Green grand marques coupe 460. Orwhite New Yorker brouugham coupe. Waggoner Cadillac Miller meteor hearse.
In 1977, I was in 7th grade, and an avid car magazine reader. Back then, I really liked cars that were quick and efficient–so my top picks would have been a VW Rabbit or Scirocco–for 1977, the 1588 cc engine had fuel injection! If money was no object, a Porsche 911. I also liked the 76 Firebird, but didn’t like (and still don’t!) the Batmobile front end on the 77. I did like the 77 Corvette L82.
But I also liked the 77 Caprice with a 305 or 350, and the 77 Nova coupe.
Today, if you zapped me to 1977, my top pick a car that I thought was ‘dumb’ adn ‘old’ in 1977–an OLDS (in 1977, I was all about Chevy and Pontiac) Cutlass Supreme coupe, with a 350-4bbl, with the Landau roof, VINYL BENCH seat, and FULL WHEEL COVERS, and MANUAL windows/locks, and A/C, and of course factory AM/FM/Cassette.
My 2nd pick would be a 77 Caprice 4-dr, 3rd would be my 7th grade picks.
Wasn’t looking to buy a new car in 1977, I did buy a new car in 1979: a Chevrolet Z28. Looked cool but wasn’t fast, not at all. If I would to time travel back to 1977, what would I buy? Probably a Olds Cutless, but more likely a Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
An all white New Yorker Brougham Coupe-the “Electric Razor”. That’s it.
The good old days! Not a crossover in sight! What would be the top Japanese sedans of 1977?
The down-sized GM full-sized cars were historically significant, especially the down-sized Chevy Caprice.
My dad bought a ’77 Olds Custom Cruiser in red metallic, no simulated wood paneling, and with a brown velour interior (the only interior color available for seats that were not vinyl). It had a 401 cubic inch V-8 that allegedly put out a puny 180 horsepower and consistently got 19 mpg, maybe 22 on the highway on a good day. We later learned that one of the cylinders had never worked because of something wrong with the distributor. It was built at Southgate, California and had kind of questionable assembly quality.
I had pushed my dad to buy it over a Pontiac Catalina Safari and he always blamed me for the problems with the car. I also remember that the back seat had short bottom cushions that were uncomfortable if you had to sit back there for any length of time.
When I think about American cars I probably would have gotten myself something like a Chevy Concours coupe, but in 1977 I was a high school kid and the reality was that my dream car was usually a new Volkswagen Scirocco, though at different times I also like the Datsun 280-Z, Fiat X1/9, Toyota Celica GT Hatchback (the first generation one that looked like a mini-Mustang), the Honda Accord and the Fiat X1/9.
Here in Australia, young guys who were into cars often grew up with an awesome reverence for American iron, based on the well-known drag racing exploits of the sixties cars. We knew Mustangs; they were cool. We’d heard of Camaros, Firebirds and Barracudas. We might have even seen one. To our minds they cast a glow over American cars in general, by association. Our fathers had known and often owned American cars, the Big Three in Australia made an amazing variety of cars, and by the late Seventies were turning from a purely American idea of ride and handling toward something more European in concept.
So what did I find when I looked into American car magazines at the local library?
Broughams. Eighteen foot two-and-a-bit-tonners stuffed full of crushed velour (or rich Corinthian leather) and slathered with vinyl and plastichrome appliques.
What was America doing? Who ordered these? From what I read there was no doubt they were selling, but to me they were like the product of an alien empire; I felt as though there was no common ground. I just could not perceive any place for vehicles like these in my life.
With the passing of the years I’ve come to understand how American cars came to diverge from the rest of the world so much, and I’ve come to appreciate those period touches of seventies designs I once derided – but not enough that I’d want to own one.
Pete this was the same in Israel and for us, too, in the late 70s the market was starting to shift into European cars in those classes – not so much because of the “Brougham-isation” of the American cars but because one of the main advantages of a US-made car – reliability – was no longer there, whereas BMWs and MBs, despite their complexity, started becoming more bullet-proof than they have been in the 60s.
