(first posted 3/3/2012) Automotive passions are unpredictable, and once unleashed, can lead to unexpected outcomes. In 1995 I was driving a 1992 Saturn SL1. Great mileage, but not that great for passing on the Mississippi highways I often found myself on. And not so great a fit for my six-plus-foot frame. But every journey has to have a beginning, and that’s where my mine started. From the title and picture above, you already know where it’s ended (so far). Now it’s time to fill in the parts in between; three big ones.
My thoughts for a post-Saturnian life had narrowed down to either a Monte Carlo, or to wait for the ’97 Grand Prix to begin production. I had seen early photos of them and they looked pretty good to me. I had also seen an Impala at the local dealer, but it came off a bit too redneck, with the black paint and big wheels. But as time went on, my car-expert brother recommended the Impala SS.
I decided to take another closer looked at the Impala. I had always loved how comfortable the Roadmaster high-back seatbacks looked in them. I also read up on the performance figures of the LT1 engine (260 effortless hp). I also found that by 1995, my favorite color, burgundy, was available.
In December of 1995 I mentioned to my buddy that I thought I might want one. He was buying loans for a bank in Tennessee at that time. He promptly contacted a dealer friend of his, and a few days later found me the car. He called one evening, gave me their price and said his bank would finance it. I was really not planning to jump this quick but with a little prodding I went ahead. On January 10, 1996 I took delivery of my new Impala.
I remember vividly the first time I saw it. A younger guy brought it around with the seat raked all the way back, saying “man, you got you a fine car”. I did the paper work and headed back to Mississippi in it. Suddenly everything in my body felt two inches bigger except my belly which now felt two inches smaller. I was already in love with this car: big and comfortable, but with decent gas mileage. Kind of reminded me of my old ’73 Impala, with lots more buttons and whistles. It handled much better, and would blow the doors off of anything I had back then.
As time went on I couldn’t help but start wondering how the other versions of this car would be. In 1998 I swapped out my old 1977 Lincoln Town Car for a S10 pickup. I really missed the Deep Ride of that car. A friend of mine had recently bought a used 1986 Fleetwood. I was in love with it. After a few failed attempts at nailing down a proper square-body, I began mulling on having one with the same engine as the SS. I found a 1995 model in Birmingham in my favorite color (Garnet Red Metallic) and drove over to see it. I was in love.
However, the seller and I could not get together on price. On my way home I spotted one close to identical to it, sitting by the side of the road with a for sale sign on it. After a little haggling the seller and I came together on price. So in November of 2003 I became the owner of a 1996 Fleetwood Brougham. I now had a new Deep Ride. Compared to the old Lincoln it handled much better and was much more powerful with the LT1. It also only gave up a mile or two per gallon compared to the SS. The Fleetwood gets 22-24 highway where the old Lincoln with a 460 was lucky to get 15 on a downhill slope and a stiff tail wind.
In 2005 I was getting the car itch again, and thought to myself: “I love the SS and the Fleetwood, as they always put a smile on my face when I pour on the coals”. So I set my sights on a Roadmaster Wagon. Being fond of Burgundy, I started web-searching for a Dark Cherry Metallic Wagon that I thought would compliment the Impala nicely. As I studied them I decided I wanted the Limited Package also. It would give me the power adjustments and Lumbar/heat of the Fleetwood with the High Back seats which I always thought looked so good in the SS, which Chevy had borrowed from Buick.
I found one to my specs on ebay and drove 150 miles to look it over. It was a ’96 in Burgundy with Wood Delete, the trailering and Limited package. I was actually high bidder but at the time did not understand how ebay worked and did not get the car. Somebody in Canada ended up with the car for $700 less than I was willing to pay for it. My search continued and that included Autotrader as well. One day on a whim I spotted one and called. It was Burgundy with wood for over $2000 less than what I bid on the ebay car. I wasn’t sure I wanted wood, but admitted that it does rather suit it.
I also remember my mom when I was a kid saying if all her dreams came true she would want to go on summer vacations with a Buick Station Wagon and an Airstream trailer. Unfortunately all my folks could afford at the time was a ’63 Plymouth Savoy Coupe and a Nimrod pop-up camper. Anyway the seller on Autotrader was really a great guy and sent me tons of pictures of the car. I was really nervous about buying a car sight unseen that was over 500 miles from me. I finally came up with a plan. I told the seller I would send him a check for $200 if he would meet me half way. I would drive down in another vehicle with a certified check for the balance. If I drove it and still wanted the car, we would complete the deal; if not he could keep the $200 for his trouble.
