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1976 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Crown Landau
Much was made of the fact that, as of 2019, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) outsold cars equipped with manual transmissions. And, if you’re of the save-the-manuals movement, this was distressing news, no doubt.
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC Ad
We don’t normally ask readers to work too hard when they’re checking out classic car ads, but we do have an observation to share: The sporty Fords of the late Eighties were available with a fascinating array of engines.
1987 Buick LeSabre
Question: Is a Buick LeSabre a luxury car? What about a LeSabre Coupe, which seems a little more indulgent than the sedan? For this collection of luxury vehicle ads, we’ve dipped a little low on the price scale by including Mercurys and Oldsmobiles, as well as the aforementioned Buick. Even if they’re not true luxury rides, it’s easy enough to argue that these particular cars are at least a cut above the mainstream fray.
1985 Buick Electra
Which of the following events was more jarring? The addition of Elmo to the cast of Sesame Street, or the introduction of a front-wheel-drive Buick Electra? Both events, coincidentally, took place in 1985, and both events were met with a certain amount of grumbling.
1984 Hurst/Olds
If you were looking for a diverse collection of affordable sporty cars, you’d probably want to set the time-machine dial for 1984. You would be hard pressed to find a broader collection of fun-to-drive rides at any time other than the mid Eighties.
1983 Ford Thunderbird
I graduated from high school in 1983. The third year of President Ronald Reagan’s first term was pretty good to me—I spent the summer working full time at a service station, I starting taking classes at a local junior college, and I spent a considerable amount of time looking at, reading about, and talking about cars.
1982 Dodge Charger 2.2
There is an air of parsimony to the automotive print ads of 1982. Take in all of the examples and take note of the following:
1982 Imperial
If you’re looking for proof that 1982 was a transitional year for the domestic auto industry, check out the dealer sales-training video for the then-new Chevrolet Cavalier below. It’s worth noting that Chevy’s cutting-edge front-drive subcompact car is being promoted with two-tone paint and white sidewall tires.
1981 Ford LTD
As far as recessions go, the economic dip of the early Eighties wasn’t much of a downturn. Apparently the Fed overdid it a bit, and tightened the money supply a bit more than banks and lenders liked.
1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The rollout of General Motors’ broad lineup of “X-Car” compact cars for 1980–which consisted of four separate vehicle lines spread across four brands–was a big event in the American automotive industry. Not surprisingly, GM backed up its ambitious new product initiative with a massive presence in TV and magazine advertising.
