(first posted 9/15/2021) Lucille’s Story is rather unremarkable since her inception in 1972 at Ford’s Los Angeles Assembly plant. It was the archetypal little old lady car that racked up less than 1,000 miles a year on average for the first 41 years of its life. However, her life became much more interesting since last summer, when a German man called Philipp decided that he wanted to pick up a good, wholesome and extremely large American wagon while on his American holidays.
Philipp’s a car guy through and through, his only car since 2009 being a 1979 Opel Kadett C 2-door sedan that he restored himself. This time however, he was in search of bigger fish (terrible pun completely intended). What started as an idea eventually evolved into a thread in the FinalGear forums, where he asked for help finding one. There weren’t a lot of requirements: automatic transmission, power steering, a V8 engine and most important of all, a completely stock engine, exhaust and drivetrain.
The last one was crucial. Germany taxes vehicles by emissions and engine displacement. To register Lucille as a normal pre-2008 vehicle would cost 1673 EUR ($1905 at the time of writing). But if you register it as a classic vehicle it costs 191 EUR. Doing that however means that everything on the drivetrain must be period correct. You can swap parts, even the engine, but everything that you swap in must have been available for that vehicle at the time or within a couple of years of its production.
Phillipp had decided he either wanted a 1971-72 Full-size ford wagon or one of the B-Body wagons if it came with GM’s amazing “clamshell” tailgate. FinalGear is a very close-knit community so everyone started to look for possible candidates, with offering to personally go and check them out. It took a month but finally one of them found Lucille 15 hours away from him in Ohio and bought her after a bit of haggling.
Lucille doesn’t have wood paneling to interrupt its Wind blue paint. The Country Sedan was the middle-of-the-road offering when released, slotting in between the austere Ranch Wagon and the Broughamtastic Country Squire. No six cylinder engines were offered on any of the Full-size wagons of this generation, so the base offering was the 351 (5.7-liter) Windsor and went all the way to the big 460 (7.5-liter). Lucille has a 400 ci heart mated to the heavy duty C6-three speed auto to move her about.
Philipp was due for the U.S in October, so there was time to fix some issues. The magic doorgate, which was supposed to fold down or open outwards regardless of whether the window was up or down, wouldn’t open. A breakerless ignition was fitted, as well as a performance intake manifold to allow the engine to breathe better and take full advantage of a bigger Carter 4-barrel carb. The normal headlights were converted to modern H4 units. All before being dropped in Chicago to meet her new owner. Needless to say, the first test drive had him fall in love with her all over again.
And what a first meet. Philipp and Lucille bonded by driving 2500 miles through Route 66 to St.Louis, Memphis, Tennessee, and then all the way back up to New Jersey so she could be shipped to Germany, where she arrived on December the 12th. She passed the TUV inspection, needing only new tires, brake fluid and a tune-up. With that out of the way, the next order of business was to install a throttle body injection system would improve everyday driving. This has been the most intensive and time-consuming project so far. Getting the system configured just right wasn’t easy, but after much sweat, soldering and programming it was done. Most recently it was given a rustproofing treatment to ensure she doesn’t get attacked by the tin work for years to come.
Philipp has noticed that the reactions he’s gotten in Europe are very different than the ones in America. Instead of a sense of familiarity, and people remembering how their relatives had one or that they spent their childhoods on the back of one, Europeans give it a thumbs-up as a very different and interesting car; certainly not something from their childhood or family history. Let’s hope Lucille and Philipp keep raking those in for a long time. Knowing him, I’m sure of it.
Related: 1972 Ford LTD Sold To Germany (above) – The Europeans Are Buying Our CC Jewels On The Cheap While We Buy Their Overpriced Junk by Paul N.
I salute Philipp’s taste in wagons. A clamshell or one of these would suit me fine. I nearly got my hands on one of these; a very, very rare Aust delivered wagon with LTD side trim and a woody tailgate. Shoulda woulda coulda. Nice find and happy travels.
Don, you may remember there were lots of white LTD sedans of this model in the Comcar fleet. Canberra used to be full of them! They were of course replaced progressively by the local model LTD, which remained the standard politicians express for over 20 years.
