American gas guzzlers | American Classic cars | Drive in | 1973

'Drive in' presenter Tony Bastable compares American cars that are available to the British consumer featuring:
Cadillac Eldorado coupe
Mercury Marquis Brougham
AMC Ambassador
Chevrolet Camaro Z28
mustang 2 ghia
Lincoln Continental
First shown: 19/11/1973
If you would like to license a clip from this video please e mail:
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Quote: VT8222

[@dungareesareforfools]

This is a really good report, that guy's a first class presenter. I don't think this has dated much at all.

[@Witheredgoogie]

Yes he was, no nonsense clear and concise, but moved aside for the often mumbling self important,sensationalist presenter we are more accustomed to today. Sadly long dead and so is forgotten.

[@azmike3572]

Well, his outfit and hairstyle has dated a bit...

[@margaretcronin4073]

Here, here @crazyclive

[@johndrake2729]

What was his name?

[@veritasvincit2745]

@@johndrake2729 Tony Bastable.

[@donsolaris8477]

Growing up as a kid in 70's North London (Hampstead), I used to see quite a few Mustangs, Trans Am's, Cadillacs and even Pacers around. England went through a period in mid to late 70's when everything American was really hip with the introduction of Levis, Macdonalds, push button telephones, American ice cream, Star Wars etc.

[@markhealey9409]

True! I was born in England,Mum's English,but we emigrated to rural Pennsylvania when i was 5 years old,in 1972...when we came back from the USA for 6 months in 1975,my uncle picked us up from Heathrow to drive back to Lincolnshire,& I remember being surprised to see a Camaro,a Firebird & a Mustang on The North Circular on the way back. Mum sold her white 1967 Ford Anglia Deluxe when we left in 1972 & bought a dark green '67 Ford Mustang in Pennsylvania....then my American step monster 'father' got hit head on in it by a big truck that jack knifed on an icy road & Mum downsized once again to a yellow 1973 Opel Kadett!

[@georgejacob3162]

The first 6 seconds were one of the sounds of the 70's!

[@albear972]

The Benny Hill intro man! The Benny Hill intro.

[@chryslerelectronicleanburn1676]

This was also the intro to The Tomorrow People 1973-1979

[@piratex4498]

and Count Duckula!!

[@Bartonovich52]

So many shows. Even into the 80s.

[@ZnenTitan]

You have to keep in mind the conditions these vehicles were designed for, the much wider spaces of the states, and being very comfortable (because you're going to be sitting in it a long time) over many miles of distance in a straight line.

[@bramlintrent1145]

He clearly wasn't planning a trip from New Orleans to Chicago up I-55. He was just going to pop down from Birmingham to London.

[@Sinsteel]

Indeed, and let's not forget that America was richer than ever before and having its golden age in the 50s and 60s, while the UK was making do with what it could after being bankrupted by WW2. That tells you everything you need to know about the differences in consumption between their post-war lifestyles.

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

But but the fuel crisis?????

[@Andyface79]

The doesn't make them any less gross.

[@elekkr]

He mentions the dinosaurs going extinct while he is walking of in his bell bottom pants

[@drott150]

Hahahahaha! Plus that haircut. Dude's the Fred Flinstone of the tv world.

[@LuiWallentinGttler]

Well if you follow that logic, we might have dinos again someday, because at least here in Denmark those bell bottoms came into fashion again in my teen years in the 90's :D.

[@painkillerjones6232]

@druss999 In the USA you could call them "flares" or "bell bottoms"..

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

Apparently people are saying birds are dinosaurs so ha they never went extinct anyway

[@Guitcad1]

I'd wer pants like that before I'd ever be seen in one of those monstrosities. (Okay, except for the mustang. My first car was a Mustang II and I have a soft spot for them.)

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

A lot of these make sense for 70s era USA though. Big open roads and the US interstate system. These cars are made for long American distances

[@weaton25]

The thing that always makes me smile is they go on about American cars being to big for British roads yet our roads are full of Sprinter vans etc that are just as big and they manage to get around ok parking is always an issue but van drivers manage ok.

[@BW-fz5kf]

blacknester Where do you live?! Those prices are outrageous.

[@Taydrum]

@blacknester 4.50 Here in CA. Not too far off. Fuel economy is a huge priority in the US, we just make big cars that get decent mpg now.

[@herrfister1477]

Bang on. Same with folks grumbling about suvs when most have a footprint no larger than a car’s. Typical chippy labour voters!

[@leenevin8451]

@@herrfister1477suvs are gay

[@chrisgray4651]

It's a polite way of saying they are all a pile of shite!😀

[@MrTrull1]

For all those people complaining about his pronunciation.... Marquis *IS* pronounced 'markwis' in British English. If you say 'mar-key' to a Brit, you are actually saying 'marquee', which is a large tent on a lawn used for social gatherings; the sort of place you could have tea & scones with the vicar and Miss Marple at the summer fête. Google it if you must.

