I was told they had five-inch wide wheels onto which an easily-available 205-15/70 will fit, although I've since found out that only happened in Jan. '66 and later production. Mine was built 9/1/65, a very early '66 model.
I meant to say 75-series, not 70 as I had previously indicated.
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Andre, those old Darts and Valiants were great use of space, but I think they were looking long-in-the-tooth by '75 or so. The four-doors still had vent windows, but they were definitely the only compact to offer a true hardtop then. In fact, no one else offered two compact two-door styles like Mopar did.
I think we've touched on this before, but I think the '75 Nova four-doors were among the best-looking sedans ever...definitely some BMW inspiration in the rear doors and C-pillar. At that time, most four-doors just looked like stretched two-doors IMHO. Personally, I'd love a '75 Nova LN with 350 and Turbine I (factory) wheels.
We had a new '73 Nova coupe...light green metallic, six, 3-speed on the floor, Rally wheels, AM radio, whitewalls, and Exterior Decor Group (bodyside moldings and side window reveal moldings). Bottom of the sticker was $2,625, a great value even then--and that included destination from Ypsilanti, MI. Wheelbase was only one inch shorter than a Chevelle coupe. However, it was the sloppiest-assembled Chevy we'd had before or since...mostly little stuff, but pretty bad. And up 'til then all the mags had said how the Nova was built better than other compacts.
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GM applied for a trademark registration for "SS" designated motorcars on April 13th,2012.
Interesting how they will apply this going forward.
The filing has a serial number of 85597402 and a brief description that reads: “The mark consists of the letters SS in a fanciful design.”
Now that GM has filed for the SS mark, we can start putting the pieces together in figuring out exactly what’s in store from The General. To start, let’s travel back to the end of 2009, when an unassuming email from General Motors support to a dealer service department contained the following clue:
“ a fix is planned for MY11.5 Chevy Police Program and MY12 Chevy SS. The fix will involve a protective sleeve that covers the buckle and section of the buckle stem that rubs on the plastic trim.”
But that’s just the beginning. Barely a month into 2010, we got wind of the following quote from none other than Maximum Bob Lutz himself:
If we can pull that off and we have the next generation Commodore in as a police vehicle then we want to take a look at reintroducing a civil version as a high-end Chevrolet. Because when you get down to it the thrill of high performance driving is unmatched by anything that doesn’t have rear-wheel drive, bags of torque and a nice transmission. So there’s a possibility of a premium Chevrolet sedan that would be sold in limited numbers. Think of it as a kind of four-door Corvette.
That was the G8 GT I bought - before my current [ non-GM ] vehicle. Traded in the Corvette toward the G8... - Ray Would look very seriously at such a RWD V8 vehicle, if GM actually does bring one to market...
I really dislike the separation between front/back windows on the later Novas
You bring up a good point. When I was looking online the other day for images of Novas, I almost thought, "the four-door looks better than the two-door". I'd have never said that back then. I think one definitely needs to get one of those later two-door Novas with the chrome side window trim and a lighter-colored top to soften the blow of that big "B" pillar.
Here is an extremely handsome Nova four-door, I think. I prefer it to a Granada, Dart or Valiant of the same year, but they never sold very many of this "LN" model so I must be in the minority (shocker!):
You can expect a lot of negativity about GM because they drove themselves to bankruptcy and received an enormous tax payer funder bailout (which was also gigantically unpopular).
Until you send a check to the treasury so they can "break even" on the deal, I'll continue to complain about negative things about GM.
I can't really see anything positive in a company that drives quickly to bankruptcy. I'd expect a lot of negativity myself.
The bailout amounts to grand theft larceny of every American taxpayer.
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I dislike Toyotas but I don't waste energy posting there, just to get a rise out of the regular posters (who are mostly fans) there.
You can dislike Toyota all you want and vote with your wallet and not purchase them. I was denied that right with GM as they theived and stole out of my wallet despite my choosing to not be a customer.
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People have long memories, and GM has been around 15 years longer than Volvo* to create some bad ones with a small, if vocal, percentage of people.
