Here’s the two actual winners of COTY 1967 (the Cougar pictured is actually a ’68). The Cougar is a bit of a questionable choice, despite its appeal. And I know the Fiat 124 will bring some groans. But even though it was RWD, the 124 was perhaps the finest expression of the that genre; something like a cheaper Alfa Romeo Giulia. Lusty motors, slick-shifting transmission, four wheel discs, great handling, nice interior; a very appealing and fun-to-drive package. So much so that the Russians bought the rights and turned it into their national car (along with taking out its sporty qualities). Not enamored of either? Let’s hear it.
How about the fifth-generation Ford F-100 pickup that bowed in ’67? The styling was decidedly modern and fresh and changed little in the next two generations.
I’ll buy that. These, along with thier competition from GM, were the first “respectible” pickups that someone might buy for reasons other than utility. You don’t need to look very far in any parking lot today to see where it all ended up.
…and in the Pacific northwest you don’t have to look all that long and hard to see 1967-1972 Ford pickups either.
The 1967 Pontiac GTO. The zenith of the Pontiac performance years, and one of the most beautiful body designs ever.
I have to nominate Eldorado, for its styling leadership in ’67. The basic look was copied for years, and it’s undeniably stunning.
Oh yesiree! I had the chance to be driving a minty fresh 93K mile Atlantis Blue one just last Monday. Warm night, light freeway traffic, full tank and no following engagements. Stopped for coffee and doughnuts at a service plaza just to look at it more, had the parking lights on as the miraculous space saving front drive transaxle burbled away. A fine evening indeed.
How about the GT40 Mk IV that won LeMans in 1967 with Dan Gurney?
Not much chance of seeing one on the street though…
How about me? I’m a 67 model, but I didn’t break any technological or styling new ground. Ah, maybe not.
Ha ha! I should have voted for myself for the 1951 models, for, to quote Quaker Oats: “Nothing is better for thee than me”!
That’s been my personal motto for over 45 years!
Pity no one believes it, however…
I’ll nominate the new-for -1967 Volvo 140 Series. This model would quickly become known as the safest car not just in America, but in much of the world.
Given that the 140/240 is practically the official car of CC (along with the GM B-Bodies), it really deserves a CCOTY.
Though I’m admittedly biased to the BMW 1600/2002, the Volvo 140 deserves the CCoty more, especially given that it stuck to it’s roots via the 240 series.
I second (or 3rd or 4th) the Volvo 140 series nomination. I thought about the Fiat 124 sedan, but you just don’t see them anymore (except on the TV show Parenthood), the technical impact was mostly in Europe, and other than the Lada derivative (socio-economic/political and volume-wise) the car would have faded into obscurity pretty quickly. Whereas the Volvo not only had clean, modern styling and 4 wheel discs like the Fiat, it kicked Volvo into the mainstream, was the precursor to the 240’s and the source of the stereotype of Volvo’s as boxy bricks (the 544 and 122 certainly weren’t).
As I mentioned in a previous post I would defer a BMW nomination until the 6 cylinder 2500/2800 of 1969, rather than the 1602 or 2002, as the sixes were far more significant to BMW’s renaissance as a premium brand and not just a 4 cylinder sporty car.
Definitely CCOTY, not just because we have quite a few Volvo-lovers rolling here.
In America, the 144 moved Volvo out of cult status, and took over the “sensible” car mantle that AMC just ditched. I wonder how many Ramblers they took in trade.
Volvo also proved with this car that safety could sell in the US after all.
Here’s the CC.
Here’s an ad from ’69.
Well…what I said over on the Cougar article:
1967 Chevy Camaro/Pontiac Firebird.
given that the 124 probably eats as much gasoline as the Cougar…I’ll probably go with the latter ! Seriously, the 124 was an excellent car but the styling was criticized even at the times by the press as extremely dull and unimaginative…I’ve always loved the sport coupe anyway ! P.S. I vote the Camaro
I recently ran into someone with a (German import) Fiat 125, which is a rather appealing car. Generally nicer trim and upholstery than the 124 with the mechanical package of the 124 Spider 1600 sport, including four-wheel discs. It was a nice color, too. Hmm…
The 125 was a decidedly more upscale and better looking car ! It was a serious contender for the Alfa Giulia and the BMW 1600, more than the 124
I respectfully submit the following.
