The American Porsche.

"G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3" (gbodyman) 06/14/2016 at 22:56 • Filed to: None

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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.

sony1492 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/14/2016 at 23:15

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I hazard to say that, In the long the run brougham type luxury will pop up again in driverless transportation while 911 characteristics will not.

So in the long run, driverless slabs may be our future.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > sony1492 06/14/2016 at 23:17

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I kind of hope so.

RandomTask > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/14/2016 at 23:43

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I read the title, and the only thing that popped into my head was “Yenko Stinger Corvair?”

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > RandomTask 06/14/2016 at 23:45

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I’m not sure how to classify a Yenko Stinger Corvair. Sure, it’s RR and aircooled like an old 911, but it’s a bit of a different case. An amped up economy car as opposed to it’s own class of thoroughbred.

RandomTask > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/15/2016 at 00:23

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True, but it’s hard to compare anything else, as Porsche has always been such a purpose built car. It’s hard to say though, because I wouldn’t really call the Corvair Monza, Corsa Turbo, or the Yenko Stingers as economy cars. Then again I might be biased.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > RandomTask 06/15/2016 at 00:31

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I’d say the Yenko Stinger is to the Corvair what the Focus RS is to the Focus SE.

dogisbadob > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/15/2016 at 00:39

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The 911 is an amped-up economy car too (Beetle) :)

DrScientist > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/15/2016 at 02:49

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im not a particularly big fan of american 60-70-80s cars, so take this with a grain of salt.

even in the long-nose days, a porsche was expensive and rare. a cadillac wasnt really.

ask any collector of anything, coins, stamps, art, jewelry, porn, whatever. rarity goes a long way.

granted the brougham was rare among cadillacs, but some quick searching says cadillac built over 200,000 cars in 1969 whereas porsche only built ~15,000.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > DrScientist 06/15/2016 at 13:04

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Keep in mind that they’re both fairly exclusive in terms of price. A nicely specced 1965 Porsche 911 cost $6490 when new, whereas a 1965 Sedan DeVille cost $5666 when new - before any options. Most had air conditioning ($495), a controlled diff ($54), cruise control ($97), and an AM/FM radio ($191). These four common options put the price at $6503, $13 more than a nicely specced 911. The thing is that the Sedan DeVille wasn’t even the most expensive Cadillac in 1965. The Porsche, when adjusted for inflation, comes to $49,295.36 USD. The Sedan DeVille barely squeaks it out at the equivalent to $49,394.10 USD today. More for a mid-range Cadillac than a nicely equipped Porsche 911? Indeed.