[@bcubed72]

Foreign words are properly pronounced per the rules of the language they were taken from. It's the height of arrogance (read: typical British) to ignorantly pronounce them as if they were of English derivation. (See also: tortilla, conquistador.)

[@MrTrull1]

bcubed72 Oh shut up you idiot. I can't think of a language that does not take on/adapt words from other languages and why shouldn't they if it makes them richer? English *is* a mixture of languages (Latin, French, German, Norse to name some) and has developed over time for all sorts of reasons. I was explaining the reason why the presenter was pronouncing words the way he was to people who found it odd, that's all.

[@garydunn3037]

I had this conversation with a Yank on you-tube who had a Mercury Marquis and he insisted that in the US the car was pronounced Markee, even though according to the spelling it should have been pronounced Markwiss.

[@MrTrull1]

Gary Dunn Yeah, but my point was just that people pronounce (and spell) things differently in different countries, so no-one is right or wrong. This video is of a British programme (

[@bcubed72]

@@garydunn3037 Yeah, just like the "Markwiss de Sade." LMAO.

[@39PSIOnTheDaily]

“Shattering straight line performance!” ... The Z28 moves away like a snail.

[@bandccoresohio]

Yea ive had healthier go karts...lol

[@MyMuschilover]

Ha ha it struggled to do a burnout, and bogged down.

[@TheMentalblockrock]

Shattering compared to any UK car in 1974.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Now that was shattering.

[@slipperyjk]

Pitiful!

[@catjudo1]

My grandmother owned a 71 Eldorado, similar to that one in the clip. Red interior of velour, velvet and leather. That car was like riding in a Parisian brothel on wheels. I miss her and I miss that car.

[@stratfordbaby]

Me too. Had one for a few years in the late 00s until it rusted too badly from summer humidity in the barn. Had to say goodbye.

[@MrFister84]

"Big 15 inch radials" lol

[@tech9803]

I'm amazed they sold any of these beasts in the UK.

[@twoeightythreez]

If you wanted to be exclusive, you're not gonna get much rarer than one of 35 cars sold in a year.

[@saxongreen78]

If you wanted to look like you drove a Yank Tank but had more modest means (or space to park) Chrysler, Ford and Vauxhall brought in small numbers of the Australian produced Valiant Regal, Ford Fairmont and Holden Premier, respectively...these were all a shade larger than a Ford Granada and looked like Detroit designs.

[@dcarbs2979]

@@twoeightythreez That said, I bought an English limousine that was one of just under 20 built over a 7-year production run and the only one on the road by the time I bought in the 2010's. At 18ft long, it's actually slightly smaller than these 2-doors! I never found parking an issue.

[@jeffking4176]

@@saxongreen78 That’s the BRITISH Ford Grenada, not the American version. 🚗🙂

[@white_rook2060]

I miss the 1970s when safe sex just meant having a padded head board.

[@antowens6276]

@Andy Peek relevance?

[@youwot2430]

@Andy Peek alright steady on mate

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

With how many people in NA who wanted to import British cars especially MGs Minis and Land Rovers it makes sense that there were some enthusiasts in the UK who wanted American cars. It's all about wanting something unique compared to the regular domestic cars of your country.

[@Catboy.]

That Lincoln is definitely the one that still looks the best today.

[@catjudo1]

I actually prefer the Cadillac and I still think the 2nd gen Camaro and Firebird looked fantastic, at least until 74. Then again, my first car was a 70 Firebird, so I may be biased.

[@boreal75]

Yes indeed, and when I see a grey Lincoln Continental coupé, I immediately imagine Frank Cannon/William Conrad at the wheel, and later Jock Ewing/Jim Davis in Dallas, who both drove a similar one ! The epitome of 70s American-style automotive luxury.

[@boroboroae86]

Haha, that camaro burnout was embarrassing.

[@jhezreel6403]

MrWithnailJRjunior they glued the front wheels

[@tigerballesteros847]

Hard to think that was a burnout back then lol

[@twincammike8329]

sickening 😂

[@jaykay3811]

From 73 on to about the early 90's was an embarrassing era for muscle cars. Looking back the only decent one we got from that era was the 80's Mustang 5.0, and that was simply for it's after market capabilities.

[@mccrackenphillip]

Last I checked camaro at time had a 4.? 250 Straight 6 Cyl. 5.0L 305 or 307 V8s top had a 5.7 350 big block was dieing out at that time

[@southeparkfreak]

Electric seats in 1973, DAMN!

[@JrGoonior]

Power seats were available in a lot of cars for about 20 years at this point, maybe longer.

[@southeparkfreak]

@@JrGoonior I never knew. European luxery cars tend to have them just the last 20 years or so. Never seen a Mercedes from that era with electric seats.