Mate of mine had one huge tank of a thing, he went back to V8 Falcons after it, the LTD wasnt happy at speed on rural highways definitely a smooth road town cruiser.
These big cars were best suited for highways, not around town traffic. The big North American highways are where these cars came into their element. They didn’t do as well on secondary windy two-lane type roads.
Yes, and it’s on our interstates that so many modern cars fail with their choppy rides and twitchy steering.
Not to mention road noise…
And flat sides making gusts or a semi-truck/trailer passing you a dicey proposition.
The 71/72 LTD sedan was the single most numerous US fullsize car over here when I was coming of age. For years and years you could pick them up for $3k then mining money sent them into five figures. They’ll settle down again at some point soon; they don’t really have the tradie cachet of a Camaro or Stang, but cost just as much to fill up. I also tested a 70 with the 390 but there’s something about the extra contours of the 71/72 body that I love.
Nice wagon certainly not run o the mill here or Germany, funny though I shot a local clamshell for the cohort recently and though they arent common here a classic car facebook page here has had several posted on it since including one of the V8 diesels which runs fine according to its owner they are out there.
I assume you’re talking about one of the ill-fated GM diesels? Those are now rare as hen’s teeth even in their native land, impressive that there’s at least one still clattering away in the Southern Hemisphere (assumption made based on your username).
There are at least two. I saw an article the other day about another GM diesel wagon in South Africa. It had only 1800 miles.
The last brand new station wagon my Dad bought was a medium blue, 1960 Country Sedan. Unlike the featured car, that one had a small 6 cylinder engine with 2 speed Cruise-o-matic. It was replaced by a 64 Country Squire with a 289 and “three on the tree”.
Of all the various Ford wagons my family would own, we would hold a special fondness for that blue Country Sedan.
That said, if it were me looking for a wagon I would have gone for an older model Chevy or Ford. A 65 or 68 Country Squire….or maybe a Ranch Wagon. For Chevy a 65, 66, 67 or 70. Of course, my choices would probably be more expensive to purchase in good condition.
The two speed Ford auto was called Ford-O-matic, introduced in 1959.
The original Ford-O-matic introduced with 1951 Fords had three speeds but normally started in second gear. The Cruise-O-matic three speed introduced in (I think) 1958 usually had two Drive modes, one of which started in second gear and the other in first.
Seems like HEI and TBI would solve most of this cars issues. There might be a tendency to firm up the suspension, but I would think that would be a mistake. You wouldn’t buy this car if you were not interested in period feel.
I hope Philipp has a big family and lots of friends to give rides to. Something so different can really decorate an otherwise hum-drum street.
It always makes me a little sad when vintage cars get “upgraded” with more modern components. I enjoy the “period feel,” as you put it, of the old cars and trucks.
Well that all depends on what’s done to the suspension. Personally I didn’t like most standard suspensions on cars from this era even when new. I always favoured cars with trailer towing/heavy duty/handling suspension options. The muscle car crowd guys go pretty far with suspension mods, but I don’t think it’s out of line to change springs and sway bars to options that the factory offered. If I decided to upgrade the suspension, I’d likely install the 1972 the heavy duty springs and shock option, and a decent set of shocks. If it were a sedan I would consider the police specs suspension, but I think that would be out of place in a wagon.
Remember Philipp has this car in Germany. The stock ride of the 72 big Ford will be so other wordly to Germans used to cars tuned to normal German practice. For them to get in it and not feel the boulevard ride, feather light steering and understeer would just be missing out. The HD setup would just have them scratching their heads.
I was stating my personal preference for firmer suspensions and what “I” would do if I owned this car. I think that these cars can still be period correct without having an overly soft suspension. Not every car from this era was bought that way, many ordered heavy duty suspensions (my father was a proponent of HD suspension) on his cars). Further, the heavy duty suspension is not that heavy duty by modern standards. It just ensure these big boats have ‘some’ composure. The boulevard ride will still be there, it just won’t have as much heaving. Even the Police specs suspensions on these cars still ride pretty soft by todays standards, but at least they have some handling.
