Figured this was due to be added to the RG archives. Was searching for an appropriately St. Patrick’s Day-hued car, and voila, located this in The Vault. Cheers, and please Brougham responsibly this evening! -TK
Here’s a fine specimen of B-body 1977-79 Bonnie, in that light mint green that was available on many 1979 GM full-sizers; I’ve seen them on everything from Cutlass Supremes to loaded-up Electra Park Avenues and plain-Jane LeMans sedans. Yes, once upon a time in Detroit, you could get many different colors on your new car–even hospital green, ha ha.
This one looks great in Pastel Green, especially with the skirts and no vinyl roof. Sport mirrors are also a plus. No vinyl top is a BIG plus. It’s no secret I love these things, as well as their corporate siblings the Caprice Classic, Delta 88 and LeSabre.
And I do like this color, but I’d love this car even more in that deep, lustrous Jade green Ford had seemingly available on everything from Rancheros to Town Cars circa 1975-1979. Green is good.
As is the case with this Bonneville four-door sedan. Remember green interiors? Blue interiors? Red interiors? White leather “tuxedo” interiors with black carpet, dash and seat belts? I miss them. I also miss Pontiac. And Oldsmobile. And cars, lol! Everyone has to have a damn crossover now: that special vehicle that does everything, but poorly.
Case in point. Today I stopped at the bank and saw this, er, thing. I texted my buddy Jayson and said, ugly thing, isn’t it? He responded: “Someone must have had shitty credit and only $500 down 🤣🤣.”
About an hour later I saw this nicely-preserved circa 1994 Grand Am and it struck me how even a pretty common car 25 years ago was at least pleasant looking. It seems like 60% of new cars are ugly little boogers. I know a Grand Am is no gorgeous creature per se, but it’s a damn sight better looking than your average late model CR-V or Equinox.
I see I’m digressing again. Oops. Back to the Bonneville…
Not only is this one in a rare and interesting (to me, at least) color, it is also the same year as the one my father had–though his was a metallic root beer brown with a beige vinyl roof. When I was born, my folks owned three cars: a 1973 Volvo 1800ES, 1951 Porsche 356 (known as “that piece of junk” by Mom) and a 1977 Volvo 245DL wagon. The Bonneville was a company car.
It seems as though I’m the only one who really remembers it well, despite the fact that I was about three when it was replaced with a new maroon Volvo DL 2-door sedan. Thus, my love of these things forty years later.
The ad for our featured vehicle is long, long gone, but here’s hoping it’s still out their in nice shape, causing folks to walk past myriad Foose footed, resto-mod Mustangs (with fake Shelby emblems), Corvettes and Camaros (with fake SS emblems, haha).