So, this Wednesday afternoon, it’s a little gloomy and just a bit too cool for sitting out on the deck with a cocktail, but as usual I was perusing car classifieds online, and lo and behold, espied this gem. A 1978 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham coupe.
I’ve always loved the 1977-79 Bonnevilles. The first cars I remember riding in, ever, were my mom’s blue on blue ’77 Volvo 245DL wagon, and my dad’s metallic root beer brown ’79 Bonneville sedan. I have memories of walking around that Pontiac when Dad was washing it, and not being much taller than the bottom of the window sills.
The dash is permanently etched into my memory banks, with the logo above the glovebox, and the ‘hidden’ A/C vents in the matte black panel above the plastiwood trim. So, I always noticed them on the road. That is, until they started rapidly disappearing from traffic, let’s say, around 1999 or so.
Oh sure, I still see one every now and then, but it’s pretty uncommon. So my Brougham radar went beepbeepbeepbeepBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPAWOOGAAWOOGA! when I saw this car.
Yes, we had a sedan, but the coupes were especially sharp. And even more so, in your author’s opinion, when the Landau top with opera windows was omitted. Because then the razor-edge quarter windows and brushed aluminum B-pillar were in full view and not covered up with padded vinyl. This roof was shared with the contemporary Buick LeSabre coupes, and combined with the Pontiac sheetmetal and those fender skirts, well, I simply loved the look.
And this one, which at the time of this writing is available for $6500 in Oxford, Maine, is even better. First, because it has the attractive optional two-toning, and two, because it has those optional finned wheel covers I love. And it appears to be a very nice car.
According to the Craigslist ad, it has the 301 CID V8, runs like a top, and needs nothing. Even the A/C works. Not bad. If it wasn’t so far away, I might have done something stupid like buy it. But I can still gawk at the pictures. And share it with you fine folks! And remember, friends. Keep calm, Brougham on, and always tip your bartender!