Ep. 37 The Great Brougham Epoch

[@EdsAutoReviews]

The first 1,000 people to use my link to sign up will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/edsautoreviews05221

[@tedlym.3390]

What a luxurious treat! Thank you,

[@rayyanalikhan955]

I’m so glad for your sponsor Ed!(can you do 1980s American performance next or just luxury?)

[@doctorhabilthcjesus4610]

GIMP is better than Photoshop.

[@sparky6086]

Great video Ed. I recognize your stock footage of driving South on Spring Street in Atlanta, GA, in the mid to late 1960's, from when I was a young child.

[@AmongUs-fn7rt]

@@tedlym.3390 que que que eu não não sgghhahahhhh hrhahhhhrhhhhhhanão é é o ó cara cara de virus e a gente vai se não me me de um

[@mikedrop4421]

Ed I gotta hand it to you, somehow you capture the American car story better than almost any of us actual Americans can.

[@giggiddy]

I second that Ed. Love your stuff.

[@tonymaiettasr.7340]

I third that Ed. Great video. Keep ‘em coming.

[@jbrooks4282]

Ed knows his stuff. A real car enthusiast.

[@nothanksguy]

sometimes its hard to see a picture from within the frame

[@yungsagegaming8577]

Yes he definitely does and that's a problem with us

[@kimharbison5277]

In the late '70's when I worked at a Ford dealer we referred to LTD as "Long Term Deal." They were expensive cars compared to the other Ford models. Took longer to pay for them...

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Hahahaha good one! Whis I could've included that in the video.

[@philipancell516]

I had a 70 LTD that I bought in 74 for 800 dollars. It had all the bells and whistles too. Then I had a 72 LTD Convertible. The 70 was my 1st car. The 72 Convertible was my 3rd car. I wish I still had my 72. It was grand!!❤

[@christophermichael.w.7577]

My grandfather had one.The family had talked him into getting a new one because they thought that he should have a "smaller" car.

[@zythr9999]

@@philipancell516 Too Fuelish

[@sableminer8133]

My dad said it stood for "La tee dah" 😆

[@nashtubb]

This video inspires me too add a brougham Package to my Trabant.

[@rogersmith7396]

Cotton resin fender flares would look good. Maybe a cotton chin spoiler.

[@nlpnt]

Wasn't that the 601S De Luxe? Chrome bumpers, contrast roof and pop-out rear windows?

[@kenglavens6455]

Decadent!

[@CocoHutzpah]

A heater that works when the car is not moving? Too luxurious

[@nlpnt]

@Sodham G'morris Reminds me of the Chevette with A/C. GM used the same compressor meant for a Caprice with a 350 so it took more power than the engine could spare to deliver more cooling than the interior space called for. Not so much an air-conditioned car as a self-portable freezer.

[@ojbarberena7090]

How about a video of brilliant and not so brilliant automotive executives.

[@charlesb7019]

I love those cars and have owned several over the years. Performance does you no good sitting in traffic or going to the grocery store - luxurious comfort and isolation does!

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Exactly my kind of style!

[@nickrustyson8124]

Also mileage wise, look performance cars don't tend to get great mileage, especially not in this era, but slapping on some nice seats and AC to a normal car won't do much to it's gas mileage

[@MarinCipollina]

Growing up in a Cadillac family as a child, I was shocked to learn how many cars out there were absolutely bereft of any of the civilizing features that make a Cadillac a Cadillac. Things like automatic headlights, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, reading lights in back, Climate Control, rear window de-icer, cruise control, electric windows, seats & doorlocks, delay cycle windshield wipers, a decent audio system, comfortable leather seats and deep pile carpeting, along with a very smooth and pampering ride, to name a few. Plus, almost anyone looks good pulling up in a Cadillac. Now we have computer systems with onboard entertainment, advanced LED lighting elements used in very creative ways, a programmable instrument cluster, with headup display, Night Vision, rain sensing windshield wipers, emergency communication services, (OnStar), seats that give a massage, and a keyless entry system with remote start.. Tastefully trimmed in the finest woods, aluminum, leather and carbon fiber. All with a credible amount of performance and crisp handling. Apple Car Play is very good and makes your sound system an extension of your Apple device. Great for accessing your playlists in iTunes. If you have a driving commute, it's good to arrive fresh and not beat up by the experience. Anything less is barbaric and uncivilized. But that whole "Brougham" issue, which I discovered as being a distinct issue. Like you, I stumbled into that one over at Curbside Classics. It was as an era, a rather odd phenomenon. Every volume car out of Detroit that era had some sort of upscale "brougham" version of one type or another. Once speed and performance went away, 'perceived luxury' was really all they had left, going somewhat upmarket, but in a cheap way. And although that it was true you could get all sorts of "luxury" features on vehicles even as common and downscale as the Ford Tempo for additional money, of course, Tempo, at the end of the day, is still a Tempo. Lipstick on a pig only gets you so far.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Couldn't agree more!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@MarinCipollina But none of today's cars are what I call a true LUXURY car. They are too small and cramped, have a rough uncomfortable ride, and just are not visually impressive.