[@dazasc3994]

it's crazy how high spec american cars were vs the crap britain was making. My 75 eldorado (in the UK) has/had climate control, cruise control, 6 way electric seats, heater rear screen (On a convertible!) indicators to tell you if any bulbs had blown and probably more im forgetting

[@robertfoster6070]

The closing comments about the last of a dying breed were eerily accurate.

[@blahblahblahblah2837]

I dont think it was much of a stretch of the imagination. Like he said, "the island" is small and congested already and fuel prices were climbing. European cars were already far more efficient and some offered a similar level of luxury. It's almost inconceivable how poor the efficiency of the design is! You'd think fuel was cheaper than water in the US

[@igostupidfast3]

30 cents a gallon until the fuel crisis atleast

[@igostupidfast3]

And that was for premium

[@3DSuperWaffle]

Big American cars are still around, they're just different. Your Ford LTD becomes your Ford Expedition. Cadillac Eldorado becomes the Escalade. North Americans still buy big cars, they just buy trucks and SUVs instead of boaty sedans.

[@jaykay3811]

Not really, the micro car has largely gone away and big heavy over-sized vehicles designed to be anything besides efficient (luxury SUV's) have never been more popular.

[@danielcams7514]

Tony Bastable walked so jeremy Clarkson could run

[@MgaTalunanKayo]

Tony Bastable is an unsung legend!

[@jameswillett7186]

In the fall of 1973 GM introduced the first cars with air bags. They were only available on Oldsmobiles, Buicks, and Cadillacs.

[@pcno2832]

They also had anti-lock brakes starting in 1971. Despite their dinosaur status, U.S. cars pioneered a lot of features that are taken for granted all over the world today.

[@realazduffman]

Say whatever else you want, nothing is as comfortable as riding in one of these down the highway.

[@paulhunter123]

CITROEN

[@missingremote4388]

Suburban GMC

[@simonthomas5367]

Great drive test! Incessant circling of a carpark!

[@magicmaker15]

Lol

[@peppersdog1]

I own a 1963 Cadillac sedan Seville with a 6.4 litre V8 it's in mint condition and I love it.....at 15mpg it's still less than 50p a mile at today's rip off prices

[@NavarroOne]

Prescient, the dinosaur analogy was spot on and he really nailed the timing

[@bennetfox]

For today's size comparisons the Cadillac and Mercury presented at the beginning are about the same size as a Chevrolet Suburban and rode like a sofa on wheels.

[@artdecotimes2942]

well yah after 46 years the vehicle isn't supposed to work like brand new genius...do I really have to tell you all that? god you kids are the worst, and matter of idea of understanding size, a 1975 Cadillac is larger than a Chevrolet Suburban plastic truck today. what it isn't larger is a Chevrolet Suburban in 1960.

[@RichTexas82513]

@@artdecotimes2942 this show was broadcasted when these cars were brand new

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@@RichTexas82513 yes I know that of course, I'm referring to well, something else. I heard his comment in more of an insulting way referring to it as a coach on wheels basically. But usually that's a compliment, I've very defensive on keeping the traditions and respect for older automobiles alive, so I'm the trigger ready version of cars.

[@RichTexas82513]

@@WitchKing-Of-Angmar oh ok, my bad lol

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@@RichTexas82513 no no, nothing wrong with your comment, better than my usual responder, smitten with fiery and needing revenge. Cheers oh and I must be American because I definitely just translated his word "sofa" to couch" haha.

[@ytaken154]

I never realized actually how big those cars are in real life, until they drove the Lincoln by the camera.

[@carmineagrigento8245]

"You waft along silently unaware of vulgarities like bumps and thumps" lol

[@gregcox6165]

he was jealous, you could tell!

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

I owned new AMC Matador Wagon. My wife. It was a great car for it's time in Los Angeles California. Thank you

[@OliverWoodphotography]

I thought US cars were so exotic and glamorous compared to what we had in the UK back then, but many were absurdly over sized. Pity this film didn't feature any of the beautiful Oldsmobile's, Beuiks or Pontiac's, or the big Dodge's from this era. It was rare to see anything other than a Chevrolet or Ford in the UK though. The US Ford's were a completely different beast to the euro versions and much more expensive.

[@off_mah_lawn2074]

An Ad for the new Escalade played immediately after this video. I don’t think we’ve come that far

[@Dcc357]

The Lincoln Navigator executes luxury far better than the Caddy.

[@AlabamaShrimp]

Can we have the full programmes please.

[@davidhayes4814]

For the American market, these made perfect sense. Fuel was and still is cheap. They were astonishingly cheap to buy and you are not allowed to go fast in the States anyway. Two tonnes! That is light compared with modern SUVs. Gone are the days of a sub 1 tonne family car. Dinosaurs yes but let’s not ridicule them. They could kick the ass of modernity any day.

