Tag Archives: Used Cars

Rare Rides: The 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL 500, a Finale Called Final Edition

Posted on by

Large, luxurious, and very serious, the first generation CL was also an SEC and S during its life. While Mercedes-Benz played the Nineties naming games with its lineup, the W140 soldiered on in two-door format as a last-of for a top-tier Mercedes coupe.

The W140 500 SEC and 600 SEC were introduced in 1992 globally as successor to the C126 (that’s coupe) variant of the legendary W126 S-Class. We’ve covered C126 previously in both standard and cocaine-inspired AMG variants, but never a W126. Look for it in a future Rare Rides Icons.

Both versions of the W140 were penned by Bruno Sacco late in 1987, during the middle of his career at Mercedes. Sacco was lead designer at Benz between 1975 and 1999. With the W140, he brilliantly continued the pillarless hardtop styling of the C126. Two models of SEC were initially available: The 500 used a 5.0-liter V8 that produced 320 horsepower, while the top-drawer 600 SEC had a V12. The most expensive car Mercedes produced at the time, it used a 6.0-liter engine that produced 394 horsepower and rocketed the coupe to 60 in 6.1 seconds. The 600 SEC was incredibly exclusive, and fittingly asked $132,000 in 1992. Adjusted for inflation that figure comes to an eye-watering $262,000. V12 models were identifiable almost solely via their V12 badges on the C-pillar and the 600 on the back.

The range expanded into other models over the years, as a less expensive 4.2-liter V8 was an option in some markets. On the other end of the spectrum, AMG models used larger and more powerful V12 engines of 6.0, 6.9, and even 7.3 liters. That largest engine allowed the CL 73 AMG a top speed of 199 miles per hour and was the engine Pagani chose to power the Zonda of the 2000s. Standard Mercedes-issued coupes were all limited by German tradition to 155 mph. A considerable number of horses were required to motivate the CL, since in any trim it weighed at least 4,500 pounds, and weighed about 4,900 pounds with a 12-cylinder lump upfront. All cars used a four- or five-speed automatic dependent on model year.

In 1994 the SEC moniker that Mercedes used for decades was replaced by an S, as the S 500 Coupe and S 600 Coupe more closely identified with their sedan sibling. It was a temporary measure though, as for the model year 1997 in Europe and 1998 in North America the S was swapped for CL, and the CL-Class was born. Models were then CL 500, CL 600, and so on. The car underneath changed little over the years, as Mercedes used their best build quality, materials, and technology in their halo coupe.

The W140 coupe was offered through 1999 in Europe and 2000 in North America, at which point it was replaced by the W215 CL-Class. The second CL was based upon the new W220 S-Class sedan. The W215 was noteworthy, as it was Bruno Sacco’s final design for Mercedes. Both the W215 and its 2007 successor (C216) were more modern, full of even more technology, much more complicated, and as a consequence has aged more poorly over the years. Both second and third-gen CLs can be found commonly on high-quality internet content like “You Can Get All This $200,000 Mercedes Coupe For $15,000 You Guys Like and Subscribe,” but the W140 SEC and CL have escaped such an undignified fate. Their quality, non-bling appearance, and limited production (26,022 total) have kept them under the radar.

Shortly before the end of its production, Mercedes offered a final run trim on the W140 CL which they creatively called Final Edition. Said special edition seems to be an “all options as standard” version of the CL 500, and in this instance pairs a nice navy metallic paint to a black interior, with sporty AMG-adjacent monoblock wheels. A testament to its build quality, today’s CL has traveled over 164,000 miles and looks brand new. Located in Spain, the future classic asks $15,235.

[Images: Mercedes-Benz]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Land Rover check out Land Rover Fairfield TODAY!

Buy/Drive/Burn: Economical American Compacts From 1982

Posted on by

Our recent Rare Rides coverage of the Chevrolet Citation made one thing very clear: We need more Citation content. Today’s 1982 Buy/Drive/Burn lineup was suggested by commenter eng_alvarado90, who would like to see all of you struggle. Citation, Aries, Escort, all in their most utilitarian formats. Let’s go.

