Personal luxury car

1958 Ford Thunderbird
1989–1993 Buick Riviera

Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance.[1] The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and marketing to develop upscale, distinctive "platform sharing" models that became highly profitable.[2]

Although luxury coupes had been produced in North America for several decades, the beginning of the "personal luxury car" market segment is generally considered to have started in 1958.[3] It was the success of the Ford Thunderbird (second generation) when it was redesigned from a two-seat car to a four-seat vehicle.[4][5][6][7] These changes shifted the Thunderbird's emphasis from sporting to comfort and luxury, and sales increased by 50 percent.[3] The Thunderbird was sold for eleven generations up until the 2005 model year.

The longest-running nameplate of the personal luxury car was the 50-year production of the Cadillac Eldorado, which started in the 1953 model year, originally designating ultra-premium, low-volume versions of lower-priced Cadillac models, including the hand-built four-door 1957 Eldorado Brougham. According to Hemmings Motor News, Cadillac first entered the "personal luxury car" market in 1967, with a smaller high-volume model.[8]

Before the late 1970s, personal luxury cars were usually large, rear-wheel drive vehicles powered by large V8 engines. As a result of the downsizing trend in the American automotive industry during the late 1970s, many personal luxury cars have been produced as mid-size cars with six-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive. By the 21st century, the personal luxury market had diminished as consumers migrated to other market segments.

  1. ^ Fitzgerald, Craig (September 2019). "Personal Luxury Coupes of the 1960s and 1970s". bestride.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Koscs, Jim (January 8, 2014). "Instant Car-ma: How Detroit created the 'personal luxury' boom on the cheap". Hagerty. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Gartman, David (1994). Auto opium: a social history of American automobile design. Taylor & Francis. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-415-10572-9.
  4. ^ Genat, Robert (2006). Hemi Muscle. Motorbooks. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7603-2678-7. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. ^ Koscs, Jim (May 23, 2016). "Other Perspectives: what is a Thunderbird". AutomotiveMileposts.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "1958 Ford Thunderbird: Personal Luxury 101". automotivemileposts.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  7. ^ Vaughan, Daniel (March 23, 2006). "1958 Ford Thunderbird". Conceptcarz.com. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  8. ^ McGean, Terry (December 2010). "1967 Cadillac Eldorado". Hemmings Motor News. Retrieved September 8, 2020.