By the late ’70’s the American market was starting to get more regionally fragmented. I was living in a West Coast university town adjacent to a large cosmpolitan metropolitan area (San Francisco Bay Area). In the ’60’s, a non-trivial number of European cars, mostly VW and Volvo, but also Mercedes, Cortina, Saab, Peugeot etc, became every day sights, mostly driven by faculty. Even wealthier people had modest automotive tastes, and base or compact American cars prevailed; Valiants rather than Chryslers and BelAirs rather than Caprices. By the late 1970’s the Japanese cars were everywhere, and the American subcompacts (Pinto, Vega) were very popular as well. By contrast, the once-popular American pony cars were either neutered, like the Mustang II, or had become parodies of themselves like the gaudy but low-HP TransAm. And the whole brougham thing, coupled with dismal MPG and declining build quality, didn’t seem to take off out here as much as in other parts of the country, though when that type of car later downsized (’78 and later Cutlass Supreme, and then FWD A bodies) they seemed to be pretty popular in the suburbs. I recently completed a round trip across the US and back, and was surprised at how much the automotive roadscape still varies regionally. Domestic, especially GM, passenger cars and CUVs far more prevalent in the upper Midwest, Korean cars and Nissans in the SouthEast, etc. Unlike 40 years ago, California and New England are now surprisingly similar, automotively.
This was a great series GN, one of the best ever. Loved how you laid it out by manufacturer, then added the print ads to show what else was available and ended with the QOTD. A job well done!
You would think the ’67 new car posts would have been more engaging than the ’77, because cars were so much better then ya know, but it wasn’t the case. And I don’t think it’s because there are more 50 years olds reading here than 60 year olds.
I hope there will be an ’87 new car series but if you do please end it there. No matter what it won’t top these ’77 posts and fun to read comments.
I live in Australia, so my new car choice for 1977 would be a Holden Torana LX SLR 5000 4-door sedan:
X2, if I were living downunder myself. I was not – I was a teenager in Israel and we never had any Aussie cars imported into the country, not even when Holden started LHD models in other parts of the Middle East.
Probably a GM B- or C-Body. Not any of the Oldsmobiles – I didn’t care much for their styling – but a Caprice or Bonneville would be nice. An Electra or DeVille if I had more money to spend.
You know, it may’ve been the malaise era, but there were some pretty cars then. I just got my license in the fall of ’76 when the ’77s came out, and my driver was my Dad’s and later my first car once I started working, a ’73 LTD. But my Dad bought a beautiful metallic red Chevy Concours 2-door coupe with a red crushed valor interior with a 305 V8 in it. It was thought it was too powerful for me as a newbie behind the wheel, but later I did get to occasionally drive it. It was the prettiest Nova I had ever seen. I wish I had some pictures to share!
But a favorite of the era as a car crazy teenager with eclectic tastes? – I’m all over the place but here goes:
Full Size: Ford LTD Landau (one of the last of its kind and a sentimental favorite). I hadn’t quite warmed up to the new downsized B-body GM cars, but by 1978, I would’ve gone for a Bonneville. Love those taillights in ’78. A new Caprice in the Black and Silver two-tone with a red interior would be sweet as well, but that wasn’t a 1977 combination IIRC.
Mid-Size: Love the T-Bird. Nuff Said.
Smaller Car: the aforementioned Concours. Just like Dad picked it off of the Luby Chevrolet showroom floor.
Pony Car: A Smokey and the Bandit special of course. ;o) – and I’m a Mustang guy! (although I DID like the Blue and White Cobra II on Charlie’s Angels.
Luxury: Contental Mark, although the downsized Caddies were nice and clean, yet still appealed to my Broughamish nature at the time.
And who doesn’t like a Vette? A neighbor kid (with a rich dad) had a black one that he kept showroom perfect until he traded it in on a 1984 Porsche 944. I would’ve taken a Vette just like that, as to me, the Gen 3 Corvette was the prettiest of the lot.
Not much interested me after ’74 as the beloved American iron was losing its edge. It would have been a toss up between the afore mentioned Pontiac Can-Am or the LeMans GT. For a second car maybe a Chevy Monza 2+2 with a 305 and the Spyder equipment package.
If I had to buy a new domestic in ’77 it would probably been a Nova as of all the GM mobiles in our drivers ed stable that was the only one that was any fun to drive. What I WANTED to buy would have been a Renault 17 Gordini. What my dad actually bought was a new ’77 Subaru DL 4WD wagon*. As his last American car was a ’54 Studebaker I guess my vehicular tastes were warped early.