Nar its only a copy of a real car and it wasnt that good.
Actually all cars are copies of real cars….
Camaro/Firebird or Eldorado….
Tough, the 1967 Eldorado is a milestone car, but the 1968 is just that much better with the 472 and standard front disc brakes.
The F-bodies were significant, it was the first full on Pony car from the giant General.
I am going to nominate the 1967 AMC Rebel/Ambassador. Because . . . well, because there are no more Studebakers? Besides, they were noteworthy for AMC’s last all-out fresh attempt at a mainstream large(er) car.
As for a vote, well, let’s see. The GM F bodies are out because they were simply copies of what Ford had been doing for over 2 years. The Eldorado was a milestone that beat the Mark III to market and deserves consideration. The Fiat is actually quite appealing as a candidate. The Cougar, however, may have beat even the Monte Carlo into the slot below the TBird for personal luxury at a popular price. For this reason, the Cougar is CCOTY.
If you’re going to go with Roy Abernethy’s Great Leap Forward then you really must turn your gaze to the flagship of the 1967 line. I’m talking about a car already so amazing that AMC designers had to blow some fuses in order to achieve the perfection that was the 1967 Farewell Edition.
The result was such pure automotive artistry that it would — could — only be produced in fewer than 3,000 copies. This was a car so advanced for its time that almost 50 years later no one has yet dared to copy it. (Well, except for the Porsche Panamera).
I read in Motor Trend magazine that the Great Goddess bought one of these cars brand new — and still drives it daily to her UCanTan appointments. She could have selected the bucket-seated model, but cosmic etiquette required the split bench with Dick Teague’s finest design touch ever: brocade cloth in a “brothel” maroon hue. Alas, the Great Goddess’s seats are now richly stained with heavenly juices, as an MT centerspread reveals.
To even consider any other car for 1967 CCOTY honors would be sheer blasphemy. And just plain bad taste.
I’ll stick with the Cougar!
While it was still a Pony Car it ushered in a European influence to American cars. That it was, and still is, beautiful helps!
Couldn’t find a pic of 67 Cougar? They are readily available………..odd.
My cross goes firmly next to the FIAT 124 – much maligned for having soldiered on past its sell-by in various licensed guises but a cracking and hugely influential car imo.
When I was in high school one of the moms drove a 124 sedan, and we carpooled in it a few times. Other pre-driver’s license carpool cars I remember were a short wheelbase Land Rover, a BMW 1600 and later (rarely) a 2800CS, a 4 door 2nd gen Corvair, a slant-nose Toyota Corona replaced by an Opel wagon, a VW Squareback, and my parents’ Volvo 122S. You know, I don’t think there was a single conventional front-engine RWD American car. Sorry for veering off-topic; as always CC brings out long forgotten memories …
One of the licenses guises, the Lada 2107 (who beginned as Lada 1500 also known as Signet in Canada) is reaching the end of the road http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/19/lada-2107-reaches-the-end-of-its-road/ But the Lada wasn’t so solid when it was sold in Canada. I spotted a vintage local ad from 1984 from a former Lada dealer in Montreal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3m823FVY3Q
Bought my 67 chevelle because it was the one I liked the best. Still is. Only thing that came close that year for me was the Camaro/Firebird. First time since the mid fifties that I think chevy made something worth this award.
I think I’d have to go with either the Volvo or the Cougar here.
I also vote for the Volvo..
Cougar, Eldorado, Camaro/Firebird, AMC Rebel/Ambassador, lots of choices here. Let’s thru a Mopar in the mix with the redesigned A-body Dart/Valiant (and the 2nd-gen Barracuda) who soldiered to 1976 (and 1981 in Brazil) without too much big changes and the Aussie derived VE Chrysler Valiant was chosen “Car of the year” in Australia by Wheels magazine and in 1970 in Brazil by Autoesporte when the Dodge Dart was introduced in Brazil.
I owned a 1967 383 Barracuda that had all the torque in the world, and handled pretty decently at speed in spite of its blackjack-like weight distribution. I also must mention the 1967 Imperial, particularly the 2-door hardtop I should have bought, bright red with a white vinyl top and white interior. I’m fully aware that this was a reversion to the smaller Chrysler C-body for Imperial, but I like those well enough that I don’t see that as a problem.