I owned both a 1971 LTD Sedan and the 1971 model year of this same station wagon (bought the wagon to swap its 429 into the sedan which had the 400 – in fact I did a drivetrain swap between the two vehicles over four days during my summer break during college).
The stock suspension on our LTD sedan was crap (the car was in our family from 1970 to 2000 so I grew up in it and learned to drive in it). The car was outright scary on the road at anything above 75mph (my dad often exceeded that on 2-lane highways when passing people which was also often). It came stock with 5.0″ wide wheels, a skinny front sway bar, no rear sway bar, dinky shocks, and so on. Plus, the steering was vague and sloppy.
I upgraded the sedan to “cop car” specs. Bigger springs and shocks all around. Front sway bar (over 1″ dia. as opposed to 1/2″ dia.) and steering box from a 1979 Thunderbird. Seven inch wide wheels from a Dodge Diplomat police car with 225/75R15 Goodyear Eagle GTs. Bigger rear brake drums courtesy of the wagon.
The difference in handling was simply staggering. With a Holley TBI sitting on top of the high-compression 429, I never found its top speed, but I will say that it was still stable at 120mph (in a straight line on a flat road, obviously). And at lower speeds it could easily corner better than any passenger could ever imagine.
Now the downside to all of that upgrading: stiffer springs and bigger front sway bar meant that the car tended to oversteer vs. the stock (and safer) plow-mode (understeer), and it was exceedingly easy to get the tail sideways especially with the massive grunt of the 429. I actually got into an accident because of this. So I only let certain trusted people drive it after the modifications. You had to be really careful especially on wet roads.
I’ll write up my story with this car, now that I have found my picture box in storage that I can gather relevant car pictures from.
I updated my 77 Chevelle to cop car specs, intending to make a high performance driving event sedan out of it, 6 years later it still hasn’t made it to a track, and while it handles great, the taxi-cab ride (I think) is tiresome. I plan on swapping the springs out for the stock softer springs, but leave the factory sway bars in it.
It still sports the box-stock original 305 under the hood, all 145 chain-smoking horses and blue clouds of bad valve stem seals.
That’s coincidental that you mention that. I have a similar story but the opposite outcome. My dad’s old car was a ’76 Chevelle 2-door which was a nice clean original car and his former daily driver for many years.. When he retired it from DD status my brother took the car took possession of the car. He was not a fan of the wallowy stock suspension, so I upgraded it for him. I went with springs slightly stiffer than what the factory offered in 1976, 1 1/4″ sway bar front, 1″ rear bar, and Bilstein shocks. It made a night and day difference in ride and handling. My brother is much happier with the handling and he likes the ride better (no float or excessive bouncing). Even when my dad drove the car after it was done, he preferred the way it drove with the new suspension too. My brother lives on rural back roads that are rough with broken pavement and this car still is much smoother than most modern cars. However, I stuck with stock rubber bushings because of the rough roads my brother drives on. When people switch to poly bushings on a street car it really adds the ride harshness, much more so than the springs in my experience.
With new shocks in the front and hijackers in the back, I am happy with the stock suspension. She’s not a racecar nor an autobahn killer, but a cruiser. She feels planted enough for 80mph cruising speed and some 95 mph peaks for overtaking. She was never built to go faster – and I don’t intend to force her to.
Phillipp, I am glad you are happy with the car as it is. My point of the post was that you can still upgrade a suspension, but have period feel. I wasn’t trying to influence you to change your car, especially if you are happy with it. Do you know if your car has the trailer towing package or heavy duty suspension? It may be equipped with it already as many wagons received these options.
I don’t know if you are aware or not, but there is a company called Marti Auto works. If you want to find out what options your car came equipped with, where it was originally sold, the day it was built and other stats (such as how rare your options are), get a Marti Report. Even a basic report will tell you a ton of info about your car and they email a PDF version pretty quickly. I did it for my old Ford, and it was worth every penny. I am in no way affiliated with Mart Auto works, just passing on the info to a fellow enthusiast.
https://www.martiauto.com/reports2.cfm
They were so soft and more importantly quiet and isolated starting with the 1965 body/frame design that a bit of stiffening like with coil-over rear shock absorbers would not be that noticeable but reduce cornering lean and understeer. Also modern gas shock absorbers just work better.