[@dag7388]

My father was a Ford Dealer in the 1960s and he told me exactly what it meant from dealer tech meetings ! LTD stands for Luxury Touring Driving. He still had his 1967 fastback LTD with every known option until he passed away many years later !

[@johndedominicisjr8973]

Love it! As a life-long brougham lover, I miss the days when cars had fender skirts, vinyl roof coverings, plush, cushy seats covered in brocade cloth, and a soft, quiet ride. I was born tooooooo late to be able to own them, but I remember them well as a kid.

[@projectno5]

someone mentions the chrysler cordoba: my brain: f i n e c o r i n t h i a n l e a t h e r

[@rogersmith7396]

Patoo in the trunk.

[@scootergeorge7089]

Can we expect the Mercury Grand Marquis and why there never was a "de Sade" edition? : D

[@MoultrieGeek]

Mercury should have, they already included leather everything and a back seat big enough for a dungeon.

[@blue04mx53]

@@MoultrieGeek Oh wow man you just brought back some great memories. (That I'll keep to myself)..... ty.....

[@new2000car]

Ed, I heard people over in England say mercury “mar kwis” Is that how you say it? Fun fun video!

[@scootergeorge7089]

@@new2000car - Sounds like a Boston accent to me. What kind ah cah you drive?

[@blue04mx53]

@@new2000car of i remember right that is how it was pronounced in the movie scarlet pimpernel. With Leslie Howard.

[@geraldscott4302]

I absolutely LOVE these cars. I am 63 now, and they are what I grew up with. Sure I liked the muscle cars and sports cars of the time, but even as a teenager, I dreamed of owning one of these. The mid '70s Pontiac Grand Prix was my favorite, and later the '77-'79 Ford Thunderbird. But pretty much any TWO DOOR car with a vinyl top and opera windows was what I wanted. The Monte Carlo, Cordoba, Cutlass Supreme, Grand Torino Elite, '74-'79 Cougar, '73-'78 2 door LTD with vinyl top, Lincoln Continental Mark IV and Mark V, 2 door Buick Regal '73-'77, and several more, even the Mustang II Ghia with the vinyl top. I owned a 1974 Monte Carlo, a 1976 Grand Torino Elite, and a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V. To me, these cars represent what I think a car should look like. The 1970s was the best decade for car design ever.

[@zythr9999]

How about the Vega, Chevette and Pinto? You forgot the 1968-74 Chevy Nova

[@geraldscott4302]

@@zythr9999 The Vega was a terrific looking car, but it was literally falling apart on the way from the factory to the dealers. I think the Chevette is ugly, but everything is relative. The two door Chevette certainly looks better to me than anything made recently. It is carbureted, you could get a manual transmission, and it actually had real tires. I love the Pinto and Nova. I used to own a 1972 Nova decades ago. And I currently own a 1972 Pinto woodgrain wagon. I have owned the Pinto for more than 20 years.

[@blue04mx53]

Our Brougham had a quadrasonic sound system. ( Yes, with an 8 track). It was a Mercury Marquis Brougham.

[@Mogipbob]

My 79 Ranchero had the quadrasonic 8-track player - but had a single speaker :)

[@deepestdub]

Lovely stuff. Nothing quite like this series anywhere else on KZbin - keep it up!

[@Ben-jq5oo]

It’s great isn’t it 🇦🇺🏳️‍🌈

[@DroneAndBimmerGyal]

Cashback, it’s like the American Rolls Royce, Lynne. /Alan Partridge.

[@brentdrag00]

Finally, recognizing these BOATS

[@veshoo1046]

the big lads, the B O A T S

[@MyHeadHz]

The GOATS of BOATS

[@veshoo1046]

@japanwatchconnection I agree but from an exterior design perspective I find them fascinating

[@marcusdamberger]

@japanwatchconnection When you see them out in their element today, they stand out. Your amazed at how bulky and broad they are, and how far the overhangs are and the hood line, and how little space some have inside considering their size. But looking at those old films of cars lumbering down the streets in the 70's, especially during the gas shortage, with them in long lines. You don't envy those drivers, plus the stench of fuel rich exhaust in the air before catalytic converters and electronic fuel injection took over. I'm glad I don't have to breath that in anymore, whenever I'm behind a old 60's or 70's car and you then smell the exhaust, it takes me back to my childhood, but then I think, I'm glad not every car on the road smells like that anymore.

[@404rimless9]

As a German, I now often stumbled over the term "brougham", therefore many thanks for the detailed explanation ! Now I understood it, very interesting!

[@jeramiemaddox1974]

My god this is my favorite channel these days. When I see he posts a video I truly get excited! Amazing work my friend.

[@bob_._.]