[@Andyface79]

no they don't. these are embarassing

[@floridianrailauto9032]

@@Andyface79 I have a feeling you drive a Mini and get intimidated by big cars next to you at red lights

[@Andyface79]

Floridian Rail & Auto I don’t and I like big cars. Just not these. They were cheaply made, inefficient, and lacked character.

[@floridianrailauto9032]

@@Andyface79 How about 60s cars?

[@Andyface79]

Floridian Rail & Auto Yes, I do like American cars from the 60s.

[@johndrake2729]

The tailgate on the AMC estate opening more than one way -- how cool.

[@pcno2832]

That was pretty standard on U.S. wagons in the early 1970s. I think the NHSTA started to discourage rear windows that rolled down because of the risk of exhaust gases getting in, so most had hatches by the late 1980s. The fold-down tailgate was great for hauling lumber.

[@AlfredHawthornBennyHill]

I love how they pronounce Marquis like it's spelled and we in America pronounce it markee, and it's a beautiful car. I always liked the Marquis which later became the Grand Marquis, the sister car to the LTD/Crown Victoria. I also love that Matador Station Wagon. Give me the old cars any day over a modern computerized piece of plastic garbage that IS NOT built to last.

[@Rebel9668]

You mean built to be rebuilt after about 100,000 miles. Back in the day 100k miles was a lot on a car like that. Nowadays 300k isn't uncommon. And, unless you lived in the desert or a dry climate the bodies on those old boats were rusting through pretty quick too. We had a 71 dodge cabover pickup that we kept until about 1988. Yeah, it ran with 300,000 miles on it but it used a quart of oil every 20 miles, had rust holes in the floor big enough to throw a cat through and the rear side panels were completely gone. That and ya had to climb underneath it with a screwdriver to start it, lol.

[@Rebel9668]

@ferkemall My '88 Fleetwood Cadillac had 333,000 miles on it and had a gasoline 307 cid in it and was still running when I got rid of it. My 2008 Trailblazer has a 4.2l inline 6 gasoline engine in it and has 180,000 miles on it right now and still runs great and my 1998 Ford Ranger with it's 2.5l inline 4 has 140,000 on it and still runs like a top too and all gasoline engines. We had loads of vehicles from the 60's & 70's too and here in Indiana they rusted out. Perhaps if you live in a dry climate they wouldn't, but here they sure did. Our 1971 Dodge truck with it's 318 cid V-8 gasoline engine had well over 300,000 miles on it when we sold it and it did still run (even though it burned a quart of oil every 20 miles, lol), but half the sides of the bed were rusted away, completely gone and there were holes in the floor big enough to throw a cat through.

[@judethaddaeus9742]

That’s an Ambassador Brougham wagon rather than a Matador!

[@seed_drill7135]

And remember, those were Imperial Gallons. It was probably in the single digits for US gallons.

[@speakfreeley4473]

Many AMC cars came to the UK with RHD. Look carefully at that estate & you'll see where the steering wheel is.

[@speakfreeley4473]

I know in Australia they had the Dodge Phoenix . Later ones (built between 1965-71) were nothing more than RHD Plymouth Furys.

[@francomartini4328]

them113 all rhd American cars sold in Australia and South Africa were partly assembled from ckd (complete knock down) kits and then completed using local content in compliance with local laws. In Australia, importation of left-hand drive vehicles was actually illegal. On closer examination it will often be found that South African Chevy Impalas etc were completely different mechanically from the American originals. Also, any right-hand drive Yanks that you might run into in the UK were generally assembled and shipped over from Canada, particularly full-size 1960s Chevrolets and 1970s downsized Fords such as the Yankee Granada. In the early-90s, the Cadillac CTS was also available in rhd.

[@2DogsVlogs]

In Australia many came over as kits. They were then put together hear like the Ford Galaxie.

[@peteandrepete528]

I love the land yachts.

[@johnstairs]

Fun fact,David Bowie had a Lincoln Continental

[@markusantonio4866]

Gary Numan said it well CaRs!!??

[@owenlewis8006]

In my experience you can normally better the official fuel consumption figure on these boats, thanks to the larger U.K. gallon. The big v8s are so unstressed that they’re hardly working at all on a steady motorway cruise. Driven gently 16-18 mpg is possible, while later 1980s v8s will see 25+mpg. When you consider that plenty of folk think nothing of running a big 4x4 with that kind of economy, it’s not too shabby...the ‘73 Range Rover was a 15 mpg machine even in Britain.

[@stratfordbaby]

"In my experience you can normally better the official fuel consumption figure on these boats, thanks to the larger U.K. gallon." That would mean not bettering the fuel consumption AT ALL. US gallons being smaller. What was the point of your comment exactly?