A 1972 would already (I think) have disc brakes in front, mostly fixing a huge shortcoming in older American cars.
I still remember the time that I was driving on curving and downhill Portola in San Francisco in my 40+ year old drum braked 5000 pound 1962 Lincoln at about 40 mph and a slow moving car pulled out right in front of me. I managed to not crush it with squealing tires. Or the time my 30+ year old 1956 Plymouth convertible ended up with about 5% brakes at the bottom of Divisadero St. Somehow I didn’t T bone anybody as I zipped right across Union St. unable to stop. Did not discuss it with the five passengers.
Good times.
As commented below by another (back in 2015) I don’t know if you can get those coil over shocks any more. The family Falcon wagon had them put on, and my Lincoln already had them when I got it which made it perfectly level. I looked under another ’61 style Lincoln once and it had helper springs (an extra outside half leaf) on the rear leaf springs. I guess sagging is typical. I was once told that big truck repair places can retemper them!
This is why machining the drums wasn’t considered good practice by Bendix, I too remember 5 and 10 year old high mileage American Boats that couldn’t make good stops in traffic much less when descending hills .
In the early 1970’s some friends and I went through a series of those HUGE 1961 ~ 1965 Lincolns , most had paper thin brake drums from 1/2 assed gas station brake jobs and if you were lucky they’d make one or two decent stops from speed then you were pretty much on your own .
As a mechanic in those days I’d get Customers in who’d complain about “a scraping noise” but -not- any poor braking complaints and discover the brake drums had been cut in half by driving them metal to metal for so long…
The 1965 Lincolns had front disc brakes and really did stop on a dime .
yes, those days were mostly good times but more than once I thought I was going to die because one of my mates would drive a tank too fast with bad brakes, making hard & fast right turns to avoid running a stop light was routine to them, why I preferred to drive then and now .
Last time I checked Monroe still make the coil over shocks, they call them “Load Levelers” and the shock part is very low quality and loses the damping action in 20,000 miles or so .
“re arching” leaf springs is a temporary fix at best, the last place that got our spring contract used a day laborer to operate a punch press to dent the leaf spring, when I mentioned this was a waste of time and effort they shrugged and said “you can always buy new ones” .
-Nate
Any interior pictures available?
Very cool story. Nice to see an old wagon found a new home in Germany. Hopefully it sees many more miles of usage overseas. Do you know what type of FI system the owner installed in the car?
One minor point of correction. The 1972 Ford’s did not have the 460 as an option, top dog was a 429-4V.
The FI system is a GM TBI unit that the same friend who helped me buy Lucille got from a 1990 Chevy truck at a Pick’N’Pull 50% off weekend. The 7747 ECM runs a custom config bin and spark is provided by a cheap GM large cap knockoff from Skip White – Ihad no luck getting a reman Cardone DuraSpark dizzy to trigger a GM HEI module, thus I decided to just get the cheapest HEI dizzy on eBay as a testbed. The $40 thing just keeps on working…
Interesting swap! The GM TBI units are pretty rock solid reliable, I think you made a wise choice. Plus finding parts will never be an issue unlike some aftermarket FI systems. Those 400 Fords are good engines, and the earlier years are the best ones to have. They actually are basically a tall deck, large bearing 351 Cleveland, very similar to the relation between the 351W and 302 Ford. How does it run with the FI compared to the carb?
If you ever have to do any work to that 400 or want to upgrade it in anyway, I highly recommend talking to Tim Meyer or Tmeyer Inc. He is an expert on these engines and has built some very strong 400 Fords. There is also a ton of good info and experts on the Ford Truck Forum.
http://www.tmeyerinc.com/
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum54/
Wow, how that thing lived a life in Ohio without turning to powder is amazing.