The commercial spokesperson for the Chrysler Cordoba was distinguished Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán. When they began shooting the first TV ad he pronounced the car's name as you did and which is the proper pronunciation by the rules of the Spanish language but the Chrysler guys on set told him to pronounce it cor-DOH-buh because their market research showed the American public would, by in large, pronounce it that way anyway. And they were signing the checks, so yeah.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

👍👍

[@socalltd]

With Rich Corinthian leather. .

[@RivetGardener]

@@socalltd But of course, you already know that.

[@wolfshanze5980]

KHAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!!!!

[@usmnt4423]

I do kind of miss the crude paint drawings in the videos, but I still appreciate the more quality photoshop work

[@61rampy65]

I was afraid Ed was going to do that. I LIKED his crude drawings. Of course, the content is still great, but lost some of its cuteness.

[@marqbarq5977]

My grandmother had a 1977 Ford LTD Country Squire Station Wagon, it was an odd shade of green with wood panels that were mostly stickers. Freaken loved it when I was a kid. Had a rear facing 3rd row, and no car seat requirements. My cousin and I would sit back there and wave at everyone.

[@jimurrata6785]

Same for me (in white) I was too old for the way back, but younger siblings/cousins loved it! That thing had a huge 385 series engine, tall gears and my grandmother drove that boat at harrowing speeds. 😯

[@marqbarq5977]

@@jimurrata6785 we called Grandma's car the green machine.

[@jimurrata6785]

@@marqbarq5977 😎 Neighbors had a bright yellow Satellite wagon that everyone knew as Big Bird.

[@rogersmith7396]

My grandmother had like a 61 Lincoln with roll down rear window. We could about get onto the trunk lid on the freeway. Never seemed very safe.

[@cliff8669]

My Father had bought a mid sixties Galaxie Station Wagon. It was green but he thought it was brown. He was color blind. That rear facing seat was great on cross country trips. That was were me and the dog rode.

[@billolsen4360]

According to General Motors, back in 1966, they not only added basic features to the Impala to make the Caprice, they also strengthened the frame to give it a more upscale ride.

[@brianleslie7388]

My best friend as a kid and I were both artistically inclined. During the brougham days, we would draw cars. A lot. Sometimes dream cars. The times that made us belly laugh, were when we drew a car and added ridiculous design language and silly-ass farkles to "predict" the up and coming design trends. Many of them actually appeared, which made us laugh even harder.

[@drakefallentine8351]

Ed, your presentations make me long for the days when, at a glance, one could recognize the make and model based on body styling alone. Another excellent episode.

[@philipancell516]

I remember those days. I couldn't tell you what most of them are anymore

[@zythr9999]

Many were too big and fuelish. It would be comical the cost to fill up some of the land yachts of the past, today Lol

[@philipancell516]

@@zythr9999 my 1970 LTD I could put 5 dollars in and it would last me the weekend

[@sableminer8133]

@@philipancell516 yeah but that's only a gallon roughly today. Maybe u forgot inflation exists?

[@anothercitizen4867]

Dad had either a ‘71 or ‘72 Ford LTD Brougham. High back seats and vinyl top, power windows, air. All of his friends wanted it.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

When I was growing up, we had bought a three year old 1971 4dr Plymouth satellite brougham. I think it had a little bit extra chrome on it and the name of course, and a vinyl roof. I was probably 9 yrs old at a time, I didn't think it was any fancier than anything else the neighbours had.

[@alex1949]

My dad bought a new 67 mustang when he was still single, and traded it in for a new LTD by the time my 3rd sibling was born in 79. Ahhhh...memories.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Honestly your pronunciation of epoch is a perfect fit for this episode, adopting quasi french prononciation for a faux chic impression, just like the "d'Elegances" and "deLuxes" in the video.

[@crustyoldoffroader7436]

Ed, I love your videos and for some reason I really enjoyed this one. Please don’t ever stop making them.

[@CJColvin]

Gotta love the Vinyl tops and the Coke Bottle styling of those cars as well.

[@fredherfst8148]

Around the mid sixties, Dad bought a Dodge Monaco …luxury with a big v8 up front . That thing was scary quick.

[@handlesRdumb]

I had an 84 Delta 88 Royal Brougham. My favorite part was it had my initials RB fancily embroidered on the seats and RB badges all over. The 307 in it was nice too.

[@jailbird1133]

I had the 1988 version. 3.4 L V6 and front wheel drive.

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

@Ed's Auto Reviews - Excellent! As a young teen I remember reading a magazine article that compared an early 1960s Impala with a Cadillac. IIRC the Impala was priced at around $3000 - $4000 while the Cadillac was somewhere around double that. Amazingly, at that time the Cadillac only cost $600 more to produce so GM really made much more net profit off Cadillac models.

[@VictorySpeedway]

The most entertaining car channel on KZbin. Informative, with a dash of cynicism and humor. Great work! Thanks!