We met up as arranged and everything worked great. When I settled behind the wheel heading home I quickly discovered this was really the best driving of the bunch. It was equipped with the trailer package which gave it a tighter suspension than the Fleetwood but not quite as harsh as the Impala SS. It also had many of the comfort features of the Fleetwood. When I got home I really began to realize what a great car I had gotten. I even had a copy of the original window sticker, which to my surprise was for a car delivered in Florida, since it was equipped with the block heater. Most states south of Tennessee rely on God’s method of snow removal. I now had the best of each of the cars made in Arlington at that time.
As I got to knew these cars better, I became amazed at how GM operated at the time. Though the engine bay looks rather identical on all three cars and many of the parts are interchangeable, the stuff you see and feel in each is unique. The SS which changed each year with the ’96 getting the floor shifter, analog speedometer and tachometer. Each has its own different steering wheel, radio, climate controls, window and seat controls and the Fleetwood even has the turn signal stalk canted upwards for easier operation.
The Fleetwood also has the Lamp Monitors and a proper Cadillac horn which for some reason Cadillac does not install anymore. The only oddball thing I do not understand is why the Buick wagon stayed with the Caprice front cap after the sedan was introduced in 1992 with its unique one.
At least in 1994 when Buick did a small upgrade the Buick got the interior door panels befitting of its place and not the borrowed ones from the Caprice. One other thing I like about these cars is that the switch gear for the windows and seats are chrome. Nowadays even on a high number Mercedes or Lexus they are Gray, Black or colored plastic.
Comparing the three cars it is amazing how they attract different demographics. The Impala definitely has a following of younger Black males. I do not know how many times I have been asked if I want to sell it. One time I remember a young man walking with an attractive young women practically tripping on her elevator shoes; his whole demeanor changed when he spotted my car.
The Buick on the other hand is favored by older white women. One lady who is in her eighties asked me to will her that car in the unlikely event I would die before her.
The Cadillac gets comments from across the board by folks who love that type of car. Once while going to get something at the Quick Mart a younger women came out and told me that car is just Beautiful! and then went on to tell me it’s a Baby Girl repeatedly then to finally say No, That Is A Momma!
After an extended 1996 run, GM suddenly forgot how to make a real car, as did Ford also just recently. The Arlington, TX plant was converted to make truck station wagons, as I used to call them before the word SUV was coined. Blame it on CAFE, poor marketing, or just changing tastes. My cars, though in good shape, get regular use. I usually rotate them to take trips to see family and friends. I prefer to drive them over my 2008 Sierra Pickup,with better ride and gas mileage.
As time goes by they are getting less common in the wild. There is a local used car dealer that seems to specialize in clean Detroit iron. His lot used to be packed with various B-Bodies. Now it seems there may be an occasional one but it is now occupied with Panther and W bodies. Of course the Cash for Clunkers consumed more than a few. Maybe one day GM and Ford will remember like Chrysler recently has, how to make a proper American Car.
Thanks for a great article. I really enjoyed reading it. I hope you had fun writing it.
> Maybe one day GM and Ford will remember like Chrysler recently has, how to make a proper American Car.
Amen.
I really like the short, clean dash, no humongous centre console or intrusive floor shifter. Lots of `knee room’, unlike the cock pits most new cars subject drivers to. Blame it on the Bimmer, but even the Cruze does it now. Double bench seats with poofy upholstery is the icing on the cake. And yes, light coloured interiors please. I hate the dark grey/black dungeon-like interiors so common in `Yourapeen-inspired’ cars, and deeply loathe the fake `carbon fibre’ look, to the point that fake wood looks better to me, relatively speaking. Design is cyclical, or so we are told; I’m anxiously waiting for the other side of the wheel.
Given what fuel prices are currently and most likely will be in the future, the “proper American car” will likely continue to be a 190 inch long D-segment sedan with a four cylinder engine, seating for 5, and front wheel drive. See: Ford Fusion or Chevrolet Malibu.
Well I guess we better get ready for another bail-out since none of the American Makers produce a small Pick-Up anymore. I would imagine that a B Body with the advanced technology of today would probably rate a pretty decent EPA mileage sticker. If a F150 or Silverado can rate 21+ highway and a 300 V6 can rate 31. What would a Crown Vic rate with the Ecoboost v6 and an 8 speed transmission? Plus my former 77 Town Car was easier to park and drive down narrow streets than my 08 Sierra.