Chevrolet Citation

The Citation is in its third model year for 1982, and sales have already fallen far from their initial peak of 800,000. The bloom is off this rose, but GM is still on track for six-digit sales this year. Sticking firmly to economy and utility, today’s Citation is a five-door hatchback equipped with the 2.5-liter Iron Duke inline-four and paired to a four-speed manual. Throttle-body injection is new this year and means 90 horses are underfoot. There’s also a new horizontal slats grille.

Dodge Aries K

The Dodge Aries is still new and is in its second model year for 1982. Chrysler started out strong last year with over 300,000 sales, and will likely reach that number again in ’82. Today’s Aries is the four-door wagon, as Chrysler does not offer a hatchback K-car at this level. Underhood is the base 2.2-liter Chrysler inline-four, which uses a two-barrel carb. Eighty-four horses are at the driver’s command, shifted through a four-speed manual. New this year: rear windows roll down on sedans and wagons, replacing the fixed glass.

Ford Escort

Ford’s Escort is also in its second model year for 1982. The American market Escort was supposed to be very similar to the European one for parts sharing purposes. However the respective design teams each headed their own direction, and the two cars share only an engine and transmission. Today’s five-door Escort hatchback is new for ’82, along with a new grille and presence of the familiar Ford Blue Oval. The base 1.6-liter CVH engine gets a high output version this year, which increases power by about 10 horses, to 80. Power is delivered to the front via a four-speed Ford MTX manual.

Economy and cheap driving are available to you, and they’ll probably hold up for at least three years before falling apart. Which gets the Buy?

[Images: GM, Chrysler, Ford]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Chevrolet, Buick or GMC in St. Louis check out Laura Chevrolet Buick GMC TODAY!

Abandoned History: Chrysler’s Liberty Project, to Saturn or Not to Saturn

Posted on by

<img data-attachment-id=”1772492″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn/iacocca-k-car-1024×532/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-5.jpg” data-orig-size=”1024,532″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Iacocca-K-Car-1024×532″ data-image-description=”

Chrysler

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-2.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn.jpg” class=”aligncenter wp-image-1772492 size-large” src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”317″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-1.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-2.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-3.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-4.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/abandoned-history-chryslers-liberty-project-to-saturn-or-not-to-saturn-5.jpg 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>In Part V of the Rare Rides series on the Eagle Premier, I mentioned an abandoned project at Chrysler called Liberty. Announced in 1985, Liberty was supposed to be a direct challenge to GM’s recently announced Saturn brand. Or it wasn’t, depending on what day of the week Liberty was addressed.

Chrysler’s PR department and CEO Lee Iacocca seemed at odds on what the Liberty project was, but they were both sure it was very important and it would build something, probably.

The Detroit Three were in a bit of small-car worry in the mid-Eighties. Detroit’s desire to create a competitive subcompact car was outside their prior 50 years of land-barge expertise. At the same time, previous protections assured by Japanese car import quotas were about to expire, as declared by Reagan’s White House. Japanese companies were also getting around said restrictions by building manufacturing facilities within U.S. borders. Time for action.

General Motors acted first (officially) when early in 1985 it incorporated the Saturn brand and made a land purchase in Tennessee for a new factory. Chrysler followed suit in late March of ’85 when it announced Liberty. Both Saturn and Liberty were about more than “build an econobox” ideologies but rather intended to refine and streamline the manufacturing process, just like the Japanese. Streamlining cut costs, and would ultimately assure domestic subcompacts could compete with the ever-increasing Japanese competition.

Speaking of competition, Lee Iacocca was not comfortable with the news media’s implication that Liberty was a response to Saturn. Lee said Chrysler was working on Liberty first, they just didn’t tell anyone about it. Hidden for two years before the announcement, Liberty was to produce a car in 1990 – two years following Saturn’s claim of 1988. Lee pointed to the more sophisticated manufacturing Chrysler was already doing, something GM wasn’t doing across its portfolio. The contemporary Omni/Horizon twins were his sophisticated manufacturing examples.