[@McVaio]

​@@stratfordbaby...that you get more miles to the gallon?

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Wonderful bit of automotive history. Fortunately in USA in 1973 the Japanese imports were quite good and so you could buy a smaller car that got 2, 3 or 4 times the mpg as these American cars. As people who know automotive history or owned cars in the 70s know, the typical full-size car was too heavy, too long, and under powered with poor economy due to the difficulty of controlling emissions. It was not until size and weight reduction was incorporated into styling and the development of computer controlled fuel injection and emissions equipment meant a return of horsepower and increased gas mileage. RIP Mercury and AMC. Mustangs are built with right hand drive for the countries that drive on the left and are one of the most popular exported American cars, so there is a silver lining to this story. Hooray for technology.

[@jesuschrist711]

this genuinely was a very good insight into the problems and greats of those cars. nowadays all you hear is "old v8 era cars couldn't turn", but not *why*. and hearing him say a lincoln was new is so weird. that and that the engines were choked by emissions standards. i guess even then, even in small and slow england, people complained about it. i always thought the complaints came after the heavy restrictions in the 90s

[@MervynPartin]

An enjoyable video. I have previously owned a Chevrolet Astro, a Chevrolet HHR station wagon, and now drive a 5.2 litre V8 Dodge Ram 1500. It may be little heavy on the fuel consumption, but it is more comfortable than European cars, and insurance is not as high as might be expected, especially if you are a member of an enthusiasts club. Spare parts sometimes take a few days to arrive from the USA, but you get a lot of vehicle for your money. My wife also prefers American cars, her favorite being the Chevrolet Impala.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

you cant kill those 5.2 magnums. my 93 dodge ram d150's 5.2 magnum has 240k miles, and it still hauls ass.

[@Rebel9668]

@@frigglebiscuit7484 Was the same back when it was called a 318. Those things would go forever.

[@MervynPartin]

@ferkemall I know what you mean. My wife always fell asleep in the Astro and HHR because of the comfort. Me- I had to drive so had to stay awake, unfortunately.

[@gotham61]

When I was a little kid, we had a gigantic Rambler station wagon in Sweden. It was hilarious. And that was back when Sweden drove on the left.

[@muiscnight]

This is eye opening so even in these days people were aware of how crazy (I love it tho) these car were I thought they thought it was normal

[@seana806]

Cars got larger in the very late 60’s and into the 70’s since safety regulations were beginning to creep in. In 1966, it was mandated all new cars were to have factory installed seat belts (California mandated all new cars sold in California to have seat belts installed), a year later in 1967 it was mandatory for a dual circuit master cylinder along with collapsible steering column, in 1969 it was mandatory for all full sized cars to have lap and shoulder belts along with being able to absorb impacts at moderate speeds and those were the early form of crumble zones. In 1971 and 1972, they lowered the compression ratio to reduce emissions which worked to a degree but a consequence of that was increased fuel consumption, 1973 is when the 5 mph bumpers were mandatory along with more emissions equipment.

[@sasz2107]

The luxury features he's mentioning wouldn't be much of anything today. I mean, a door buzzer if you leave the key in when you open the door? Such luxury!

[@mr.shankly]

Thanks for telling us when this was first broadcast, so many old clip providers don't bother with that information, and it's very relevant / interesting.

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

Defo important

[@felixarvidulfkjellberg6361]

8.2l v8 and fwd. that’s madness

[@jedw]

I'd take the Cadillac .. or maybe the Lincoln. Still, here in the UK I couldn't find a parking space for either LOL.

[@jvarela965]

My parents had a 1973 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham. 8 mpg in town 12 on the HWY.

[@AlejandroP1980s]

James Varela if I can do 12 mpg in total how much 70 dollars to fill the tank again

[@michaelglover2871]

Everytime I hear that intro, I think I'm about to watch Benny Hill

[@PunksloveTrumpys]

There was another key reason why these were a good choice for someone who didn't drive through congested cities very often: the reliability and durability were outstanding. Seriously, compared to the competition it was completely off-the-scale. Engines were simple and tough, they could easily do 300,000+ miles without mechanical problems, and so could the rest of the powertrain. The American manufacturers had perfected these over 30 years of designing cars which could travel great distances with the passengers in comfort and luxury. British or European cars were nowhere near as reliable, Japanese were comparable but lacked the durability.

[@bcubed72]

_"British and European cars were mostly reliable enough"_ British engineering and reliability are mutually-exclusive terms.

[@Marklin15]

Mercedes of the era had the reliability and durability especially the diesel models. You are mostly right about the American cars but to get 300,000+ miles you would need to change the water pump and oil pump a few times and maybe a ring job or two. Simple to work on and cheap abundant parts in the US at least, but they wouldn't run forever without repair.

