Private luxury car
A individual luxury car is an American car classification describing a very styled, mass produced, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on picture over practicality. Effectively high priced Veblen goods, [ citation needed ] individual luxury cars favor style and perceived cachet while accenting the convenience and satisfaction of their holder and driver above all else. A high level of features and trim is suggested, [1] typically at the expense of passenger capacity, cargo room, and fuel economy. Characteristically built on a two-door platform with distinctive exteriors, they often share mechanical components in common with their manufacturers’ popular mass market vehicles. As a result these vehicles were a profitable segment of the post-World War II automotive marketplace.
In the U.S., the four-seat one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Ford Thunderbird expanded the private luxury car into a major market segment, according to most auto historians. [Two] [Three] [Four]
Contents
Individual luxury cars are characteristically two-door coupés or convertibles with two-passenger or Two+Two seating. They are distinguished on the spectacle end from GT and sports cars by their greater emphasis on convenience and convenience. Even tho’ they usually contain higher horsepower engines and the necessary support systems for the higher horsepower output (transmissions, tires, brakes, steering, etc.); these larger power trains usually only bring these vehicles back to the power-to-weight ratios that they would have had if their gross vehicle weights had not been enhanced to accommodate the installation of their luxury features and accessories. On the luxury scale, by their appointments, features, and style, there is good variability within the market; however, this is not absolute but merely a general trend.
Individual luxury cars are mass-produced, not coach built, and typically share all of their chassis, power train and all other major mechanical components with high volume sedans to reduce production costs, and to ensure that their per unit profitability is enormously high; to both the manufacturer and the selling dealer. Typically, the per unit profit of the sale of a fresh private luxury vehicle is measured in thousands of dollars to both the manufacturer and the dealer, while the sale of a fresh compact or intermediate sedan yields only a few hundred dollars in profit per unit. However, they have extra styling elements and sometimes “baroque” [Five] designs. They are typically tooled with as many extra features as possible, including power accessories such as windows, locks, seats, antenna, as well as special trim packages, leather upholstery, and heated seats.
Pre-WW2 – individual or specialty cars Edit
During the 1910s, “the individual car took the form of a low-slung runabout, relatively light in construction, but relatively powerful in nature. In the Twenties, these runabouts became roadsters, still with the light-but-powerful connotation.” [6] In the ultra-luxury segment, antecedents of the concept are the very expensive, often custom-bodied sporting luxury cars of the 1920s and 1930s. Typically made by Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Duesenberg, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, Cadillac, and others, these utterly stylish prestige cars were favored by film starlets, aristocrats, playboys, and gangsters for projecting dashing and extravagant pictures. An extreme example is the Duesenberg Model SJ, an enormously swift and expensive automobile which eschewed both unspoiled luxury and absolute sports spectacle in favor of a distinctive combination of style, craftsmanship, and power: combinations like this produced cars that became status symbols.
Luxury in the 1950s Edit
The Fine Depression and World War II temporarily eroded the market for these expensive bespoke cars before post-War recovery spotted a reemergence in Europe. On the sedate end of the spectrum appeared such erect yet swift premium ultra luxury two-door sedans, such as the H.J. Mulliner bodied, straight-6 powered Bentley Continental R Type. On the other, spectacle oriented GTs, relatively convenient low-slung cars intended for high-speed, long-distance travel. France, successful in this segment before the war, chose to exit the market by applying rigorous tax horsepower regulations. Italian marques such as Ferrari and Maserati took the GT lead, suggesting distinctive, often custom-bodied two-seat and Two+Two coupes powered by exotic alloy-lightened engines straight off the race track. In inbetween could be found such combinations of luxury and spectacle as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and 190SL, BMW 507, Alfa Romeo one thousand nine hundred Sprint, and DKW 1000Sp.
Luxury and reliability over sport Edit
With both custom-built luxury cars and GTs beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest, the 1950s eyed a growing trend in both the United States and Europe towards mass-market “specialty cars” catering primarily to drivers coveting the picture of bespoke machinery without its cost. Joining them were affluent buyers who could afford the genuine article but disliked the inconvenience of complicated service and repair, especially in areas where exotic car dealerships were few and far inbetween. [ citation needed ] Many of both classes were also interested in such modern conveniences as automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering, and other convenience options not generally suggested on GTs or sports cars of the day.” [7]
The result was a burgeoning market for so-called “factory customs,” models using standard or mostly standard engines and other mechanical components, but with unique styling on a full-size car platform. A prominent early example was the one thousand nine hundred fifty three open top Cadillac Eldorado, where customized styling gave it a price tag almost twice that of a standard Cadillac convertible despite almost identical underpinnings. GM’s Buick division also suggested the Roadmaster Riviera coupe as its top level luxury coupe in 1954. Packard introduced a large 2-door luxury coupe called the Packard Caribbean in 1953.
