Medium Standard wagons from early 70's (credit, best, buy, Buick)

[rlrl]

Unlike the full sized standards (ie Custom Suburban, Country Sedan, Impala wagon) in the early 70's, you could not get a wagon that paralleled say a LeSabre, Catalina, Monterey, Newport. Basically if you wanted a medium standard wagon you had to get the equivalent of an Electra 225(Estate Wagon), Bonneville(Safari) 98 (Custom Cruiser) Marquis (Colony park) New Yorker (Town & Country) and they all came with woody sides? Was this correct?

[us66]

I'm pretty sure most of the aforementioned medium standards were available without woodgrain in the 1970s. I have somewhere in my papers a 1975 Olds catalog; the wagons were (in ascending quality order) the C.S. Cruiser, the Vista Cruiser, and the Custom Cruiser. They all had vinyl interiors. I don't know if cloth was available, but from what I remember, the Custom Cruiser was not all that luxurious, even with the woodgrain. It certainly did not have the pillow-top Regency interior.

In the 1980s (more my field of expertise) I know for at least a couple of years there was a leSabre Estate, with painted sides, and an Electra Estate, with woodgrain sides, possible a credit option to delete, I'm not sure. The Custom Cruiser in the late 80s also had woodgrain or painted sides, your choice.

I don't know much about 70s Ford/Chrysler options lists, but I seem to remember having seen Marquis wagons that were not Colony Parks, into the early 80s. I have a Matchbox 75-78 Marquis station wagon, green, no woodgrain, so I know Matchbox offered them with painted sides.

[Tennesseestorm]

No, you could actually get those in lower trims as well... They made a Catalina wagon, and lower trim lines of the Buick and Olds wagons... woodgrain was optional on those and there were nicer interior levels available, but those kept the same names... example - all were Estate Wagons or Custom Cruisers, at least as far as the early-mid 70s were concerned. Chevy and Pontiac had the different trim names. Also on the Pontiac even the top level Grand Safari (Bonneville), woodgrain was optional. Some Grand Safaris had no woodgrain, while some base Safaris (Catalinas) had woodgrain.

Also as far as Mercurys, there was a Monterey wagon, Marquis wagon, then the Colony Park (which added woodgrain).

[rlrl]

the 72 Monterey was homely and tacky looking even worse than the Newport. the grille kind of had that homely teenager with braces look smiling

like i said a few days ago i could not understand why someone would buy a Monterey or a Newport for more $$ with a lesser level of trim than LTD brougham or Monaco

[us66]

Originally Posted by rlrl

the 72 Monterey was homely and tacky looking even worse than the Newport. the grille kind of had that homely teenager with braces look smiling

like i said a few days ago i could not understand why someone would buy a Monterey or a Newport for more $$ with a lesser level of trim than LTD brougham or Monaco

It's for the bragging rights. "I have a Mercury" sounds better than "I have a Plymouth." Back in the '80s I would have much rather had a Firenza than a Cavalier or a Lynx than an Escort.

[Tennesseestorm]

Me either... I would rather have a 73 LTD Brougham than I would a 73 Monterey.

I think that even the LTD Brougham was more luxurious than the Marquis for '73... the Marquis Brougham was quite luxurious though.

Back to wagons... for example here are Marquis and Monterey wagons...


and the Colony Park wagon (Marquis Brougham) (and there was an even more luxurious trim available....


I still say this Brougham LTD for 73 is hard to top... I think its even up to par with the Marquis Brougham...


If you look in the middle of this page, you see a "Squire Brougham" option which added the LTD Brougham interior to the Country Squire (the base Country Squire model had the LTD interior). IMO, this Squire Brougham interior looked more upscale to me that the upscale trim in the Colony Park.

[outafocus]

I think the best wagon from the 70s was the AMC Ambassador.

1970 AMC Ambassador pictures 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1972 1973 1974

[dkf747]

Those Mercury pics were nice. One of my favorite car memories is a 77 Colony Park. It was the first car I learned to drive in.

[rlrl]

on the Monterey grill to block it out it looks like a full sized Galaxie with the 2 lights on each side, the corners look a little different tho

gotta say that Colony Park woody wagon is NIIIIIICE!!

[TempesT68]

You could get medium sized wagons in the chevelle, lemans, cutlass and skylark.