I once worked for a guy who had this car’s twin. But that was in 1976-77 when these things were all over the place. As much as I usually like blue cars, that early 70s Ford hue was one I never found attractive in the least. For a metallic paint, it seemed uniquely lifeless.
It occurs to me that I have not said one positive thing about this car. Damn, do I sound like PN this morning, or what? 🙂
I felt the same way about blue cars when these were new. But now that a new blue car is a relative rarity, and siler/grey/charcoal “rules”….I might almost consider a car of this color to be refreshing.
My father’s 60 Country Sedan was a medium blue called Belmont Blue. Under a street light at night it had a purplish hue. Gotta love “chameleon” colors.
Lucille spent most of her life in California. She was garaged shortly after being relocated to Ohio as her first owner died. According to an oil change sticker in the window, she barely did 1.000 miles between 1998 and 2014!
My parents had the next year version (1973) of the Country Sedan, replaced our 1969 Country Squire. It was better equipped than the Squire, having Air Conditioning (our first car with that option), plus power locks (manual windows though) and AM/FM Stereo, and the trailer towing package (my parents had a 20′ pop top camper which this was probably overkill for, but my father did have a tough time backing up and forward while trying to position the trailer,so at least the transmission cooler was probably a good idea)…had the 400/2bbl, and was a metallic brown color (I liked the brown). I was a new driver when they got this, and did some driving during long camping trips (and trips to visit relatives, etc.). It was traded in in late 1978 for a 1979 Chevy Caprice Classic Wagon.
My dad was in Germany (back during the Korean War)….he drove VW bugs and REO trucks back then. I think his first new car, after getting out of college on the GI bill, was a ’56 Plymouth Plaza (6 cyl flathead, 3 speed column shift).
I had a friend (now gone) who loved Country Squires. He had at least three and perhaps four during the time I knew him. He would buy one lightly used and drive it for three or four years, and then pick up a fresher one. Great cars. Plently of room, plently of effortless power, very reliable.
Pro Tips (or they would be if I was a Pro at anything):
1. Two words: Trailer Package. If he wants to beef things up a bit for autoban duty without going overboard, this is the route. Heavy duty radiator, alternator, springs and it’s all period correct, OEM stuff.
2. Gather ye trim parts while ye may. Tail lights, turn signal lenses, emblems, and all the other nits and bits unique to that particular year and model. You can never find this stuff when you actually need it. It’s awfully nice to have a spare tail light lense rather than having a patched one annoying you on an otherwise pristine car while you scour the internet.
Source: I own a very old Alfa Spider, and have had to do a lot ‘treasure hunting’
Parts Source: https://row52.com
I already ran into the “trim parts” trap – Lucille’s missing a rear wheelarch chrome part that I failed to locate – both stateside and in Germany – so far.
I upgraded the alternator to a 3G from a 90s Taurus (there’s a brilliant howto available at the Lincoln MK VII owner’s club web page). The radiator so far seems to be up to the job (coolant temps don’t even move up even at 100F), which leaves the trailer pack front shocks as a good upgrade (I run hijackers in the back)… thank you for the suggestians!
I don’t know if you can find the factory heavy duty shocks anymore The heavy duty suspension was part of the trailer tow package, there was no “trailer package” shocks. Ford offered two tow packages on the 1972 Fords, both came with the heavy duty suspension, but you could also order the heavy duty suspension with out getting the tow package.
If you purchase a good name brand heavy duty shock for your car, it should be a good improvement. I prefer Brillstein’s, but they are expensive. I have heard good things about Monroe Severe Service shocks and KYB shocks as a cheaper alternative. If you need help finding a listing for your car, let me know and I will get you a part number.
The only thing that really helped on our 1971 LTD was air shocks. We tried the “helper” shocks that had the mini-coil spring on them (do they even make those still?) and they weren’t enough to make up for the saggy stock rear coils.
+1000 on obtaining spare parts. These LTDs were as common as oil-soaked dirt in the junkyards back in the 1980s, when I spent at least one or two weekends a month scrounging for replacement parts and optional upgrades that my dad either didn’t order or didn’t know to order when he bought the car new.
