Buick — Is there any other modern American brand that speaks louder to traditional values, “understated luxury”, mature mindsets, AND one that has done so with so much success for so long a time?
Although Buick has increasingly tried, with some success, to reach a younger audience with CUVs and the somewhat deprecating “That’s Not A Buick!” ad campaign, the past five decades or so have firmly cemented Buick’s image as an old person’s, or at least a middle-aged and older person’s car.
Buick’s deep-rooted image as a mature person’s car long dates back to its once clearly defined position in the Sloan Ladder hierarchy above Oldsmobile and directly below Cadillac. Often referred to as the car of doctors and lawyers, as a more expensive automobile, Buick naturally was more accessible to those with successfully established careers and deeper pockets, and thus more older buyers than younger.
That’s not to say that there weren’t plenty of well-heeled new car buyers in their early-40s, 30s, and even 20s, but generally speaking, the newer the money the greater the display of wealth and success. Younger buyers looking to revel in the glory that he (or she) “made it” were more apt to be drawn by the glitz and glamour of a Cadillac.
Buicks meanwhile, were more commonly purchased by those wanting less attention associated with owning a more expensive car, yet still seeking the features, comfort, and amenties of owning a luxury automobile. As often the case, Buick buyers often stuck with the brand, never “moving up” to the ritzier Cadillac. With the Malaise era quelling most performance aspirations, the Brougham era elevating ostentatious luxury cues, and an ever-loyal customer base seeking luxury without too much showiness, Buicks naturally became glitzier than ever, which is where this 1984 Electra Park Avenue comes into play.
The Park Avenue name first appeared in 1975 as an available luxury trim and equipment package on the Electra Limited, adding many luxury upgrades, most notably its special overstuffed loose pillow seats with available front center console. Starting in 1978, Park Avenue became its own full-fledged trim level positioned at the top of the Electra and fullsize Buick lineup, where it would remain until becoming its very own model in 1991.
This featured example hails from the final 1984 model year of the generation which first debuted for the 1977 model year — the first generation of downsized fullsize Buicks and the last generation of rear-wheel drive fullsize Buicks (excluding wagons) until the 1992 Roadmaster sedan. Despite being the eighth year of this bodystyle, clean, simple body lines and nearly annual styling detail changes helped keep these big Electras popular as ever in their final year.
In fact, word that the Electra and other C-bodies were to be downsized yet again and switch to front-wheel drive probably spurred more buyers to spring for a 1984 Electra instead of waiting for the 1985, as the stabilizing economy and falling fuel prices once again were driving up demand for big cars.
While styling of the Electra remained very in-line with that of the less-costly LeSabre, the Electra’s full-length upper-bodyside brushed aluminum accent trim with ventiports, more vertical roofline, semi-skirted rear wheels, and more ornate rear fascia signaled that this was a more special, more prestigious Buick. Versus the Electra that debuted for the 1977 model year (1978 pictured two above), the 1980 restyle did wonders in making the Electra look lighter, leaner, and more refined. With its clean, dignified styling, the 1980-1984 Buick Electra was arguably one of the most attractive and well-proportioned fullsize cars of the era.
Of course, the tacky-by-today’s-standards Brougham-era add-ons including vinyl quarter-roof, wire wheel discs, and electroluminescent opera lamps were present in abundance, particularly on the Park Avenue. At least by early-1980s standards, they were done in a somewhat tasteful manner.
Inside, the Electra Park Avenue pampered its passengers in very comfortable surroundings not unlike those found in any Cadillac or Lincoln. Seats were of a distinctive loose bolster pillow style, upholstered in either rich velour or optional leather, with a 50/50 split front bench seat and 6-way power driver’s seat. For easier accessibility, the driver’s seat controls were located on the driver’s door panel, though this was curiously not the case for the front passenger.
Thankfully, the “wet wrinkly skin” upholstery style was dropped after 1980.
