I am unsubscribing from this channel - if Ed is going to attempt to do this in English he needs to vaguely learn how the names are pronounced. It hurt my ears. Just BAD!
@@keywestjj Ah but Ed's mispronoucing gives the channel a certain je ne sais quoi 😂. Looking forward to part two of his "Pronouncing Every Car Name Wrong" video.
Well if you like tone-deaf styling, lots of chrome, vinyl roofs, whitewalls, wire wheel covers, pinstripe performance and gas mileage in the single digit ranges during a gas shortage resulting from the '73 OPEC oil embargo, go for it.
I can tell you that living through the 70's was fun and we didn't consider any of those plaid interiors and large stripped bench seats as tacky. It was just fun.
As a kid of the 70's, I remember a friend in the neighborhood was all excited as his dad was getting a new car. Went to check out the fuss and there it was... a Gremlin with the Levi's interior package. Outside of Jaws, the most horrific 70's thing I experienced.
I have never seen any of those AMC cars except for a Levi's Jeep. My boss, among other cars, has a Gucci Fiat 500, a 2012 maybe? Its a cool interior, with the Italian flag stripes on nice leather seats.
Lincoln had a good thing going and they didn't stop when the 70's ended. I remember the 1993 Jack Nicklaus Edition Lincoln Town Car as Lincoln wanted to grab more of the Masters Golf Tournament class away from Cadillac. It seemed to work because Jack Nicklaus really loved his Town Car and promoted the entire Lincoln lineup.
Fiat did have the Gucci edition 500 until very recently. I do remember the Gucci Cadillacs, having grown up in the Miami area. The hood ornament lasted about 5 minutes, before it was snatched off.
I had two 1978's, an Emilio Pucci Mark V and Town Coupe in Brown with Tan vinyl top and Tan leather interior. For all their poor fuel economy they were a joy to drive and made you feel special (not in any snob sense though). Were I to buy another one, I'd take the Town Coupe as it was more practical with a large and deep trunk. Amazing to look back at the dealer paint and interior albums, shame you don't have the same choices today.
There was a mid-80s … ‘Frank Sinatra Edition’ for the Chrysler Imperial. I believe it featured a Cartier Crystal hood ornament and it was only available in a bespoke blue representing the ‘Chairman’ himself, Mr. Sinatra’s “Ol Blue Eyes’ nickname. I was a huge fan of the Bill “Styles change, true STYLE never changes” Blass Lincoln Continental Mark V. I absolutely loved these (pimp mobile/70s Custom Van/malaise era) videos… they are always brilliantly entertaining! Keep up the great work. Cheers!
Another idea from Mr. Lido A. Iacocca after he jumped ship to Chrysler from FoMoCo. They were sold in '81-82 and included a boxed Sinatra cassette tape collection. Since the car itself was a spectacular sales failure, poorly constructed, and unreliable it created a temporary rift between Sinatra and Iacocca especially after Frank's own personal car had problems. The Sinatra edition was gone after '82 and the Imperial disappeared after '83.
Not sure how true the story is, but Sinatra was driving his own Sinatra Edition Imperial coupe when the notorious fuel injection system on the car failed, leaving him stranded. He quickly took away his endorsement of the car and the next two (and final) model years of that car you could not get the Sinatra trim level. Chrysler spent about $10,000 per Imperial to recall them and convert them to carbureted.
The Levi Gremmies were (ironically) the most tasteful of all of the "designer" packages. And it was the one that made the most sense: The Gremlin was aimed at young people, as was Levi's. It was the right "crossover" for both brands. AMC was seen as the "outsider", and Levi's jeans were the dress of the "counter culture". It was a PERFECT case of "product placement" for those who wanted to "do their own thing". I can think of very few "specialty" packages of the era that made MORE sense than that. It was genius. And if it was a Chevy, it would be better remembered. BUT, if it WAS a Chevy, half the POINT of it would have been lost.
@@jamesslick4790 not just that how can you NOT love the idea of the coolest jeans with one of the coolest cars to come out of the seventees...and this coming from a european.
@@jamesslick4790 The Levi interior also worked well in the Jeep. I personally like green interiors and the other colors offered in the 60's and 70's...I am so bored with gray headliners, black, charcoal, gray or tan seats, black or charcoal carpets...So boring.
From the top of my head I can name off at least 2 "designer" models still made in the past 2 decades or so: Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition, and the Chrysler 300C John Vavarshos Edition. Didn't realize this was the latest in a long trend until watching this video.
This channel is like my childhood's dream wishlist. Take a pimpmobile, add whitewalls, woody sides, Gucci trim, and above all it must be an Australian ute. Why? why not?!
there is a caddy factory UTE made before 1980 so the car you're asking for does exist as iv touch it/seen it, its just not my car as i met the owner at a car meet with my chevy truck or 60's charger bill blass aka bill de-blossio is a NYC political man with a Italian lineage and ties to the mob as roomers has it, didn't realise that he was also a fashion designer
" The more tasteful times of today" ??? Where we have a wonderful choice of interior colors of..... dark gray, dark charcoal, or black. Yeah that's really expressing oneself isn't it?
Where far too many vehicles (not all) now either have a bubble look, are overly busy looking, and sometimes a combination of both, which may impart the driving character of an appliance.
Thank you, your right. But it's all opinion isn't it. I hate the cars these days, bland and the SUV's, hatchback with the big rear ends. Alot of people like them because most people have big rear ends; not many good looking ones anymore.
Citroën still occasionally produce designer series even down to this day. The Rip Curl editions of several of their cars have continued as well as Elle, Saint James, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and others.
Laughed at the Jay Leno reference! We had a Gremlin in the 70s, but it wasn't the Levis edition, it was bright yellow with a big black stripe, like a bumblebee. Easy to spot in a parking lot! Traded that for a 77 Monte Carlo, then a 79 Cadillac Seville, and eventually the Eddie Bauer edition Ford Bronco II.