I can't believe you used the word "small," when describing the percentage of people with bad memories of GM. A look at market share drop graphed out on a chart tells me it was "big."
Bankruptcy is big! Bailouts are HUGE. The costs are ENORMOUS.
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Although I have a good list of "blacklisted" companies I"ll "never" do business with again, the list keeps getting shorter as a lot of them go bankrupt (or would have absent multiple bailouts ala Chrysler).
With car companies... I guess I was mean to the Big 3 as I blacklisted Chrysler for life, and Ford and GM were guilty by association. I suppose Chrysler has a life sentence, and GM is on the list for being bailed out now... and Ford's sentence is served; I'd consider them if not for the continuing horrible customer service nightmare stories I continue to hear about.
Although no Honda's interest me at the moment (maybe a used S2000), I'd consider them. Audi has pretty much turned me into a fanboy.
I have yet to blacklist any car companies other than Chrysler directly via personal experience; I suppose they stand alone in their sheer incompetence.
Based on my life experience thus far, I think I'd have to live TEN thousand years before I run out of car companies to black list for life.
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Sounds like corporate clone-speak to cover up what in reality is a wholesale transfer of intellectual property and technology in exchange for unsustainable short term profits. God bless the MBA.
It's just the same, old, tired, stuff, rehashed here again...and again...and again....and this is from the guy who actually said he was surprised there weren't more casualties in WWII because of GM products.
'Wow' is all I can say.
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I just remembered to add that statement about 'surprised there weren't more casualties in WWII because of GM products' to the previous 'most inane comments' thread we had going here.
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Here is an extremely handsome Nova four-door, I think. I prefer it to a Granada, Dart or Valiant of the same year, but they never sold very many of this "LN" model so I must be in the minority (shocker!):
I think one reason the LN didn't sell all that well was because 1975 was the year the Granada came out, and everybody made a big fuss over it. Sales of bigger cars were starting to come back into fashion to a degree, and most buyers still tended to think of compact cars like the Dart, Nova, Vailant, and Maverick as cheap, basic transportation.
Ford's marketing was able to make people think that the Granada was something really new and special, with all of the advantages of a big car, rolled into a smaller, nimbler, more economical package. And for some reason, all that "Which one's the Granada, which one's the Benz?" advertising pulled the wool over a lot of people's eyes.
In 1975, the Granada went on to sell about 300,000 units.
For comparison... Nova: ~260,000 Valiant: ~265,000 Dart: ~220,000 Maverick: ~161,000
Plus, Mercury sold about 103,000 Monarchs.
Looking at those cars through modern eyes, I think the Nova blows them all away, style wise. But, at the time, people probably looked at a Nova LN (or a Valiant Brougham or Dart S/E), and just passed them up, because they really didn't look that different from the base models. Whereas with the Granada, even the cheapest one looked more upscale (okay, pretentious, by today's standards) than something like a Maverick.
The Granada/Monarch is another one of those cars that I think looks better as a 4-door than a coupe. Same with the '76-80 Volare and Aspen. In contrast, I think the '75-79 Nova looked great as both a sedan or a coupe.
to add that statement about 'surprised there weren't more casualties in WWII because of GM products' to the previous 'most inane comments' thread we had going here.
I think my statement was more along the lines, that I, personally, would not want to go into war and battle with GM products. If the military was giving out GM products as standard issue, then I'd pay for upgrades out of my own discretionary income for my brigade.
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Pretty sure WWII factored into the statement, but I don't know what to search that would bring it up. Fintail, that absurd comment was made by a different poster.
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Andre, as usual, you nailed it on the head I think. A Nova LN still was a Nova, but a Granada wasn't a Maverick! That navy blue Nova LN just stops me in my tracks. That's a car, size-wise and style-wise, I could even enjoy daily today.
We'd better get off the old-car discussion or might get admonished!
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I can't even remember the 75 Nova LN. The odd pattern for the 5 strips on the taillights I should have remembered seeing. And it's from that era of painting the wheel covers the color of the body. It is a handsome car body wise.
