The American Porsche

I’ve come to the realization that American Luxury is like the Porsche 911, and Broughams are exactly like the air-cooled models. Sounds preposterous? Allow me to explain.

You see, the 911 took an idea and ran with it to the point where it seemed highly outmoded. Cooled by air? With the engine way out behind the rear axle? Ridiculous! Indeed, most look upon our Broughams as ridiculous rolling monuments to American excess, harking back to a time where everybody smoked, but nobody needed a place to put their drink. Separate frames? An ashtray in every door? Velour everything? Ridiculous, they cry. But indeed, the Brougham exists not just as a period in time, but as nostalgia for a time that you may or may not have experienced. They’re iconic in their own ways, and no matter how hard we try, we have to admit to ourselves that we’re never going back to that style of luxury again. Porsche 911s are now cooled by water, and are slowly having the engine pushed farther towards the middle of the car. It’s the same story with American luxury cars, with touchscreens everywhere, firm suspension, and a distinct lack of chrome. If you want an ashtray now, you get a little cup that goes in the cupholder, not a giant chrome piece of door furniture. The past will never come back around again. It’s simply too niche, too costly, and not in style anymore, exactly the same reasons behind the old rear-engined, air-cooled 911s. The difference between our Broughams and air-cooled 911s is that 911s are inherently valuable cars. They’re seen as a sports car icon, and will continue to appreciate far beyond the point at which ratty ones will be crushed. Broughams, however, aren’t like that. They’re something you don’t understand until you’ve experienced them, and that doesn’t currently hold a certain mystique in the eyes of the general public. That’s why we have to do everything we can to buy, restore, protect, enjoy, and share these cars with the world. Broughams have been out of production for a while, but it’s up to us to make sure it never gets to the point where they’re dead for good. Cherish them, for we will never see the likes of them again. Thank you.

Bro-ham!

Me love me some good Ole American bro-ham!

Somebody send this young man the complete series of "Banacek" on DVD so he can get his limo rations every day.

Vintage Caddy without whitewalls is sacrilegious.

I thought this was going to be a Corvair thread.

In reply to Huckleberry:

me too... still not sure why 60s Corvairs aren't pulling six figures. Its the same car as the 911. Porsche even stole the turbo idea.

FYI, B-body Broughams with LT1s are pushing into Challenge car territory...

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5586325400.html

In reply to G_Body_Man:

Can I be the first to say that I really enjoy your writing style.

I had a 72 98 regency while not a Cadillac it was virtually the same car. Riding or driving one I these cars is an experience that many people now days will never have.

I really like your 911 analogy. It works!!!!

In reply to dean1484:

You wouldn't be the first to say it, but it still deserves repeating.

In reply to dean1484:

Thanks! 98 Regencys are beautiful cars, the car that my Cutlass aspired to be. Even my Crown Victoria gives that same feeling of experience that you described. Also, I just found out that the 1965 911 cost less when new than a 1965 Sedan DeVille with the four most popular options.

Unfortunately, Broughams and their ilk have long been derided by those touting themselves as car enthusiasts who, in reality, are nothing more than myopic marque snobs. The Brougham man of yore is long dead, and those who dare collect his cars are considered deviants who eschew "good taste" in favor of ersatz opulence from a time gone by. Worse yet, many Broughams (from a certain era) that have withstood death's siren call get labeled as malaise, almost guaranteeing that they're always cheap enough for the hoi polloi to get their grubby hands on for beater/derby duty.

I had one just like this. Color and all.

Oh the stores I could tell. It did not have a back seat it had a back room.

And the trunk!!! You could climb in and need a map to find your way out.

And there is one for sale local.

1970 98 for sale

In reply to dean1484:

We always rated them at adult body capacity. The Crown Vic I just bought is a 4, maybe a 5.

My 87 Town Car would literally carry a 4' X 4' sheet of plywood in the trunk, with the lid shut.

I enjoyed the writing and especially this phrase:

"... harking back to a time where everybody smoked, but nobody needed a place to put their drink."

I used to own one of these.

One of these.

And, one of these.

I'm a fan of the big American cars. I actually prefer them to sports cars.

In reply to Nick (LUCAS) Comstock:

We must be related somehow.

Toyman01 wrote: In reply to dean1484: We always rated them at adult body capacity. The Crown Vic I just bought is a 4, maybe a 5. My 87 Town Car would literally carry a 4' X 4' sheet of plywood in the trunk, with the lid shut.

My 98 would gave been a 8 or 9. Carefully packed and i bet you could get more.

Yall are borked. Got a canadian kid telling us about an american porsche thats just an overweight slug on wheels?

Hey jimmy you know scrap is at an alltime low right?

Yep i just wanted to see if the ole crushinator could squash this en

...crushinator procedes to compact mint brougham to half a smart car for $37.26

My land barge list includes

1972 98
1976 98
1980 Fleetwood brougham
1983 Fleetwood brougham
1984 Fleetwood brougham
A cutlass sport that I don't remember the year of but it was the old big body style of the late 70s

This is, uhh... Your first time posting here? Lol.

dean1484 wrote: I had one just like this. Color and all. Oh the stores I could tell. It did not have a back seat it had a back room.

I took my driver's license test in a 73 98 Regency, same color (Chamois Gold) with the black vinyl roof. My family drove it until 1994. It was given it's name (The Tank) by the fellow we bought it from for $550 in the late 80s. Four abreast in the front seat? No problem.

I am a card carrying member of The Brougham Society Facebook group.

I grew up riding around in these big old beasts, and I would love to have my own at some point.