*Even with all their growth as cars and company most Subarus I’ve test sat continue to have a “my knees are at 8:00/4:00 on the wheel” driving position.
Small car? A black Mustang II Ghia with the Chamois package, 302 V-8 and alloy wheels.
For a personal luxury coupe, I loved the new for ’77 Mercury Cougar XR-7. I wanted a black or navy blue one with the Chamois package, loaded to the max with options.
If I went for a family car, I think I would have sprung for a blue Delta 88 Royale Coupe. I always loved how they could be equipped to be a blend of both sporty and luxurious at the same time.
If it were a luxury sedan, I would have picked a chocolate brown 98 Regency with tan leather seats. The next choice would have been a gold Sedan deVille d’Elegance or dark blue Fleetwood Brougham.
Sporty car? A red Firebird or blue 280-Z.
Pontiac Sunbird notchback. 4 or V6
Mercury Monarch Ghia 6
AMC Hornet Sportabout 6
Chrysler LeBaron 2 door w/225.
Never got the “personal luxury” thing from the time it started: all bulk and hood, compact size interiors, so big as to be decidedly not personal. And never thought the 70s large cars were desirable when they were new and still don’t: obscene size and gas mileage.
I’ve been too practical all my life I guess.
I had a Monza Towne Coupe with the Buick V6, and a 77 Olds 88 with an SBC. It’s like they were made by different companies.
If it doesn’t have to be American, it’ll probably be a Volvo 245.
If it has to be an American car, it’s going to be a Caprice sedan. Dark-over-light metallic green or vice versa, no vinyl top, and it’s going to be painstakingly specced up well beyond all bounds of normality—I don’t mean by browsing the brochure, I mean by looking at the canonical list of GM production options (something like this). It’s going to have export front, side, and rear lights, export mirrors, export glass and seatbelts, export emissions. It’s going to have every heavy-duty option including seats and grounding; it’s going to have every comfort and convenience option. EFI Olds 350 engine, TH350 transmission, Posi-Traction, on and on and on.
I would’ve bought a Fiat X1/9. No domestics held any interest for me. I made the big mistake of buying a new Buick Turbo Regal Sport Coupe the next year and it was the last new GM I’ll ever purchase. That bad.
Shirley, you can’t seriously think a Fiat X1/9 would’ve been better!
At least the Fiat would have been fun when it was running. After my brother was going over his 850 spider for the nth time he commented the only good thing he had to say about Fiat electrical systems were they made Lucas look good. As I was elbow deep in SAABs and Citroens by then I kind of agreed.
Actually, I do. My first new car was a ’74 X that I owned for nearly 100k trouble-free miles, only sold it because my wife and I were adding to our family and needed something roomier. That car never let me down, just followed the recommended maintenance schedule. That Buick was a nightmare.
I turned 14 in late 1976 when these 1977 cars were released. I was the typical midwestern boy, all the tape stripe edition muscle cars turned my head. In fact, looking at some of the pics over these last few articles has triggered so many memories. Just when I think I’ve settled upon the new car I would want most from 1977, I see another pic of a different model and think: Oh that would be fun…
I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s with these cars and have experience with a number of them. But this part sucks, because I was looking forward to seeing the 1977 cars again. But for me, there are just too many I’m interested in and I really can’t choose just one.
Truth be told the mid-70s was a terrible time to buy most domestic cars… assembled by people who thought nothing of beer and/or dope-smoking – in lieu of coffee – breaks and lunches.
In 1977 I bought a new Buick Skylark 4-door sedan. It was the perfect car for my growing family and me.. I loved the 231 V6. Beautifully styled. Great handling. Decent fuel economy. It had exactly what I wanted. Air, suto, PS, PB, AM/FM, white walls, full wheel covers and a good model year-end deal.
If I could go back in time to 1977 I’d pick the Skylark again. One of my favorite cars that I have owned.
I sure would like to be original and say something other than “Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am!” but, nope. Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am! I was thirteen years old that year, and there were three things in my universe: Star Wars, Slapshot (because my parents would not let me see it) and Smokey and the Bandit (because it was my first blind date). I can’t go midlife-crisis and buy a Millennium Falcon, so Trans Am it is!
