Somewhere between mainstream and luxury lies the murky no-man’s land often referred to as “near luxury.” In the auto world, the near-luxury tag has been applied to such semi-premium brands as Acura and Volvo. More recently, Buick has again ascended into the near-premium domain, offering products that skirt pricewise just under those offered by the likes of Lexus.
Here, we’re looking just a half-step lower than that. Collected here are the five most expensive 1978 versions of mainstream American midsize sedans. In most cases, these select topline rides set shoppers back more than $1000 over the price of a base sedan in the same lineup—that’s a cool 20 percent in most cases.
Consider this a tribute to restrained luxury. The folks buying these cars weren’t shooting for a Cadillac or Lincoln their next time in the dealership. Instead, these drivers just wanted something a little nicer than the average car. Check them out:
See also:
The Most-Expensive American Wagons of 1972
The Most-Expensive American Cars of 1972
Chrysler LeBaron Medallion: $5666
Standard engine: 225-inch “Slant Six”
Standard transmission: 4-speed manual (optional 3-speed automatic: $158)
Dodge Diplomat Medallion: $5517
Standard engine: 225-inch “Slant Six”
Standard transmission: 4-speed manual (optional 3-speed automatic: $158)
Ford LTD II Brougham: $5505
Standard engine: 302-inch V8
Standard transmission: 3-speed automatic
Mercury Cougar: $5126
Standard engine: 302-inch V8
Standard transmission: 3-speed automatic
Buick Century Limited: $5091
Standard engine: 196-inch V6
Standard transmission: 3-speed manual (optional 3-speed automatic: $307)
See also:
The Most-Expensive American Cars of 1974
The Most-Expensive American Cars of 1977
The Most-Expensive Wagons of 1990
The Cheapest Full-Size Coupes of 1973