11:44 Nice job using a shot of the Bonneville MK VIII. That car has a really cool history, even though it raced and claimed a speed record at Bonneville. Lincoln absolutely did not like that it achieved that feat and hid it. This is because the engineers actually did the race against Ford's wishes to test the car's limit. Only slightly modified (roll cage and a few other minor changes to the suspension and transmission) got that car to 182 MPH averaged between the two runs. On the second run they gave it so little time to cool off from the first sprint that the transmission fluid was 250°F and the engine oil was 275°F at the *start* of the second run. What an awesome boat of a car
Great job. I didn’t know a Versace Mark existed, even though I’m a bit of a Mark enthusiast myself. I have a ‘69 Mark III and, to add to your video, the clock wasn’t even made by Cartier. It was from the Ford parts bin with plastic gears that would disintegrate shortly after the owner swapped it out for a Mark IV. Ford just bought a license to use the name.
Ed I'm loving this series on tasteless American cars of the 70's. I was just a kid back then but I remember it well, acres of faux-leather and a padded vinyl top with badges everywhere proclaiming how tasteful it all was. Here's an idea for a future video: the faux-muscle cars of the mid-70's like the Mustang II Cobra and Chevy Monza Spider. Just about every US car company put out ridiculous 'muscle cars' with spats, spoilers, air dams and graphics, powered by emasculated V-8s with 120 horsepower and 0-60 times you could measure with an hourglass.
I feel like the mid 70s muscle cars are/were just too reliant on the aftermarket. Any guy could build a 400hp 350 for his Monza and do the swap in his garage, at least that's the appeal of those cars for me. One of the reasons older guys who started driving in the 80s/90s are so nostalgic for the Jegs catalog and putting a cam in everything
I love the part about the Cassini package, with all these drawings of funky bright dual-colored exteriors with big curvy stripes all over the car...then the reveal of the production car which came in one of three boring solid neutral colors. So funny.
I remember the Ford truck line in the 90's having an Eddie Bauer Edition ... The designer editions of late seen to be all from local attractions. We have had the King Ranch and Texas Editions that seem to be non factory made, but from Dealers in a district.
The 1972 oldsmobile 98 regency Tiffany edition (released for oldsmobiles 75th anniversery)was not mentioned, it had a tiffany clock a special interior and paint color. It was special due to it being registered with tiffanys, so if u lost ur Key(which was sterling silver by tiffany) they would replace it.
The personal luxury era was what it was, they strangled performance in the mid 1970s but they guzzled gas just as fast as they pre '72 relatives did. But they did it in cheap faux luxury. Always enjoy the EAR shows Ed! -Thanks man.
In Australia we had our own LTD Cartier edition. As well the Aussie fashion designer Carla Zampatti added a few touches to the Ford Laser. Rare as rocking horse poo these days !
The Pierre Cardin Javelin looked pretty tasteful. Although it had the loudest interior, it is still very well balanced with the black leather and dashboard. Just the right amount of groovyness.
I think everybody back in the early 70s was addicted to Denim, to the point where you could get a TV with denim attached to it. It’s called the Zenith Sidekick II... the 70s where a strange time
Hmmmm, I liked many of the 70's cars. Actually, I had several of them myself, like a 71 Monte Carlo, 75 Olds Cutlass Supreme, 78 Pontiac Grand Prix, 78 Pontiac Bonneville, 76 Datsun B210. Loved them all.
I use to have a set of those seats with the red stripe sitting around in my garage. I knew they were from an AMC but had know idea they were Gucci! I just found an old photo with my cat sleeping on them lol. I think I sold them for peanuts
Greetings from Down Under Cu*#.. I'm really enjoying your videos and steadily making my way through them in a random order. As a car guy, I think you've captured the paradox of the the American car industry perfectly - the wonderfulness and terribleness both. And I think as car folks that resonates because it often emulates our internal battle between the emotions they evoke and the simultaneous conflict with "common sense". Well done :)
I do remember seeing a Bill Blass edition Continental for years in my home town, usually parked at the local yacht club (big surprise). My Mom briefly owned a '72 Continental in metallic gold and she quite despised it...
Would be interesting to know how much the 'designers' were really involved in creating these trim packages or were they really just signing off on proposals created by the auto company's color & trim departments. We may never know...
I'd bet most designers fought more to have more control, while the automakers just wanted their name brand and a new color of paint. If I styled a car, the wheels would need to change for instance. Would I have to settle for hubcaps or a different color of paint on an existing wheel design? Depends on the company.
Bless you my friend . I remember these cars Oh so well. The Levis Gremlin to the ULTRA tacky Lincolns. My absolute favorite is a Louis Vuitton Cadillac Seville from a Mel Brooks Movie. Love from Canada. Thank you for the Tulips
The trademark Lincoln/Rolls Royce grille of that time was called a radiator grille, not a waterfall grille, even though people today call it that. A waterfall grille has vertical bars that begin on the top of the front, horizontal surface of the hood and then wrap over and down to continue into the vertical face of the usual grille area. An example, maybe the first example, was the 1974-75 Imperial Lebaron from Chrysler Corporation, which continued into 1976 after Chrysler eliminated its Imperial division as the Chrysler New Yorker, continuing in that body style through 1978.
I'm not a Levi's guy, And I am not "into" designer car packages, BUT the Levi's Gremlin is THE one on here that makes the MOST sense. Levi's was (then) a youthful brand, The Gremlin was aimed at a youthful market. It was a (pardon the pun) perfect fit. And really it was rather tasteful for the time.
I was going to mention the Valentino Lincolns. Did '87 get the HO 5.0 yet? I have an '89 LSC and it still shocks me how agile it is for "just an old Lincoln".