[@tibotibo6]

I sincerely love this channel ! Thank you Ed. By the way, I like your Paint illustrations, even if I'm glad you have a sponsor. Cheers from France ! 🇫🇷

[@derekguitarmax9140]

Ed, a fantastic video as always. I’ve also noticed the improved production quality, but have to say that the illustrations in your early videos that you made in MS paint were also absolutely hilarious.

[@JohnShermanHouston]

Surely someone has previously pointed this out, but the "opera window" voice over with the Oprah looking out the window cut is a freaking master stroke of comedy. Truly funny.... Even the second time.....

[@autofox1744]

The Brougham Epoch basically hobbled the US car industry going into the '80s, I'd say. We couldn't really make the transition into the 1980s high-tech era because we were so mired in quasi-luxury production and marketing; it basically took until the '90s for Ford and GM to claw back their reputation from European and Japanese rivals. Chrysler managed to do it earlier, but they were at such a low point when the transition began that they basically had no choice but to build back up in the new style; the other two had a lot of institutional inertia to overcome.

[@Mopar_445_SEP]

This is an interesting topic. I believe this approach had a significant impact on the discontinuation of many Big Three brands. The most "famous" or popular brands basically "killed" sister brands, by offering fully loaded cars. De Soto, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, etc, kind of faced an identity crisis at a certain point. And the opposite happened with Plymouth in the 90s...a base Dodge was a better bargain than a Plymouth.

[@InFlamedParlysis88]

Always interesting videos. Ideas: The Dale , automatic seatbelts, cash for clunkers, The 3P's of luxury, how vinyl tops are just fake convertibles. How safety standards shaped cars.

[@martinliehs2513]

How vinyl tops hide shoddy welds and become moisture traps?

[@InFlamedParlysis88]

@@martinliehs2513 Allegedly

[@joejankoski8471]

My father was an autobody repairman. I grew up in the 70s/80s at body shops in, around, and under these cars. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@RichieRouge206]

It’s like ‘Limited Edition’ Corsas. Limited to 4.5 million cars. Hmmmmmmm nice. Great video Ed! In fact I was talking to my friend only this morning about old car model badges lol

[@Arthur-db5ke]

Once again, Ed demonstrates himself to be the finest automotive historian on YT.

[@DiecastDreamCustoms]

Fascinating work. Ed! I love this stuff. Thank you so much for the education. :) -Vic

[@adamsmith9636]

18:11 I had that exact 1974 Dodge Charger SE Brougham as a teenager LOVED that car bucket seats , slap stick shifter and a 318

[@digitalrailroader]

12:09 Buick ACTUALLY REVIVED the "Super" trim name for the top level 2008-2011 Lucerne and the 2008-2009 Lacrosse (and Yes, they were V8 powered; the Lucerne had a Northstar V8 and the Lacrosse had an LS4 V8)

[@troytrexler5459]

How many were sold with the super trim? Dozens? I don’t think I ever even saw one.

[@paulhardman2515]

I have an original 1979 Ranchero GT Brougham with only 25k on the clock. It was built in Loraine Ohio and shipped out to California where it lived most of its life. I bought it last year and have a Marti report that states it is 1 of 1 (for whatever that is worth) It is emerald green with gold GT stripes and an emerald green interior. It's not fast and handles like a boat but I absolutely love it. Other people love it too. I've had many classic and performance cars over the years but my Ranchero has gotten the most attention. Some know what it is, some think it's an El Camino and others don't know what to make of it, but they all seem to like it!

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Ed, thanks for sharing this great video!!! I grew up in the era were every American auto manufacturer slapped a "Brougham" badge on its fanciest model!!! Imagine an Oldsmobile Omega Brougham, yikes!!! 👍👍🙂

[@rogersmith7396]

Chevrolet Chevette Brougham. AMC Gremlin Brougham. Ford Maverick Brougham.

[@christopherkraft1327]

@@rogersmith7396 Double yikes!!! 😬

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

Ford Focus Vignale…..

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Oh the horror!

[@robertmorris6529]

@@rogersmith7396 How about a Vega Sport De luxe Brougham Limited ?

[@MSX98FMDnB]

why are these are my most favourite cars of all time

[@maxpayne2574]

The Bro hams well done Ed

[@stypie3711]

Damn boi. Skill share, thats awesome. I wish keeps would sponsor you tho

[@andrewweltlich9065]

In modern cars there is a huge difference between economy cars and premium cars, it just isn't something that shows up on paper. The big difference is how the cars drive a feel. It's a difference you have to experience in order to "get it". An economy cars feels like a tin can while a premium car feels much more solid and composed.

[@Thanos.m]

It was always the same case but it's true that gap between luxury cars and economy cars is closer than it was in the past

[@rogersmith7396]

It depends on if you buy the Turbo Ego Boost model.

[@Eddierockification]

Nobody else is kicking out in depth documentary style videos about the formation of American/ world wide car culture like you do. You put a lot of care and effort into your videos and it shows. Your videos came out of no where but I'm hooked, I can't wait for every new video you come out with. Sincerely, Eddie.

