36 Classic American Luxury Cars From The ’60s and ’70s

15. Pontiac Grand Prix

Back in the ’60s, Pontiac was GM’s performance brand, so it is no coincidence that they conceived the GTO. The allure of powerful engines and aggressive designs was Pontiac’s trademark. However, their management wanted to widen their appeal beyond regular muscle cars like the GTO and the Firebird. To enter the world of luxury muscle cars, Pontiac had a perfect candidate in form of the Grand Prix. The Grand Prix was a personal luxury car they introduced in 1962 in a coupe body style with powerful engines and a long list of options. This model was put against the Ford Thunderbird and Oldsmobile 98 as a so-called gentleman’s express. However, with the restyling of the Grand Prix for the 1969 model year, Pontiac introduced a special car. First, there was a cool-looking new design with a long hood and short rear end and an interesting, driver-oriented dashboard.

The 1969 Grand Prix looked different than the competitors, so sales immediately jumped. Second, there was a cool trim option they called the SJ which featured a high output 428 V8 engine delivering 390 HP and a host of other performance options. They borrowed the moniker, “SJ” from the legendary Duesenberg brand. The SJ insignia was on the most powerful Duesenberg cars back then so Pontiac wanted to get a piece of that legend with the Grand Prix SJ. This personal luxury car was popular with the automotive press and car fans, so the Grand Prix sold well. The powerful V8 propelled this big coupe to some respectable acceleration times and despite being an executive transport, the Grand Prix SJ was a respectable street machine.

14. 1966 Pontiac Bonneville

The success of the GTO affected the whole Pontiac range. Suddenly, Pontiacs became sportier and more powerful and aggressive. Even the four-door sedans became performance machines. The biggest, most luxurious Bonneville is the best example. Pontiac restyled the Bonneville for 1965, but in 1966 the design matured.

The Bonneville evolved into an elegant, low, sleek form, which was perfect for this performance sedan. Bonneville came as a hardtop with Pontiac’s signature wide-track design, split grille and nine bolt wheels. Customers could get lots of optional equipment and powerful engines, too. The 389 V8 with 325 HP was standard, but you could also get a mighty 421 V8 with the famed Tri-Power option delivering 360 HP.

13. 1967 Ford Thunderbird Landau

You’re probably wondering why the Ford Thunderbird is on this list of the best ’60s sedans. The T-Bird is a two-door coupe, but for a few years starting in 1967, Ford offered it as a four-door sedan. It came with Lincoln-style suicide rear doors. The success of the Mustang forced the Thunderbird to move upscale as a luxury car rather than a sporty coupe.

This change meant Ford had to attract a whole new sector of buyers looking for comfort. So, to do that, Ford had to offer a four-door alternative. They gave the Thunderbird the interesting four-door coupe variant. Under the hood, the standard engine was 390 V8 but the buyers could opt for the mighty 428 V8. This 428 was a standard engine and not to be confused with 428 Cobra Jet which was reserved for Mustang and other muscle cars.

12. 1968 Imperial

Chrysler’s luxury division Imperial always offered a quality alternative to the Cadillac and Lincoln models. With powerful engines, plush interiors, and upscale styling, Imperials were a good choice if you were looking for an exclusive sedan or a two-door coupe. However, by the late ’60s, it looked like the Imperial was losing the race against its competitors. So 1968 was the last year this brand featured a significantly different design than the rest of Chrysler’s lineup with its unique interior styling and appointments.

In 1967, Imperial switched to the unibody construction in a cost-cutting measure from Chrysler. This didn’t affect the comfort, but it saved some money during production. For 1968, they made some slight changes to the Imperial, but no major changes to its mechanics. The 440 V8 was standard and delivered 350 HP. After 1968, Imperial continued to be the top of Chrysler’s model lineup, but it lost its exclusivity and uniqueness.

11. Lincoln Continental Mark III

The Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company was enjoying considerable success during the ’60s. This was mostly thanks to the Continental sedan, which they introduced in 1961. It was a landmark model in many aspects. With healthy sales numbers, Lincoln turned to the personal luxury market with the innovative, advanced 1969 Mark III Coupe. It proved to be one of the best personal luxury cars Ford Motor Company ever made.

Ford introduced the Continental in late 1968, Mark III, building it on a Thunderbird chassis. It also had a new and powerful 460 V8 engine. Since the new model used most of the existing mechanics, Lincoln concentrated on the design and equipment. The front had a big chrome grille, reminiscent of Rolls Royce models and hideaway headlights. The trunk had a cool-looking spare wheel hump with Continental lettering. In combination with the vinyl top, the wheel hump made the Mark III’s design unique and special. Buyers had a long list of optional extras to choose from, too. This was also the first U.S.-made car with standard radial tires. Ford replaced the Mark III with the Mark IV in 1972. It remains one of the finest personal luxury automobiles of the period.

10. 1968 Cadillac DeVille

Back in the late ’60s, Cadillac was on top of its game. Their sales figures were high and their model lineup was full of interesting, luxurious cars. They had the new front-wheel-drive Eldorado, and their reputation was second to none. However, Cadillac was always improving its products. So, in 1968 they introduced one of their best engines as the standard for all of their models. The new 472 V8 was the final piece of the puzzle.

The Cadillac DeVille was the best luxury sedan of the late ’60s. It had 375 HP under the hood and unmatched style and presence. Cadillac also improved the design they first introduced in 1965, adding stacked headlights and a big grille. Along with the new 472 V8, the 1967 Cadillac DeVille was the perfect luxury car.