Here's an ad from '78 showing the similarity of the Granada and the Mercedes. Darn effective ad technique. We could use some of this for the GM products. However, the EPA or someone would probably stop the ads for some reason.
I don't remember the ESS version of Granadas either along with the LN on the Nova. Maybe I was suffering lack of interest in those particular cars that year. I had a '73 Torino which I had thought about replacing with a Ford Granda. But I ended up with a Supreme Brougham coupe' by Oldsmobile in '77.
Another factor with the Nova LN would be the pricing. With Pontiac/Olds/Buick probably having similar cars with upgrades in interior quality usually being the step factor, did many people make the step to a higher name instead of purchasing the Nova LN?
The price differentials were often nonexistent. I recall pricing cars using Edmunds (the book) with similar equipment in BOP car lines and finding trivial differences in costs. The window stickers appeared to be cheaper in the P and O lines than in B only because certain options were not included. Add them back and the price was the same essentially. Differences probably represented the manufacturer cost in the drivetrain with different engines such as the V8s I looked at the Olds Supreme.
So buy the nameplate with a little more prestige than the Chevy.
The Nova Custom that year was far-more seen and also nicely trimmed in and out. The LN was fabulous I thought, though. I was hanging around our small-town Chevy dealer in '75 and I think I can remember one LN. I clearly remember, however, wanting a maroon '75 Nova Custom Coupe there, with the chromed side window trim and rocker trim, Rally Wheels, the 'baby' V8, and high-quality-looking red vinyl interior. Window sticker was $4,200 I recall.
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It's a matter of individual taste of course, but in the late '60's and '70's, I often (not always) thought the Chevy iterations had cleaner styling than the B-O-P versions. I always got the impression that the Chevy was styled first, and then differences applied later to make the B-O-P models different. For front and rear styling, I like the '75 Novas better than all the others. Your opinions may vary, of course!
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I think your observation that Chevy design was the best because it was cleanest. The others added on gizmos to make their version have a different appearance. That's why the LN taillights bother me. They look cobbled up to give a different appearance; perhaps that's part of the upscale LN aura added to differentiate it from the lesser Novas (Novi?).
Another factor with the Nova LN would be the pricing. With Pontiac/Olds/Buick probably having similar cars with upgrades in interior quality usually being the step factor, did many people make the step to a higher name instead of purchasing the Nova LN?
That might have had something to do with it. For instance, in 1975, when Chevy sold about 260,000 Novas (about 22,000 were LN models), Pontiac only sold around 63,000 Venturas, about 50,000 Omegas, and 62,000 Apollo/Skylarks.
In those days, buyers really didn't shop Olds and Buick all that much for compacts. They were mainly stopgaps demanded by the dealers, because by that time, if Chevy or Pontiac had it, Buick and Olds wanted one too, even if it turned out to be a slow seller.
And with the upper trim levels of the compacts often overlapped with the midsized cars. For instance, a 1975 Cutlass Supreme coupe, which was the most popular Cutlass style that year, started at $4,035. Meanwhile, the priciest Omega coupe, the Salon, was actually more expensive, at $4,148. Needless to say, they sold about 151,000 Cutlass Supreme coupes, and 2,176 Omega Salon coupes.
Back at Chevy, the Nova LN V-8 sedan started at $3870. It wasn't much more than the 6-cyl version, which was $3795. But, my book isn't mentioning which size was the standard V-8. It could have been the 350, but that year they also had a small 262 that was used in both the Monza and Nova.
Anyway, a Malibu Classic sedan, with the 350 V-8, started at $3945, while the base Malibu was $3652 with the 350. In this case, Chevy sold about 9,000 V-8 Nova LN sedan, compared to 25K Malibu 4-door V-8s, and 51K Malibu Classic 4-door V-8's.
As for the Granada, Ford was able to get away with pricing it a bit high for a compact, as people fell for that mock-Mercedes styling. The base 4-door started at $3756 with the 6-cyl (my book doesn't break out 6 vs V-8 numbers for the Granada like it did for the Nova), which is close to what the Nova LN 6-cyl cost. Step up to the Ghia 4-door, and you're at $4283. Oh, and as for engines? The base Granada only had a 200-6, while the Ghia had a 250.