190in length, four cylinder power (if well balanced and vibration-free), and front-wheel drive have nothing to do with huge centre consoles, obtrusive shifters (even on automatics), dark interiors, or hard, small, narrow seats. I’m not obsessed with V8s or RWD like some makers of fake `luxury’ cars. I just want a spacious car, light, airy interiors and minimalistic controls, coupled with good ride and soft seats… Wait, I’m describing impalafleetta’s Caddy. Oh well.
Fusion and Malibu are transportation appliances mainly for single persons, with no pretensions of comfort or space. It is improper to compare them to an older Buick wagon or a full size luxury car.
Have you driven a modern D-segment sedan recently?
Apart from the 6-passenger seating, which would be produced by a car company if the car-buying market currently demanded it, any modern D-segment passenger sedan will fulfill all your needs that you described above. The Camry would be very good because it has absolutely no sporting pretentions and soft, wide, comfortable seats that can fit big American bodies.
And if you think a Fusion or Malibu are only for single people…I don’t know what to say.
Generally couples or families with 1-2 kids drive those things around, if they aren’t in rental fleet use. Most young single people around here who can purchase new cars drive something along the lines of a Mazda 3 or similar Asian car.
You’re absolutely right about modern D-segmenters. Camry fits the bill perfectly. Light interiors (beige, check), space (check), nice ride (check), soft, big seats (sorta), silent yet powerful (check), reliable (check). That (in part) is why its America’s largest selling car. Unfortunately, GM and Ford don’t seem to build such cars, which was the original comment. Granted they’ve lost their fixation on truck station wagons, but their family cars (and luxury cars) still leave much to be desired.
As for Fusion and Malibu, they may be rental champions, or bought by people who just want `a car’—they’re competent cars, yes, but I reiterate that they’re not comparable to an older Buick wagon or full-size luxury car.
Toyota should make the Avalon with a column shifter and no console. I’m with you; I rather hate consoles and feeling hemmed in. I’m utterly spoiled by the freedom my legs have in my Xb.
That’s one reason among many why I love my 2004 Impala so much – a split-bench front seat and NO CONSOLE. Column shift, of course!
Mmm. A picture please!
Put me down as preferring column shifters too. I even know the car models that were last to do away with 6 passenger seating(a little fuzzy on the exact last year though):
2006ish ford taurus
2012ish chevy impala
2012ish ford crown vic
2012ish buick lacrosse
There’s no reason why an automatic-only FWD car should have anything but a completely console-free flat floor.
Doubly so with rotary and pushbutton shifters reappearing.
The “proper American Car” is dead. Get used to it If you’re lucky, you can always pick up a Chrysler 300 – which is as close as you’ll get anymore.
At least you can get a proper luxury coupe. Of course, it’s dressed as a pony car – the Dodge Challenger! I’m usually into sports cars (as evidenced by my CC on the RX-7), but when I went shopping for a Mustang, I ended up in the Challenger instead.
It’s slower than the Mustang GT (in R/T form, anyway), but it’s equipped like a luxury car and cruises like one, too. Sure, it’s heavy, but, if anything, I’d gladly add another 200 lbs to the car if it meant it could be a true hardtop.
“Proper American Car” does not mean V8 or RWD. It means silent, powerful, spacious, comfortable. Modern 4cyl are powerful and increasingly silent, 6cyl are already superior to yesteryears’ 8s; interior space can be brought equivalent to older cars with decrease in external dimensions through advancement in suspensions and packaging; my only grouse remain the harsh ride and pathetic interiors that are legion in all classes of automobiles. There is certainly no reason for it, apart from design trend.
I’m not lucky, so no 300 for me, but is a decent (=non fake `sporty’), spacious (6 seater+luggage), comfortable (nice ride+soft, big seats) family car too much to ask for?
Some might argue that the last “American car” (crossing myself I’m opening a can of worms here I’m sure) would be the Chevrolet Impala. The W-body was designed and engineered in the U.S. (not many of GMs products can say that anymore) and has recently been updated with the V6 and transmission it should have received several years ago. Front bench is available on LS and LT trims as an option. The trunk is spacious, the hinges don’t intrude into the massive trunk space. The interior materials have improved since the bankruptcy. I got the chance to drive one from Crownpoint, NM to Gallup, NM in mixed highway/freeway driving. The new engine made it effortless even at 85 mph with the cruise locked and in hilly high altitude western driving.
I would agree with that. My dad drives a white ’10 Impala LT for work, and it’s a nice comfy sedan with lots of space. I like the light tan interior too. That said, I’d take a Caprice, Roadmaster or Fleetwood over one any day, if they were still being built.