You guys are gonna bully me. Despite my size, I like smaller cars. So I’d go with a Mustang II hatchback and a Mercury Bobcat wagon. My alt would be a Hornet hatchback or wagon.
I ain’t gonna hassle you at all for those choices. In fact I currently have 2 Pinto’s. Both 78’s. A sedan parts car and a 78 wagon with the Cruising Wagon Package. Both 2.3/4-speeds. I have owned 5 pinto’s over time. I still deeply miss my 76 Wagon I owned from 98-05. I should have fixed it ( wiring fire) but didn’t. At least I kept a lot of parts off it. So spiritually it’s still here.
Luxury – Town Car
Large – Catalina or Bonneville with a 350 or 400
Intermediate – Cutlass Supreme or Thunderbird
Wagon – LTD wagon or Country Squire
Compact – Granada with a 302
Small – Pinto wagon
Sporty – Firebird Formula
The LTD II was ridiculous. Should have kept the Torino name, but better yet should not have debuted at all. I much prefer the 1980 updates to GM’s B and C cars to the 1977 versions.
This is tough to answer (or not..); this generation of cars was presented to me as a new driver. Natch, I wouldn’t be in the market for any of them for real. If I was a spoiled kid (not one paying $150 for a ’59 Oldsmobile 98…,) I’d go with the Buick Electra, Who would have guessed,?
I joined the Air Force in the spring of 1977, via delayed enlistment. What I liked back in the day, as well as now, was the full-size Plymouth Grand Fury Brougham or the Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham, for a family sedan. One of the non-Mopar cars that caught my attention at the time and which I had the sense to recognize would be collectable, was the Pontiac Lemans Can Am; have seen very few over the years, although there was one on the base at which I was stationed. Were I to have actually bought and been able to afford a new car then, most likely a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt with a manual transmission.
I was 24 and driving a Dodge A-100. So, this is what I wanted in 1977.
Make mine a Bandit style TA 400 with a second option of a Cutlass Salon 403 coupe.
A 4dr Maverick with the base 200/3-speed stick, AC, power steering, am/fm mono, tinted glass, sport mirrors, bucket seats, deluxe bumper group, conveinence group, light group, rear window defogger, HD battery, HD suspension, white sidewall radial tires, Interior Decor Group, Exterior Decor Group, and bodyside molding. Make it white with a blue interior.
lol. I owned a ’72 4dr Maverick (in ’80) with the base 200 Auto. no A/C, no pwr. anything & drum brakes all around. What a simple car.
I’ve owned 28 Mavericks and Comets over the years both plain like yours and fully loaded. Currently own 7 with a building of spare parts. They seem to suit me. I also own a 72 2dr with the Spring 72 Sprint package. 200/auto like yours also without power steering.
To each his own, I guess? So simple to work on & no expensive electronic anything that you need an OBD-II code reader to sort it out! You’ll save money in the long run!
Have you ever had a rear shock tower mount BREAK? Mine cracked apart from the body
Once, I bought a ’74 Comet 250/6 junkjard motor (low mileage) to put in my ’72 Maverick (replacing the 200/6). The junkyard BOSS said “It’ll fit”. A worker bee there, said, “No it won’t”. Guess what? It did NOT fit, unless I cut a hole in the hood (as I recall?) So I brought the 250 back to the junkyard & traded for an older 200 with higher mileage. The junkyard wouldn’t give me any $’s back! They called it an “even trade”. I was pi$$ed!
I became addicted to early BMW’s… 1970-1990. I had over 50 cars in the span of 30 years….parts cars AND 5-7 “drivers” at any given month. Sold parts on the internet almost 20 years. The most I paid for any car was $300.I only bought 4 cars out of 50. I sold EVERYTHING this past year. i have one 1976 2002 motor for sale left ($600) That is getting picked up next weekend, then I am DONE. I’ve made only about $50k in all that time. But all my parts (and cars) were essentially FREE! This is an OLD photo, BEFORE i had acquired 7 absolutely beautiful “drivers”. Sad I never took a photo of the best of the last all in one shot.
Have fun working on your simple cars!
Yup. The 250 uses different motor mounts than the 200 that puts it lower in the chassis because the 250 is taller. It also uses the bigger small block ford bellhousing. If you had gotten those, it would have fit. And no I’ve never had a shock mount break. Lousy salvage yard!! Glad I have bought my own parts car’s over the years.