Rise & Fall of the Personal Luxury Car

[RustyFrye]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...caef8ec94a7017

[BirdsAndBugs]

I used to love these 2 door coupes. My favorites were the Ford Thunderbird, Chevy Monte Carlo, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac Grand Prix). They were nice to drive and reasonably affordable too.

[hippy_mailman]

for me it was liking the 2 door (personal) but really more of despising 4 doors(for others) still do but I never had a large family.

[Frank Dreano]

The Pontiacs e.g. Caralina and Le Mans were sort of the middle class version of luxury cars.
I don't think the Oldsmobile quite made the cut, but the Buick Electra was close.

[11TH GEN]

I used to love these 2 door coupes. My favorites were the Ford Thunderbird, Chevy Monte Carlo, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac Grand Prix). They were nice to drive and reasonably affordable too.

With exception of the Monte Carlo everyone of those listed eventually offered 4 door versions. Even the Mercury Cougar went to four doors.

[Bobnoir1]

It used to be, a "luxury car" simply had power seats and windows.
Now, it's standard equipment.

[007Cruiser]

How can this be? They left out the 73-76 Tbird.

[RustyFrye]

How can this be? They left out the 73-76 Tbird.

I think they were too long and wouldn't fit in the article.

[007Cruiser]

I think they were too long and wouldn't fit in the article.

An excellent point, those suckers are pretty long.

[Elky64]

The Studebaker Hawk series was to my mind the original Personal luxury car, that was generally availible at more or less reasonable price, from dealers who could be found.
They ran from 1956 to '64, when Stude started to fold. We can recall Silver Hawks, Golden Hawks and just plain Hawks. These were produced along with the rest of the Studebaker line up. I think eventually Ford saw the thunderbird in this light as opposed to a race car. GM had the Vett on the sports side, but subsquently did the GP, Monte, Riv in the same Personal Luxury light.

[CVCashmere]

The Studebaker Hawk series was to my mind the original Personal luxury car, that was generally availible at more or less reasonable price, from dealers who could be found.
They ran from 1956 to '64, when Stude started to fold. We can recall Silver Hawks, Golden Hawks and just plain Hawks. These were produced along with the rest of the Studebaker line up. I think eventually Ford saw the thunderbird in this light as opposed to a race car. GM had the Vett on the sports side, but subsquently did the GP, Monte, Riv in the same Personal Luxury light.

I actually liked the Packard version of the Hawk...although that died quite young after birth...along with Packard.

Sigh,

CVCashmere

[Frank Dreano]

I think the height of American opulence may have been the early '60's Lincolns; they were posh and sorta overdone....
The suicide doors opened up into a living room type interior and it was literally a personal limousine.

My boss used to insist I drive his '62 to the car wash and clean it weekly. A true "land yacht" and it floated
down the road like the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner. I could never really warm up to it though...