But don’t forget the Charger and 300, they are worthy of the title “American car.”
Excuse me. The Charger is not intended as a family car, and is hardly the general purpose automobile, while the 300 is an aspirational luxury car. While both cars are masterpieces of design and marketing (full credit to W+K ad agency), they are hardly what a middle class family man could or would buy. I absolutely adore both cars, and like the fact that they’re imported from Detroit, but cars in their respective segments do not bring home the bacon for automakers. Large and mid-size family cars do.
PS: This should be obvious from a Mopar fan like me, but remember how the author longed for GM and Ford to remember making the “proper American car”, like Chrysler recently has… Cheers!
PPS: Congrats on the Impala! I’d love to own one, but am geographically challenged.
No worries. The Impala and Charger are both priced at about $25,000 but they do serve different purposes, the Charger being more of a ‘lifestyle’ vehicle than a bread-and-butter family car.
I drove 2001-2002 Tauruses and Sables for work about eight years ago, they were very similar to the Impala, but the Impala has a nicer interior in my opinion. The current Taurus is a luxury car and close in size to the Crown Vic/Marquis, except with front wheel drive and a V6.
I’ll second everything you said, Dan. Eight years of personal experience, you understand!
Now, what I’ll buy next is anyones’ guess…
My daily driver is a 2013 crystal red Impala LT but with a floor shifter and my Summer driver is a 1996 maroon Caprice Classic 4.3 V8 in excellent condition. The Impala is the modern interpretation of that 1996 Caprice but lacks the wide trunk opening, cushy full frame ride, wide body for 3 across 6 passenger seating and a near dead silent effortless smooth V8.
As someone whose two earliest memories involve a 1979 Oldsmobile 98 and a mid 70s Oldsmobile Cutlass, let me say… Amen.
Wow am I ever jealous! Take good care of your LT1s and enjoy them.
I think the G8 was as close to a “proper American Car” there for a couple of years. V8 up front, cavernous trunk in the back, legroom for miles in the middle.
The interior is waves of rolling black plastic, but it suits the car.
My 88 year old grandfather loves it. I have to keep reminding him of the speed limits when he’s behind the wheel.
Oh well.
You have an awesome collection of automobiles. That model series Fleetwood is THE most desirable vehicle I would like to own. Thank you for sharing!
So, so jealous, that first picture of all 3 got my heart racing. Add in a nice Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and you have your own GM Motorama circa 1996!
Unfortunately Olds quit making the Custom Cruiser in 1992. It was 1994 before GM put the LT1 in the B and D bodies. However I have toyed with the idea of trying to find one. Wonder what Casey at Art and Colour could come up with as a fitting B or D Oldsmobile and Pontiac Sedan?
Both Pontiac and Olds were fighting to get in the B-body action back in 1991, Olds was able to at least get the wagon, Buick got full on back into the big cars, remember that there wasn’t RWD Buick sedan from 85 till 92 when the Roadmaster sedan came out.
I would have loved to see a B-body Bonneville or Ninety Eight in 1991. What could have been…
The rummor was that Pontiac wanted to revive the Super Chief moniker for their B-body.
Great story! I’ve got to, at some point in my life, live in a place where I can support multiple vehicles to satisfy all my automotive desires.
It seems whenever I make a car purchase, which averages every 2 years, I immediately begin to search out the next. Better to have a few on hand at all times!
And I miss the SS series. As a kid, one of the neighbors had a ’65 Impala SS dark blue, with console and manual trans. He was the cool Dad on the block.
I think I missed the boat. I still have my 57 because of some of the same reasoning that caused you to buy these. I owned a 77 impala wagon from some of those same reasons. What I missed though is that I should have bought some variation of these. The buick wagon would have continued the trend i was following.
Well, you can’t have everything but you seem to be doing very well. Hope you continue to enjoy and sure enjoyed the article. Well written.
I thought about an Impala SS…wouldn’t be much of a stretch as I currently own a ’91 Caprice wagon as a spare car. I almost bought a ’94 SS back in 1997 but it was high miles and had been pretty thrashed, even though it was just three years old at the time.
One can only have so many projects…so I’ll take the ’57 210 Handyman I already own and build it into something that’ll run like a much newer car.
After I build my ’68 Chevy C-10, which commences immediately when the house is finished…
You mention the horns these cars had…One of my BIG peeves is the poor excuses that cars have now ( along with poor sight lines, hard to find horn buttons and crappy headlamps ). My personal faves were in the old high end Buicks and Caddys with three horns, all in perfect harmony…a great swap into your current ride…To me they had a sort of far away train horn sound…..
