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Two of my favorite cars of the 70s were the 73-77 Monty and the same years Olds Cutlass with the landau top. The Pontiac Grand Prix was another good one, but the first two I mentioned were my faves. Nothing wrong with the styling of many 70's cars, but reliability had really taken a nosedive. Toyota and Datsun (now Nissan) were making inroads in the US market, then finally Honda. I was of the young car buying age then and watched the prices of cars go up each year. Today it's unbelievable what these cars cost. You could buy a house back then for what you pay for a car now. A real nice house.
To answer the OP, ugly as is beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
The 78 Continental mkv DJE was one of the best cars I have ever owned, and I have owned many.
The looks at that period were long, and heavy.
The interior was well appointed for the period, and I have yet to find seats as comfortable in any new vehicle.
I think you needed all the headroom you could get in those days. My dad always had a big wagon in the sixties, there were five of us kids, no mini vans or family SUV's back then. Those cars had that mushy suspension, long wheelbase, and big overstuffed sofa style seats. I remember going over a bump or a big dip in the road and you'd get launched out of your seat (no seat belts then), straight into the roof of the car. OUCH!! I guess that explains the brain damage........................... Now, what were you saying?
If you were getting launched in the air the driver is driving way too fast.
Comparing cars of the 70s to today's is like comparing Farrah Fawcett and Chery Tiegs to these teen age stringbeans they call models today. They had looks, style, and shapes to them. Today's cars, like today's models have no shape or style. Just meaningless, formless, and pointless.
Full-sized, RWD Cadillacs
Lincoln Continental
Mercury Marquis
Oldsmobile 98 and Cutlass
Buick Electra and LaSabre
Pontiac Catalina
Plymouth Valiant
Dodge Dart
Chevy Nova
Ford Falcon and Maverick
According to the old CR reliabilty charts, from 70-72 the most trouble free car (domestic) was the Ford Maverick/Comet twins. From 73 to 76 it was the Grand Marquis. My moms 74 Montego was very trouble free. In fact she drove it until 2000. I got it in 03 and still own it. It and my 79 Thunderbird I also currently drive they just simply don't break down. I've never been left on the side of the road. So they work for me.
Looking back at them now, yea many were downright ugly. However, if you were around in those days, every decade the cars got better looking, some decades larger, some smaller. All depends on your perspective at that time and place.
I used to think the C2 Corvette was gorgeous, my C4 was beautiful, then I bought a C5 and to me it was better looking; now, looking back the C2/C4 are downright ugly to me, the C5 is ok, but the new C8s are fantastic. Again, your perspective at the time.
According to the old CR reliabilty charts, from 70-72 the most trouble free car (domestic) was the Ford Maverick/Comet twins. From 73 to 76 it was the Grand Marquis. My moms 74 Montego was very trouble free. In fact she drove it until 2000. I got it in 03 and still own it. It and my 79 Thunderbird I also currently drive they just simply don't break down. I've never been left on the side of the road. So they work for me.
How I'd love to get my hands on a mint Thunderbird of that vintage. They (77-79) were my favorites, but I couldn't quite afford one when they were new. Great cars.
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Great cars.