[@erinautumns238]

Man I love them boats

[@ericcriteser4001]

I'll stick with my '77 MGB Roadster. Soft top, wood trim, wire wheels and a clock. Works for me.

[@ethanol1586]

The first thing I thought of when seeing the title was Ed purposely mispronouncing brougham as browg-ham

[@spacekii]

20 more minutes of lovely American land yacht footage. Thank you Ed! Love your work

[@MicrobyteAlan]

Oprah windows lol 👍😊

[@williamscoggin1509]

While I was in the Navy in 1977, stationed in California at Alameda NAS I bought a 67 Ford galaxy XL from one of the guys in my squadron. I loved that car!. Was sort of a metallic copper with black interior, bucket seats and "T" handle shifter on the automatic transmission. That car was built when people cared about comfort. It took me everywhere I wanted to go and I look good going there. Never broke down on me while I had it even though it was several years old when I got it. Dang it, now I want another one... 🤨😕 I sold the car to another guy in my shop before I discharged out of the Navy in October 1978, and went home to Texas. There I took what little my I'd saved up and bought a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba with 17,000 mi on it. That was the Pinnacle for me at that time and yes I did have rich Corinthian leather, lol! Car was white with kind of a burgundy interior and burgundy vinyl roof. It was a gangster car for sure and I drove it till it dropped at $342,000 mi. I paid $3,700 for that car and it was so smooth and quiet. Everyone thought it was pretty Sharp, especially for back then. 👍🏻🇺🇲

[@wmalden]

In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the luxury package for Ford Granada and Mustang II was “Ghia”.

[@eevee5jdm483]

Ironically in ford europe line up they used the “Ghia” trim model until the late 90s/early 2000s

[@rogersmith7396]

Don't forget the "Homo Designer" Series.

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@eevee5jdm483 And I think the Australians had it too

[@billfioretti3013]

I bought a 1974 LTD Brougham new and enjoyed it immensely. Best buy for the buck of any like car offered in the era. "Quiet is the sound of a well made car."

[@jetsons101]

Back in the day the package "Super Deluxe" was used. Super Deluxe sounds like a fancy Vaccuum cleaner..... Best trim package ever: Well, who's to say.....

[@MarinCipollina]

Chevrolet in the 1940s and 1950s had a model that was named "Deluxe".. I remember seeing one as a child, maybe 6 years old, and this old Chevy is maybe from 1950, about 15 years old, black, kind of decrepit looking.. And I'm looking at this thing and reading the name on it, "Deluxe", and thinking.. what a POS ! What's deluxe about it? That was just hilarious to me. Buick had the "Super" and "Roadmaster", which were kind of cool.. old car names were different.

[@Just-a-guy926]

This is one of the very few channels on KZbin that I hit the like button on before the video starts .

[@muznick]

There is also the "Sport" epoch, which goes on to this day. Nothing conveys a fun-to-drive car, like big SPORT decals slapped all over it. Bonus points for when they are crooked.

[@nickrustyson8124]

The Dodge Dart Sport comes to mind

[@kenalba5641]

Tuned by SPORTS

[@kirkdale]

My father once owned a 1978 Oldsmobile cutlass Salon Brougham. It was the car I learned to drive in.

[@robertnichols2283]

I learned to drive in a ‘69 Ford Galaxy 500 It felt like I was driving an aircraft carrier down a hiking trail Yikes!

[@egold1006]

My brother eventually bought a 1969 Ford LTD. He had a 1968 GTO that got stolen. I got the chance to drive the LTD regularly.Took it to high school, the girls loved the 8 track player. Extremely quiet ride.

[@mbd501]

My grandparents had an Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham. Very comfortable car. The back seat was like a living room sofa.

[@knowledgerocket2818]

Absolutely brilliant Ed - where / how do you source accurate and reliable archive footage? The consistency and accuracy of your sourcing is incredible : great research and journalistic skills Ed!

[@tjm3900]

I well remember the heraldic Coats of Arms silver plastic stick-on's on the brake light lenses. Hmmmmm!

[@Trendyflute]

I think GM may be sneakily trying to bring Brougham back with the Buick Avenir lineup.

[@jst7714]

More power to them. How about a Buick Roadmaster Limited Avenir?

[@MarinCipollina]

Buick is playing for the Chinese market. Buick is perceived as better than a Benz in China.

[@shawnn6926]

You nailed it right on the head on the last part. You can buy a Hyundia or Kia with more bells and whistles than the top of the line Audi, BMW or Mercedes. People are just paying for the name.

[@mikoajryniak2644]

16:20 Wait. Shouldn't that be Cadillac Calais? That model was lower in hierarchy than Deville.

[@rogersmith7396]

I think you are thinking of the Cadillac "Shitmobile". It was bottom line under the "Cheapskate".

[@kirbywaite1586]

Calais was the least expensive model meant to compete with Chrysler New Yorker.

[@EdsAutoReviews]

To be fair, you are right. The Calais was more seen as a junior car. So strictly speaking, the Deville was the lowest priced of the full-full size, know what I mean?