Standard interior amenities found in the 1984 Park Avenue included upholstered door panels, acres of simulated blonde-tone wood trim, full-foam construction seats, power windows, power door locks, remote control powered driver’s mirror, Delco ETR AM-FM “Concert Sound” six-speaker stereo, and electronic automatic climate control. As this was the early-1980s when nearly 40% of Americans were smokers, all 1984 Electras — whether Limited or Park Avenue — featured ever-convenient dual rear cigarette lighters and ash trays… “Smoke-up kiddos!”.
The Buick Electra Park Avenue was positioned as the flagship of GM’s second-most prestigious brand, so luxury was a standard affair. Naturally, there were some extra comfort and convenience luxuries buyers could add to further personalize their Park Avenue. Select extra-cost options included 6-way power passenger’s seat, electric front seatback recliners, 2-position memory driver’s seat, front cornering lights, tilt-and-telescoping steering column, Twilight Sentinal automatic headlight control, “soft-close” electric trunk pulldown, automatic load-leveling suspension, and somewhat ridiculously extra-cost, a rear window defogger.
Starting at $15,281 ($37,676 in April 2019 USD) in this final 1984 model year, the last rear-wheel drive Electra Park Avenues offered tremendous value for the money. Sure, one could pay a lot more for the prestige of a Cadillac DeVille — $17,625 to be exact, adjusted to $43,455 in April 2019 USD — but truthfully, beyond more highly-styled exteriors and interiors, a Cadillac DeVille offered very little in the way of additional luxury features pertaining to comfort, convenience, performance, or technology.
Indeed, this final “big” Electra was popular right up until the end. Its sales hovered around 68,000 units each model year 1980-1982, and likely due to buyer’s weariness of the upcoming downsized front-wheel drive Electra, actually drove demand up some 30% for 1983 with 88,585 units. This trend continued for the big Electra’s final abbreviated 1984 model year. Despite production ceasing early in April 1984, as that of the new front-wheel drive Electra had begun in December 1983, a total of 56,626 rear-wheel drive units were produced, nearly half of them from January-April 1984. It’s also worth noting that for these model years 1980-1984 model years, the Park Avenue represented approximately 10-15% of total Electra sales each year.
Curiously, for each of these years, Electra sales paled in comparison to those of its Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight and Cadillac DeVille C-body platform mates. The DeVille, despite its price premium, sold nearly as many coupes each year as sedans, helping it achieve such lofty sales. Although the Ninety-Eight’s price was very similar to that of the Electra, and like the Electra it sold very few coupes versus sedans, its greater volume was consistent with that of total Oldsmobile versus Buick brand sales of that era. Oldsmobile was riding a wave of great brand equity and popularity during the early-1980s, but Buick was waiting in the wings and its time would come.
The front-wheel drive Electra and Electra Park Avenue ended up proving just as popular as their successors, but a “big” Buick Electra would never be again. Particularly with this 1980-1984 iteration, there was something truly dignified and powerful about these flagship Buicks, qualities a newer Buick has never matched.
Photographed in Hingham, Massachusetts – April 2019
Related Reading:
1977 Buick Electra 225 sedan (COAL)
Such a beautiful car and such a horrible looking replacement the 85 was. I think the 85 should have been marketed as the century and the big car kept. In production with an injected 350.
I drove one as a cab and it was a nice car to ride in. It had the best seats of any car I ever rode in and was big and comfortable and nice looking in and out. Only down side was the under powered and thirsty v6 and weak rear axle and transmission. Had gm improved it like Ford did the panther cars it would have been awesome. All it needed was an injected 350, a turbo 350 transmission and a decent rear end. Unfortunately gm didn’t back the car up with decent mechanicals and the better choice was a grand Marquis with its v8.
The lack of modern high efficiency drivetrain technology was the primary driver for radical downsizing in this period. Installing a 1996 LT1 drivetrain in the 1984 Park Avenue wasn’t an option.
Generally, GM didn’t hsve good results with new technology round about 1984. The primary reason these cars are well remembered is that they’re mud pie simple.