According to my old car book, the 200 put out a measly 75 hp that year, while the 250 was, believe it or not, worse, with 72! I always wondered if that was a typo, or if Ford just had some serious problems adapting to catalytic converters that year?
At least Chevy was getting 105 hp out of their 250 that year.
I think the Granada ESS came out for 1978, but by that time the compact market was really getting crowded, and the Granada in general was falling from favor. The Aspen/Volare had come out for 1976, and were aimed closer to the Granada than the Dart/Valiant had been, and then for '77 the Diplomat/LeBaron variants came out, and offered interiors that were downright luxurious for ANY car, let alone a compact.
Then, for 1978, GM downsized their intermediates, and that trim, smaller size put them in more direct competition with the compacts. And Ford's own Fairmont was introduced that year, offering rack and pinion steering, fairly nimble handling, light weight, and good fuel economy. It was plagued with recalls its first year out, but proved to be very popular.
My Grandpop had a gold 1967 Chevrolet Bel Air with a black cloth and vinyl interior. I'm pretty sure his car had an automatic and a small V-8. Not sure if it was a 283.
Heck, one GM product saved my Grandpop during WWII. He was driving a GMC truck during the Battle of the Bulge when a landmine blew up under the truck. The truck's engine, frame, and floorpan took the brunt of the explosion saving my Grandpop.
One of my college roommates had a dark green 1977 Dodge Aspen SE with a plush taupe interior. I thought it was a pretty nice car at the time. His previous ride was a 1965 Rambler American coupe with a six-cylinder and the engine seized.
My friend just totaled the purplish 1995 Neon he purchased new 17 years ago this past Thursday. A truck suddenly stopped in front of him and he plowed into the back of it crimping the hood and setting off the airbags. Of course, with the deployment of the airbags, the car's mileage and age, it was a total loss. However, he definitely did get his money's worth from the car.
When the Aspen and Volare came out, I thought they were a nice styling improvement over the Valiant and Dart, at that time. I liked the fastback coupe styling, and though the sedans looked tall to my eyes, I liked the idea that nobody else's compact line had a wagon line. Funny, I remember thinking when I first saw one, and had reached under the front fenders looking for a plastic liner, and didn't see one--I thought, "That little drop-down area above the headlights in the front fenders are going to rust". I was right!
I remember Rex Harrison's TV commercial..."Unbelievable!"
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That's why the LN taillights bother me. They look cobbled up to give a different appearance; perhaps that's part of the upscale LN aura added to differentiate it from the lesser Novas (Novi?).
They're the same taillights as lesser Novas, but have additional chrome overlay over them. Chevy did a similar thing between the lesser 1967 Chevelles and the Malibu and Super Sport models that year.
I didn't like when the Nova LN was replaced with the "Concours" in '76. Then, and in later years, they put a stand-up hood ornament on it, wide taillights, and optional very-wide wheel opening moldings. None of those improved on the LN IMHO.
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Equipment (used in addition to or in place of Custom equipment)
Exterior Limited exterior colors, selected for optium match with interior colors: White, Dark Sandstone metallic, Dark Blue metallic, medium Blue, Silver metallic, Cream Beige, Sandstone, Dark Green metallic, Graystone and red metallic Bright horizontal grill bars Dark argent colored headlamp bezels with bright trim Distinctive "LN" emblems on center of hood, front fenders and rear end panel Bright horizontal moldings along hood front lower edge Bright side window frame moldings (same as RPO-ZJ5) Silver accented body side louvers on coupe model Bright moldings are rear of deck lid and quarter panel RPO-P01 wheel covers with body color paint treatment and "LN" emblem in place of bow tie Body side pin striping - dual stripes on body side around wheel openings (available in gold, white or oxblood) Clear parking lamps lens with amber bulb White "LN" silk screen emblem on rear side window Hot-stamped argent tail lamp trim Metric engine displacement decals on front fenders (4.1 Litre, 4.3 Litre or 5.7 Litre)
Interior Modified "H" bucket front seats, simulated 40/40 appearance with reclining features, soft foam sewn trim, new buns and revised seat back panel New rear seat buns and tie down Brushed knit cloth fabric in 4-colors: Sandstone, Blue, Graystone and Oxblood Sewn cloth door trim construction with map pockets and carpeted lower portion (coupe and sedan front doors only) New light beige colored nextel instrument cluster face plate with round fuel gauge and clock openings Single basic color for cluster and carrier Color-coordinated steering wheel and column with specific horn shroud insert Dome lamp jam switch for rear doors on sedan model Door checks for rear doors on sedan model Electric clock Auxiliary lighting (same as RPO-ZJ9) Upgraded acoustic package Luggage compartment mat (specific, full-width design)
I'd never heard that the LN was an RPO on the Custom. The brochure, I don't recall made it sound like that. Still, what I remember about them was the individual front seats, piano black panel around the instruments (also on the Custom), upholstered door panels with map pocket, and the little white "LN" etched in the rear quarter windows. I like the sedan far better than a '75 Malibu Classic sedan.
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I'd never heard that the LN was an RPO on the Custom. The brochure, I don't recall made it sound like that.
Hmm, now that that was brought up, I looked back in my old car book, which does list the series code portion of the VIN. To use a Mopar example, it shows my '79 New Yorker as TP42. T: full-sized Chrysler, P: "Premium" trim level, "42": pillared hardtop.
For the 1975, Nova, all the base models are denoted with an "X". Custom and LN both use "Y". So, I guess that would signify that it the LN was an option, rather than a trim level?
FWIW, in 1976, they used "X" for the base Nova, and "Y" for the Concours, but there was no more Custom, which I hadn't noticed before. The Concours was still pretty ritzy, right? Basically an equivalent to the LN? Seems kinda odd that they'd just go to two trim levels...strippo and luxury, with nothing in the middle.
Or, maybe Chevy just thought that's all they needed. I guess I'm just used to the way Mopar was doing it, where they'd field a stripper Dart/Valiant or Aspen Volare, a nicer Custom model, and then a ritzy model denoted by "Premier", "S/E", or "Brougham".
Years ago, I remember seeing a '75 or newer Pontiac Ventura in the junkyard with a trim package like "SJ" or "LJ". That sucker was decked out pretty nicely. And back in the late 90's, I remember looking at a '76 or so Olds Omega Brougham at a local park and sell lot. That sucker was a nice little car!
I like the sedan far better than a '75 Malibu Classic sedan.
I agree for the most part, and the only reason I'd pick the Malibu over the Nova is purely functional...I need the extra legroom! But, I do think the Nova LN had a nicer interior than the Malibu Classic. And the overall lines of the Nova are much cleaner and modern looking. Still, I do like the Malibu. However, I always thought the '74-77 models had an unfinished look at the rear, with somewhat ill-fitting taillights. I liked the two round lights on either side that the '73 was sporting.
For the 1975, Nova, all the base models are denoted with an "X". Custom and LN both use "Y". So, I guess that would signify that it the LN was an option, rather than a trim level?
The Nova Custom remained as an upscale version of the Nova but the new top-of-the-line package was the LN (RPO-Z11) which stood for Luxury Nova.
Comments
Regards,
OW
I meant to say 75-series, not 70 as I had previously indicated.
I think we've touched on this before, but I think the '75 Nova four-doors were among the best-looking sedans ever...definitely some BMW inspiration in the rear doors and C-pillar. At that time, most four-doors just looked like stretched two-doors IMHO. Personally, I'd love a '75 Nova LN with 350 and Turbine I (factory) wheels.
We had a new '73 Nova coupe...light green metallic, six, 3-speed on the floor, Rally wheels, AM radio, whitewalls, and Exterior Decor Group (bodyside moldings and side window reveal moldings). Bottom of the sticker was $2,625, a great value even then--and that included destination from Ypsilanti, MI. Wheelbase was only one inch shorter than a Chevelle coupe. However, it was the sloppiest-assembled Chevy we'd had before or since...mostly little stuff, but pretty bad. And up 'til then all the mags had said how the Nova was built better than other compacts.