In 1955, Chrysler introduced the three hundred series 2-door coupe, with a powerful 300bhp engine, providing the car its name. There was a mid-size car aimed at this market as well – the one thousand nine hundred fifty six Studebaker Silver Hawk range of two-door Two+Two spectacle hardtops in the GT tradition.
The very first step to the evolution of the individual luxury car as a mass market segment in the United States was Ford Motor Company’s two-seat one thousand nine hundred fifty five Thunderbird. Ford termed the one thousand nine hundred fifty five model a “private car.” [8]
During the 2nd World War American servicemen stationed in Europe began to practice the benefits of the nimble sports cars, particularly in Britain, and many shipped them home on their comeback. [9] US automakers responded with a pair of home grown two-seat models, the sporting Chevrolet Corvette, a fiberglass-bodied 6-cylinder roadster with few creature comforts introduced in 1953, and the larger, more convenient, existing component-based Ford Thunderbird. [Trio] The Thunderbird was a softly sprung car, with a powerful V8 engine, that came both as a convertible and roadster with removable hardtop.
The model sold 53,000 units over three years, achieving niche success for a two-seat car. [Three]
Ford Motor Company also attempted creating an ultra-luxury vehicle with the one thousand nine hundred fifty five introduction of the near bespoke Continental Mark II. The Mark II was only available as a two door coupé. Almost handmade, the Mark II sold for around $Ten,000, [Ten] the equivalent of a fresh Rolls-Royce or two Cadillacs. Trio,000 Mark IIs were sold over three years from one thousand nine hundred fifty five to 1957.
In 1957, Cadillac pursued a similar ultra-luxury vehicle, the Cadillac Series seventy Eldorado Brougham. It was available only as a four door sedan, also met with modest success, and was not carried forward beyond 1960.
The Mark II was an attempt by the freshly created Continental division of Ford Motor Company to suggest a car not only to rival the greatest American and European automobiles of the pre-War era but anything built after. [ citation needed ] It came tooled with almost every conceiveable luxury as standard equipment – power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, power vent windows, leather interior, and a tachometer – it had only one option: air conditioning for $595. [11]
The Mark II remains a uncommon and elegant classic, coveted for its simpleness of line and understated grace. [ citation needed ] The special Two+Two Continental Mark II was substituted by a gaudy, over-sized Lincoln Division-produced Mark III, still way beyond the Thunderbird both in dimension and price. [ citation needed ] The Mark name was used from one thousand nine hundred fifty eight to one thousand nine hundred sixty (Mark III, IV, V) and then retired until 1969’s Lincoln Continental Mark III.
Ford surveys indicated the 2nd generation Thunderbird due to debut in one thousand nine hundred fifty eight should build up rear seats and a permanent hardtop. [12] Weighing eight hundred lb (360 kg) more, [12] the fresh mid-size four-seat model that resulted received extra convenience, luxury and convenience features of a full-size car in a vehicle that was lighter to park and manipulate in congested areas. [Four] In spite of the added bulk, its standard three hundred hp (220 kW) V8 left it swift in traffic. [Four]
This combination of “individual car” and luxury 2-door coupé sold almost 200,000 units over three years – four times the two-seat model’s sales [Trio] – dramatically expanding the private luxury car market segment [Four] [12] and earning it the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Motor Trend Car of the Year award. [Four]
Early competitors Edit
The four-seat Thunderbird’s sales enlargened, but the other American auto manufacturers were slow to react.
In 1962, GM’s Pontiac introduced mildly sports oriented cars – the full-size Grand Prix and Buick the Wildcat, but neither replicated the “luxury” side of the mid-size Thunderbird formula.
In 1962, Studebaker introduced the Avanti, featuring an exotic Raymond Loewy designed fiberglass bod and supercharged engine mounted on a modified 109-inch convertible chassis and innovations such as front disc brakes. The company was only able to build Four,100 Avanti cars before it closed in 1963, and sold its dealership network to Mercedes-Benz.
In 1963, Buick introduced a fresh Two+Two coupé, the evocatively named Riviera, which “set fresh heights for a individual luxury car.” [13] Its success soon spawned other rivals from GM, the long-hood, short-trunk front-wheel drive Oldsmobile Toronado appearing in one thousand nine hundred sixty six and a similarly reconfigured Cadillac Eldorado in 1967.
