Personal luxury car

Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance.[1] The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and marketing to develop upscale, distinctive "platform sharing" models that became highly profitable.[2]

Although luxury coupes had been produced in North America for several decades, the beginning of the "personal luxury car" market segment is generally considered to have started in 1958. It was the success of the Ford Thunderbird (second generation) when it was redesigned from a two-seat car to a four-seat vehicle.[3][4][5][6] These changes shifted the Thunderbird's emphasis from sporting to comfort and luxury, and sales increased by 50 percent.[7] The Thunderbird was sold for eleven generations up until the 2005 model year.

The longest-running nameplate of the personal luxury car was the Cadillac Eldorado, which had a 50-year production run that began in the 1953 model year. Initially, it designated ultra-premium, low-volume versions of lower-priced Cadillac models, including the hand-built four-door 1957 Eldorado Brougham. According to Hemmings Motor News, Cadillac first entered the "personal luxury car" market in 1967, with a smaller high-volume model.[8]

Before the late 1970s, personal luxury cars were typically large, rear-wheel-drive vehicles powered by large V8 engines. As a result of the downsizing trend in the American automotive industry during the late 1970s, many personal luxury cars were produced as mid-size cars with six-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive. By the 2000s, the personal luxury market had diminished as consumers migrated to other market segments.[9]

Characteristics

Personal luxury cars are mass-market vehicles that combine sports car and luxury car characteristics, typically featuring two-door coupés or convertibles with a small rear seat not intended for regular use by adults. Personal luxury car designs emphasize comfort and convenience, often highly equipped with interior features that were either optional or not available on other models.[10]

In contrast to the European grand tourer sporty luxury car, where high-speed performance was key, the American personal luxury car typically blunted performance by mating large engines to heavy vehicles.[11] The cars were usually mass-produced and often shared major mechanical components with other models from the manufacturer to reduce production costs.[2]

History

See also

• Coupé
• Convertible
• Grand tourer
• Luxury car
• Malaise era
• Muscle car