Interesting how they will apply this going forward.
The filing has a serial number of 85597402 and a brief description that reads: “The mark consists of the letters SS in a fanciful design.”
Now that GM has filed for the SS mark, we can start putting the pieces together in figuring out exactly what’s in store from The General. To start, let’s travel back to the end of 2009, when an unassuming email from General Motors support to a dealer service department contained the following clue:
“ a fix is planned for MY11.5 Chevy Police Program and MY12 Chevy SS. The fix will involve a protective sleeve that covers the buckle and section of the buckle stem that rubs on the plastic trim.”
But that’s just the beginning. Barely a month into 2010, we got wind of the following quote from none other than Maximum Bob Lutz himself:
If we can pull that off and we have the next generation Commodore in as a police vehicle then we want to take a look at reintroducing a civil version as a high-end Chevrolet. Because when you get down to it the thrill of high performance driving is unmatched by anything that doesn’t have rear-wheel drive, bags of torque and a nice transmission. So there’s a possibility of a premium Chevrolet sedan that would be sold in limited numbers. Think of it as a kind of four-door Corvette.
Regards,
OW
We can tell our grandkids we owned one.
They'll be like, "what's a V8?"
"What's a V6?"
Wish they'd build 'em here, though.
Traded in the Corvette toward the G8...
- Ray
Would look very seriously at such a RWD V8 vehicle,
if GM actually does bring one to market...
Excellent, get China to pay back your debts at home then... :sick:
A rare car today...
I really dislike the separation between front/back windows on the later Novas. The hardtop design was much more to my liking.
Of course, I like the Darts of the era, too. I had a friend that had a 340 Dart, and it would really move on out!
Still, on cars of that era, steering was horrible.... nothing like the rack & pinion standard nowadays.
You bring up a good point. When I was looking online the other day for images of Novas, I almost thought, "the four-door looks better than the two-door". I'd have never said that back then. I think one definitely needs to get one of those later two-door Novas with the chrome side window trim and a lighter-colored top to soften the blow of that big "B" pillar.
Here is an extremely handsome Nova four-door, I think. I prefer it to a Granada, Dart or Valiant of the same year, but they never sold very many of this "LN" model so I must be in the minority (shocker!):
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/75-Nova-LN.jpg
Until you send a check to the treasury so they can "break even" on the deal, I'll continue to complain about negative things about GM.
I can't really see anything positive in a company that drives quickly to bankruptcy. I'd expect a lot of negativity myself.
The bailout amounts to grand theft larceny of every American taxpayer.
You can dislike Toyota all you want and vote with your wallet and not purchase them. I was denied that right with GM as they theived and stole out of my wallet despite my choosing to not be a customer.
I can't believe you used the word "small," when describing the percentage of people with bad memories of GM. A look at market share drop graphed out on a chart tells me it was "big."
Bankruptcy is big! Bailouts are HUGE. The costs are ENORMOUS.
With car companies... I guess I was mean to the Big 3 as I blacklisted Chrysler for life, and Ford and GM were guilty by association. I suppose Chrysler has a life sentence, and GM is on the list for being bailed out now... and Ford's sentence is served; I'd consider them if not for the continuing horrible customer service nightmare stories I continue to hear about.
Although no Honda's interest me at the moment (maybe a used S2000), I'd consider them. Audi has pretty much turned me into a fanboy.
I have yet to blacklist any car companies other than Chrysler directly via personal experience; I suppose they stand alone in their sheer incompetence.
Based on my life experience thus far, I think I'd have to live TEN thousand years before I run out of car companies to black list for life.
That's the sound of GM for the past few decades......
Regards,
OW
'Wow' is all I can say.
I'm sure the market share reflects lack of customers waiting in line despite the improvements GM has made. You know why that is.
The proof is in the "stuffing", so to speak!
