Last night I was perusing Marketplace for my own amusement when I came across this magnificently red 1970 Fleetwood Brougham. It appears to be San Mateo Red, but what really got me was the red leather interior! Whoa mama!
Yes, once upon a time in America, before lame electric vehicles, lamer combovers, oops I mean crossovers, and when you could still buy a new Saab, Oldsmobile or Plymouth, cars had–believe it or not!–color-keyed interiors.
None of this “let’s call it a red interior but only make the top surfaces of each seat and a taco-sized part of the armrest actually red, while the rest of the interior remains rental-hell blackish gray.”
Nope. In 1970 your interior was RED! Or AQUA! or BLUE! The seats matched the carpeting, the carpeting matched the seat belts, the seat belts matched the tiny knob for the turn signal lever, etc, etc. OK, in 1970 the steering wheel and column WERE black on Cadillacs, but in 1971 that would be rectified.
It was a better time. At least for Detroit rolling stock! And that’s why I loved this Fleetwood Brougham so much. For my regular readers (all four of you!), you may recall the very first Cadillac I rode in was a ’70 Fleetwood Brougham, and also that my friend Laurie Kraynick has a much-loved version in Lucerne Aqua Firemist.
But I digress. As for our subject, it is currently available in Chicago for $13,900. As the ad relayed: “1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 90k original miles. All original Beautiful red leather interior in perfect condition.
“Runs & drives great. All original. Car has a bunch of original receipts including a mile log. Clean title on hand! No trades please.”
As I frequently do, I forwarded the link to my friend Jayson, who immediately responded that I should buy it, haha. But I don’t have a spare aircraft hanger for it. But whoever gets it will definitely roam the countryside in style!
And must really like red.