Honestly, with an onslaught of cars such as this coming from The General, it’s no wonder that AMC just couldn’t keep up with it’s anachronistic Concord. I would be very tempted by this doctor-mobile had I been alive in the mid 1980s.
I guess I can understand a person’s dislike of the 1975 through 1980 Park Avenue interior from today’s perspective, but you haven’t lived until you’ve sat in, and “sank” in, this seating.
It made you feel very cosseted.
A 1979 Electra Park Avenue rear seat:
Thank you!! only the Fleetwood Talisman of 74 to 76 are more comfortable than these!! beautiful interior. As for the car……….I prefer the 76 or the 77 to these as beautiful as they are.
As an upwardly mobile young executive earning some serious coin, I bought this exact car, in white on blue, used, in ’87. I purchased it from a real estate agent who had replaced it with a Chrysler Town and Country van. It was the Limited trim extended wheelbase with the overdrive final gear ratio, but no leather. With less than 40K kilometers, and brand new set of Michelin radials included, I paid $6K, which was a significant depreciation from the original list price. It suited my new position, but it wasn’t a brash expression of our status like a Cadillac or Lincoln would’ve represented.
The Park Avenue was the best highway cruiser I’ve owned in 45 years of driving. Set the cruise control at 145 KPH (90 MPH), and we could make the 1,300 kilometer trip from Winnipeg to Calgary in 11 hours, in quiet isolated comfort.
Sadly, the car met an inglorious end, stolen out of our driveway, finally abandoned in a pond after a night of joyriding smashing into several vehicles until its demise. It was declared an 8nsurance write off and sold for scrap.
Still miss that car even today.
The down sales for 80–82 and follow ing up trend probably had nothing to do with available products and everything to do with a recession and subsequent high demand for nice new cars.
There was also the 1979 energy crisis and resulting high fuel prices for a couple of years after.
Carmine and I touched on this issue in a CC Clue side discussion years ago, about my fascination with some of the big Buick steering wheel designs in the 70s. From the 74 to 76 model year C and E car Buick’s, one could opt for the 3-spoke 71-73 style Cadillac wheel; in 77-78, one could opt for the updated 3-spoke 74-76 Cadi wheel; and in 79, one could opt for the 1-spoke 77-78 Cadi wheel. This practice ended in 79.
On the one hand, such odd choices for such a big brand with its own style and several of its own popular designs; on the other hand, maybe it was a brilliant marketing move to cement the “cousin to a Cadillac” theme for those buyers who felt that was an important thing to know.
In the end, these wheel options seemed to be pretty rare choices, and that may be why the option was discontinued.
Frankly, I have absolutely no idea why this was a “thing”for Buick, and what specific option choices one would have had to make to get one in their car, and finally, whether this was even seen as a desirable option; but, it is precisely the kind of thing that keeps me up nights.
Whatever happened to “The King of All GM Products” Carmine?
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of…Roger Smith.
That is truly sad, I didn’t know.
I didn’t mean it literally. I sure hope Roger Smith didn’t earn a throne in heaven. 🙂
He departed from here though.
Ow my heart! Just look at that color! It’s so gorgeous!
I have tried to post this comment many times earlier, but this annoying issue with Word Press…
This Electra Park Avenue and 98 Regency are two of my favourite GM cars from the 1980s. They ooze the understated luxury and are perfect for the road trips in the American West where the national speed limit was 55 and then 65 (that were the speed limits for most of 1980s).
My best memory of Electra Park Avenue was during the first visit to Sedona, Arizona in 1997. A taxicab service had a fleet of metallic red Electra Park Avenues in Sedona, and the company was aptly named ‘Red Rock Limos’. I rode one to the resort outside the town. The ride was the most comfortable despite the unpaved roads.
That made me regret the missed opportunity of trading my shitty Chevrolet to 1984 Electra with all of luxury options and easy-to-service V8 motor.
Perhaps my favorite of the ’80s C-bodies. And it is a Buick in the very best sense of the word.
