1979 Jaguar XJ6: Remodeled by Pininfarina

The Jaguar XJ6 set the motoring world afire when introduced in late 1968, and was considered the most beautiful sedan at the time. It deserved it. The styling would go through three different series on the original body, and two subsequent redesigns going all the way to 2008. The XJ6 was a survivor. It outlasted British Leyland, the Ford buyout and lives on today with a totally different design language that was finally introduced in 2009 after 40 years of refining and adapting the original 1968 shape. While to this day, I still prefer the classic shape, the “new” design, now approaching 15 years in production, does appear suitably elegant. Just the other day I saw one in black in traffic, and it looks pretty good. Well, at least until they kill it and go all-combover-schlock, all the time, like Lincoln. But I digress!

Continue Reading →

1979 Pontiac Bonneville: Erin Go Brougham

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. Continue Reading →

1979 Chrysler Newport: Mopar Downsizes On The Cheap

Chrysler Corporation in the ’70s was a lot of peaks and valleys. As the ’80s approached and downsizing took hold at GM, Chrysler seemed headed for the junkyard thanks to gross incompetence, lack of money and lack of consumer confidence. They needed new, downsized big cars, but lacked money to develop and build them. Taking a page from GM’s use of the Colonnade as the platform for the new ’77 Caprice, Chrysler used the midsize Fury/Monaco chassis for the 1979 full-sizers, with Broughamtastic new sheetmetal and interior aping the ’76 Seville/’77 B- and C-body ‘sheer’ look. Unfortunately for Chrysler, and unlike GM, it didn’t translate to runaway sales success.

Along with Lincoln, Chrysler was a stubborn holdout when it came to downsizing. Even so, they knew that the 1978 New Yorker Brougham and Newport, while big and plush, were dated. With baroque styling and pillarless roofs, they seemed well behind the times next to fresh models like Chevrolet’s Malibu and Caprice–not to mention Chrysler’s own Diplomat and LeBaron models. But with no money available, what could be done?

Enter the B-body. Introduced in 1971, the Fury and Monaco B-bodies predated even the C-body Mopars. Six years later, most of their sales were to police departments that liked their big-block 440 power. Although these favorites of the constabulary left the scene in 1978, they didn’t entirely depart.

Continue Reading →

This Week’s Klockau Lust Object: 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

My friend and fellow Cadillac nut Jayson Coombes sent me this link to another Fleetwood Brougham on ebay earlier this week.

Of course, I had to immediately investigate. It appears to be a nice, if not showroom new, with some rust creeping in on the door bottoms, but pretty solid for a forty two year old East Coast car. Claimed one owner car, which I’ve always thought a little disingenuous, since the classic car dealer wasn’t the one who bought it new. But I digress. Continue Reading →

1979 Honda Accord: Batter Up!

Here’s the other side of the coin from my alcohol-laced Cutlass post. And timely, as I just spotted this today over coffee on Finding Future Classic Cars.

The first one. First of a crapload of Honda Accords. Yup. Initially available as a two door liftback only, perhaps a surprise to our younger readers who associate these as midsize suburban sedans seen, well everywhere. Continue Reading →

1979 Chevrolet Nova Cabriolet: Root Beer Float Luxury Group

Here’s an oldie but a goodie. I probably took these pictures about ten years ago (Update: it was almost nine-April 15, 2012). I was just driving through Moline, spotted this sitting in front of a repair shop, and mentally noted its location, as it was a cold, clammy rainy day. This one was among the last of the Nova line: A 1979, last call for Novas. Unless you count the Mini-Me Corolla clone version from the mid to late ’80s.

Continue Reading →

1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V: Really Red

Another day, another Mark. This is likely the 6th or 7th Mark related post I’ve done here at RG, and definitely the 2nd Mark V post this year; the earlier was an impressive triple turquoise ’79, with the optional turbine alloys. In fact, I spotted this one soon after the first V was published, but held back awhile.

The Mark V ran from 1977 to 1979. Unlike the T-Bird, which was newly downsized on the Gran Torino/Elite midsize chassis, the V was essentially a rebodied Mark IV with more razor-edged lines and a somewhat reduced curb weight. It was primarily styled by Don DeLaRossa.

Continue Reading →

1979 Lincoln Continental Town Car: Triple Aqua Cabin Cruiser For The Win

I’ve always had a thing for 1950s to 1970s domestic land yachts finished in aqua. Whether the bright turquoise of a 1955 Thunderbird or the light-metallic aqua of a 1966 Olds Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan or ’61 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country, I will go out of my way to check it out once spotted at various and sundry cruise nights, car shows, craigslist ads and ebay auctions. And if the car has a white or aqua interior, well fuggetaboutit. So when I saw this lovely boat of a Lincoln on eBay about eight years ago, I was immediately hooked.

According to the long-gone auction listing, this car is all original and only had 67,000 miles on the clock. Being a ’79, it does have the 400CID V8 and not the more desirable 460, but still–what a car.

Continue Reading →

1979 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe: Brougham Without The Gilt

So, when’s the last time you saw one of these? Here in the salty Midwest even the once-numerous ’80s Diplomats, Gran Furys and flossy Fifth Avenues are pretty much extinct, so I was happy to see this ’79 LeBaron coupe at the Trains, Planes and Automobiles show in historic Geneseo, IL, back in September of 2012. It looked very nice in black with red interior-a classic combo in your author’s opinion.

Continue Reading →