The horns on my ’63 Electra weren’t loud enough, I bought it on my 18th birthday in 1966, I went to the parts yard to get a set of tri-horns, but there was a Ferrari coupe, with a set of 135 db Fiamm air horns, got them for $15, been on the car since. Years ago I was on a fast winding road, near midnight, doing 80 mph, around a curve, a very large cow was standing in the middle of the road, I hit the brakes and horn. The sight was like ‘the cow jumped over the moon’, it instantly went down on it’s hind legs and launched completely off the road, I didn’t know they could do that, since, there have been countless times it has instantly moved large animals off the road
My son had a ’96 Caprice undercover car, steel blue color, with the interceptor LT-1, full leather and power acc, and a 95 wagon a prior owner changed to SS trim, after selling he missed them, he has a black ’96 Impala SS now and is looking for a 96 Buick wagon.
The ’57 BUICK and Airstream brought memories we had a Warwick Blue Century Caballero Estate and Airstream for vacations
20-24 would be a dream in a luxury car now. The Chrysler 300C gets only 16-22.
And yet, due to the retroactively revised EPA numbers published just in time, these cars qualified for Cash for Clunkers — and a quick YouTube search will pull up videos of some Fleetwoods and Caprice/Roadmaster wagons being euthanized in dealers’ back lots. Many people I know who own these can beat the EPA numbers unless they drive like maniacs. These actually were the most efficient genuine full size cars ever made.
Amen! Do not understand the EPA numbers anymore! The Impala was rated at 17-26. If I keep my foot out of it it will get 25-26 on the highway. Once even got 30! I bought a 2008 4×4 Sierra and it is rated 14-19. This was after the adjustment I have only seen 19 2 times in it. Usually around 16-17.
C4C was ignorant! Attached is a picture of a Cadillac Seville with 41000 miles which met its demise for an Aveo! I bet whoever did that wishes they had the Seville back now! Seville was perfect on the inside. Here is link for the trades for C4C http://www.faqs.org/cars/ Oh well so sad!
Breaks my heart to see some of those C4C videos. Stupid program that wasted lots of dollars. Rather than crushing them, gov’t should’ve resold them as parts cars abroad to recycle revenue back into the coffers.
The LT1 was truly a remarkable engine. I don’t think it really ever got proper credit for what was a great compromise between performance and economy. 30 highway mpg in a 4th gen 6-speed F-body is not unheard of.
The thought of all those perfectly good V-8’s getting murdered by cash for clunkers breaks my heart. Seriously, I can’t even watch the clips on YouTube. It’s like watching someone drown a puppy.
I can’t either. I don’t like to get political but I really really really hated that program, enough to cost anyone in favor of it my vote forever(yes, out of everything else in the last several years THAT’s still my hot button lol).
Just the name alone, “clunker” pfft…
. Yeah I’m sure it’s super great for all those rotted out, blue smoke billowing econoboxes from the 80-90s I STILL see roaming around to not qualify as “clunkers”, no, it’s all those damn V8 dinosaurs! What we’ll do is sabotage and run each and every one of them at full throttle for 8 minutes until they explode in a ball of hydrocarbons! That’ll be good for the environment! As an added benefit this will sabatage the possibility of any of those would be younger car enthusiasts seeking out dinosaurs like these! Now if only we could have eradicated all those muscle cars in the 80s, we really dropped the ball there! /end sarcasm
Magnificent cars, and you found the best of each. Congratulations, and may they bring you many decades of joy.
I like the SS, especially for the floor shifter. Never liked the column shifter in big American cars, or bench seats.
I agree. 1996 was the only year with the floor shifter. I think the console was borrowed from the 1980’s Monte Carlo SS. I had at the time looked at a few 94 and 95 Impala’s and decided I wanted the 96 for those features.
Sweet collection!
Give me the T/A in that exact color blasting some Metallica for the weekends and the Caddy in white with some Louie Prima for the M-F tasks and I’d be pretty happy!
I remember getting into a “discussion” about the D body Fleetwood Brougham a few years back. The guy swore up and down that it was FWD because his aunt had a “really big Cadillac that was FWD and had a V8”. I tried explaining that he may have been talking about the C body Fleetwood but he just wasn’t having it..
And that’s why I’d rather talk politics, religion, or women than cars at the Pub!
This one is the current obsession.. It’s been on CL for a while now.