Including the Levis edition in this list has earned you a subscriber. I'm the type of guy who will seek out a Levis Edition AMC Gremlin at a Cars and Coffee event first before looking at Italian Exotics......
I remember being at O'Hare Airport (late 70s or early 80s) and seeing a red Continental convertible pull in with the plates BBLASS. The white top was down. Out of the car came Bill and his family. The best part? They were all dressed in red and white outfits which matched the car. It looked like a scene from a movie. Those were the days.
There were others in later years. Ford produced Eddie Bauer editions of their trucks & SUVs up through 2010. The upscale department store Neiman Marcus went the opposite route and partnered with various luxury car makers to release "Neiman Marcus Editions" annually up until recently (still?). Probably a myriad of others that I'm forgetting at the moment....perhaps a future episode?
At the very beginning, I was really wondering if you were going to mention the Levi's Gremlin. As soon as you mentioned AMC, I knew what was coming. Glad that I could learn more about this outlandish earmark in the history of American automotives.
Actually some of those exterior color schemes looked pretty good... In that same timeframe some cars would talk to you. I remember my grandmother's land yacht would tell you, "Your door is a-JAR." It made me laugh every time I heard it.
I saw a comedian who had a bit about that. "One time, I had one of those talking cars, and me and some of my friends did acid and got in it. Then it said "The door is ajar." We just sat there in the driveway for 12 hours going "The door is a jar? Duuuuude........how is the door a jar.......?????"
And here in Australia we had the 1985 Ford Laser Carla Zampatti edition 🙂 Oh, and like most people here - I'm loving this channel! Keep up the good work!
Actually, two generations of the Laser got the Zampatti treatment. There was the KB series earlier with the colour-coded taillight outlines. If that was too staid, then the Nissan Pulsar Reebok was just around the corner...
Our neighbor across the street bought a brand new 1977 Lincoln Mark, light blue with a white Landau vinyl top and a white leather interior, so beautiful just loved it, he kept that car spotless
Just love your channel! Many thanks for your unique selection of viewpoints on American cars. For me, this episode is a very special hit: Back in 1981 I experienced the San Francisco Bay area driving a Mark IV Cartier edition which a friend has inherited from his grandpa. This boat impressed with manoeuvrability and fuel consumption of a crude oil carrier and 0-60 performance of an econobox. The interior combined three different sorts of fake wood and a (broken!) Cartier-labeled clock with Roman ciphers with little room on the back seats and also not much of trunk space.
Ed I highly disagree with your closing statement that we are in more tasteful times. There's nothing tasteful about a new Nissan Rogue or Civic Type R. It seems we've reached the point where "Fast and Furious" styling has made its way to the mainstream OEMs and everybody in their Hyundai looks like a wannabe Paul Walker. In the same way a young man in a Brougham denotes pimp or drug dealer, an old man in a hot hatch gives the impression of a man-child or midlife crisis.
The 70's were very tasteful and the decade had it's own style which we are sure lacking now. At least the cars were unique and comfortable unlike today as you point out everything is a race car with rock hard seats and suspensions and stupid computerized gadgets to go haywire.
Agree but for different reasons: Top 3 most popular vehicles are full sized pickups, and the top ten are all either those, milquetoast crossovers, full size SUV, plus the Camry and Civic which I would argue are the most sensible and interesting of the bunch. Certainly no more tasteful than the ridiculous 70s
Hear! Hear! I get so tired of angular lines and everything looking angry. Maybe not a return to the 70s, but can we get well proportioned cars that at least attempt clean design? Or at least form follows function? It seems today's designers threw out the rulebook just to be different instead of advancing what is beautiful.
@@quintessenceSL In more ways than one I think we are already in the return to the mid 70s. Cars were not this ugly 5-10 years ago. IMO the late 2000s had some of the best designed cars of all time. A modernized retro design is simply timeless (yes I like PT Cruiser) while the fad of the squiggly running lights in places you don't expect them will be seen similar to opera windows on the c pillar. An artist knows when to stop adding things, a modern automotive designer seemingly does not
I remember the Levi Gremlin and Mark IV designer editions. I thought the Bill Blass edition was the best looking. I on the other hand owned a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba. Not with the Corinthian leather but with a rare red Aztec pattern cloth. It looked like an Indian blanket. Definitely a part of the loud 70s styling. I always felt that was more because with the lack of performance in the mid-late 70s, auto manufacturers needed a new selling point.
My brother and I could drive each other to hysterics by repeating the Mark IV-V commercial from the late 70s. I can still do our routine - Bill Blass - Givency - Pucci ... Pucci (repeat, for the handoff) - Cartier. Happy times!!!!
Talk about polishing a TURD!!! I saw one or two of those come through the 10 minute oil change I was working for from 88-90 after graduating high school. I laughed at them then.
Growing up, I had 2 neighbors, 1 of which always seemed to want to 1-up the other. When my one neighbor got a brand new Ford Explorer, literally a day later the other got the exact same Explorer, but the Eddie Bauer edition. Same car, same parts, one just cost a couple thousand more
Not gonna lie I actually love the interior of that first AMC you showed. The design is really nice. I wish Gucci still had that style of design these days rather than...whatever it is they do to make such horrid handbags and clothing
In college in 1976 I drove / delivered one of these 2 door LINCOLNS from ATLANTA to Chicago. What a dream of a drive - big V8 and VERY comfortable seats - it was like driving a sofa down the highway. Guy on the Chicago end gave me a Benjamin tip - 2 days and not a scratch!
Actually there is a good reason that you could get a car badged with Gucci is easy to understand. The son of the founder had weakened the hell out of the brand when the father died. He almost killed off the brand. He said yes to everything.
Some very useful information mixed in with the snark. Anyone who can look at the Nissan Juke and claim that we live in more tasteful times is a bit suspect in my book. I would take any of those 70's era AMC or FoMoCo units over today's vomit on wheels.
