American Car badge engineering. What is what?

[Spazdog]

The '70s had some weird badge engineering.

To compete with the more compact luxurious cars from Mercedes Benz, the Cadillac Seville and Lincoln Versailles were born.

The Versailles is easy enough to understand. Take a top of the line Granada/Monarch, Give it a more Lincoln like front clip and a Continental spare style trunk, add on rear disc brakes and Voila! Mercedes fighter....yeah, not really. Not even close to a W114

at least a lot of hot-rodders got a rear disc 9" out of the deal.

Ford had resources from Ford Autowerk (European Granada), Mazda (Luce Legato), Ford UK (Zephyr)... all executive cars in their own right

Lets start with the Mazda. Restyle the front clip, (because it does look like a demented Chrysler), get a formal English interior from UK, let Ford Autowerk and Mazda engineer the ride for the best comprimise of ride and handling, and source an inline 6 from Ford Australia.

It would have cost more to develop than the Versailles but all the major components were already being made.

The Seville took a Nova chassis and re-engineered it to the point to where it was no longer a Nova chassis. Fuel injected an Olds engine. Wouldn't it have been cheaper to just fit 5mph bumpers on an Opel Diplomat and power it with a Holden 308

I am sure there are reasons why they wouldn't work. But it seems like they could have sold these cars on multiple continents/markets.

 

[CBR.worm]

Originally Posted By: 1345
I just sold my 1988 Oldsmobile touring sedan just like the one in the picture same color and everything. It had a self leveling suspension with a little air compressor under the hood that turned on and off automatically, The rear view mirror tinted if a car was behind you. The lights turned on and off automatically. It had the best ash treys with lighters in all of them. My parents bought it new.


I had a white '89 Touring Sedan. Bought it new and drove it for a couple years. Great looking car. Great car all the way around. I still see one on the road around here that looks good. Mine was not super reliable, but there were a lot of things that I liked better on it than on the next model.

The trip computer said 'Good Morning', 'Good Afternoon', etc. the gauges were great.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog

Originally Posted By: earlyre

Ford Probe/ Mazda RX-7/Mazda 626

I think you mean MX-6. RX-7 was always uniquely Mazda.


Yeah...My bad... doing research and typing quickly @ the same time as getting ready for work....

Originally Posted By: 1345
I just sold my 1988 Oldsmobile touring sedan just like the one in the picture same color and everything. It had a self leveling suspension with a little air compressor under the hood that turned on and off automatically, The rear view mirror tinted if a car was behind you. The lights turned on and off automatically. It had the best ash treys with lighters in all of them. My parents bought it new.


My First Car, which I got when My Grandpa Passed, was an 87 Olds 98. largely the same car, but Column shift instead of the cool floor shifter. always scared folks walking by, when that compressor would kick on after we got out of the car(my air struts were shot) I didn't have the auto lights, auto Mirror or leather, but my god, the ashtrays! at least 4, all with built in lighters.(center, lower dash pull out - and in the armrests of every door but the Driver's)

 

[expat]

In Canada there was a very utilitarian Pick Up Truck called a Fargo.
It looked to be the same as the Dodge (REALLY UGLY!)

I had one for about 2 weeks, it had a 318ci and Three speed manual (on the tree)

Totally gutless!

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: expat
In Canada there was a very utilitarian Pick Up Truck called a Fargo.
It looked to be the same as the Dodge (REALLY UGLY!)

I had one for about 2 weeks, it had a 318ci and Three speed manual (on the tree)

Totally gutless!


Canada also had Mercury trucks: