AUGUST 30 MYSTAR FIVE FOR FRIDAY: THE CHRYSLER FIFTH AVENUE—AND FOUR OTHER CARS THAT DISAPPEARED OVERNIGHT

By
Jerry Admin
-
0
365

I saw a mint Chrysler Fifth Avenue recently and it struck me that I never see these cars anymore.

Then I thought of four other cars I never see anymore.

Jerry Sutherland

I want to start with the Chrysler Fifth Avenue.

These cars were part of the Chrysler M platform—or M-body that soldiered on from 1977 to 1989. They were basic cars and began with the Chrysler LeBaron and Dodge Diplomat and eventually the Plymouth Caravelle (or Gran Fury). 

The Fifth Avenue was the choice of guys over 60 who wanted something comfortable and Mopar. They were bulletproof cars at that point because they came with the LA 318 and Torqueflite transmissions first seen in 1967 Mopars. Fifth Avenues were all over the place in 1989—and now they are almost gone.     

The second entry in the cars-you-don’t-see-anymore list is the 1st gen Honda Civic.

Honda Civics were the perfect cars at the perfect time because OPEC had just held the world at gunpoint over oil prices. The sporty little Japanese go-karts were cheap, economical and fun to drive. They had revvy little four-bangers that made it feel like you were speeding even when you weren’t.

They became the default second car in the 70s, but now you won’t see a 1st gen Honda Civic for years on end. They were reliable cars, but their sheet metal was a little too thin for wet summers and cold winters. You could drive a Civic anywhere in the winter thanks to front-wheel drive, but you paid a heavy price on the metal side. 

The third car you don’t see anymore is the 70s era Chevy four-door sedan.

You don’t see many 70s era Chevy hardtops either, but they built far more sedans than hardtops. They were everywhere because these big Chevys were built to handle family duty as easily as they handled police and taxi duty. Maybe that’s why they’re not around anymore.

The fourth car on the disappeared list are big wagons from the 60s and 70s.

Wagons were the default choice for baby boom families—especially in the 60s because that was when the boom peaked, so a massive station wagon ticked off many boxes.

There was a brief period when old wagons made a comeback in value, but now they’ve dropped in price because boomers suddenly realized wagons weren’t as cool as they thought. Sadly, that means you won’t be seeing as many long roofs at car shows–or on the street.

The last car you don’t see much anymore are the first-gen 70s Datsun 240Zs.

These cars were a remarkable combination of style and engineering because they looked great and ran like a thoroughbred horse. Datsun 240Zs were like an entry-level Ferrari so they sold like cold beer at a Yankees game in July.

They were stricken by the same rust worm as the Honda Civic, plus guys who bought them like to thrash on them. Both reasons are why the massively popular 240Z didn’t survive in massive numbers.

Call it Fifth Avenue syndrome—you don’t miss these cars until you see a mint example of one.

Jerry Sutherland

By: Jerry Sutherland

Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post,  Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.

SPONSORS

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR