1976 Chrysler/Plymouth v. GM & Ford wagon dealer video

This is pretty cool. They give a good pitch for the Mopar wagons, but I still would take that Caprice Estate clamshell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWE0Pm-huZU

 

Great sales film! Very convincing! I'm sold! I'm going to rush straight down to my Plymouth dealer and place an order!
Wait, what? Oh, well, nevermind.

David

 

All kidding aside, this is actually a pretty good comparison test between the different makes, not too much stretching the truth or creating comparative issues between the makes that didn't really exist.

One of my favorite series of car brochures is the X-Ray comparisons American Motors did back in the late '50's through the mid '60's. These are quite amusing.



I always loved the way the lab-coat wearing "technician" smiled broadly when showing an attribute of the AM car, but would frown disapprovingly when revealing a supposed shortcoming of the competition.

There is one photo where they got some of the tiniest people you've ever seen, dressed them in dressy evening wear, and have them sitting in the roomy splendor of the backseat of an Ambassador. There is sooo much room! Well of course there is!

Of all my old car brochures, these are some of my most favorite.

David

 

Indeed very convincing except where they claim unibody as an advantage. However that was the only disadvantage I saw other than the rather chunky looking grill on the T&C. I prefer the styling of the 1971 T&C as it is more sleek (like a Torino ).

mike

 

It really is a pretty fair comparison of the wagons. The fixed rear window in the Malibu definitely is a major drawback. I remember the first time I rode in the third seat of one of those as a kid - the window not going down was a huge disappointment.

 

This one isn't wagons, but it is one of the more entertaining comparison videos by Chrysler. This one is from 1958 comparing the Chrysler and Imperial to Mercury, Lincoln, Cadillac, Buick and Olds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBoEoFmRsYo

 

That video did raise some interesting points. One bug bear of mine,, though, is gas tank placement. I know the Clams have the tank in the left quarter outside the frame rail. The Ford, I believe, is tucked between the back axle and the foot well. Where is the tank on the big Chryslers? Of the bunch, my first choice has always been the Colony Park, with the Dodge Royal Monaco a very close second. Of course, these days, because of rarity, the Royal Monaco wins, should I ever find one! That tilt/telescopic wheel is also a real advantage to me, since I have had surgery on both shoulders and need the wheel closer to me, but because of my height, I have to have the seat way back. I would want to change the front seat in any of the Chryslers, though, as the back is too low for comfort.

 

My '71 Olds 98 had a tilt-telescoping steering wheel, but I'm not sure if one was offered on the Custom Cruiser.
A tilt-tele column from a '71-'76 Cadillac DeVille/Fleetwood could be installed on any Clamshell,
because I believe they are all basically the same vehicle.

I might be mistaken, but I don't think Ford offered a telescoping wheel on any of their products in the '70's.

My bug-a-boo is trailer towing ability. I know that trailer hitches were installed on Clamshells, and mine had one. But it was a Class I or II at best.
I'm not sure if a Class III hitch could even be fit on a Clamshell, because the frame rails end forward of the tailgate storage box, and the rear bumper is mounted to the body.
It was my plan to use my Buick to pull my Airstream, but now I'm not sure of it's suitability.

The unibody Chrysler wagons certainly tow plenty of Airstreams, and moparjohn does just that with his, but I think I'd prefer the full-framed Ford products for towing.

My dream tow wagon would be a 1975 Ford Country Squire, completely loaded with the 460, power everything including mini-vents, Landau Luxury Group interior,
and of course, heavy-duty tow package.
This beautiful yellow one would do perfectly! :2_thumbs_up_-_anima



David

 

Great Video!

I never really thought much about the practicallity of the third seats. But as the video points out, the Mopar rearward facing third seat is far better than the Ford or GM wagons for easy of entry/exit and width.

The Clamshell is a neat feature, even if it is not the most practical.

But when it comes down to the real use of a wagon, hauling kids and/or cargo, I suppose the rear area is the most important aspect. I think all of them can swallow up a 4x8 sheet of plywood back then.

But as many people know, sometimes a vehicle selection can be influenced by brand loyalty and even the geographic location of the selling dealer to your house.

I think the Dodge Royal Monaco wagons were really sharp looking too.

 

The telescopic steering wheel on the full size Chrysler wagons is a cool feature. Was it maybe available on the Buick and Olds clamshells? I know you couldn't get on the Chevrolet.

 

oh baby baby

I'll take a Torino woodie and one of those Dodge Monaco woodies. Bot good looking wagons. The advantage to the T&C of that time was the St. Regis trim level package. It came with that best ever floaterboat suspension.

 

If I were to get one of the Mopars, I'd go for the Dodge Royal Monaco - the hidden headlight front end is a great look.

 

The lack of window frame argument seems fairly bogus. I 've had numerous cars from both Ford and GM without metal door window frames without any sealing problems.

 

Still like this video comp of the 1976 domestic full-size wagons.

GM would still be my personal choice.

 

These 1976 station wagons still rock!