The expanding specialty car request, including the pony car, also influenced the development of private sports models such as the fastbacked American Motors’ one thousand nine hundred sixty five Marlin, Dodge’s one thousand nine hundred sixty six Charger, and Mercury’s Cougar in 1967. [14] Both the Marlin and Charger were based on a generic intermediate platform given distinctive styling features and room for just four passengers. [Two]
Originally, industry sources such as Ward’s Automotive Yearbook classified the expanding class of widely varying long-hood/short-deck models “specialty cars”, which grew by their count from eight makes in one thousand nine hundred sixty six to twelve in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven — Corvette, Camaro, Riviera, Eldorado, Mustang, Thunderbird, Cougar, Barracuda, Charger, Marlin, Toronado, and Firebird. [15]
Broader number of segments – from mid-range to top-range Edit
The private luxury market became so significant and very competitive that it was divided into size and price market segments, from moderate price/compact to premium/full-size. In 1967, the Thunderbird, “long predominant in the field”, was “sharply restyled and has added a four-door model for the very first time” as the Ford Thunderbird (fifth generation). [14] Packing in the Ford range was the one thousand nine hundred sixty seven Mercury Cougar based on a spread Ford Mustang platform, with concentrate on luxury and distinguishing styling features such as hidden headlamps and sequential rear turn signal lamps.
Oldsmobile added its Toronado in 1966, and Cadillac the Two+Two styled Eldorado a year later. By 1967, Motor Trend magazine was able to state: “Motorists of just about every stripe can now find a car with pleasing and distinctive lines, good spectacle and all the things that go to make a car pleasurable.” [7]
In 1969, the upscale Lincoln Continental Mark III was introduced, using the Ford Thunderbird (fifth generation) chassis, and was the very first American-made vehicle with the technically superior radial tire as standard equipment. [16]
European competitors – Gran Turismo Edit
Imported vehicles were a very puny segment of the US market until the late 1960s. In 1966, the Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) had market share of 89.6% (44.5% in 2014). [17] From one thousand nine hundred sixty six to 1969, net imports enlargened at an average annual rate of 84%. [Eighteen]
European Gran Turismo or ‘GT’ cars found enlargening U.S. acceptance in the 1970s, as part of this growth, with models like the BMW CS coupes, Citroën SM, and third-generation Mercedes SL roadsters. Mercedes-Benz came to predominate the upper end of the individual luxury sector, with 300,000 R107 SL and C107 SLC models sold inbetween one thousand nine hundred seventy one and 1989, Two/Three in North America. [Nineteen]
1970s mass market explosion Edit
The decline of the muscle car, due to rising insurance costs and emissions standards in the early 1970s, coincided with a strong upswing in the individual luxury segment, as American buyers shifted emphasis from spectacle to convenience. [20] Offsetting this, the one thousand nine hundred seventy three and one thousand nine hundred seventy nine oil crises impacted request for cars with relatively poor fuel economy. [21]
Chevrolet introduced the one thousand nine hundred seventy Monte Carlo using an intermediate-sized chassis, which was “scaled down in opulence from the similarly-bodied Pontiac Grand Prix suggesting buyers elegance and prestige”. [22] “Ford might have created the individual luxury car with the Thunderbird and Continental Mark II, but it took Chevrolet and Pontiac to take private luxury to the masses.” [23]
By 1972, the Ford Thunderbird (sixth generation) was stronger and more expensive than competitors that included the Riviera, Toronado, Grand Prix, Cougar, Monte Carlo, AMC’s Oleg Cassini Matador, and even Ford’s own Torino Elite. [24]
In 1975, Chrysler introduced the Cordoba, the company’s very first coupe produced specifically for the individual luxury market, albeit they had earlier announced that there would “never” be a smaller Chrysler. [25] These models loved large sales figures in the mid-1970s with their intimate, luxury-oriented feel, plush interiors, and mostly vintage styling cues like Rolls Royce-style radiator grilles, opera windows, and vinyl roofs. The fresh Cordoba finished 2nd to the Chevrolet Monte Carlo in sales for that segment. [26]
Japan Edit
This marketing treatment was also used in Japan, where the early 1970s eyed the introduction of the Toyota Crown coupe, followed by the coupe versions of the Nissan Cedric and Nissan Gloria, and the Mazda Luce. In the 1980s the Toyota Soarer, Nissan Leopard, Mazda Cosmo, and the Honda Legend were popular with Japanese buyers.
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