[@bcubed72]

Marklin15 Huh? Yeah, you might have to replace a water pump over the course of 300,000 miles...but on a big American car, with a cavernous hood, this is a trifling affair. Remember, this was before FWD stuffed everything under the hood, and before "downsizing cars" became a thing in Detroit. You had literally unimpeded access to the pump after removing the belt...you could do the job on your lunch break! Replacing the oil pump is folly...the oil pump is generally the LAST thing on an engine to go, because it's the first thing on it to get oil. Maybe you meant the fuel pump, but again, that's a "unbolt the old/bolt in the new" job. Remember, this was at a time when the car owner just accepted that he would have to periodically "tinker with" his vehicle...valve adjustments, carb, points. Heck, the VW Beetle was notorious for requiring attention, but had a good reputation for reliability due to how easy it was to work on! Just don't buy a small US car from the era! Pinto, Vega...THESE were the cars that torpedoed Detroit's rep. With '70s American steel, "go big or go home!"

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

@tecdessus i cant say the same thing for the british cars here in the u.s., because they all rusted away before they even got that many miles....

[@shapalife6926]

That last comment was accurate even in America until about the late 1990s, when the SUVs started getting popular.

[@majahe50]

Love these American cars. Classics, beautiful and full of character.

[@589steven]

You pronounce it mar-key, yes it's a French word.

[@StupStups]

He would have sounded pretentious pronouncing it like that - the English version (marquess) is pronounced with the 's' on the end.

[@589steven]

Yes but it is spelled Marquis not Marquess.

[@annother3350]

My friends surname It's spelt the French way but the family pronounce it the English way, and they're pretty middle class...

[@gotham61]

Mar-key spelled Marquee in British English is a large tent used for social functions. It would be pretty silly to have a car named after a tent.

[@billolsen4360]

The British intentionally mispronounce French words.

[@commodore665]

The Gentleman's club owner vehicles of choice in the UK , all came equipped with a rolled gold chain and medallion ensemble and complimentary Brut 33 after shave .

[@NESherv]

1:54 The headlight doors never worked simultaneously even when they were NEW!

[@pcno2832]

They didn't like ice storms.

[@markusantonio4866]

It looked like it was drunk as it came behind you. One halfway shut, with a lazy eye.

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

Great show! And I've never heard of it before, making for a nice surprise.

[@vnktravi]

These reviews are hilarious. Love them

[@TimJoseph08031990]

3:10 So that's where the Honda Ridgeline got its tailgate design from!

[@syxepop]

Actually that kind of dual opening tailgate has been common in American wagons / estates since the '60s, but not all of them had it. What is uncommon is for a pickup truck (full BOF or unibody) to have one...

[@stefankomrowski5180]

As an American this is hilarious to me. I agree with the whole emissions hampered power though, those Cadillacs lost half their power in six years to detuning to meet emissions requirements; 400HP and 550ft.lb to 190HP and 360ft.lb

[@catjudo1]

Don't forget the switch from gross hp to net hp in '72. Even if they lost little power they appeared to lose a lot just because of the different standard.

[@chris425amp7]

Yes I've seen 185 bhp V8 Mustangs an worse

[@Bartonovich52]

Dodge 318 huffing 140 hp out of a one barrel carb in the early 80s.

[@jamesbuildsshitboxes]

I have owned a 73 Eldorado since I was 16, I am 23 now and I have to say the 235 HP it was rated at is more than enough. Though mine might have a slight advantage over a truly stock since I had the catalytic converters removed dual 24 inch cherry bombs installed. About a year and a half ago I bought a 69 Eldorado with the high compression, emission free 472 which was rated at 350 HP and 500 Lb-ft of torque. Have not gotten to play with it much yet though. needs a lot of work.

[@Lucille69caddy]

James Zamora Your '73 could not have had a cat converter, since they weren't mandatory until '75. Also, your '69 Caddy 472 had 375 gross hp, and 525 ft/lbs torque. Same engine across all models.

[@DeltaSniperZRR]

I love these classic American cars from the 50s, 60s and 70s. But its almost impossible to own these and drive them on our European roads.

[@CycolacFan]

It’s really not. Like anything else you have to want to.

[@Aarontlondon]

I love watching these. The striking thing is the car market today is so different yet so similar

[@seed_drill7135]

Reminds me of Kevin Kline's Lincoln in A Fish Called Wanda.

[@timpriddy349]

Seed_drill asssssssshhhhoooooollllllllleeeeeee....good flick

[@DM-hw4cr]

You can actually see the fuel gauge move down as you drive on most of the early 70's cars .

[@dmer-zy3rb]

too be fair, you could also do that on my grandpas old bmw 3 series wagon.

[@billolsen4360]

My 65 Impala had that feature!!

[@01322521959]

That was excellent. I almost watched it open mouthed and laughed at the end.