[@mikoajryniak2644]

@@EdsAutoReviews yea, I think I know now.

[@MarinCipollina]

@@EdsAutoReviews Actually, De Ville, both Sedan and Coupe were their mainstay model for many years,.. You had the upscale Fleetwood, and the Eldorado, which was technically also a Fleetwood model. Calais replaced the entry level 62. The dimensions of Calais were identical to the De Villes, the only difference was a discreet script name somewhere, and a bit of decontenting. I'd never refer to De Ville as their lowest offering.

[@jwelchon2416]

My parents bought a new maroon 1966 Ford LTD with the 428 engine. To this day it probably had the nicest interior of any car I have ever been in.

[@quintessenceSL]

Have to say while the Brougham trim gets a lot of shade here, it made for far more pleasant summer road trips. Actual room in the back, comfortable sofa seats, and land barge suspensions. I'm all for pulling the best parts of the era forward instead of badge engineering and flashy trim pieces.

[@AJ67901]

Loved it!,

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

The Ford XL package stressed a sporty styled interior. i.e. bucket front seats, center console, console mounted gear selector. The LTD was an upscale, luxury based interior. Premium seating, wood grain instrument panel, clock, etc.

[@georgeharleydavidsonrider156]

Back when I was a kid if a family owned a Ford LTD it showed that they were successful and they had money. Same thing with a Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the 1970s.

[@fazole]

I think the Lincoln Continental was the car that showed that. The LTD was just a nice middle class car.

[@rogersmith7396]

Clint Eastwood used to blow them up pretty regularly in his cop movies.

[@rogersmith7396]

@@fazole They were fleet cars along with the Plymouths.

[@KomradZX1989]

Ed!!! Just discovered your channel and have fallen in love with your history series! These are soooooooooo good! Just came from your white wall tire video and before that I watched Cadillac pt 1 & 2 😂. These are so well made I love every single one! You’ve earned a new subscriber in me! Cheers from St. Louis, Missouri 🇺🇸

[@Flies2FLL]

My father bought a '72 Ford LTD in 1972. I was 6 years old and I remember going to the dealership with him. He told me they wanted a Torino, gold with a fake vinyl top. Instead, my idiot father took the "bait and switch" and wound up buying a brown 2 door LTD with the 402 2-barrel engine and the trailer package. It was supposed to come with a black fabric interior, but when it arrived it was brown and my dad just accepted it. Yep- There was a "Brougham" version on the dealership floor; It had taller bucket-like seats and the front fenders had turn lights and a light bar across the back; I remember pointing this out to my dad but he ignored me. -These cars were foisted upon the American public because of emissions regulations. They couldn't give us "tigers" anymore without massive expenditure of cash for engine development, so the cheesy American manufacturers instead adapted the huge engines to run clean [killing power and driveability] to the new rules and produced "Land Yachts" in a Disco-era way to try to compensate for their lack of technology. They couldn't give us performance so they foisted what we were told was "European" luxury. Sure. A 4000 pound Ford Elite with a 302 V8: Oh yeah, that's a typical European car..... Seriously? How did the American public buy this crap back then? I was 8 years old in 1974 and I sure did not- Anyway, American automobile companies have ALWAYS been more about the construction of a quarterly dividend for the shareholders than about the construction of a quality car and it shows. I have owned three American made cars: A '66 Ford F100, a '97 Ford Aerostar, and an '01 Subaru Outback LL Bean. The Subaru is a Subaru, and the '66 F100 was a '66 F100. But that Aerostar, despite being very reliable, was cheesy beyond belief! Again, profit before product; Welcome to Detroit! Now here is your bullet-proof vest....

[@rogersmith7396]

He should have bought the Family Truckster. " You think you hate it now but wait til you drive it".

[@Flies2FLL]

@@rogersmith7396 Good lord the Wagon Queen Family Truckster would have been night and day better than that cramped LTD!

[@rogersmith7396]

@@Flies2FLL Did they crush his trade in before he got the fabric seats? Those pre rack and pinion Fords (and Chryslers) in my experience, drove like shit. The steering was like the wheel on a boat. Turn it several times to alter course matey. The brakes were like shoving your foot into a bucket of grease. I guess the ride was OK. Fords were always cheap looking inside. You had to get a Mercury to get anything decent. Remember in "Magnum Force" Clint blows one up with Hal Holbrook inside. Those and Plymouths were police beaters. Not much of a recomendation to me. Cheap and serviceable. They used to wreck em by the dozens in Hollywood. The Torino would be far better.

[@rogersmith7396]

My dad bought pretty good cars. He drove a Corvair for his business and supplied them to employees but bought mom decent stuff. 59 Impala, 88 Olds, 98 Olds, 66 Mustang instead of Corvair, 73 Camaro which I picked out, burnt orange metallic with rally wheels and white letters, 70 Eldorado, a couple of other Cads which shall remain nameless, 84 Fiero, 84 Mercedes 190 brought on by the Cadillacs which shall remain nameless. Instead of the Camaro I was pushing for a Formula 400 Firebird with the big hood scoops or that fastback James Bond Mustang but they were a lot more money than the Chevy. The Camaro was $3800 delivered.