I’d rock that Caddy for sure…it’s every Panther owner’s secret love.
Not mine, to me the Caddy is the least desirable of the trio. I’d own a Roastmaster, could consider a SS, but wouldn’t touch the Caddy.
I bought a new panther 1979 Mercury Marquis Brougham Coupe in 1980. Loved the way it drove also. However, it had many issues, 2nd gear went out at 20000 miles, funky carburator, timing chain snapped at 90,000 miles, funky starter solenoid, That kind of turned me off on them. I do remember renting a 92 or 93 Town Car and thinking this drives just like my old Mercury but with more refinement and power.
Three wonderful reminders of just how overrated a Panther really is.
It’s so nice to see articles on the GM B-body instead of the endless Panther hype.
A 96 B body was so much better than a 96 Panther…Can you imagine how good they could have gotten if they produced the B as long as the Panther?
Agreed!
Ha ha ha!
Thank you. I had a nearly new Grand Marquis Ultimate Edition for a rental car last year, which was the first Panther I had ever driven.
I came away from that car wondering what all the hype about the Panther was all about. The Panther doesn’t ride that well and kind of crashes over bumps. Given the size of the car, the Panther fails at packaging efficiency for passengers. The bench seat up front just really wasn’t that comfortable, and there’s way more legroom in any modern mid-size front drive sedan for rear seat passengers.
Power? Not much to speak of from the 4.6 liter. Didn’t feel much faster than my wife’s old 4-cylinder Subaru Outback.
I’ll bet the 1996 Impala featured in this article would be much more fun to drive with its Corvette engine.
The only thing I like about the SS is that Ford eventually responded with the Marauder. Id did consider a Toastmaster woodie for the wife’s current beater/DD but found a GrandMa in a color combo she really liked. Not a HPP car but I can fix that with some take offs from the Marauder.
Wow, you have a wonderful collection! I am having a hard time deciding which one I would pick, but I’d probably go with the Fleetwood.
Great article too, thanks for sharing them with us.
It’s the roofline. The “formal” roof sits better with us midwesterners.. 😀
Yes, I believe the Midwest had the highest Brougham-per-capita in the country, circa 1970-1989.
Pretty cars and a fun story. Keep driving them enough that you need to buy whitewalls fairly often, that way they stay in production a few more years. 🙂
That worries me too! One of my employees has a 77 Olds 88 which I let him have my old tires off the Roadmaster. They have since knotted up on him and we checked on tires for my Cadillac thinking about doing the same thing and that particular dealer can not get anything but raised white letters or black ones in that size anymore. Not particularly fitting for a Fleetwood.
Blackwalled Fleetwoods and Town Cars are just sad! 🙂
The internet is our friend here. I ordered new Toyos for the Imp last winter, very reasonably priced mid-range all-seasons with about a 1″ whitewall. Even after paying for shipping and a local install it was under $450 total, and I’m very pleased with them. Hankook also makes something comparable.
Other options can be cheaper (“private-label” mystery meat) or pricier (low-production unwarranteed “show” tires from Coker etc.) but I’m happy to get a modern design with good Consumer Rep ratings under this thing – barges need all the help they can get!
Thanks again for the story, and good luck!
Whitewall fans will always have an independent tire maker to fill the void. No worries there.
So envious right now! I’m usually more of a Ford fan, but have always loved that GM shape in all its Chev/Cad/Buick variations. I’d forgotten they did the Olds version until “Ltd” mentioned it above, but then again, the Olds grille didn’t really suit the rest of the shape, so I shall immediately banish it from my memory again. I prefer the partially-closed rear wheel arch too, one of the key stying characteristics; the full opening on the later Chev doesn’t quite work for me.
The Roadmaster woody wagon is my ultimate favourite variation, and I’m determined to buy one of these one day – although being in right-hand-drive New Zealand, we never got them new. Thankfully Roadmaster wagons are our funeral directors’ best friend, so a reasonable number of them have been imported second-hand from the States, and pop up occasionally on trademe – sometimes with the casket rollers etc too!
I wanted to kill Top Gear USA for what they did to the Roadmaster wagon last season, and I was only slightly pleased that despite the abuse it was the only one still running and driveable at the end – it did prove how well-designed and built they were though!
I Think You need a Olds Custom Cruiser… With The Vista Roof Window….
