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Topic starter
21/10/2025 3:30 pm
Some discussion in John's "Which One" today about class of car. Here's a list of what I consider to be comparable makes:
1. Low-price:
Chevy, Ford, Plymouth, Studebaker
2. Lower-mid:
Pontiac, Edsel, Dodge, Nash
3. Mid:
Oldsmobile, Mercury, DeSoto
4. Upper-mid:
Buick, Chrysler, Hudson
5. High:
Cadillac, Lincoln, Imperial, Packard
I'd love to hear others' views!
Barry Levittan
Long Island, NY
21/10/2025 3:40 pm
Sounds reasonable to me.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
21/10/2025 4:33 pm
I have always thought of Buick and Oldsmobile as middle, but that may just be me. Otherwise, I agree, Moe.
21/10/2025 5:43 pm
Barry, generally I agree with you but sometime it depends on the model....for instance a Packard Clipper was a much less expensive car than a 400 or Caribbean and a Buick Special much less expensive than A Roadmaster. What blurs the lines is that an Oldsmobile 98 could cost far more than a Buick Special. I believe the manufacturers looked at the classes as you stated.
21/10/2025 7:16 pm
Yes, it depends on the model. Just the other day we compared a Ford Galaxy XL with Pontiac Catalina. One would think the Pontiac would cost more...not the case.Barry, generally I agree with you but sometime it depends on the model....for instance a Packard Clipper was a much less expensive car than a 400 or Caribbean and a Buick Special much less expensive than A Roadmaster. What blurs the lines is that an Oldsmobile 98 could cost far more than a Buick Special. I believe the manufacturers looked at the classes as you stated.
1964 MSRP base price for a Ford Galaxy XL Convertible was $3,495
1964 MSRP base price for a Pontiac Catalina Convertible was $3,185
The Pontiac was $310 less than the Ford.
John Bono
North Jersey
21/10/2025 10:25 pm
I recall that in some car marques there was a significant price and even styling/length difference. A few that come to mind are the Oldsmobile 88 and 98, the Buick Special/Century and Roadmaster, the '57 Ford Fairlane and 300 series, Dodge Polara and Dart/Pioneer.
22/10/2025 5:41 am
I always thought Oldsmobile and Buick were similar in price range but I could be wrong. In the old days when you could sit in the dealership and pick what you wanted to have in your and on your car prices could shift a bit. Back home you could actually order a car. I always saw differences with in a brand like Plymouth Fury being top Belvedere middle and Savoy at the bottom.