9. 1968 Oldsmobile 98

Most car fans tend to forget how good and respected the Oldsmobile models were back in the day. This company, which is now unfortunately long gone, was one of General Motors’ most valuable brands in the ’60s. Oldsmobile models were always conservative in luxury but came at a reasonable price with high quality and powerful engines.

So, it is natural Oldsmobile had many good sedans, and the 98 was at the top of the range. The Oldsmobile 98 was always the most popular Olds available. They had the power, style, and luxury to rival even the Cadillacs. But the 1968 Oldsmobile 98 was the best year since it featured a new design, numerous creature comforts, and a big 455 Rocket engine. The power output of this big block was 365 HP, which guaranteed an impressive performance.

8. Studebaker Avanti

In the early ’60s, the Studebaker management decided to invest in a luxury coupe to fight poor sales. They thought that a new, fancy upscale model would attract more customers and turn the attention of the automotive public back to Studebaker. So, in 1962, they presented the sleek and modern-looking Avanti.

The innovative design, construction, and technology were interesting, so the car received praises from the motoring press. The base version was not all that powerful, but soon Studebaker introduced a supercharged R2 option delivering 289 HP. Unfortunately, the Avanti was not a strong seller, which forced Studebaker to close its doors just four years later.

7. 1969 AMC Ambassador

AMC was an economy car manufacturer that produced inexpensive yet dull models. They also constantly flirted with bankruptcy. In the late ’60s, AMC was in one of their better periods with solid sales and a relatively big market share in the economy class. They offered some interesting, exciting cars like the Javelin and AMX.

So they decided to enter the full-size sedan market with a new for Ambassador for 1969. The new AMC Ambassador was one of AMCs better attempts to attract car consumer’s attention in 1969. It had new, improved styling, comfort and space.

It also had an air condition system as standard, which was a new, impressive feature by the standards of the day. The engine lineup started with the modest 283 straight six-unit, but it went all the way to 401 V8 engine.

6. 1969 Buick Wildcat

The Buick Wildcat is one of the most interesting yet almost forgotten models popular back in the day. Buick introduced the Wildcat back in 1963. The Wildcat was something between a personal luxury model and a muscle car. It featured restrained and elegant styling like the rest of Buick’s lineup.

But it also had powerful engines, sporty trim, and an impressive performance. In 1967, Buick offered the Wildcat as a four-door, boosting its appeal and improving sales numbers. For 1969, the Wildcat got a new look and a powerful new 455 V8 with 370 HP. This helped transform the Wildcat into a hidden performance car with room for six adults.

5. 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham

Even though most enthusiasts recognize the 1957 to 58 Eldorado Broughams, Cadillac made some exclusive 1959 to 60 models car fans consider the finest Cadillacs they ever built. The production wasn’t performed by Cadillac at all, but by Italy’s famous Pininfarina coachbuilder.

But the price was three times the price of a standard Cadillac. So in its two-year production run, they only built 200 cars. The 1959 to 60 Eldorado Brougham featured updated equipment, an air suspension, and a 389 V8 engine. It had styling similar to the regular Cadillacs, but with some different details.

4. 1965 Chevrolet Caprice

When Chevrolet introduced the Caprice model in late 1965 and early 1966, nobody expected it would be so successful. In fact, it spanned five generations and millions of cars. They designed the Caprice as a luxury version of the Impala with more powerful engines, luxury, and a few distinctive external differences.

For example, in the 1966 model, the base engine was a V8, and not the standard straight six. Also, all models had a vinyl roof as standard. For performance lovers, Chevrolet offered their 396 and 400 V8 models in the Caprice four-door hardtop.

3. 1969 Chrysler New Yorker

Chrysler ended the ’60s on a high note with the brand new and influential “Fuselage” styling. The rounded sides and lower, sleeker profile looked modern in comparison to other models. In fact, they used “Fuselage” styling throughout the Chrysler range. So all new full-size Mopars, including Dodge, Plymouth, and Imperial had this look.

The mechanics on the 1969 to 1971 New Yorker weren’t exactly new. But they improved the suspension, chassis, and drivetrain. The biggest engine you could get was the 440 V8, which moved this big sedan down the road with authority.

2. Mercury Park Lane Brougham

As a luxury division of Ford Motor Company, Mercury offered upscale features, elegant designs, and powerful engines. But the Park Lane Brougham was the most luxurious Mercury. In fact, it was close to Lincoln in terms of prestige and elegance.

They introduced it in 1967 and sold it through 1968. The Park Lane Brougham had a plush interior and vinyl roof. It also came with leather seats along with a special list of optional extras.

1. 1967 Cadillac Eldorado

One important year was 1967 when the Eldorado received a new design, technology and drivetrain. For years, the Eldorado served as a top of the line personal luxury model from Cadillac. But by the mid-60s, almost all GM brands developed similar cars to compete with the Eldorado on the market. So, Cadillac needed a new model to make a statement.

But they still wanted to keep the Eldorado on top of the segment. The 1967 model featured gorgeous new coupe styling with hide-away headlights. Also, it had a long hood and an elegant rear end. Car fans thought the new Eldorado looked gorgeous. So, even when they discontinued the convertible option, sales still went through the roof.

The biggest change was the switch to front-wheel drive (FWD). In those days, FWD was only in those rare foreign models. So, when Oldsmobile introduced front-wheel drive on its 1966 Toronado, Cadillac improved it for use on the Eldorado. With this feature, the Eldorado had nearly perfect handling and driving dynamics. However, it still retained the mighty 340 HP engine and all the Cadillac characteristics.