[@sushi777300]

Those were wonderful cars 🥰

[@quacksackerthegreatstarfir6996]

The good old day when gas was cheap and you could burn an entire tankful just backing out of the garage....

[@BanjoLuke1]

Not so cheap.... I still recall my father lamenting one day that it wouldn't be long before he was paying a pound a gallon, which would be just under 22p a litre in today's measures. So... Not as cheap as you.might imagine!

[@user-zt4ry9hm9u]

Yah thanks for destroying the world boomer.

[@johnj3577]

@@BanjoLuke1 I remember being able to fill my mini up from empty to full for £5 in the 80's. Filling my current car costs £115 :(

[@drstyxquack]

@@johnj3577 wow, taxed to death? Of course how much oil does the UK actually have? Drill baby DRILL!

[@box3071]

Other than the intro, this seems way ahead of its time especially with the audio, I would have guessed he was showcasing a car from the 70s in a 90s show series.

[@VIP-rp3oq]

This is amazing !!!

[@pbreedu]

Love the big old boats!

[@yotoronto12]

Damn I never knew Jeremy Clarkson looked so good. But really, this is like 90s Top Gear segment by him, precise and simple.

[@catjudo1]

Yeah, except that Clarkson hates American cars, lol.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

jeremy was never so precise.

[@chieftp]

love that mercury markwis. LOL. most people on the planet would give their left nut to be able to have the cars we used to take for granted.

[@billolsen4360]

When boxers in Britain follow "The Marquis of Queens-bury Rules" it is pronounced "Markwis" lol. It's another one of them French words I think the Brits love to mispronounce.

[@PoopLoop202]

luckily for me, being a michigan native, there's old cars like that all over the place, many of them fully restored. When I have enough money saved up, I plan to buy a '61 Thunderbird, I see most restored ones go for $20,000 - $30,000, so not too bad

[@billolsen4360]

Josh Duvall '61 Birds are HOT. Good goal, man! '61 Continentals are also sweet.

[@pcno2832]

@@billolsen4360 I've read that the '61 Continental (which most people associate with the JFK assassination) was actually based on the same platform as the '61 T-Bird, even though it was longer and much heavier. The '61 Continental was over a foot shorter than the 1960, part of a "downsizing" wave that set in after oil imports were banned during the Suez crisis. Buyers immediately started complaining about legroom, so they stretched the wheelbase a few years later. The suicide doors were a little impractical, but totally cool.

[@Helloverlord]

Its much better today - we got super complicated all around electronically assisted 1.0 liter three cylinder, 12 valves twin turbo variable compression tinyzzila with 100HP output, 100 you will never get and it last for a year.

[@jameswillett7186]

In November 1971 my father bought a brand new 1972 Cadillac Sedan Deville. It was dark blue and almost fully loaded. Autmatic climate control, leather interior, power seat, remote trunk release. He drove the car back to the dealer after a few days to complain about how bad the mileage was. Only 6mpg he got, which was terrible fuel economy even in 1971!

[@pcno2832]

1971 was the first year of the low-compression engines, to allow for the use of unleaded fuel. It was the beginning of the end.

[@DTailorUK]

Remember... Oil embargo of 1973! Maybe why this was a big deal back then!

[@peter455sd]

Epic and stylish cars

[@jtb1990419]

3:38 "And a shattering straight line performance!" *squawks one wheel on takeoff*

[@McVaio]

Absolutely beautiful cars. Very elegant design, great comfort and lots of standard equipment. I dont think anyone who was able to afford one of these in the UK had to worry about fuel consumption anyway. And ironically, despite their weight, they were much faster than most European cars. They really won out in almost every aspect except cost. Now, were they as nimble as a 70s MG? No. But they also didn't fall apart like a 70s MG.

[@stephenhowell5611]

Very few people in the uk would be interested in these barges. They couldn't even be bothered to convert to rhd.

[@AlBowly]

Frank Cannon had a Lincoln Continental .

[@rovertaw22]

With a mobile phone!

[@jellyfrosh9102]

That cadillac is equal to 98,338.80 USD in 2018. Jesus.

[@dmer-zy3rb]

isnt that kinda appropriate though? i dont know the price of the most expensive caddilac now, but its propably around the same - maybe even more.

[@jellyfrosh9102]

For an SUV, maybe. For a sedan? No.

[@dmer-zy3rb]

well a modern caddi sedan is propably not as ridicoulsly big and heavy as an old eldorado, so the new SUV seems more appropriate. because those are exactly that.

[@syxepop]

Right now the most expensive Cadillac is the LWB Escalade SUV and it close to U$100K, some Lincoln Navigator L's (Ford's equivalent) pass the "six digit mark" in Black Label guise.

[@General.Longstreet]

To think we were still driving round in Morris Minors and Austin Cambridge's

[@ericgeorge5483]

Tony predicted it spot on!! They were great fun cars though.....For the USA!!

