Luxury US classics that are now bargains

Prices for these motoring icons have plummeted

The most expensive classic cars aren’t always the ones that cost the most when new.

With few exceptions, luxury coupes and saloons lose their value quickly – and struggle to get it all back. This puts them at risk of maintenance deprivation but a clean, well-sorted example can be a real bargain if you’re patient enough to wait for the right one to come up.

Here are 10 American luxury cars from the 1970s and the 1980s that can be yours today for less than $10,000.

Note the value we’ve listed is for a car in average, running condition located in the United States – if you’re in the UK or Europe, you’ll most likely have to look a lot harder, or import one.

1. Cadillac Seville (1975)

By the middle of the 1970s, America’s definition of luxury was changing and Cadillac needed to come up with a car capable of luring Mercedes-Benz owners into its showrooms.

The Seville, which arrived in 1975, was that car.

A new, smaller kind of Cadillac, it was based on the X-body platform found under the Chevrolet Nova, among other models, but stretched and modified in numerous ways to make it worthy of underpinning a luxury car. 

Cadillac Seville (continued)

Competing against Mercedes-Benz was easier said than done, so even the entry-level model came standard with air conditioning, a vinyl roof, a fuel-injected V8 with 180bhp on tap plus power-operated seats, windows and locks.

All that tech came at a cost: the Seville was the second-most-expensive member of the Cadillac range, below the nine-seater Fleetwood Seventy Five limousine.

First-gen Seville production ended in 1979, with around 215,000 made; it was replaced by a model with a far more dramatic-looking design. 

Whether you’re looking for a project or a garage queen, used examples are relatively easy to find, in America at least. We suggest keeping an eye out for rust and avoiding the V8 diesel engine, which often self-destructed prematurely.

Price in 1975: $12,479 ($56,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $10,000

2. Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (1977)

The Fleetwood Brougham spearheaded another round of downsizing for Cadillac.

It was shorter, narrower and correspondingly much lighter than its predecessor, yet it remained instantly recognisable as a member of the Cadillac range.

Fortunately, the vehicle development team stopped thinking small when it came to the engine, so the bonnet hid a 7-litre, 180bhp V8.

The spacious, six-seater cabin was decked out with carpeted rear footrests, power-adjustable front seats, and a signal-seeking AM/FM radio. The list of options even included a 23-channel CB radio.

Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (cont.)

Cadillac dropped the Fleetwood designation for the 1987 model year and continued building the saloon until 1992 after giving it a handful of exterior modifications, including a new-look front end.

Its unusually long production run means parts are reasonably easy to find – and cheap, too. Collectors haven’t warmed up to the model yet, either, so it’s shockingly affordable, and it’s a reasonably tough car that makes for a solid (if thirsty) daily driver.

Beware of examples that have been driven into the ground, though.

Price in 1977: $11,546 ($49,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $8000

3. Oldsmobile 98 Regency (1977)

Cadillac and Lincoln dominated America’s luxury car segment in the 1970s, but Oldsmobile ventured on to their turf with the stately, rear-wheel drive 98.

The tenth-generation 98 launched during the 1977 model year was available as a coupe and as a saloon, and each body style was further broken down into two trim levels named Luxury and Regency, respectively.

Buyers overwhelmingly preferred the four-door Regency, which was the biggest and most expensive model in the range.

Oldsmobile 98 Regency (cont.)

The Regency built on the Luxury trim with velour upholstery, a digital clock and storage pouches in the front seatbacks, among other features. The only engine offered at launch was a 5.7-litre, 170bhp V8 – though an appallingly fragile turbodiesel V8 joined the range during the 1978 model year.

Oldsmobile kept the 98 Regency in production until the 1984 model year. It morphed into a much smaller front-wheel drive model during the 1985 model year and lost its V8 during the process. Rust and scrappage schemes have taken out part of the production run, but survivors remain readily available.

Price in 1977: $7132 ($30,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $5000

4. Oldsmobile Toronado (third generation, 1979)

Oldsmobile made the third-generation Toronado smaller and more expensive than its predecessor. This was a daring move because the coupe was its range-topping model.