As 4 Me, Though that Red Looks Great, I want mine in Calypso Green, Creme Leather, or did it come in calypso green? fleetwood cadillac car
I do not think the Calypso Green was available in the Roadmaster. That is my second favorite color combo on the Fleetwood though. Really would have liked the Roadmaster in Garnet Red like the Fleetwood but I think they discontinued that color after 91 or 92 on the wagon. I think the Caprice Wagon had it through 1996. The Roadmaster does have the Vista Roof like the Custom Cruiser. The Caprice Wagon was the only one without it.
I Meant The Cadillac in That Calypso Green… But That RED DOES IT mighty good justice. So Does Black.
I Do Like Your 5 cars… The Red Theme, GM, Tell Me about The Firebird as well.
I have had the Firebird T/A since Jan. 1990. It is an 86. It has the 305 with TPI. Maybe, if Paul wants me to, I will do a write up on it also.
I have always liked the 1993-1996 Fleetwood Brougham, it says Cadillac without even having to look at the badge, you could remove every wreath and crest and Cadillac nameplate off the car and you could still tell it was a Cadillac, great presence, its the Godfather of the Cadillac line from that era, the big Cadillac Voyage style grille with the stand up hood ornament, the 2 feet of chrome rocker panels, mmmmm……..
I’d love to have a Fleetwood Brougham, but I already have one large car with a trunk (Dodge Challenger R/T) and a 94 Roadmaster Estate for my hauling and winter car.
At some point I’d like to get a nicer RMW. I got mine with 112,000 miles on it, and it now has well over 150,000 miles, but it spends its time outside and being driven in all kinds of nasty winter weather.
I do actually prefer the dashboard of the 91-93 Roadmaster. It had full instrumentation with a tachometer, and more wood on the dash made it look a little higher-class. Yes, I know the wood is fake, but I don’t care! The 91-93 cars also have much lower resale value. What might be the best deal would be one of the earlier cars with an LS376 swap.
Of course, if I moved to a warm climate, instead of a Roadmaster, I’d probably end up with one of the big 71-76 GM clamshell wagons instead.
“Truck station wagon”, that’s exactly what an SUV is, thank you. Kudos for your fine cars.
Those are some beautiful rides. I have been looking around for a Vista Cruiser or Roadmaster Wagon, but it’s hard to find a good one!
I found this 1993 or ’94 Fleetwood Brougham last week. It looks to be the same color as your car. Somewhat unusually, this car has a black top. All the Fleetwoods I have seen with factory vinyl roofs had body colored roofs, so this was a new one for me.
Never seen that color combo. What color was the interior? Looks to be Black or Burgundy from picture. In the 70s and early 80s you saw more cars with contrasting tops. I had a 79 Mercury Marquis Brougham Coupe in what I think was called Medium Red Glamour Metallic with a white half vinyl roof with Burgundy interior. Looked sharp at the time.
The interior was black cherry. The color is more apparent in this shot if you click on it to get the larger version. The question is, has the car been repainted, has the top been redone, or is this the original combination?
Not Sure. The car in question is either a 93 or 94 model due to the rear view mirrors being mounted on the door. 94 would have had dual exhaust for the LT1. Color looks correct and if I could find my 94 Brochure I could probably find out if that color top was available then. The 96 Brochure does not list color combos. I think the 94 one did.
What a spectacular group of cars to own. If I could pick three domestics from the ’90s for my own driveway, those would likely be the ones. If you ever get an itch to add some front-drive “B-sides,” I imagine a late-model Pontiac Bonneville SSEi and Olds 88 LSS would round out the collection nicely.
I think he needs a coupe to round out the collection, I would choose a 1995-1999 Supercharged Riviera.
What a beautiful array of cars! I especially like the Cadillac. The dark red color suits them all. I have a 2008 Grand Marquis, and its Dark Toreador Red finish sets it off perfectly. Sadly, it’s unlikely we’ll see cars like these again.
Oh, be still my heart!!!!
What a GREAT collection of cars you have, all stunningly beautiful.
I don’t suppose you could share with us some more photos of them? I’d love to see more.
Great story, thanks for sharing.
Second attempt at a post, internet here is garbage. The 94-96 LT1 collection is amazing, most people ask why don’t you want a ‘new’ car, personally I could care less for most new cars. A while back I was looking at picking up a 96 SS but ended up finding a 94 Fleetwood Brougham and love it, bought it in October and have been planning on the work since. I’m currently deployed to Afghanistan but the Caddy will be heading into the shop in a few weeks for some work, full air ride suspension and new paint, which both are quite expensive, it also needs some restoration due to the previous owner treating it like a Geo Metro. Been looking for new chrome rockers, but they’re hard to come by and most people charge a fortune for them, saw one rocker for a passenger side front door priced at $400. Also I’m a fan of larger wheels on these cars 18-22″ tops, once you have to raise it higher than stock height it gets ugly, unfortunately I see that a lot where I live. Hope to add a 96 SS to the family at some point but the Fleetwood is murdering my bank account for now (wife doesn’t like it lol). Anyway great cars enjoy your lineup.
