The Year The Big Coupe Died

"Margin Of Error" (marginoferror)
12/02/2015 at 14:21 • Filed to: AUTOMOBILE HISTORY, ESSAY

For many younger automobile aficionados, 1989 is the latest Taylor Swift album, but for older enthusiasts, it’s the year the proper full sized American personal coupe died.

Characterized by a long bonnet, a flat boot, 2 immense doors and very little interior space, the proper American personal coupe was as strongly symbolic as the iconic bald eagle.

The 1989 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the last of the Mohicans. Both Chrysler and Ford having cancelled their respective proper American personal coupes years before to replace them with disposable FWD trash mobiles.

Ford LTD Coupe

Dodge Diplomat coupe

The proper American personal car was designed for people that wanted all the amenities of a cruise boat with the intimacy and the upholstery of a Nevadian bordello.

Burgundy velours interior of a Dodge Diplomat coupe with Maine Maple wood inserts

Classic Saddle Brown interior from a Ford LTD with Appalachian Pine wood inserts

Under the bonnet, these big coupe all had one thing in common, a smooth-as-butter V8 engine. Like a Rolls-Royce, power was always adequate.

Innovative V8-6-4 from a Cadillac Brougham coupe

Performance was never a priority, but thanks to their sturdy and scale-able engines, one was quick to convert its luxury cruiser to a drag racer.

1983 Chrysler Imperial power drifting between rows of trees

The best thing about proper American personal coupes was their affordability. Unlike the big British coupes, it wasn’t out of reach of the average Joe the plumber. The true American Dream.

Unfortunately, CAFE standards forced automakers to move toward smaller platforms, mostly FWD with V6 engines. By 1990, only the Ford Thunderbird in SC guise remained somewhat relevant as personal coupe, but is wasn’t big and comfortable enough and more of an European Grand Tourer.

Forget about Taylor Swift, 1989 was really a year of shattered dreams.

DISCUSSION (56)

Captain of the Enterprise > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:25

Kinja'd!!!

I want one of these

Wacko > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:25

Kinja'd!!!

WTF is digital fuel injection?

Margin Of Error > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:26

Some advanced technologies I guess

Tekamul > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:27

Marketing speak to make sure people weren’t reminded of less-than-reliable mechanical fuel injection.

For Sweden > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:28

Kinja'd!!!

Ash78, voting early and often > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:28

That’s where you use your fingers (digits) to adjust the carburetor, I think.

jariten1781 > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:30

Well you still had the Tbird platform mates (Mark, Cougar) continuing after that as well as the Eldorado which continued into the next century. But yeah, the end of the 80s was the death of them being relatively common.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:31

You mean ‘Murican big coupes right?

deekster_caddy > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:31

DFI. It’s the precursor to EFI.

If you look underneath the air cleaner lid, that’s where the WTF happens.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:32

Basically a carburetor with electronically controlled metering.

Margin Of Error > For Sweden
12/02/2015 at 14:34

Oh you are back !

Margin Of Error > jariten1781
12/02/2015 at 14:34

Common AND inexpensive

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:35

Chevrolet Camaro

Dodge Challenger

They’re big coupes with available V8s, and despite their muscle car image they do the personal coupe thing quite well.

If you tick the right boxes, the 2015 Challenger can do the luxury thing, too. The new interior is very well done.

DoYouEvenShift > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
12/02/2015 at 14:36

Kinja'd!!!

This one is American enough.

Margin Of Error > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
12/02/2015 at 14:37

Yes the Challenger is pretty much the closest thing to the Proper American personal coupe, the camaro, however, is a sport car.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:37

There’s a certain Cadillac CTS that might disagree.

deekster_caddy > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:38

I’ve always preferred the sedan, even so the last of the truly roomy american sedans died with the final gen GM B-body (1996) and Ford Panther platforms (2012). GM made a pretty good comeback in the Coupe space with the last generation Buick Rivera, but there was nothing else there. The 2 door Grand Prix and Impala just weren’t the same, too small. The G-body sedans were pretty roomy - Park Avenue, LeSabre, Bonneville. But the main selling W-bodys are just too small for my taste. I don’t know what the Ford equivalent is.

MonkeePuzzle > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:38

I think the only large old coupe I’d be willing to have would be the Volvo 240

Kinja'd!!!

Alex from Toronto > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:39

The Cadillac Eldorado was around tI’ll 2002, not sure if it counts as a “big coupe” though.