Did you need to modify the rear turn signal to amber colour? I heard its required in Germany, how did you made it?
In Czech its tolerated ti leave taillights original, although legally its only for cars older then 1972. Most of our old cars runs with historical plates, which require very good condition and need to pass technical inspection with brakes once year. Historical status is renewed every year. The benefit of historical status/plates is very low insurance, 1/12th of regular price based on the engine size. I pay for 69 Polara convertible with bigblock 20usd per year, while for 87 5.0 Caprice 200usd. Both cars make similar milage per year. But in two years will make the historical testing for Caprice too, meeting requirement of age 30years or older.
Anyway, nice car and with family, there is no better ride the old wagon! Which reminds me, did you alternate the belts to 3 points, or even added isofix to rear?
While technically amber turn signals are required on cars imported in the last few years (can’t be bothered to check it out now) some inspectors will gladly forget to check the rear of the car while indicating for their love of old cars…
Germany updated its traffic regulations in 2012 to require that the rear turn signal indicators be in amber colour for the vehicles manufactured from June 2012. The regulation is §54 (3) Straßenverkehrszulassungsordnung (StVZO): Als Fahrtrichtungsanzeiger sind nur Blinkleuchten für gelbes Licht zulässig. (Only yellow lamps are allowed for the blinking turn signal indicators.) That is interesting interpretation because we see the “least common denominator” taillamps (all in red or white) that illuminate the turn signals as amber instead of red or the new LED taillamps that flash different colours, depending on the situations.
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvzo_2012/__54.html
Germany had the mandate that any vehicle built from 1970 onward must have rear amber-coloured turn signal indicators. However, the personal imports or small-volume imports were often exempted or ignored for many years. That’s why we often see the “official imports” from the US have export taillamps from the 1970s onward.
About the rear seat belts, they (and the front seat head rests) weren’t mandated in Germany during the 1970s. Our 1968 BMW 2002, 1971 Alfa Romeo 1750A Berlina, and 1972 and 1973 Minis (all bought and registered in Germany) didn’t have either. However, some of vehicles have them as “standard equipment”, especially with Mercedes-Benz and others, as selling points.
While we never had a wagon, this car sure fits the mold of the cars my dad had, and the cars that dominated my neighborhood when I was a young pup. Roomy, simple cars with enough trim not to be strippers and comfortable enough with automatics, power steering and brakes, V-8, air conditioning, and a radio. The epitome of cars for the American middle class from 1965 through 1973. OPEC, EPA, NHTSA, CAFE and probably a few other acronyms changed that forever beginning in 1974.
Beautiful car, looks almost new its good to see old American iron being apreciated.
I love wagons, and this Ford is no exception. Somewhat sad to see it leave our country, yet on the other hand I am glad it is going to loving hands and will live on for many more years, rather than ending up in the wrong hands and being junked within a few years!
Great choice in wagons Phillip! I wish you and Lucille many, many happy miles together.
Thank you! (And all the others who posted nice words)
I actually feel kind of sad to see an older American car get transported off to Europe. I feel it should be cruising the interstates here in the U.S.
There is a lot of old iron in Germany, Czech Republic,Austria, Holland and Scandinavia. Sweden/Norway love them most. Perhaps they have brighter future in our hands, still feeling special to us although it’s just average old boat most Americans won’t spend few grands on. Maybe, one day you will start to collect them back. But for now, they are in good company – pictures from biggest meeting in Czech Republic.
http://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#album/113165077258624145187/6159864939911495505
That was my thought for about 3 seconds long ago. Then I tried to sell my 1955 Chevrolet 210.
This was in 1998. Asking only $2000, I could not get anyone in the United States to entertain the idea of a ’55 Chevrolet with four doors and a six-cylinder engine. My ad ran in Hemmings for months. Finally, I got a call with a cash offer.
The buyer was in Sweden.
If somebody was going to enjoy the car, they should have the opportunity to buy it. Besides, it wasn’t as if anyone in this country was beating down my door wanting it. The buyer was accustomed to seeing these as equipped and wanted it for what it was. No parting it out, no rodding it – just enjoying it for what it was.