Tell me about it. When I saw a video of the Nissan Kicks and seeing how it was a replacement for the Nissan Juke I thought that the Kicks was far better than the Juke in terms of exterior styling.
I remember my friend had an AMC Gremlin with the Levi's denim package. The seats were covered in the same cotton denim fabric as the jeans...It was kinda cool as if you ever had to fix a rip or tear you just needed to bust out some old jeans..
I lived thru this era as a little kid. I remember sliding around on the extensive pristine white leather back seat of the neighbor's '77 T-bird! Ford had converted the idea of a sport sedan from the 60s into a 2door behemoth LTD! Excellent channel!
For a guy from the Netherlands he is very fluent in the English language. I have to wonder if he spent time in the U.S. or Great Britain. I must admit that he does a great job with these videos. Ed you the man.
I am very VERY glad someone made a video on the Designer series cars, particularly the Lincoln Mark V. Specifically the 1979 coloway Pucci and Bill Blass Mark V's are some of my all-time favorite American cars of all time.
My favorite honorary American Gearhead! (Petrolheads are called Gearheads here in the USA) As tough as it is to admit that we do a poor job at passing on the history of our automotive business here I have to acknowledge the fact you are help us fix that. We know more about the history of Ferrari, lotus, Lamborghini or Porsche than the GM brands. We appreciate the work you put into these videos Ed.
"More tasteful times"....heh. Need a video just on crazy muscle car badging, mod appearance options (like the floral print vinyl top), plus eye-searing high impact colours - AND the resurgence post 2000 of retro-inspired vehicles (like the Rumble Bee , Daytona Ram, Bullitt Mustang, Hellcat, Demon, etc.).
Hold on...A Dutch guy doing an anglicised version of an Italian accent 😂. That is just gold. How can you not love this channel.
You got it right on the Dutch accent !
It's that kind of anachronism of European to American That just screams fake plastic premium luxury that Eighties was all about
I am unsubscribing from this channel - if Ed is going to attempt to do this in English he needs to vaguely learn how the names are pronounced. It hurt my ears. Just BAD!
@@keywestjj Ah but Ed's mispronoucing gives the channel a certain je ne sais quoi 😂. Looking forward to part two of his "Pronouncing Every Car Name Wrong" video.
@@taridean Like the Cart-ee-air?
as garish as they might be, these interiors still beat 90% of the soulless, monochrome dungeons that we see today.
Agreed !!
Not really !
@@MarinCipollina you will eat ze bugs
Well if you like tone-deaf styling, lots of chrome, vinyl roofs, whitewalls, wire wheel covers, pinstripe performance and gas mileage in the single digit ranges during a gas shortage resulting from the '73 OPEC oil embargo, go for it.
Your choice, grey or grey interior.
I can tell you that living through the 70's was fun and we didn't consider any of those plaid interiors and large stripped bench seats as tacky. It was just fun.
As a kid of the 70's, I remember a friend in the neighborhood was all excited as his dad was getting a new car. Went to check out the fuss and there it was... a Gremlin with the Levi's interior package. Outside of Jaws, the most horrific 70's thing I experienced.
Why? What was so horrific about blue denim upholstery?
I don't know. The Exorcist comes to mind. Lol! Same green vomit color scheme, only worse.
I have never seen any of those AMC cars except for a Levi's Jeep. My boss, among other cars, has a Gucci Fiat 500, a 2012 maybe? Its a cool interior, with the Italian flag stripes on nice leather seats.
Amerijean motors
@@saltycreole2673 the Levi's cars were blue on the inside. No other colors.
Mel Brooks satires this era perfectly in ‘High Anxiety’ when the lady steps out of the Louis Vuitton pattern car in a matching trouser suit!
And her purse is plain white!
I'm gonna be honest, I like your old "Di Caprio" face on the title image a lot more. Always made me smile.
I think Eds cute either way
Same here.
Me too. I was always afraid to speak up.
me too! miss the good ol'days
Nah, I like Ed.
Worked at a Lincoln dealer in the 70’s, loved it when the the sales manager ran back into the shop asking for “the Pucci”….
Lincoln had a good thing going and they didn't stop when the 70's ended. I remember the 1993 Jack Nicklaus Edition Lincoln Town Car as Lincoln wanted to grab more of the Masters Golf Tournament class away from Cadillac. It seemed to work because Jack Nicklaus really loved his Town Car and promoted the entire Lincoln lineup.
Eddie Bauer explorers too. Gotta love those old boats.
Yes, and fairly reliable. Fading demographic of buyers.
Hats off to AMC yet again proving they can find untouched market niches and capitalize on them.
Fiat did have the Gucci edition 500 until very recently. I do remember the Gucci Cadillacs, having grown up in the Miami area. The hood ornament lasted about 5 minutes, before it was snatched off.
I had two 1978's, an Emilio Pucci Mark V and Town Coupe in Brown with Tan vinyl top and Tan leather interior. For all their poor fuel economy they were a joy to drive and made you feel special (not in any snob sense though). Were I to buy another one, I'd take the Town Coupe as it was more practical with a large and deep trunk.
Amazing to look back at the dealer paint and interior albums, shame you don't have the same choices today.
I AGREE
There was a mid-80s … ‘Frank Sinatra Edition’ for the Chrysler Imperial. I believe it featured a Cartier Crystal hood ornament and it was only available in a bespoke blue representing the ‘Chairman’ himself, Mr. Sinatra’s “Ol Blue Eyes’ nickname. I was a huge fan of the Bill “Styles change, true STYLE never changes” Blass Lincoln Continental Mark V. I absolutely loved these (pimp mobile/70s Custom Van/malaise era) videos… they are always brilliantly entertaining! Keep up the great work. Cheers!
