Here’s a somewhat unusual pairing posted by Slant Six at the Cohort; a sheer-look era Oldsmobile 98 and an Aero-era Ford Thunderbird. Both, sitting quietly in a driveway, and both suffering from the odd paint ailments of Detroit’s mid-80s finishes. Still, the two vehicles speak of two styling languages that each marked an era; though living side by side in the early ’80s.
The brown Olds, which is an ’82-’84, was a styling holdover, carrying the sheer-look that took over all of GM’s offerings by the late ’70s. They were clean-looking Broughams and looked fit and taut for their time. Still, as a previous post told, this was truly “your father’s last Oldsmobile.”
The Thunderbird appeared in ’83 with a new Aero design language that marked the decade, carrying a sense of luxury that embraced the 1980s Sharper Image lifestyle. Maybe in its current state is a bit hard to tell, but when it came out, this ‘Bird spoke money in a so 1980s way.
I won’t deny I find it slightly odd to see these two sharing the same driveway, but they make a welcomed sight nonetheless. Two opposing sides of the 1980s, that together seem to tell about the styling upheavals of the period.
Related CC reading:
Vintage R&T Road Test: 1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe – (My) Eco Boost Pioneer
Auto-Biography: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe – EcoBoosted EgoBooster
Curbside Classic: 1984 Oldsmobile 98 – Your Father’s Last Oldsmobile?
By then it was MB and Bmw that spoke of money, in my memory. I’d take the Olds, pre-’80 though.
The Aero-look, aged so gracefully. A car that looked so much better, without whitewalls. As this one has them.
This is an interesting pairing. The aero-look was every bit as good for Ford as the sheer-look was to GM. The difference is that Ford never became a slave to the aero styling the way GM did to the sheer look, when most of the company’s products looked alike.
And whether we consider the jelly bean or the box it came in, they both age poorly when left out in the weather too long.
When the Aerobird showed up, it was a clarion call towards the future. Ford, by 1986 looked exciting and modern. GM looked like yesterday. Ford couldn’t compete against the Caravan/Voyager, but it had the momentum throughout the decade. By the time GM finally moved on with the W sedans, the corporation’s styling edge was obviously replaced with a “me too” areo-look that appeared cheap in appearance.
If you weren’t there, you just cannot understand the visual revolution the Aerobird presented.
I loved my ‘83 T-Bird. And while a base model V-6 was all I could afford at 23, I felt like a million bucks driving it.
The pictured one is an ‘85 model year, as I see no hint of a third brake light on the parcel shelf through the windows. Why do they call it that anyway? Does anyone really put parcels up there? But I digress as usual…
These ‘Birds would get another facelift for the ‘87 & ‘88 model years.
But where have they all gone? I realize they’re four decades old now, but surely these cars are worth preserving. You never see them anymore. 😢
Had just started my career out of college and was looking for a replacement to my Corolla. Was down to a Aero Bird and Cutlass Supreme. The Cutlass won out, but always look fondly on the Aero Birds.
If I had room in my driveway, an Aero Bird would be more than welcomed.
This is suburban Pittsburgh, yes? There’s something about the look of houses and driveways in suburban Pittsburgh that’s very distinctive.
Yes!
Briely Lane, West Mifflin, PA to be Exact.
Wow, I had the same thought.
We lived in Monroeville then Murraysville starting in 1961…Dad worked for Westinghouse semiconductor; he’d moved from Glendora Ca that year changing companies (he pretty much had the same type of work from graduation in 1956 till he retired in 1990). People thought my parents were out of their mind as California dream was at a peak, though my parents were originally from (eastern) PA and we lived in CA only a couple years…my Dad changed jobs frequently back then. We never lived closer than about a 4 hour drive from where my parents were from in eastern PA.
The house reminds me of our house in Garden City in Monroeville…built into side of hill (lots of hills in the area). We rented that home but had owned the house in Glendora. Not sure why we moved to Murraysville since we soon were transferred to Catonsville, MD where my Dad worked at the airport (not sure why a semiconductor guy would work at airport, he usually had to be close to the fab which is why we moved around so much when they were younger).
We had a Rambler wagon (actually 2 of them in a row), both green, the first a 1961 Classic then a 1963 Classic). Not sure why Dad sold the 1st one so soon but maybe it was in a sandstorm driving back from CA to the east coast when we moved. The 2nd was totalled in front of our motel room in Catonsville MD in 1965 when we vacated our house preparing to move to Burlington Vt (the first time).
Imagining, thirty or forty-plus years ago, when blizzards were a genuine US Northeast winter threat. I could see a driveway of this design, filling with enough drifted snow, to approach human-level heights.
Can confirm. St. Patrick’s Day 1993 blizzard in Pittsburgh.
When I first saw these pictures I was reminded of a relative’s former driveway – my wife and I called his garage the Batcave. Backing out of the garage took a lot of practice.
Concrete retaining walls, almost lend a commercial/industrial look. Like a parking garage or loading dock.
Snowmagaddeon 2/4/10 was the last real one around here. It’s so warm and blah here in the winters now he hardly get snow unless you travel into the mountains of the laurel Highlands.
This gen “T bird/Cougar” is the one I could never warm too. examined an “83”, I believe, in the showroom.
Next to it was a tarted up “Fairmont”. Recall the “T bird”, interior, dash, controls were little different then the much less costly “Fairmont”.
I had a 1986 Ford Thunderbird elan edition. This was the luxury edition; I believed it replaced the highline Heritage series from 1983 – 1984. I purchased it in 1987 after it served time as a driver’s education car at the local high school. As someone else posted, I felt like a million dollars driving it. These Thunderbirds were very nice cars and I was proud to be part of the “T-Bird Set.”