I hated to see it go, but it was going to a loving home. What more could you want?
Agreed ;
Nice to see this car being cherished .
-Nate
Behind the featured Ford is a Lidl store. According to Forbes, they & Aldi will be entering the US supermarket game soon, if they haven’t already. Contrary to stereotypes about German products, these chains are alleged to be very low-overhead, & may give Safeway & Walmart a run for their money.
Lidl and Aldi are changing the supermarket landscape. They have the majors over here really worried and were responsible for the UK’s major chain – Tesco’s – reporting a major loss last financial year. Be very afraid. FWIW the marzipan bars from Aldi are simply delicious.
Aldi is already doing it in the Midwest. My wife likes Wal-Mart. But sometimes she comes home and says: “I went to ‘your’ store.”
Well, maybe the Germans can bring some sanity to the US supermarket biz; the FTC idiotically forced Safeway (in the name of the “anticompetitive” superstition) to sell many of its stores as a condition of its merger with Albertsons.
http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/01/ftc-requires-albertsons-safeway-sell-168-stores-condition-merger
Result: Haggens got the store nearest our home, but after 6mo. it’s now a boarded-up eyesore because of high prices (what FTC said they were trying to prevent) & poor selection, & staff whom we’ve known for yrs. are now unemployed. Hey FTC, why not let competition (like from Germany) do the job instead?? And it’s not as if we ever lacked options, like Costco, Frye’s, & Walmart.
The Lidl in the background immediately reminded me I need to post the tiny JDM Mazda van I saw parked next to one of their stores. They’ve been in the U.S. now for a few years, and one of their shops is a three minute drive from me. I go there frequently, for the absurdly low priced produce, amazing chocolates, and of course the “middle of Lidl” section that has a rotating supply of, well, just about anything, all at loss-leader get-you-into-the-store prices. This can be anything from power tools to musical instruments to furniture to inflatable canoes.
Aldi has been here since the 1970s and has thousands of stores by now.
Aldi’s prices leave you wondering just why the other stores charge so much more, and get away withy it. It sure isn’t for any benefit to the customer.
Aldi has been making headway in the U.S.A., they don’t have a lot of variety and that’s what drives the huge American supermarkets I think .
-Nate
I remember when Lidle tried to establish in Norway. They was here for about 5 years I think. Pretty cheap, but incredibly low quality food.
These wagons were common as dirt when I was a young teenager. We never had a Country Sedan or Squire, we did have a 73 Gran Torino with the CA compliant 351W, which was insanely gutless as well as thirsty. It was a nice comfortable family car, though.
Given my choice of wagons, I’d take (in no particular order) a 66-67 Dodge Coronet, a 64 Ford, or maybe a nice Fairlane of 66-69.
I love wagons.
Herzlichen Glueckwunsch,Philipp!
The taxation for historic cars makes all the difference. I did not know that it would be so low. Back in the day we knew these cars only from TV series and movies. Some American and Canadian military may have used them in Germany. I can imagine how they draw attention now.
Love the “time capsule” condition of this car! And I’ve always liked the ’72 styling–the car looks a mile wide because of the small grille, and the inset of the headlamps looks just a tiny bit sinister.
My parents had one when I was a kid. It was the first car I ever “drove”, sitting on Dad’s lap, cruising ’round the neighborhood. Can’t do that anymore. The 71-72 models may be one of the best looking American wagons ever made. And the smell. Modern cars just don’t smell the same. I’ll never forget getting in that car on a hot day to go to the go-kart track. The smell of vinyl, natural fiber in the seat stuffing, natural oil and ethanol free gas would just hit you. Its the same smell as an old plane and since the late 70s, they just haven’t smelled the same. My parents also had a ’77 Impala that smelled like that. But I had an ’87, ’89 and ’90 Caprice later on and they just smelled different. Same basic car, just with lots of different finishing materials. I was using semi-synthetic oil, seat cushions are now foam and vinyl seats are out of fashion. Fuel injection and ethanol in gas comes along… I think gas with ethanol in it smells awful. I used to like the aroma of gasoline in the morning.