Another idea from Mr. Lido A. Iacocca after he jumped ship to Chrysler from FoMoCo. They were sold in '81-82 and included a boxed Sinatra cassette tape collection. Since the car itself was a spectacular sales failure, poorly constructed, and unreliable it created a temporary rift between Sinatra and Iacocca especially after Frank's own personal car had problems. The Sinatra edition was gone after '82 and the Imperial disappeared after '83.
Not sure how true the story is, but Sinatra was driving his own Sinatra Edition Imperial coupe when the notorious fuel injection system on the car failed, leaving him stranded. He quickly took away his endorsement of the car and the next two (and final) model years of that car you could not get the Sinatra trim level. Chrysler spent about $10,000 per Imperial to recall them and convert them to carbureted.
I'm not gonna lie, I think the Levi's Gremlins are so cool, I would love to own one.
My neighbor has a Javelin with the Pierre Cardin interior. Way cool. Pretty sure the Levi editions were good sellers for AMC.
The Levi Gremmies were (ironically) the most tasteful of all of the "designer" packages. And it was the one that made the most sense: The Gremlin was aimed at young people, as was Levi's. It was the right "crossover" for both brands. AMC was seen as the "outsider", and Levi's jeans were the dress of the "counter culture". It was a PERFECT case of "product placement" for those who wanted to "do their own thing". I can think of very few "specialty" packages of the era that made MORE sense than that. It was genius. And if it was a Chevy, it would be better remembered. BUT, if it WAS a Chevy, half the POINT of it would have been lost.
ชชยา
@@jamesslick4790 not just that how can you NOT love the idea of the coolest jeans with one of the coolest cars to come out of the seventees...and this coming from a european.
@@jamesslick4790 The Levi interior also worked well in the Jeep. I personally like green interiors and the other colors offered in the 60's and 70's...I am so bored with gray headliners, black, charcoal, gray or tan seats, black or charcoal carpets...So boring.
From the top of my head I can name off at least 2 "designer" models still made in the past 2 decades or so: Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition, and the Chrysler 300C John Vavarshos Edition. Didn't realize this was the latest in a long trend until watching this video.
Expeditions got the Eddie Bauer treatment too.
Chevy made a Northface package for the Avalanche
Even Subaru made an Eddie Bauer Outback edition.
And there was a Gucci edition of the Fiat 500
Also Aston Martin Cygnet & Colette
This channel is like my childhood's dream wishlist. Take a pimpmobile, add whitewalls, woody sides, Gucci trim, and above all it must be an Australian ute. Why? why not?!
@ jmi " Not the Kingswood ! "
there is a caddy factory UTE made before 1980 so the car you're asking for does exist as iv touch it/seen it, its just not my car as i met the owner at a car meet with my chevy truck or 60's charger
bill blass aka bill de-blossio is a NYC political man with a Italian lineage and ties to the mob as roomers has it, didn't realise that he was also a fashion designer
" The more tasteful times of today" ??? Where we have a wonderful choice of interior colors of..... dark gray, dark charcoal, or black. Yeah that's really expressing oneself isn't it?
Took the words right out of my mouth!
Yeah, "Ed" wasn't even born in the 70's. I was, and it was a great time to be alive. I loved those cars..
@@althunder4269 So was I, it sure was and I still do! :)
Where far too many vehicles (not all) now either have a bubble look, are overly busy looking, and sometimes a combination of both, which may impart the driving character of an appliance.
Thank you, your right. But it's all opinion isn't it. I hate the cars these days, bland and the SUV's, hatchback with the big rear ends. Alot of people like them because most people have big rear ends; not many good looking ones anymore.
Those Continentals were the pinnacle of automotive comfort and beauty. I'd sure love to own one sometime.
Lincoln embodied everything that was wrong about US car design in that era.
@@MarinCipollina It appears we have different tastes.
@@mrjon1985 Viva la difference !
LOVED the Town Cars and various MKs! My family was a Lincoln family for years.
@@MarinCipollina And was awesome for it
The car interiors of these 1970s designer's edition are the best I've seen. These big cars is like carrying your living room with you.
Citroën still occasionally produce designer series even down to this day. The Rip Curl editions of several of their cars have continued as well as Elle, Saint James, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and others.
Peugeot Lacoste and quicksilver series
Dolce & Gabbana too, spotted a tiny Citroën with D&G all over it once. Also didn't expect skate/surf brands to be doing car collabs.
I also remember a Peugeot 107 Sweet Years, from the fashion brand created by Italian footballers Vieri and Maldini
I know here in Australia you could get a Fiat 500 in a "Gucci Edition". Not sure when production started or ended but I still see them often enough.
The new Fiat 500 had several editions as well. There was a Gucci, 1957, GQ, Ferrari, Maserati, and even a metallic pink Barbie edition.
Laughed at the Jay Leno reference! We had a Gremlin in the 70s, but it wasn't the Levis edition, it was bright yellow with a big black stripe, like a bumblebee. Easy to spot in a parking lot! Traded that for a 77 Monte Carlo, then a 79 Cadillac Seville, and eventually the Eddie Bauer edition Ford Bronco II.
LOVED the 77 Monte!!!!
Bronco 2 was a rolling death trap
11:44
Nice job using a shot of the Bonneville MK VIII. That car has a really cool history, even though it raced and claimed a speed record at Bonneville. Lincoln absolutely did not like that it achieved that feat and hid it. This is because the engineers actually did the race against Ford's wishes to test the car's limit. Only slightly modified (roll cage and a few other minor changes to the suspension and transmission) got that car to 182 MPH averaged between the two runs. On the second run they gave it so little time to cool off from the first sprint that the transmission fluid was 250°F and the engine oil was 275°F at the *start* of the second run. What an awesome boat of a car
Great job. I didn’t know a Versace Mark existed, even though I’m a bit of a Mark enthusiast myself. I have a ‘69 Mark III and, to add to your video, the clock wasn’t even made by Cartier. It was from the Ford parts bin with plastic gears that would disintegrate shortly after the owner swapped it out for a Mark IV. Ford just bought a license to use the name.