Liberty, he said, would improve the manufacturing process to such an extent that it would save $1,000 per car. And the rest of the savings would come from a better currency balance between dollars and yen. Liberty would use modular construction, have a plastic body, and use either three- or four-cylinder power. All the car’s functions would be controlled by 12 advanced microprocessors. Because Liberty would be a modular design, components could be produced abroad (saving money) and assembled domestically.

Such was the story in March of 1985. By late April there was a different spin on Liberty, to the point the stated goal of the entire project had changed. Mr. Iacocca was in Tokyo on April 17th, 1985, making some announcements to the press about future business. Among them, that Chrysler had “…ceded the low end of the market to the Far East.”

The statement above came on the heels of the announcement of the Chrysler-Mitsubishi joint project that you’d know as Diamond Star Motors. Since the Japanese were just so good at small cars, Chrysler would let them help – a lot. Mitsubishi would design the DSM cars, and run the plant at Normal, Illinois (its groundbreaking was in April 1986).

Iacocca addressed Liberty that day too and said the high-tech Liberty that was in the works earlier than GM’s Saturn and targeted Saturn-like economy car things would not produce a subcompact car. Then he added “per se,” to the end of his statement. Naturally, this confused the press, who ran to telephone their favorite Chrysler PR person. Weeks before in March, many journalists were shown a working prototype of a Liberty project car (no photos of this on the internet).

Chrysler made an official statement that day and claimed that Chrysler never had a particular car in mind with Liberty, but the project was more about technology and streamlined management techniques. Said techniques would be finalized within Liberty and then implemented at all current Chrysler manufacturing facilities. The fact a working prototype had already been shown was not addressed.

About 11 months after the initial Liberty announcement, Iacocca was still talking about Liberty, and once again it was labeled as a direct charge against Saturn. Manufacturing streamlining and cost-cutting had been refined, and the estimate of cost savings was up, now $1,500 to $2,000 per car.

While Saturn was still moving forward with its new brand, Iacocca announced a change in direction for Liberty once more: It would now start with the decade-old Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon as its basis. The Liberty project was underway and contained largely within the Belvedere, Illinois plant where the two hatchbacks were produced.

On May 15th, 1986, Iacocca announced the newest and cheapest Omnirizon models, the stripped-out America trim.  He addressed Liberty very directly: “This is the first step on our road to Liberty, our Liberty project designed to take $2,000 out of the cost of a car so that, for the long term, we can compete with Japanese imports.”

Iacocca went on to call the Omni and Horizon America trims an experiment. The experimental part was reducing available options as much as possible, down to just two options packages that contained five options each on the Americas. This methodology would expand in the near future to Chrysler’s new subcompacts, the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance. This simplification was termed by the media at the time as “high-velocity production.”

The Liberty project and its “Liberty car” continued on in mythical terms for the next three years or so without direct announcements or much of any press coverage. But in September 1989 it was finally laid to rest. Popular Mechanics did a little blurb and announced the new AMC-developed Premier would take the place of the Liberty project. While that didn’t make much sense as it was not a streamlined economy car by any means, it was the explanation given on the project from Chrysler.

The Liberty program had various issues throughout its run, as seen above. While the Saturn-not-Saturn disagreement was ongoing, Chrysler finalized the purchase of AMC that netted the expensive new Premier. This very modern car, they decided, would form the basis for future Chrysler cars. And if it wasn’t streamlined, economy, Saturn, or Japanese competition, so what? What did Liberty even mean anyway? Nobody could recall.

[Image: Chrysler]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

Buy/Drive/Burn: Basic American Compacts From 2008

Posted on by

We continue our 1990s-then-2000s series today, following up the last post that featured compact American two-doors from 1998. By the late 2000s, the Escort, Neon, and Cavalier were all dead. In their place were the Focus, Caliber, and Cobalt, and not all of those had a two-door variant. That means we focus on four-doors today. Let’s go.