Brendan, this was a great find. Seeing this next to the similar vintage Cutlass Supreme certainly was a trigger for thinking about past events. Thanks!
My uncle owned a Park Avenue similar to this in the 1980s, and he fit your target demographic… in his 40s, successful and with relatively deep pockets. But the Buick was a company car, so he didn’t want to appear too ostentatious by ordering a Cadillac. So he had his company buy him a Park Avenue.
Since my own parents weren’t quite in the same economic bracket, and drove a God-awful Subaru, I was starved for luxury. And I absolutely LOVED Uncle Al’s Park Avenue. Just about the only time I could manage to ride in it was when my uncle and mom would go to the cemetery to visit relatives’ graves. Al would always drive on those trips, so if I expressed interest in going along, I would get a ride in the Park Avenue’s rear seat. That’s how desperate I was to sink into that squishy velour seat and stare at the glossy fake wood and those enticing chromed power controls (I remember mom yelling at me to quit playing with the power windows).
I still remember those rides to the cemetery, and hoping that someday I could own a car like this Buick. Someday never came, but I still love ’em.
Those chromed power controls! Yes!! You just struck childhood memories of an item in my grandfather’s 1992 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight and 1997 Eighty-Eight, as GM still used them on its big cars through the 1990s. It was little touches like chrome window controls that made them feel special.
By this era, it was hard to tell if the Buick or the Oldsmobile was the “fancier” brand.
Interestingly, the Park Avenue sedan had a base MSRP of $15,056 (according to my source, a bit below the price Brendan quoted) while the 98 Regency Brougham sedan listed for MORE at $15,189!
Sloan must have been spinning in his grave.
——-
For my fellow writers (and anyone interested) my source for MSRP of all 1984+ vehicles is the State of Michigan website. Michigan started charging registration fees based on MSRP in 1984, and they publish all the prices on their website here:
https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-49534_50300_50310-30109–,00.html
Any differentiation in terms of status between these two brands was by this time in the memory/imaginations of older buyers. In reality, there was none.
This. This was what GM did better than anyone else. They made big, attractive sedans that were well built and reliable, and had gobs of presence besides. Ford and Chrysler would occasionally make something in the ballpark, but not consistently.
CAFE, changing tastes, Irv Rybicki and GM’s fading competence conspired to eliminate the segment where GM ruled for many decades.
Your numbers reaffirm my own memory that the Olds 98 seemed to outnumber the Electra by more than 2:1. But I always found the Buick more attractive. Ok, except for one thing. If I am going to live with woodgrIn everywhere, I like a dark, rich walnut/mahogany kind of finish like Oldsmobile used over the blond finish in the Buick. Also with both powered by the Olds 307, Oldsmobile sounds coming from a Buick seemed odd. There is an old lady in my area who drives a dark gray one with light gray roof/interior that makes me just stop and admire whenever I see it.
JP,
Is the older lady planning to sell her car anytime soon? If she is let me know. Ha.
The ’82-’90 (from the RWD B- and C-bodies) Olds steering wheel was the best-looking of the bunch, with a nicely shaped center pad and tasteful wooden spokes at the bottom. The utilitarian Chevy wheel looked like it came out of a Chevette and I never liked the squarish Buick wheel. The Cadillac wheel was very nice. Pontiac’s was too sporty for me and looked out of place in anything but a Grand Prix.
My father in law had a Park Avenue, likely a 1981, provided him by his company. It was the first and only car I’ve been in that had an in-dash factory CB radio.
Further confirming the dissatisfaction with the next generation of the downsized Electra, he next bought a 1985 Olds 88 Regency Brougham (one needed much sheet metal to fit that entire model name). My sister’s in-laws made a similar move, also choosing an Olds 88 to replace their downsized Ninety-Eight.
That Buick is in fine shape considering its age. Buick was a car I would never own when I was young, but now? Hmmm… I don’t know, as “luxury” is not my thing. Probable explains why I drive a Chevy!
Still, my car has what used to be considered “luxury” years ago, now standard features on most cars today.
We did consider a LaCrosse back in 2012, but the Impala was so much cheaper, and in LTZ trim at that. I think I made the right choice.
The Buick in question, however, sure is a sight for sore eyes!
For the record the big Buick be it Roadmaster, Park Avenue, Electra was often referred to as a “four holer” because of it’s four ventiports. Lesser Buicks only had three and were thus “three holers”.
In my neck of the woods, we have mostly “one” and “two holers”. They sure are cold in winter.
In 1990, I worked with a guy who had one of these. We were both recently out of college and in “future executive” factotum jobs. I was driving a new Acura Integra which I felt appropriate to my station in life, and counted the coupons in my payment book (remember those?) every time I wrote the bank a check in hopes there weren’t as many left as I feared.
My friend was driving a powder-blue over white Park Avenue. God I loved that car. It was everything a luxury car should be. Sadly, he hated it as much as I loved it. It was a gift from his New Orleans grandmother who gave it to him rather than trading it in as usual. It only had 20-something thousand miles on it, and although I was already weary and wary of General Motors by that date, I would have happily traded my Integra straight up for it, and then continued to make the payments for him.
But…he hated it. It was literally “Grandmama’s car” and it embarrassed him tremendously; being that beautiful powder blue only making things worse. And, then I recall he backed into something and broke one of those giant taillights. The replacement cost somewhere about a month’s payment on the Integra, and that shocked him.
Anyhow, add me to the list of those that believe Gm (at least Buick and Cadillac) should have stuck to what they did best, and that was cars like the Park Avenue. I have been a frequent and vocal critic of GM but these cars were just about perfect. I wish Carmine was here to hear me say it too.
Having spent 8 consecutive years in two separate C bodies of this generation (plus 3 weeks in an 85 LeSabre) let me fix this statement: “these cars were just about perfect *and would have been if they had been given decent engines with some power*.” These things were designed for 350s/403s in Buick/Olds and 425s in Cadillacs. The 307 mated to really tall gearing was the one big problem with these. That these cars sold as well as they did with the anemic power they had is a testament to their other good traits. Thinking about it, moving to a Cadillac in 1984 would have moved you into the even more pathetic HT4100. Which was a 250 cid V8 for anyone who didn’t do the math. And a bad one.
Mid ’80s was where Ford gained ground. The 302 was fuel-injected by then and AOD was standard across the board in all Panthers. I rented a brand-new 1989 Town Car for the Barrister’s Ball (basically law school prom) and thing was gorgeous and ran flawlessly. Performance was impeccable. It would have run circles around any 307-powered DeVille. This is why so many retired golfers bought the Town Car by the millions into the ’90s and ‘2000s.
When it comes to cars, your work buddy and I might have gotten along famously. I had just turned 16 in 1990 and while beggars can’t be choosers ($3.85/hr bagging groceries part time didn’t buy much), Id have been mortified if Id have had to be seen in a floaty 4-door Buick. It’s like a rest home on wheels, with all the cool factor of a pair of clunky brown orthopedic shoes. I guess it ‘builds character’ since it’s such an over the top ridiculous car for a young person to be stuck rolling in. . At least he can look back and laugh now.
My father had a ’77 Electra 225 Limited Sedan in Black over red crushed velour with the 403. Aside from its habit of twisting a driveshaft like Taffy every 20k miles or so, it was an amazing car for its day. Good power, good mileage (high teens on the road),, good steering, excellent comfort levels and visibility and a very Buick look. We had replaced the ’77 with a ’79 Caddy before the ’80s came out, but I remember being very disappointed in the styling of the ’80s. The sloped nose, simplified tail and plainer beltline did nothing for me, and they felt slower and had rubberier streering. A ’77-’79 similar to ours would be on my (very) short list of malaise broughams I would like to own.
My great uncle’s last car was this car’s smaller sibling, the Buick LeSabre. My Dad inherited this car as my great aunt never drove. The ’84 LeSabre was a really nice car. The 307 was a bit of a letdown, but his was a great road trip car.