Ed I'm loving this series on tasteless American cars of the 70's. I was just a kid back then but I remember it well, acres of faux-leather and a padded vinyl top with badges everywhere proclaiming how tasteful it all was. Here's an idea for a future video: the faux-muscle cars of the mid-70's like the Mustang II Cobra and Chevy Monza Spider. Just about every US car company put out ridiculous 'muscle cars' with spats, spoilers, air dams and graphics, powered by emasculated V-8s with 120 horsepower and 0-60 times you could measure with an hourglass.
I feel like the mid 70s muscle cars are/were just too reliant on the aftermarket. Any guy could build a 400hp 350 for his Monza and do the swap in his garage, at least that's the appeal of those cars for me. One of the reasons older guys who started driving in the 80s/90s are so nostalgic for the Jegs catalog and putting a cam in everything
The decal package era!!
@@tatwood93 Spent hours looking at Jegs catalogs
They are still beautiful cars.
It was all because of emissions.
I hate living in "tasteful times." I want my Pimpmobiles back!
So do I.
No less an authority than Mick Jagger saiid that anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
@@tjenadonn6158 Sounds like good advice to me.
I miss bench seats!
@@crankychris2 I want button-tufted Velour...Leather sucks!!!
I love the part about the Cassini package, with all these drawings of funky bright dual-colored exteriors with big curvy stripes all over the car...then the reveal of the production car which came in one of three boring solid neutral colors. So funny.
I remember the Ford truck line in the 90's having an Eddie Bauer Edition ... The designer editions of late seen to be all from local attractions. We have had the King Ranch and Texas Editions that seem to be non factory made, but from Dealers in a district.
The 1972 oldsmobile 98 regency Tiffany edition (released for oldsmobiles 75th anniversery)was not mentioned, it had a tiffany clock a special interior and paint color. It was special due to it being registered with tiffanys, so if u lost ur Key(which was sterling silver by tiffany) they would replace it.
The personal luxury era was what it was, they strangled performance in the mid 1970s but they guzzled gas just as fast as they pre '72 relatives did. But they did it in cheap faux luxury. Always enjoy the EAR shows Ed! -Thanks man.
In Australia we had our own LTD Cartier edition.
As well the Aussie fashion designer Carla Zampatti added a few touches to the Ford Laser.
Rare as rocking horse poo these days !
I remember those designer car commercials. The Bill Blass was the one that always stuck with me.
I must admit that I had a 76 Bill Blass Mark lV & loved it!!! It was quite & comfortable, it was a gas guzzler though!!! Love your channel!!! 👍👍🙂
I have a 1975 Continental Mark IV and have enjoyed it since 2002.
Hope it lasts as long as my drivers license. 😉
They are still beautiful cars.
@@althunder4269 they certainly are!!
i want it
@@janeappleseed2154
Go for it.
I'm always waiting on a new episode, Ed. You never seem to disappoint. I really appreciate all of them.
The two most recent designer package cars that I can come up with are the LL Bean Subarus and the North Face Chevy Avalanches from the 2000s.
The Pierre Cardin Javelin looked pretty tasteful. Although it had the loudest interior, it is still very well balanced with the black leather and dashboard. Just the right amount of groovyness.
In 90’s-early 2000’s. I can think of the Nautica edition Mercury Villager minivan and the Joseph Abboud edition Buick Regal.
Pushing an AMC from behind. Kudos for authenticity.
I think everybody back in the early 70s was addicted to Denim, to the point where you could get a TV with denim attached to it. It’s called the Zenith Sidekick II... the 70s where a strange time
Hmmmm, I liked many of the 70's cars. Actually, I had several of them myself, like a 71 Monte Carlo, 75 Olds Cutlass Supreme, 78 Pontiac Grand Prix, 78 Pontiac Bonneville, 76 Datsun B210. Loved them all.
I use to have a set of those seats with the red stripe sitting around in my garage. I knew they were from an AMC but had know idea they were Gucci! I just found an old photo with my cat sleeping on them lol. I think I sold them for peanuts
Greetings from Down Under Cu*#.. I'm really enjoying your videos and steadily making my way through them in a random order. As a car guy, I think you've captured the paradox of the the American car industry perfectly - the wonderfulness and terribleness both. And I think as car folks that resonates because it often emulates our internal battle between the emotions they evoke and the simultaneous conflict with "common sense". Well done :)
Brother I love every single one of your videos you're wit and delivery are exactly on point and get me every time
The intro music is just perfect!
I do remember seeing a Bill Blass edition Continental for years in my home town, usually parked at the local yacht club (big surprise). My Mom briefly owned a '72 Continental in metallic gold and she quite despised it...
WWWWWWAAANNNNNNNTTTTT
Back in the 1970's, I fell in love with the Lincoln Mark IV. Vowed to get one but never did.
Sounds like you dodged a bullet
Great edition , In my opinion everything back in 70's was more stylish. Cars, Music, Woman, houses, etc etc
Don't forget porn music was popular. You can here it on this video. 😁
@@jessesan2003 I miss the '70's. Rock, Porn, Freedom. Everything but those awful 70's malaise cars.
Man this video wasn’t even close to long enough! I would kill for a 70s Bill Blass Lincoln!
Great video, as always, Ed! I'm so thrilled with being able to learn about these oddities that I'd never heard of. Thank, man! -Vic
Too much is not enough. Even waaay too much is not enough. I miss the good old days of glitz and luxury!
Would be interesting to know how much the 'designers' were really involved in creating these trim packages or were they really just signing off on proposals created by the auto company's color & trim departments. We may never know...
I'd bet most designers fought more to have more control, while the automakers just wanted their name brand and a new color of paint. If I styled a car, the wheels would need to change for instance. Would I have to settle for hubcaps or a different color of paint on an existing wheel design? Depends on the company.