Dodge Caliber

The Caliber is in its second model year this year, as the crossover replacement for the Neon. Front-wheel drive with optional all-wheel drive, the Caliber rides on the Chrysler-Mitsubishi PM platform with things like the Mitsubishi Outlander. The only body style is this four-door with hatch. There are four trims this year, SE, SXT, R/T, and SRT-4. Today’s base SE uses a 1.8-liter inline-four good for 148 horsepower. It’s front-wheel drive, and has a five-speed manual transmission provided by Magna. Yours for $14,965.

Chevrolet Cobalt

The Cobalt is in its fourth model year after it replaced the ancient Cavalier for 2005. Cobalt uses the Delta platform which also sees use in the Saturn Ion and Chevrolet HHR. Unlike the Caliber, all examples are front-wheel drive. With two- or four-doors, there’s always a traditional trunk on the Cobalt. Four different trim levels are available at dealers this year: LS, LT, Sport, and SS, the latter with turbocharging. Base LS models are powered by a 2.2-liter inline-four that wrestles up 148 horses. The five-speed manual here is a Getrag box carried over from the Cavalier. Cobalt asks $14,410.

Ford Focus

The Focus is in its second generation for 2008, and is a car specific to North America. The first generation global Focus was part of Ford’s world car plan, but that idea was dropped. In 2008 customers choose from a two- or four-door Focus with trunk, as the hatchback option is no more. All Focii are front-drive, and all use the same 2.0-liter Duratec inline-four. Customers choose from four trims: S, SE, SES, and SEL. The cheapest S has the same 140 horses as the other models, and uses a five-speed manual. The Focus is in your drive for $14,395.

Three four-doors of Ace of Base persuasion, all wearing fantastic late 2000s styling. Which one’s worth the Buy?

[Images: GM, Ford, Dodge]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

Rare Rides: The 1959 Goggomobil Dart, Tiny Roadster Sans Doors

Posted on by

<img data-attachment-id=”1755302″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors/goggomobil-dart-2/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Goggomobil-Dart-2.png” data-orig-size=”1920,1080″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Goggomobil Dart 2″ data-image-description=”

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-3.png” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors.png” class=”aligncenter wp-image-1755302 size-large” src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors.png” alt width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors.png 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-2.png 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-3.png 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-4.png 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-5.png 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-6.png 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Today’s Rare Ride is an obscure variant of an already obscure microcar. The Dart you see here was an Australian-designed and built version of the Glas Goggomobil.

We’ve featured Glas cars in two installments of Rare Rides twice previously. The first example was a luxurious 2600 V8 coupe, followed up late last year by the much more mainstream 1304 shooting brake.

The car underneath this roadster body is perhaps the most well-known Glas, the Goggomobil. A very small city car, the Goggomobil was the first car produced by Glas and went on sale in 1955. Available in several body styles, the Goggomobil lacked an exciting roadster variant. The Glas is worth a Rare Ride of its own, so we won’t delve too far into it today.

The story of the Dart began at Buckle Motors, a large Australian car dealership chain. Bill Buckle the senior established his dealership selling Triumph and Talbot cars in 1927. The business grew steadily, and Buckle’s son, Bill Buckle Jr., convinced the management of Buckle Motors to build its own sports car. The idea was inspired by a visit to the London Motor Show in 1953, where many a fiberglass sports car was on display. Management agreed, and Buckle’s first car was the Buckle 2.5 Litre, manufactured in New South Wales and based on a Ford Zephyr. We’re racking up the Rare Rides entries today.

After the 2.5 Litre, Mr. Buckle realized that import taxation could be avoided if a chassis was imported to Australia instead of a complete vehicle. With this in mind, he knew the car he wanted to use and went off to Bavaria to strike a deal with Glas. Glas agreed to send Goggomobil chassis across the sea to Australia, and the Dart was on its way.

