Model-Year Madness! Classic Ads Featuring the Coupes of 1976

1976 Oldsmobile Print Ad, Jim Beckwith, Coupes of 1976 — 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.

Here’s some more bad news for traditional car aficionados: two-door coupes appear to be on their way out as well. Once nearly as common as sedans, coupes are now exceedingly rare. It’s hard to get a handle on just how many coupes are sold annually in the U.S., as the definition of coupe varies by reporting organization. Many coupe sales figures include cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang in their counts. Near as we can tell, traditional coupes—two doors, a rear trunk—now account for less than three percent of all vehicle sales in the U.S.—and most of those now come from German brands.

Collected here are a number of print ads for traditional coupes, from a model year when 2-door cars were still quite popular. Have a look:

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