He ended up really liking Buick for a while, ending up with a ’98 Regal GS (I would end up with this one eventually) and finally a Park Avenue (non-Ultra version) in the early ’00s.
After that car, my Dad became an Acura fan after giving the Park Avenue to my nephew when he was in college.
Regarding the subject car, I spy those fine Buick Rally Wheels (always a personal favorite) in that first brochure picture. How long did they hang around? I spotted a ’72 Skylark Wagon at my mechanic’s overflow lot that I wanted to write up here at some point that was sporting those wheels. I think even some of today’s Buicks would look fine wearing an updated version of those shoes.
Too bad it doesn’t have those rallies…they’re like a version of the classic Magnums and while they look out of place on a gingerbreaded brougham 4-door, at least the RWLS would FAR better suit them than the dorky wire hubcaps…
Loved reading this great piece. I also appreciated the juxtaposition of the pictures of the two, navy blue Electras from those two different generations. It’s crazy to think that only four model years separated the end of the older generation (1976) from the beginning of the restyled downsized version featured, for 1980.
I really wish big sedans like this still existed. Not for myself of course (eew, YUCK!!!) but more so that the demographic who buys something like this could have kept on buying them instead of spreading over to trucks and SUVs. As garish and blingy as this car is (it IS something of a status symbol to a certain set), the substance is there. My theory is that cramped, downsized caricatures of these roadsofas crippled with smaller trunks and feeble fwd mechanicals sent those buyers scrambling towards something else that could tow the boat, seat 5-6, carry plenty of luggage, allow sprawling out on a roadtrip and convey that “I’ve made it” image…in a pickup or SUV. I can’t see the well heeled customers buying big cars sweating higher gas prices that much. Otherwise, are you REALLY that financially solid?
Look at your Navigators, Escaldes, King Ranch Super Crews…these are just replacements for big American luxury sedans. Unfortunately this is why outside of the Wrangler, you won’t find a basic 2-door sports utility and why single cab pickups are getting increasingly rare.
Yup. Agreed. Wish you could still buy something like this and a Ford 2-door Explorer Sport.
Oh, how I wish we could still buy one today! I have now reached the Electra target demographic….middle aged, with money to spend on a nice car, and of course LOVE the Broughamtastic looks/ride/style of this Park Ave. Alas, born 40 years too late…
I look at a car like this and I think “What’s the point of a Cadillac?” This looks like it would do everything just as well, for less. And it’s better-looking without the Caddy’s iconic but anachronistic styling cues. That’s a big win in my book!
I don’t need this much car, but I like knowing it exists.
My grandparents were dairy farmers and Grandad bought Granny a new Buick every few years. Her last one before she quit driving was an ’89 Park Avenue that had replaced an ’85 LeSabre. She was always proud to get her new Buick but not so much with the ’89. She said “Danny, look what they did to my car!” It wasn’t classy enough and she wasn’t having it. I think that pretty much summed up Buick’s cheapo transition to FWD piles of crapmobiles.
The division that gave us Roadmasters, Rivieras, Gran Sports and Grand Nationals is a distant memory
Amazing a ‘84 Buick Electra Park Ave and a ‘87 Cutlass Supreme sitting at Queen Anne’s corner .. reminds me of being a young teen in the mid 80’s.
Then less than 200 yards down the street is McLaren Boston with every hyper car known to man for sale out front used and of course the Brit’s supercar brand dujour.
I’ve always loved the Electra sedan, particularly from 1977 first downsize all the way through the 90’s, when the Park Avenue became recognized as an American Jaguar in looks with the added bonus of better reliability. But one of the other alluring things about Buick has been their writing/ad copy. Well-written with a lyrical quality. (One of the descriptors I remember is a reference to a Buick’s “heroic brakes”. It simply reads well.)