It remained front-wheel drive, a configuration that had characterised the nameplate since its launch during the 1966 model year, and it came standard with a 5.7-litre V8. Oldsmobile’s corporate V8 diesel was offered at an extra cost.

Befitting of its flagship status, the Toronado stood out with an elegant design; Oldsmobile went as far as installing the rear window from inside the car to make the seals smaller. Standard automatic levelling technology relied on information sent by a sensor to adjust the ride height as needed.

Oldsmobile Toronado (cont.)

Oldsmobile sold about 50,000 units of the third-generation Toronado during the 1979 model year, compared to only 25,000 examples of the second-gen model in 1978, which proved buyers were willing to pay more for a smaller car.

As an accessible, entry-level luxury model, the Toronado often didn’t age well, because it ended up in the hands of buyers seeking the nicest car for the least amount of money. Rust was a problem, too, so finding a worthwhile one could take a little while.

Avoid the diesel, though so many of these engines failed prematurely that there likely aren’t many left in 2019 anyway.

Price in 1979: $10,112 ($36,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $6000

5. Lincoln Continental Mark VI (1980)

Offered as a coupe and as a saloon, the Continental Mark VI stood proud at the top of the Lincoln range when it made its debut for the 1980 model year.

It was closely related to the Town Car, and both models used tried-and-true body-on-frame construction, but they were nearly 700lbs lighter than their immediate predecessors.

Lincoln had to think small to meet fuel economy regulations and cater to buyers who increasingly viewed mammoth land yachts as a bad hangover from the 1970s.

Lincoln Continental Mark VI (cont.)

The Continental Mark VI’s 5-litre V8 delivered 129bhp but an optional, 5.8-litre rated at 140bhp was available on the list of options. Oval opera-style windows and a vinyl roof came standard on both body styles.

Somewhat surprisingly, the coupe outsold the saloon by a small margin during the 1980 and 1981 model years, though it had slipped to second place by the end of the Mark VI’s career.

Lincoln stopped making the Mark VI after the 1983 model year, by which time 63,662 coupes and 69,119 saloons had been sold. Many survived and neither version is particularly rare in 2019. Some were driven mercilessly, though, so shop carefully.

Price in 1980: $15,424 ($48,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $8000

6. Imperial (1981)

Chrysler resurrected its Imperial brand for the 1981 model year to use on a range-topping coupe that stood out with an angular, forward-thinking design and a list of standard features longer than Route 66.

It was an evolution of the Cordoba, which was hardly the best foundation on which to build a luxury car, but several modifications made it smooth and, as Chrysler pointed out, far quieter even at freeway speeds.

Semi-automatic air conditioning, a digital clock, an electronic instrument cluster and a bonnet ornament made of crystal were included in the price, as was a 140bhp, fuel-injected V8.

Imperial (cont.)

As a brand, Imperial was never as popular as Cadillac or Lincoln so Chrysler used a celebrity connection to help market it.

Company boss Lee Iacocca was good friends with Frank Sinatra, and persuaded the singer to participate in the creation of a limited-edition model. It was painted blue, like Sinatra’s eyes (we can’t make this up), and it came with 16 cassette tapes of Sinatra’s music. 

Sinatra also agreed to appear in television commercials to help launch the car. 148 of the 7225 Imperial models made in 1981 were ordered with the Frank Sinatra package, which represented a mediocre but encouraging start to the car’s career.

Sales fell to 2329 units the following year (including 279 Sinatra-spec cars) and to 1427 units in 1983, the Imperial’s final model year. Chrysler retired the Imperial brand for good after 1983, though the nameplate reappeared in 1990.

The Imperial was a flop, but it has become an interesting and underappreciated alternative to Cadillac and Lincoln coupes made during the same era. Our best advice to would-be owners is to be patient.

Price in 1981: $18,311 ($52,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $3000

7. Ford Thunderbird (ninth generation, 1983)

The eighth-generation Thunderbird built from 1980 to 1982 was horrendously received by buyers, so Ford gave the nameplate a sporty makeover for the 1983 model year.