[@Flies2FLL]

@@rogersmith7396 Your appraisal is spot on, though I was way too young to ever drive that car. My dad said the same, it didn't drive very well. I don't know what they did with the '65 Impala he traded, but the '72 Ford was a "Swiss cheese" with rust everywhere by the time it was 6 years old~! It looked great when new but fell apart quickly, the gray lower side molding literally fell off and dad had a guy at work pop-rivet it back on. Not Ford's best attempt...

[@WellbredNfedKembleTV]

Yearly trade-in for latest model ...was the typical mindset when I was a child in the mid-60s. In our case sometimes it was more often. Going to the dealership with my parents for test drives was a favourite outing of mine. I was allowed to run from car to car -playing with the power windows (a $1,000 option) and seats. I had to have been annoying in my exuberant comparative reporting of which were the most FAB cars and why. I wasn't pleased about going this year because it meant letting go of our '69 Monaco 500 convertible. I LOVED that car. Mom had a '68 hardtop Monaco and after 10 months decided she wanted a convertible. Dad couldn't care less -he liked his Volkswagen Beetle. Mom worked as an RN to buy her cars. I digress. At Brown Bros Ford I found my way into a white 1970 MARK III CONTINENTAL: dark chocolate brown leather seats w/matching vinyl top. For me it was the ONLY car worth looking at. I had Mom sold on it but somehow Dad badgered her into settling for a $7,000 1970 deep green LTD Brougham 4 door. I'll never know why she backed down or why he was so belligerent in this particular case ...The LTD rusted out after a couple of years & she thought she'd trade it for the then popular Thunderbird featuring rectangular opera windows & rear reading lights ...basically a scaled down Continental Mark IV. It didn't have enough "pep" for her liking & I won't say what she settled on. A bit of irony -or proof that I had a good eye even at 8 years old ...the Mark III increased in value and became more collectable than its Mark IV and Mark V counterparts. XoXo

[@Henry_Jones]

Horsepower was gone so bling was king!

[@charleshollingsworth1583]

Well slated and stated, my 1st car a 1967 ford ltd 2 door vinyl top 390 4bbl with factory dual exhaust and am/fm radio. My grandfather bought it brand new in Birmingham, Alabama trading in a troublesome 57 chevy belair. When he gave me the car i just had gotten my license at 15 it only had 62,000 miles on it in 1983. After i graduated high school the ltd sat for many years, because i was given a brand new 1986 f-150 XLT as a high school graduation gift. In the middle 90's the 67 ltd got a full restoration The interior was still factory perfect, all electrical items still working and ac that was still cold something never found on gm's of that age in alabama heck you very seldom can find a vintage gm with anything numbers maching or anyting working. So with a total new suspension, rebuilt eng and trans new paint, new vinyl top i took 2 months off work and hit the open highway in the old ltd. My father was worried because when i left for the long voyage the ltd only had about 150 miles put on it since built, i said to him it will either go or blow and so i went on a month and a half trip across the usa, canada seeing all the sites i could see and when i got back home i had put over 7000 miles on the car. It averaged 22 mpg slight oil useage, i had oil changed 3 times w rotella 15w40. I sold the car on ebay in 2016 after a heart attack and open heart surgery along with a restored 66 fairlane, a restored 72 grand torino sport, 75 torino elite, and a 79 ranchero . I had the 67 ltd for 33 years but after my heart attack nothing seemed to matter anymore. 6 years after the heart attack do i miss my classic fords yes, do i wish i had them back somewhat. Go BRO-HAM Thanks ED

[@davidellis4031]

Great video. I'd say that the current M-sport, RS-line, AMG-line epidemic is more dishonest than the Brougham era. With the Brougham cars, you paid more for nicer trim and equipment in a car you wanted anyway, but with the new sport-line cars, you are diluting the image of the true performance models, while projecting a fake image and likely getting a harsher ride.

[@nickgee7291]

I love these big sedans and coupes and I look forward to your documentarys

[@jayartz8562]

The Brougham era in Australia meant add extra headlights, chrome, plastic wood, 4 inches of length and a V8.

[@maxpower479]

Mate I love the Ford Landau, what a fine example of beautiful malaise automobile styling

[@randybourdon2791]

I had a 71 Ford LTD that I bought from my father. It was 3 years old when I got it, loved that car!