<img data-attachment-id=”1755304″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors/goggomobil-dart/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-11.png” data-orig-size=”1249,658″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Goggomobil Dart” data-image-description=”

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-8.png” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-1.png” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1755304″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-1.png” alt width=”610″ height=”321″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-1.png 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-7.png 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-8.png 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-9.png 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-10.png 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-11.png 1249w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Buckle himself designed the fiberglass roadster body, which consisted almost entirely of smooth edges and lacked doors. Of note: At least one (above) had doors added after the fact to improve usability. It seated only two people and had a very small canvas roof to keep out the rain. There was no trunk as the engine was in the rear, but there was storage in the nose, accessed from inside the passenger compartment.  The design entered production in 1959 and was again built in New South Wales.

A very lightweight vehicle, the Dart weighed just 761 pounds. It had an overall length of 120 inches, and a width of just 54 inches. Power was provided by one of three two-stroke two-cylinder engines, in 300-, 392-, or 400-cc displacements. Power ranged from 14 to 18 horses. All shifted their big power through a four-speed manual.

The Dart project was a mild success, and about 700 examples were made by the time the project completed. Though the Dart was the company’s most successful offering, Buckle would go on to build a Goggomobil-based van, and a take on the Mini called Mini Monaco. Today the business is called Bill Buckle Auto Group and sells Toyota, Subaru, and Volkswagen vehicles to the Australian populace.

Today’s Rare Ride is one of about 100 estimated to exist in present times. A lovely orange and grey example, it’s in excellent condition and located in Germany. Yours for $59,665.

[Images: Buckle Motors, YouTube]

Rare Rides: The 1991 Chevrolet Lumina Z34, a Practical High-performance Coupe

Posted on by

In 1991, consumers could purchase one of several affordable midsize coupes of low-medium equipment, low-medium quality, and upper-middle levels of style.

Let’s talk Lumina Z34.

The Lumina was a new model in Chevrolet’s lineup, introduced in 1990 to replace the dated and extra boxy A-body Celebrity that was on sale since 1982. Lumina was larger in every dimension and more suited to its midsize car mission than its predecessor. Utilizing the newer W-body, Lumina was produced alongside the Buick Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. All four cars went head-to-head with the sales monster that was the Ford Taurus.

But the Lumina was no single-car replacement at GM; there was a larger plan at work. Lumina also absorbed the market share of Chevy’s Monte Carlo, which saw its last model year in 1988. Monte’s sporty customers chose the two-door coupe, while Celebrity types opted for the four-door sedan. Monte Carlo was reintroduced for the ’95 model year, which coincided with Lumina’s second W-body generation. In that guise, Monte Carlo was not as much its own design, but more a new Lumina coupe. The Lumina name also extended to a minivan – the APV – which was the Cadillac of Minivans when it donned Oldsmobile Silhouette costumery. The APV was a replacement for the Celebrity wagon; GM saw the Nineties writing on the wall as wagon sales entered a nosedive.

First-gen Luminas were available with inline-four or V6 engines. A 2.2-liter I4 was available only in 1993, while the 2.5-liter Iron Duke from the Celebrity was available from 1990 to 1992. V6 power arrived via a 3.1 (’90-’94) or 3.4 (’91-’94). Transmissions were three- and four-speed GM automatics, or the rarely chosen five-speed manual from Getrag.

Newly available for 1991 was a high-performance Lumina variant, the Z34. The Z34 trim was offered only on the coupe, and was always fitted with an FE3 sports suspension package, and used the largest 3.4-liter engine shared with the Euro trim sedan. Standard was a dual exhaust and four-wheel ABS, as well as a five-speed manual. The automatic was optional on Z34 and usually selected. Even in automatic guise, the shifter was floor-mounted, in contrast to more common Lumina trims. Z34 sported 200 horsepower, which meant a 0 to 60 time of just 7.2 seconds with a manual transmission, and a top speed of 130 miles per hour.

Outside, the Z34 showed its sporting intent via different fascias front and rear, lower side skirts, louvers in various places, and a spoiler. Paint colors were limited: red, blue, white, black, silver, and gray. Inside, drivers grabbed a three-spoke sports wheel and sat on overstuffed bucket seats.