It remained based on the Ford Mustang’s rear-wheel drive Fox platform but its styling was entirely revised and much more aerodynamic than before. Ford hoped the new-look model would draw younger buyers into showrooms.

Ford Thunderbird (cont.)

At launch, engine options included a 3.8-litre V6 with 110bhp and an optional 5-litre V8 rated at 130bhp.

Ford proved it took performance seriously by making the range-topping engine a turbocharged, fuel-injected 2.3-litre four-cylinder tuned to 142bhp. It powered the model appropriately named Turbo Coupe, which offered a five-speed manual transmission and a specific suspension setup.

All that effort paid off, with the Thunderbird transformed from an also-ran into a roaring success: 885,745 units were made between 1983 and 1989.

It’s not rare, then, but many were treated poorly. Unsurprisingly, the turbocharged (and later supercharged) models are more sought-after than the base V6s.

Price in 1983: $9197 ($24,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $3000

8. Lincoln Mark VII (1983)

Like rival Cadillac, Lincoln took steps to ‘Europeanise’ its range in the 1980s, marketing the Continental Mark VII as an American alternative to the Mercedes-Benz SEC.

Downsizing was again the order of the day, thanks to a variant of the Ford Mustang’s rear-wheel drive Fox platform. Lincoln sought to blend the elegance and comfort it was known for with a dose of agility.

Lincoln Mark VII (cont.)

The Luxury Sport Coupe (LSC) model catered to motorists who put a bigger emphasis on performance than on comfort. At the other end of the spectrum, trim levels ostensibly crafted with designers such as Versace and Bill Blass put an unabashed focus on luxury.

Engine options included a 5.2-litre V8 with 140bhp or, in an odd twist of fate, a 2.4-litre turbodiesel straight-six sourced from BMW.

Though not everyone liked its design, the Mark VII rarely received the credit it deserved; it was one of Lincoln’s most luxurious cars in the 1980s.

This trend continues as it transitions into the world of classic cars. Clean, well-maintained examples are available across the United States for a surprisingly low price.

Price in 1984: $21,707 ($53,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $7000

9. Jeep Grand Wagoneer (1984)

The Jeep Wagoneer Limited became the Grand Wagoneer for the 1984 model year to make space for the smaller, Cherokee-based Wagoneer.

The Grand Wagoneer therefore became the company’s flagship model, a positioning reflected by a long list of standard features including cruise control, power windows and a tilting steering column.

Demand remained strong in spite of the Grand Wagoneer’s age (it was first released for the 1963 model year), so Jeep continued nudging it upmarket until production ended in 1991.

Jeep Grand Wagoneer (cont.)

By the end of its career, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer offered a blend of luxury and off-road prowess that rivalled Land Rover’s Range Rover.

It’s highly sought-after as a classic car, and good examples sometimes trade hands for jaw-dropping sums today, but you can still find a reasonably affordable one if you take the time to venture off the beaten path.

Watch out for rust, even if it’s been previously repaired.

Price in 1984: $19,306 ($48,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: $10,000

10. Cadillac Allante (1987)

A clear case of what might have been, the unfortunate Allante was Cadillac’s front-wheel drive answer to the Mercedes-Benz SL.

Executives wanted to give the convertible European flair, so Pininfarina was commissioned to manufacture the body and interior in Turin, Italy.

In what may not have been the most efficient production method ever, the Allante was then shipped to Detroit for final assembly, with Cadillac taking every finished car on a 25-mile test drive before it was sold.

Cadillac Allante (cont.)

The Allante launched with an evolution of Cadillac’s 4.1-litre V8 tuned to 170bhp, though later (and, arguably, more desirable) variants received a 295bhp Northstar V8.

With ABS brakes sourced from Bosch, Recaro seats, an independent suspension and an optional cellular telephone, Cadillac’s flagship stood out as one of the most luxurious American cars released during the 1980s.

However, build-quality problems early on, coupled with a high price, led to the project’s failure and production ended in 1993 with around 21,000 made.

With most driven sparingly as second or third cars, low-mileage survivors are readily available across America today – and they’re a lot cheaper now, too.

Price in 1987: $54,700 ($124,000 in today’s terms)
Price in 2019: about $10,000

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