[@RichieRouge206]

BMW and Mercedes are DEFINITELY the Cimmaron of today - upmarket brand made cheap and sold to the masses, no longer Luxury…

[@jackdawson3276]

Great videos Ed. You really give an informed prospective of the American market. I think that people of means who are into cars went with luxury brands like Cadillac and Lincoln. The Brougham packages just made it so a working middle class person or a person who isn't really into brand name recognition could have some luxury at an obtainable price. Those individuals would not buy a Caddy either way. I don't those trim packages really took sales away from luxury brands. My Dad bought a 1979 Monte Carlo Landau edition for $7200. A new Cadillac was around $12000 at the time . I believe the Landau package was just a few hundred above a basic model. It provided more comfortable seats, upgraded trim, nicer hubcaps and a vinyl top. My Dad also upgraded the suspension with his own mechanic. I remember him saying that you can upgrade any GM car to ride like a Cadillac for much less and use the saving to invest in the stock market. He couldn't care less about brand status. Those upgrades allowed a working middle class person to enjoy some comfort and style without breaking the bank. Meanwhile my grandfather, who was a doctor, loved his fully equipped Cadillacs.. The availability of broughham packages wouldn't have swayed him into buying a Buick or a Chevy. It was brilliant American marketing that I think benefited people as well as the manufacturers. You are right, even today, Americans expect all car brands to offers options to have a various levels of luxury and performance. Your analysis is spot on!

[@billkennedy9943]

I remember calling the LTD "Long Term Debt"

[@rogersmith7396]

They were all poor schmucks cars in my neighborhood. We had an Eldo. One guy had a Rambler. The funeral home guy had a Caddy hearse, in fact several.

[@weirdshibainu]

Owned a toronado. Fantastic era.

[@dsdonovan]

"Oprah" windows :)

[@325xitgrocgetter]

Our only Brougham....1979 Olds Cutlass Salon Brougham....which had no vinyl top...but it did have Olds Rallye Wheels with chrome hubcaps and trim rings....a "Tahoe" interior package with was a cloth and velour interior trimmed like a horse's saddle blanket...a real western theme. The car was brown with gold pin striping and a tan/caramel interior. Under the Cutlass name callouts under the front fenders was a rectangular badge with a stylized "Brougham" logo. The car had cruise, tilt wheel, airconditioning Delco AM/FM stereo with 8 track and four speaker stereo...GM carpet savers and body side moldings with hood windsplit chrome trim and hood ornament. I'm not sure what the "Brougham" package added.....but it was a comfortable car and fairly reliable for the malaise era.

[@sonofagun1037]

I would disagree and say we are brainwashed by car companies but by car journalists. Car companies race the car around nurbimbergring but car journalists tell us how much better a certian car is because how fast around the track it is. Its like James May said, the ring is where luxury goes to die, only problem is that journalists dug the grave

[@nickrustyson8124]

You know what the funny is about Nuremberg time, it doesn't matter for most of the world, nowhere but Germany have a Nuremberg, but you know what every country have, a long stretch of road that goes on forever, that's why I take Quarter Mile/Half Kilometer times more seriously when comparing cars

[@MineshShah]

Such a great video! I don't own a car, nor have any desire to drive one (I do have a driver's license tho)... But this video on American car culture is superb...

[@landyachtfan79]

It's actually pronounced "Broam/Brome". Say "Roam/Rome", & then add a B in front.

[@JackF99]

And street slang took it in the opposite direction- you could call somebody "Bro-ham" instead of simply "Bro". Came from Brougham.

[@johnwriter8234]

Ed ... my Dad was GM Style Designer for FISHER BODY , then BOAC Division , my Grandpa was foreman at Buick Plant, Flint, Michigan .... your vids are GREAT!!!

[@BB-tc6gz]

Luxury in the coming years should mean build quality more than tech non sense in my opinion with it all becoming so inexpensive. Higher grade materials will always be more expensive to source and signal luxury now matter how ubiquitous and trivialized tech becomes (i.e. metal, wood, and leather vs some plastic, cloth, or composite.) I'm too poor for my opinion on this to matter but just my 2c.

[@kevinbarrett9615]

In the early 70’s my dad owned what arguably was the ultimate version of this the Mercury Marquis Brougham, a behemoth floating couch with a massive 460 Ford engine. I borrowed it one weekend and drove my girlfriend and some friends around it was brilliant. I’m sure it got about 10 miles to the gallon but we didn’t care…gas was cheap.

[@chrisbrownjohn6277]

My dad had one too. Three of those friends could fit in the trunk with room to spare

[@ChristianLeeSchaeder]

19:00 oprah windows 😂

[@FitzArias]

The word you mentioned that sums it all up well is "KITSCH" Perfect.

[@samiam5557]

Another great EAR episode! '67 to '72 are the best years of automotive styling I think. Mid 1970's brought in the personal luxury car era too. You got it Ed the term "luxobarges" was commonly used then...... =D

[@jimgerock9190]

I lost count of how many American manufacturers used “Supreme”, “D’elegance” and “Special” when I was growing up. Thanks for another great video!

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

The Cutlass Supreme from Oldsmobile, the Cadillac Fleetwood d'Elegance and the Buick Special. 3 cars in total.

[@intorsusvolo7834]

I love your love for American land yachts.