Posts Tagged ‘sedan’

E32 Double Feature – 1990 BMW 735iL and 1990 BMW 750iL

March 29, 2016

Old luxury cars are in this kind of limbo, which many of them don’t survive. They’re too passé to attract the attention of their wealthy first owners. Tossed aside when the next new thing comes along, they move down to aspiring types who want to project the image of their first owners for less money (or, you might argue, sensible types who can’t stomach the idea of absorbing the double-hit of costly depreciation and maintenance). For round three, they’re fully depreciated to three or four percent of their inflation-adjusted new price. Of course, you’re not getting 100% of the original car – mileage figures are often solidly into six digits, and all the luxury amenities have suffered from use and environmental degradation – but if you budget thoughtfully, an older luxury car can still be a compelling proposition for someone on a modest budget. So first, let’s take a look at this 1990 BMW 735iL for sale for $3500 in Port Charlotte, FL.

1990 BMW 735iL left front

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Oddly Bland – 1989 Nissan Maxima

March 26, 2016

Back in the late 1980s, Nissan’s Maxima moved from being a mushy competitor to the “best” GM had to offer, to a car they promoted as the 4DSC or four-door sports car. Gone were the first and second-generation cars’ Toyota Cressida-mimicking styling and talking-car phonograph system, replaced by sportier contemporary styling and an optional 190hp VG30 V6 engine starting in 1991. While the lower-spec (non-SE) cars retained some of the plushness of their predecessors, there was nothing like the tufted pillow-top seats available on earlier cars. With that stunning introduction, let’s take a look at this 1989 Nissan Maxima RHD for sale for $2900 in Broward County, FL.

1989 Nissan Maxima RHD interior

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Beige Before It Was Uncool – 1975 Chevrolet Impala

March 23, 2016

Back in the days before we were overwhelmed with beige khakis, computer parts, and more, to the extent beige is a metaphor for “boring”, Chevrolet decided it would be a suitable color to offer on their full-size B-body sedan. As the largest sedan offered by Chevrolet (and in fact, the largest sedan ever offered by them), it was suitable for all kinds of roles, including government, taxicab, demolition derby car, law enforcement, rental, and hogging the left lane of rural highways with the blinker on. There’s really no reason why a car with available V8s named TurboFire and TurboJet should have not also garnered the attention of driving enthusiasts, but that may have something to do with their ubiquity and emissions-strangled outputs. That said, it’s now unusual to see one of these low-spec Impalas, even in car friendly Western climates – after their usefulness as a transportation module disappeared, their reason for being did as well. Funny enough, that makes it a pleasant surprise to see this 1975 Chevrolet Impala for sale for $2800 in Norcross, GA.

1975 Chevrolet Impala right side

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