Some nominations:
– Corvette C3
– AMC Javelin
– Mazda Cosmo
– Saab 99
– Chrysler Valiant VE
But my main nomination is for the 1867 Falcon GT, which marks the start of the muscle car era in Australia. It was Bill Bourke who was the driving force behind the GT, and had to convince Dearborn that it would work as a 4-door (no coupe/hardtop was sold in Australia for this model).
With bright gold metallic paint and bold black stripes it stood out from the beige/light blue/pale green automotive landscape like a beacon. The sole 4bbl 289 & 4sp combination gave it excellent performance for the day, and the GT made its mark by winning the Bathurst 500-mile production car race in the day when a lot of competitors ran in their straight-from-the-showroom-floor cars on the drive to the track.
They built less than 700 of these cars, and because they were recognised as a classic from early on a substantial number remain today including the Bathurst race winner.
1867 Falcon GT? I didn’t know you Aussies had cars so early 🙂
Interesting choice….
Totally with you on the XR GT. Doesn’t mean as much to other parts of the world, but to those of us here in NZ or Oz, that is definitely THE car of 1967.
I will nominate the 67 Barracuda. Finally more than a Valiant with a fastback, the 2nd gen Barracuda had unique, attractive new bodywork in 3 styles: fastback, non-fastback coupe and convertible. A new widened front subframe meant that the big blocks were now available engine choices.
I might be more inclined to follow Stephane here and go with the A body Dart and Valiant. Chrysler’s last really good all-new cars? They certainly kept the company afloat in the 1970s. They would become known as the very best of the American compacts. I like the Barracuda, but don’t think it was nearly as significant.
Camaro & Firebird all the way.
Ive got to go with the BMW, it was the start of a very big thing. Pony cars were so 1965 by then, eliminating the Cougar and F-bodies. Having been the Tony in FixItAgainTony, wrenching on those things prevents me from going along with the 124, as nicely as they did drive, when they ran.
I really want to say Eldorado, but my vote in ’66 was for Toronado, which really broke the ground….so add me to the Camaro/Firebird votes.
firebird, for beind or appearing like cougar to be a valid 200$ step up and different performance than chevy. camaro, looked different with very few
changes
67 was a great year for introductions.
camaro
eldorado
firebird
mercury-looked like a deville – poor mans deville conv, nice
plymouth conv full size fury, was a mile better than a 66
barracuda-restyled , its own style now, last plymouth to be xclusive till the prowler?
thunderbird was……not car of the year, but sprouted 4 doors suicide style, just as lincoln was getting away from it
gran prix interoduced a conv- 1 year only grand prix, it sold about 5 000.
rebel/ambassador were never nicer, but still amc stunk of loser status.
JAVALIN was Nicest AMC Sport Coupe ever
My nomination and vote: Mercedes W114/115.
With a production volume of roughly 2 million (about as much as all previous post-war Mercedes combined) it really established the three pointed star in the mainstream. And much unlike the Fiat and the Cougar, there are still thousands on duty still today. Any middle-east cabby will cerrtainly confirm.
NSU Ro 80. Even without its Wankel engine it was a tremendously advanced car – FWD, 4 discs, excellent suspension and handling, very roomy, great futuristic styling which wouldn’t be out of place in 80s. Shame for that rotary which ruined its chances in the marketplace but I personally love to read about such examples of industrial daring bordering on lunacy, sensible decisions make boring stories. Such audacity must count a few extra points towards CCOTY.
For world-wide impact I agree with the Volvo nominations; and for Outstanding Impact in a Regional Market, I agree with johnh875’s nomination of the Australian XR Ford Falcon GT. For New Zealand and Australia, nothing else mattered in 1967! 🙂
As always, the perspective from our friends down under is interesting. I don’t know much about the Australian/New Zealand muscle car scene, but between the ongoing visibility of V8 Supercar racing, not too mention Mad Max (“last of the V8’s”) I’d believe that the regional significance of the Falcon V8 was much greater than the regional significance of the Barracuda, Eldorado or Cougar. OTOH, was the Toyota Corolla introduced in 1967? That’s a car whose world-wide impact overshadows the Volvo 144.