Bless you my friend . I remember these cars Oh so well. The Levis Gremlin to the ULTRA tacky Lincolns. My absolute favorite is a Louis Vuitton Cadillac Seville from a Mel Brooks Movie.
Love from Canada. Thank you for the Tulips
The trademark Lincoln/Rolls Royce grille of that time was called a radiator grille, not a waterfall grille, even though people today call it that. A waterfall grille has vertical bars that begin on the top of the front, horizontal surface of the hood and then wrap over and down to continue into the vertical face of the usual grille area. An example, maybe the first example, was the 1974-75 Imperial Lebaron from Chrysler Corporation, which continued into 1976 after Chrysler eliminated its Imperial division as the Chrysler New Yorker, continuing in that body style through 1978.
I'm not a Levi's guy, And I am not "into" designer car packages, BUT the Levi's Gremlin is THE one on here that makes the MOST sense. Levi's was (then) a youthful brand, The Gremlin was aimed at a youthful market. It was a (pardon the pun) perfect fit. And really it was rather tasteful for the time.
I have a 1985 Continental Valentino. its a beautiful car. 5.0 eninge under the hood on air ride suspension.
I was going to mention the Valentino Lincolns. Did '87 get the HO 5.0 yet? I have an '89 LSC and it still shocks me how agile it is for "just an old Lincoln".
Including the Levis edition in this list has earned you a subscriber. I'm the type of guy who will seek out a Levis Edition AMC Gremlin at a Cars and Coffee event first before looking at Italian Exotics......
I think I'd rather talk to a weird car owner than some garage kept exotic's investor no matter the make.
I remember being at O'Hare Airport (late 70s or early 80s) and seeing a red Continental convertible pull in with the plates BBLASS. The white top was down. Out of the car came Bill and his family. The best part? They were all dressed in red and white outfits which matched the car. It looked like a scene from a movie. Those were the days.
Was "BBL" for "bubble" ?
@@JustFunandGames Naw. Probably just B(ill)BLASS
Dang that’s baller
Thanks for mentioning the Zegna Maserati, because it's actually really nice! Fits the car too.
There were others in later years. Ford produced Eddie Bauer editions of their trucks & SUVs up through 2010. The upscale department store Neiman Marcus went the opposite route and partnered with various luxury car makers to release "Neiman Marcus Editions" annually up until recently (still?). Probably a myriad of others that I'm forgetting at the moment....perhaps a future episode?
Harley davidson edition f150s as well.
Jeep had a special edition Orvis (the outdoor merch people) too, in the 90s
At the very beginning, I was really wondering if you were going to mention the Levi's Gremlin. As soon as you mentioned AMC, I knew what was coming. Glad that I could learn more about this outlandish earmark in the history of American automotives.
Actually some of those exterior color schemes looked pretty good... In that same timeframe some cars would talk to you. I remember my grandmother's land yacht would tell you, "Your door is a-JAR." It made me laugh every time I heard it.
I saw a comedian who had a bit about that.
"One time, I had one of those talking cars, and me and some of my friends did acid and got in it. Then it said "The door is ajar." We just sat there in the driveway for 12 hours going "The door is a jar? Duuuuude........how is the door a jar.......?????"
I love this old footage and learning about these cars! thanks!
And here in Australia we had the 1985 Ford Laser Carla Zampatti edition 🙂
Oh, and like most people here - I'm loving this channel! Keep up the good work!
Don't forget the Cartier edition of the local ZK or ZL Ford LTD wth it gold tones. I should have bought one to match my Cartier cigarette case.
Actually, two generations of the Laser got the Zampatti treatment. There was the KB series earlier with the colour-coded taillight outlines. If that was too staid, then the Nissan Pulsar Reebok was just around the corner...
Our neighbor across the street bought a brand new 1977 Lincoln Mark, light blue with a white Landau vinyl top and a white leather interior, so beautiful just loved it, he kept that car spotless
For anyone wondering who does the baller intro song it's Miami - I can see through you
Just the comment I was looking for. Thanks!
Just love your channel! Many thanks for your unique selection of viewpoints on American cars. For me, this episode is a very special hit: Back in 1981 I experienced the San Francisco Bay area driving a Mark IV Cartier edition which a friend has inherited from his grandpa. This boat impressed with manoeuvrability and fuel consumption of a crude oil carrier and 0-60 performance of an econobox. The interior combined three different sorts of fake wood and a (broken!) Cartier-labeled clock with Roman ciphers with little room on the back seats and also not much of trunk space.
Ed I highly disagree with your closing statement that we are in more tasteful times. There's nothing tasteful about a new Nissan Rogue or Civic Type R. It seems we've reached the point where "Fast and Furious" styling has made its way to the mainstream OEMs and everybody in their Hyundai looks like a wannabe Paul Walker. In the same way a young man in a Brougham denotes pimp or drug dealer, an old man in a hot hatch gives the impression of a man-child or midlife crisis.
See the French auto market.
The 70's were very tasteful and the decade had it's own style which we are sure lacking now. At least the cars were unique and comfortable unlike today as you point out everything is a race car with rock hard seats and suspensions and stupid computerized gadgets to go haywire.
Agree but for different reasons: Top 3 most popular vehicles are full sized pickups, and the top ten are all either those, milquetoast crossovers, full size SUV, plus the Camry and Civic which I would argue are the most sensible and interesting of the bunch.
Certainly no more tasteful than the ridiculous 70s
Hear! Hear!
I get so tired of angular lines and everything looking angry.
Maybe not a return to the 70s, but can we get well proportioned cars that at least attempt clean design? Or at least form follows function?
It seems today's designers threw out the rulebook just to be different instead of advancing what is beautiful.