This is by far the best fleet of cars any American can own hands down!!! It represents everything this country stands for, that is bigger is better and the most power wins every time! Thank you General Motors!
All that’s missing is a 9C1.
The Arlington, TX plant was converted to make truck station wagons, as I used to call them before the word SUV was coined. Blame it on CAFE, poor marketing, or just changing tastes.
It all came down to logistics and profit. As with the B-bodies, the tooling and development for the GMT400 platform had by the mid ’90s been paid off many times over. The Bs were pure profit, but the sales volume and selling price made the big SUVs infinitely more profitable. The ancient Janesville plant (parts of which dated back to 1918) simply couldn’t keep up with the demand (especially once the Tahoe came out) no matter how many overnights and weekends they scheduled. A second (and more easily expandable) source was desperately needed.
It also didn’t hurt that Arlington is located in what was (and probably still is) the epicenter of Tahoe/Suburban sales.
All three of those are beautiful cars, but especially the Fleetwood. The Roadmaster runs a very close second. Were either of these available with a red velour/ cloth upholstery or similar. That Fleetwood so equipped would pretty much be my dream “modern” car, and the Roadmaster would be fantastic too with the additional practicality of being a wagon. Would be nice to see more of the Firebird too
All of these are rare valuable and desirable cars here. The thought of one being destroyed for the C4C progamme sickens me – they would have done well and got a very good return here
Thanks and yes both the Fleetwood Brougham and the Roadmaster Limited were available with a burgundy cloth interior though I have seen very few. I think most were optioned with leather. Cloth was more prevalent in the regular Roadmaster and Fleetwood.
The Firebird I have owned since Jan. 1990. It is an 86. Will try to do a COAL on it one day. Still runs fine. Has around 135000 miles on it. The Buick has 147000 miles, The Cadillac 154000 and the Impala around 100000.
What a wonderful fleet. I dig them all save the S10 in the last picture.
I have always like the whales, but have never seen a Fleetwood interior before. It looks really nice, much much better than the box versions.
The Caprice seemed to go downhill. The initial 1991 interior looked much better than the one shown.
What F-body you got there?
Thanks and the S10 was replaced since that picture was taken by an GMC Sierra xtended Cab 4X4 in Burgundy of course. The F-body is an 86 Trans Am with the 305 TPI. I bought it from an individual in Jan. of 1990.
The styling on these cars were known to be just a bit off, and didn’t help sales. But, from certain angles, they had great elements. The lead picture captures the best of these cars – what a terrific fleet!
GM did put in some effort on these cars. There was quite a bit of differentiation between most of the models – in an era when this became increasingly rare. The smashing success of the 1990 Lincoln Town Car probably had GM believing there was still a significant higher margin opportunity in cars like this. But, the SUV genie was out of the bottle and GM’s miss on the styling and some interior details caused these to fade away.
I’d pick the Impala just as author ordered it if I were offered a chance to take one home – from whale Caprice to swan Impala SS, it is amazing how the details make a car!
Fantastic picture!
I had both a 95 Roadmaster sedan and wagon in my recent history.
Loved the LT1.
Loved the SS springs, SS/9C1 sway bars, and cop shocks on both.
Hated the ridiculous lack of legroom on such huge cars.
What a great collection. Glad to hear 3 years later you still have them. If I had to chose, the Impala would be my first choice, followed by the Buick wagon and then the Cadillac.
Cool cars—how do decide which one to drive? I kinda got the same problem with my Stratocaster, Telecaster or Mustang guitars–I love them all but which one to play this evening?
What a great collection! I think you do have the best of each version, though you’re missing one. No Custom Cruiser? Yeah, it’d be redundant to the Roadmaster and it didn’t survive long enough to get the LT1, but it’s the one (not so glaring) omission.
That aside, I do think that you have a great example of each. The Impala SS does look great in black cherry, even better than in black IMO, though I do also like the rarely seen spruce/teal green versions also. Love the red interior of the Roadmaster. And as time goes on, I’m appreciating these last big Fleetwoods more and more as well. You must have a hard choice of what to drive in the morning! And if the weather is bad, take the Sierra. Can’t lose.