[@RETROCAM73]

That was good I enjoyed this 😊

[@jasperdilincoln2341]

We Americans love our big cars then and still now...lol

[@philipl1109]

Now we love our SUV's

[@WeeKev1910]

Yeah you guys are the cause of global warming, still proud?

[@RivieraByBuick]

obese asses as well

[@touraneindanke]

C R E D I T lol

[@touraneindanke]

Boot Lick ....Yes ‘we’ do know just about 130 Americans try there guns successfully on themselfs. Probably ‘they’ are not so proud.

[@Mc007Queen]

Always wanted a Lincoln Mark V it's really the only big car that I really like back then , black on black

[@jetpigeon8758]

I agree Sir.

[@c.bernardwebb4658]

This is a very assessment of the American Cars of the 1970's

[@OliverWoodphotography]

Even the largest euro cars of this era were small enough to have virtually no headroom and the passenger and driver were rubbing shoulders. The big US motors seemed absurdly large in comparison yet now they appear very low and sleek compared to current vehicles.

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

Well, not exactly. There were exceptions like the Mercedes 600, which is every bit as big as the cars shown here, with even more power and gadgets.

[@renek243]

that camaro is quite a collectors item these days, that mustang however...

[@chargermaster586]

Ygg Drassil Hate the Mustang 2 all you want but its the 6th best selling Mustang.

[@blanktemplate4415]

The Mustang II is actually starting to raise in value.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

@InfiniteMushroom the 73 mustang weighed 4000 fucking lbs...IT WAS A SLOUCH. the mustang ii was not a fucking pinto. nothing but the suspension changes. the mustang ii had a far better suspension, was lighter(2600 lbs. suck on that) and even came with a v8 from 75-78. all you had to do was put aftermarket stuff on the v8 mustang ii and not many cars could touch that featherweight. i bet you wont talk about the fucking pathetic performing fox bodies lol. got that ass whooped by almost every other production car.

[@markusantonio4866]

@@blanktemplate4415 Guys are putting coyote engines and turbo thrusters in em'.

[@christopherhulse8385]

The first car PLY 3 L logbook was last registered in June 1982. The second car PJJ 40 L has no record with the DVLA.

[@ahah1785]

Im not sure how i could miss the 70's - i was born in 1987...

[@vini1277]

I know it is pure sentimental that i say this, but still, kinda sad to see them go.

[@montinaladine3264]

Disappointing, not a single mention of the best in American luxury: the Chrysler Imperial and other beautiful 'Fuselage style' bodies from Chrysler and Dodge.

[@johanbrand8601]

Stunning cars!

[@andreadavide]

I love the Land Rover passing by near the end.

[@TheGodParticle]

12 miles to the gallon, that's insane.

[@briggsquantum]

That's far better than the Jaguar XJ12 of the same vintage, a car that weighed less, and had a smaller engine and interior. Those big American V-8's would go 100,000 miles with nothing more than oil changes and spark plugs. The valve covers would never have to come off. And the rear brakes would take about 45 minutes to replace - compared to the stupid Jaguar inboard brake system of the XJ. Insane yes. But the worst car tested in those years was a Ferrari Daytona - 4.4 litres of engine getting 7 MPG. Below insane.

[@casmatori]

Same as a fullsize SUV

[@hi-fidude6670]

Thats not so bad! My car old second gets about 8 miles per gallon, or smiles per gallon!

[@DitzyClouds]

these beauties probably throw less pollution as modern diesel and gas shitrides. i drive an old 97 ZJ and its emission test is BETTER then a 2017 Clio for eg. especially when you test the emission without OBD and fake em Software that almost every brand has nowadays

[@hi-fidude6670]

Ditzy Clouds Everything is fake nowdays. Fake engine noise from the speakers, more like a vagina system.

[@FawleyJude]

A Mercury "Markwiz"?

[@runforit420]

Jude F. That made me cringe.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

Markwiz Browham no less.

[@chryslerelectronicleanburn1676]

That was driving me nuts when he was mispronounced the model name of the Mercury.

[@gotham61]

Marquess is a noble aristocratic title, and the British say it the way he did. The US pronunciation Mar-KEY is spelled Marquee, and refers to a large tent used for social functions.

[@davidjames666]

Jude F. @0:10 how about the "Cadillac Eldorodo coo pay". I guess England can't pronounce "coupe" as coop

[@justaname1862]

Absolutely hilarious watching those big land yachts come to a stop....they keep bouncing for about 30mins...like they have No shocks...just springs

[@MrSilver708]

That poor Mustsng sounded like it had a stuck lifter when it first started 😆

[@syxepop]

Probably you could blame the German-designed engine for that. Both the 2.3L Lima and the 2.8L Cologne were designed at Ford of Europe.