@@quintessenceSL In more ways than one I think we are already in the return to the mid 70s. Cars were not this ugly 5-10 years ago. IMO the late 2000s had some of the best designed cars of all time. A modernized retro design is simply timeless (yes I like PT Cruiser) while the fad of the squiggly running lights in places you don't expect them will be seen similar to opera windows on the c pillar. An artist knows when to stop adding things, a modern automotive designer seemingly does not
Fantastic stuff Ed...! There's a Fiat 500 Gucci edition that parks in my street here in Geneva so this stuff is still happening...!
I remember the Levi Gremlin and Mark IV designer editions. I thought the Bill Blass edition was the best looking. I on the other hand owned a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba. Not with the Corinthian leather but with a rare red Aztec pattern cloth. It looked like an Indian blanket. Definitely a part of the loud 70s styling. I always felt that was more because with the lack of performance in the mid-late 70s, auto manufacturers needed a new selling point.
My brother and I could drive each other to hysterics by repeating the Mark IV-V commercial from the late 70s. I can still do our routine - Bill Blass - Givency - Pucci ... Pucci (repeat, for the handoff) - Cartier. Happy times!!!!
Then in the 80s there was the Cimarron D'oro, because a dressed up Cavalier wasn't dressed up enough already 🤣🤣🤣
Talk about polishing a TURD!!! I saw one or two of those come through the 10 minute oil change I was working for from 88-90 after graduating high school. I laughed at them then.
I got my license in the early 90's. It was awesome seeing these cars in the highschool parking lot.
Deep inside I must be a true 1970's pimp, as I love those "designer editions" of Lincolns and big T-Birds... Shame on me :D
Speaking of T Birds, there was briefly a Fila edition Thunderbird in the 1980’s.
Growing up, I had 2 neighbors, 1 of which always seemed to want to 1-up the other. When my one neighbor got a brand new Ford Explorer, literally a day later the other got the exact same Explorer, but the Eddie Bauer edition. Same car, same parts, one just cost a couple thousand more
Not gonna lie I actually love the interior of that first AMC you showed. The design is really nice. I wish Gucci still had that style of design these days rather than...whatever it is they do to make such horrid handbags and clothing
In college in 1976 I drove / delivered one of these 2 door LINCOLNS from ATLANTA to Chicago. What a dream of a drive - big V8 and VERY comfortable seats - it was like driving a sofa down the highway. Guy on the Chicago end gave me a Benjamin tip - 2 days and not a scratch!
Didn't the fiat 500 offer some luxury designer edition? I think there was a Bulgari edition, Armani edition and even a Gucci edition
Also the 500 by Diesel, which had somewhat of a confusing name
This was one of the many coolest times in car history that i HATE i wasnt alive for i would have LOVED to be there for this
Actually there is a good reason that you could get a car badged with Gucci is easy to understand. The son of the founder had weakened the hell out of the brand when the father died. He almost killed off the brand. He said yes to everything.
One of your better posts! Well researched and respectful - with just-right touches of humour.
Some very useful information mixed in with the snark. Anyone who can look at the Nissan Juke and claim that we live in more tasteful times is a bit suspect in my book. I would take any of those 70's era AMC or FoMoCo units over today's vomit on wheels.
Tell me about it. When I saw a video of the Nissan Kicks and seeing how it was a replacement for the Nissan Juke I thought that the Kicks was far better than the Juke in terms of exterior styling.
My brother had a Javelin, fantastic handling saved our lives in that machine.
I remember my friend had an AMC Gremlin with the Levi's denim package. The seats were covered in the same cotton denim fabric as the jeans...It was kinda cool as if you ever had to fix a rip or tear you just needed to bust out some old jeans..
I just remember the seats wearing out really fast with the jeans fabric.
I lived thru this era as a little kid. I remember sliding around on the extensive pristine white leather back seat of the neighbor's '77 T-bird! Ford had converted the idea of a sport sedan from the 60s into a 2door behemoth LTD! Excellent channel!
Too bad the Gucci design wasn't applied to the Gremlin. I'm laughing my ass off thinking about a Gucci Gremlin right now.
For a guy from the Netherlands he is very fluent in the English language. I have to wonder if he spent time in the U.S. or Great Britain. I must admit that he does a great job with these videos. Ed you the man.
10:08 Dial not Dail
My favorite is the 79 Mark V Bill Blass. Absolute epitome of land yacht
History of the gasser
I am very VERY glad someone made a video on the Designer series cars, particularly the Lincoln Mark V. Specifically the 1979 coloway Pucci and Bill Blass Mark V's are some of my all-time favorite American cars of all time.
You can always count on the 1970s to have produced something absolutely horrible and unimaginable no matter where you look
Your channels 10/10. You really could put a lot of main stream channels to shame. Love the the humour too 😅😂
This videos have more quality than any tv show about cars i ever see
What a blast from the past! I remember these colorful cars and their “rich Corinthian leather.” Good times.
"a handbag on wheels" - just perfect!
Another stellar video. I remember the Ford Denim Van from the late 70's that Coca Cola offered as a contest prize
My favorite honorary American Gearhead! (Petrolheads are called Gearheads here in the USA) As tough as it is to admit that we do a poor job at passing on the history of our automotive business here I have to acknowledge the fact you are help us fix that. We know more about the history of Ferrari, lotus, Lamborghini or Porsche than the GM brands. We appreciate the work you put into these videos Ed.
"More tasteful times"....heh. Need a video just on crazy muscle car badging, mod appearance options (like the floral print vinyl top), plus eye-searing high impact colours - AND the resurgence post 2000 of retro-inspired vehicles (like the Rumble Bee , Daytona Ram, Bullitt Mustang, Hellcat, Demon, etc.).
Another fantastic video along with Ed's snarky remarks. Nothing could be better! Thanks Ed.
NGL those beyond funky Oleg Cassini interiors were awesome af!
God I Love This content It’s Absolute Gold!
During this crazy decade, we wanted designer EVERYTHING!