In 1978 Buick celebrated it’s 75th anniversary, and published an understated brochure to celebrate, entitled “Seventy-five Years of Greatness”. It covers Buick’s founding, history, models development, and throws in bits of info all along to keep a reader’s interest.
Next to the photo of a ’78 black on black Buick Electra Park Avenue are the closing words of the brochure:
“Today’s world seems as remote from 1903 as Buick’s turbocharged engines are from David Buick’s original two-cylinder job. Now, you can fly the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound, carry a powerful computer in your pocket, and find out the sex of your baby before it is born.
But you can still drive him or her–or them–home from the hospital in a Buick. That’s one of the pleasant things in life that hasn’t changed in three-quarters of a century.
Buicks, and the immutable values they represent, are still with us. And as long as there is a demand for better automobiles, Buick will continue to build them.”
Although the Concorde no longer flies and we can’t cross the Atlantic as quickly, the old tagline of “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?” still seems to fit well here.
Thanks for the great read, Brendan.
(You can check out the brochure at OldCarsBrochures.com)
I’m straining my mind to recall what powerful pocket computer was available in 1978…… I guess an HP calculator was quite impressive for the day. And while you knew the gender of your baby before it was born, it would be decades before “gender reveal parties” became the norm.
Interesting find.
I’ll be honest, as sharp as this example is, I’m not the biggest fan of this style of Electra. Compare this to the Olds 98 and Cadillac and there’s something about it that doesn’t work as well as those two. Maybe it’s the more recessed headlights clashing with the more conservative grille that makes it seem awkward at some angles, (the ad with the black one outside the courthouse really accentuates this problem), maybe the full width taillights don’t work as well on the design compared to the ones on the Olds or Cadillac, maybe those two aeformentioned cars make the more formal roofline and bigger size flow better, or maybe its a combination of all of the above. But whatever it is, I find these the least attractive of the early 80s RWD full size sedans. Ironically enough, the more FWD and compact Park Avenue actually works better in design than the Olds or Cadillac of similar vintages.
The RWD 1977-84 Electra, Park Avenue, Olds 98, Cadillac De Ville, later RWD Fleetwood’s and Buick Roadmaster, were quite possibly the quietist riding cars GM ever built. I remember riding in an ’81 Park Avenue as a young teenager and its interior was so quiet at highway speed it was almost surreal. The ride was out of this world smooth, and those big, wide, pillowed velour seats were incredibly comfortable. Nothing like the bleacher hard seats in today’s cars. Several years later I had the pleasure of owning an ’82 Oldsmobile 98 Regency coupe that was a one owner low mileage car. It was white with a burgundy leather interior, 307 V8 and all the bells and whistles. Like the Park Avenue, the 98 was an isolation chamber on wheels; no road noise, a barely audible engine, an incredibly smooth ride, and seats you could fall asleep in they were soooo comfortable. No automaker these days builds cars with that kind of interior quietness, seat comfort and smooth ride anymore.
That is a nice car. I sure like the sharper angular lines over the Pillsbury dough boy look.
the “wet wrinkly skin” upholstery style appears to be the “Shar-Pei” option….(creepy)
In 1993, one of these came upon my radar screen–1984 model, Park Avenue, fresh white paint and top, burgundy cloth interior. It was very mint and relatively low miles, I think around 85k. It was a consignment car at one of those cut-rate, steal-you-blind car lots in my hometown of Ft. Collins, CO. Asking price? $6995! Say WHAT? Today, we would scoff at that price, but in 1993, that was a princely sum for that car. It was quite obvious the lizard running the joint was trying to get his consignment owner a big payday plus line his own pockets. I had to pass. Too bad. It was really nice!
Attached photo is practically its identical twin, but burgundy interior.
I had the grand opportunity to take my parent’s 1980 Buick Electra Park Avenue to the Prom in May of 1981. The girl I went with was an exchange student from Denmark. She said it was the most comfortable car she had ever been in. With the draped velour cloth seats, you had to be careful on long trips, because those seats were so comfortable. There’s no car to this day that was EVER as comfortable as was that Park Avenue…