Margin Of Error > MonkeePuzzle
12/02/2015 at 14:39

Not very large

Margin Of Error > Alex from Toronto
12/02/2015 at 14:40

Was FWD, wasn’t proper enough

Urambo Tauro > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:40

I can’t speak from experience when it comes to the 1989-1993 Thunderbirds, but the interior layout of the later ‘94+ models is fantastic. My ‘96 has the most comfortable seating position I’ve encountered in any of my previous cars.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:41

Lincoln rocked the RWD Coupe all the way through the 90’s my man.

I know you included inexpensive in the other comments, but hey, LSC’s are cheap now at least!

DoYouEvenShift > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:41

It was fancy new tech, better than the old analog fuel injection with tubes and shit!

Kinja'd!!!

Takuro Spirit > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:41

That piss was digital

Kinja'd!!!

Alex from Toronto > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:42

Yeah. I guess the v8 was an ok consolation prize.

PS9 > For Sweden
12/02/2015 at 14:42

Big coupes are now exclusive to the Nouveau Riche.

For Sweden > PS9
12/02/2015 at 14:44

Tavarish has built a career on proving that wrong

Margin Of Error > Urambo Tauro
12/02/2015 at 14:44

It was also beautiful.

Margin Of Error > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
12/02/2015 at 14:44

LSC’s are the dopest shit

RallyWrench > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:45

And this, children, is why the Elmiraj needs to bring it back.

Steve in Manhattan > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:45

Winter 1988 - I had just picked up my brand new ‘87 300D. My mom wanted to go to her favorite Chinese restaurant, located in Leisure World, and old folks community. This meant parking my baby in a lot filled with Regals, GM 2-door coupes (mostly LeSabres), LeBarons, LTD coupes ... and risking the paintwork to the depth perception of people who didn’t have much left. My mom complained that I parked waaaaay far away from the restaurant, where no one would park next to me. She had a Cutlass Ciera. She didn’t understand.

Margin Of Error > Steve in Manhattan
12/02/2015 at 14:46

That’s awesome !

PS9 > For Sweden
12/02/2015 at 14:47

Nope. You can buy it now, or buy it 10 years from now when everything on it is about to break. Either way, ownership requires deep pockets.

dogisbadob > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:48

I gotta disagree.

The T-bird is indeed big enough, and the modern Challenger and Camaro are huge! Even the new “smaller” Mustang is the side of those old Panthers by now!

If only Chrysler made a 300 coupe! How about the GTO?

Margin Of Error > dogisbadob
12/02/2015 at 14:51

I think they’re all too sporty. A 300 coupe would be great

Urambo Tauro > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:52

The whole thing caters to the driver.

The HVAC and radio controls favor the L side of the car, and the armrest & shifter are placed perfectly. The only thing I don’t like (which might be due to my aftermarket head unit), is that the radio display reflects light coming through the rear window. During the day, I have to shield the screen with my hand to read it. Fortunately, the angle reflects the sky, not other car’s headlamps.

MonkeePuzzle > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 14:53

right, fixed

Kinja'd!!!

GhostZ > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 14:57

Probably just some variation of Jetronic.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 15:07

Kinja'd!!!

And don’t forget the Chrysler Córdoba, the personal ride of one Herbert Ruggles Tarlek Jr. I think that suit says it all.

Margin Of Error > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
12/02/2015 at 15:09

Rich Corinthian leather

Kinja'd!!!

Margin Of Error > MonkeePuzzle
12/02/2015 at 15:10

This door is amazing

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Steve in Manhattan
12/02/2015 at 15:13

I grew up in Laguna Hills CA, site of one of many Leisure World (or as we called it back then, Seizure World) communities. My high schools was directly adjacent to LW, separated by only one little street. Paseo de Valencia was probably one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Orange County, with perhaps the two worst categories of drivers side-by-side.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 15:18

I sure hope Sr. Montalban is rocking a white belt (and matching shoes) in that shot. It would be the perfect complement to the collar.

Jonee > Margin Of Error
12/02/2015 at 15:18

The 80’s big coupes were, unfortunately, pale versions of their 1970’s ancestors. Gone were the loud prints and absurd affordable opulence inside, and the curvaceous leviathan bodies outside as exemplified by AMC’s brougham masterpiece, the Matador Coupe.

Kinja'd!!!

Margin Of Error > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
12/02/2015 at 15:19

Fucking classy

vondon302 > Wacko
12/02/2015 at 15:20

Throttle body injection. Basically 2 to 4 injectors on top a carburetor manifold.

Steve in Manhattan > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
12/02/2015 at 15:37

My mom now lives at the LW in Silver Spring MD. She likes it OK - close to stuff she likes to be close to, but there are drawbacks as well. And it’s depressing to visit her now.

Margin Of Error > Jonee
12/02/2015 at 15:48

This is beautiful !