The Lumina was immediately successful, and in 1990 racked up over 300,000 sales. Around 278,000 of those were sedans, and nearly 46,000 coupes. At the end of the Lumina’s first generation in 1994, over a million had been sold. The Lumina Z34 faded away after that year and was replaced by the aforementioned Monte Carlo Z34 in 1995.

Today’s Rare Ride is in spectacular condition and goes up for auction tomorrow. With a five-speed manual, it has just 17,000 miles and has been in the same collection for the past 28 years.

[Images: GM]

For GREAT deals on a new or used Toyota check out South Bay Toyota TODAY!

Rare Rides: The Singular 1989 Mercury Sable Convertible

Posted on by

<img data-attachment-id=”1734518″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/117105860_2717858104982174_8488039729603534362_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-10.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-6.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible.jpg” class=”aligncenter wp-image-1734518 size-large” src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-5.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-6.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-7.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-8.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-9.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-10.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Today we head deep into the purest sort of Rare Ride: A vehicle which exists as a singularity, a one-off. It’s a two-door convertible version of the first-generation Mercury Sable.

The lightbar will guide our way.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734526″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/117013927_2717858464982138_7753399091940307748_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-16.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-12.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-1.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734526″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-1.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-1.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-11.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-12.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-13.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-14.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-15.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-16.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Taurus and Sable were a big risk for Ford when it introduced its new midsize twins for the 1986 model year. The company went big on cohesive product development, aerodynamics, and a new, modern take on a family sedan and wagon. Six years in development paid off: The Taurus and Sable were an instant hit. They readily found favor with customers eager to leave their boxy rear-drive sedans behind.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734522″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/117018365_2717858261648825_4065848823506835085_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-22.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-18.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-2.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734522″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-2.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-2.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-17.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-18.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-19.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-20.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-21.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-22.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>The twins’ first generation ran from model years 1986 to 1991, and cars were available solely in sedan and wagon body styles. Sable remained in its original guise until 1989, when it was lightly refreshed via some new parking lamp lenses and different tail lamps. But over at Cars & Concepts, some designers had an idea for additional Sable development sans roof.

The project started with a standard Sable sedan that wore silver paint and a burgundy cloth interior and was powered by the reliable Vulcan 3.0-liter V6. Extensive surgery was required to turn the sedan into a convertible, and the first order of business was ditching the rear doors. Front doors were then made longer to aid rear-seat access, which meant the interior door panels were reworked entirely. A redesign of the rear suspension also occurred.  Somewhere in the process, the roof and windows went away too.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734524″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/116900387_2717858314982153_7366365930932568073_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-26.jpg” data-orig-size=”598,800″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-24.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-3.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734524″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-3.jpg” alt width=”456″ height=”610″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-3.jpg 456w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-23.jpg 56w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-24.jpg 262w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-25.jpg 90w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-26.jpg 598w” sizes=”(max-width: 456px) 100vw, 456px”>

Many engineering hours were spent to design a fully automatic hydraulic convertible roof. It folded behind the rear seats and was hidden by a solid tonneau cover. And speaking of the rear seats, tiny 3-inch televisions were added to entertain passengers who found Gameboy screens slightly too small.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734520″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/116927955_2717858494982135_1603542097836061345_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-32.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-28.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-4.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734520″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-4.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-4.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-27.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-28.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-29.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-30.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-31.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-32.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>The convertible transformation was finished in time for the 1989 SAE Expo, at the very first edition of the NAIAS. There’s no evidence to suggest the project was anything other than Cars & Concepts showing off what they could do. The concept was put in a warehouse for many years until it was titled properly and sold via eBay in 2006. It’s currently for sale via a car dealer in Austin, who used the Sable as a display at his dealership.

The car has accumulated slightly less than 300 miles between 1995 and today, and its odometer presently reads 9,800. This very unique Sable is all yours for $18,900 or thereabouts.

[Images: seller]