Regards,
OW
I think one reason the LN didn't sell all that well was because 1975 was the year the Granada came out, and everybody made a big fuss over it. Sales of bigger cars were starting to come back into fashion to a degree, and most buyers still tended to think of compact cars like the Dart, Nova, Vailant, and Maverick as cheap, basic transportation.
Ford's marketing was able to make people think that the Granada was something really new and special, with all of the advantages of a big car, rolled into a smaller, nimbler, more economical package. And for some reason, all that "Which one's the Granada, which one's the Benz?" advertising pulled the wool over a lot of people's eyes.
In 1975, the Granada went on to sell about 300,000 units.
For comparison...
Nova: ~260,000
Valiant: ~265,000
Dart: ~220,000
Maverick: ~161,000
Plus, Mercury sold about 103,000 Monarchs.
Looking at those cars through modern eyes, I think the Nova blows them all away, style wise. But, at the time, people probably looked at a Nova LN (or a Valiant Brougham or Dart S/E), and just passed them up, because they really didn't look that different from the base models. Whereas with the Granada, even the cheapest one looked more upscale (okay, pretentious, by today's standards) than something like a Maverick.
The Granada/Monarch is another one of those cars that I think looks better as a 4-door than a coupe. Same with the '76-80 Volare and Aspen. In contrast, I think the '75-79 Nova looked great as both a sedan or a coupe.
I think my statement was more along the lines, that I, personally, would not want to go into war and battle with GM products. If the military was giving out GM products as standard issue, then I'd pay for upgrades out of my own discretionary income for my brigade.
We'd better get off the old-car discussion or might get admonished!
Here's an ad from '78 showing the similarity of the Granada and the Mercedes. Darn effective ad technique. We could use some of this for the GM products. However, the EPA or someone would probably stop the ads for some reason.
Granada ESS
I don't remember the ESS version of Granadas either along with the LN on the Nova. Maybe I was suffering lack of interest in those particular cars that year. I had a '73 Torino which I had thought about replacing with a Ford Granda. But I ended up with a Supreme Brougham coupe' by Oldsmobile in '77.
Another factor with the Nova LN would be the pricing. With Pontiac/Olds/Buick probably having similar cars with upgrades in interior quality usually being the step factor, did many people make the step to a higher name instead of purchasing the Nova LN?
The price differentials were often nonexistent. I recall pricing cars using Edmunds (the book) with similar equipment in BOP car lines and finding trivial differences in costs. The window stickers appeared to be cheaper in the P and O lines than in B only because certain options were not included. Add them back and the price was the same essentially. Differences probably represented the manufacturer cost in the drivetrain with different engines such as the V8s I looked at the Olds Supreme.
So buy the nameplate with a little more prestige than the Chevy.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It's a bit refreshing after all the non-stop "GM can't do anything right" posts. :P
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That might have had something to do with it. For instance, in 1975, when Chevy sold about 260,000 Novas (about 22,000 were LN models), Pontiac only sold around 63,000 Venturas, about 50,000 Omegas, and 62,000 Apollo/Skylarks.
In those days, buyers really didn't shop Olds and Buick all that much for compacts. They were mainly stopgaps demanded by the dealers, because by that time, if Chevy or Pontiac had it, Buick and Olds wanted one too, even if it turned out to be a slow seller.
And with the upper trim levels of the compacts often overlapped with the midsized cars. For instance, a 1975 Cutlass Supreme coupe, which was the most popular Cutlass style that year, started at $4,035. Meanwhile, the priciest Omega coupe, the Salon, was actually more expensive, at $4,148. Needless to say, they sold about 151,000 Cutlass Supreme coupes, and 2,176 Omega Salon coupes.
Back at Chevy, the Nova LN V-8 sedan started at $3870. It wasn't much more than the 6-cyl version, which was $3795. But, my book isn't mentioning which size was the standard V-8. It could have been the 350, but that year they also had a small 262 that was used in both the Monza and Nova.
Anyway, a Malibu Classic sedan, with the 350 V-8, started at $3945, while the base Malibu was $3652 with the 350. In this case, Chevy sold about 9,000 V-8 Nova LN sedan, compared to 25K Malibu 4-door V-8s, and 51K Malibu Classic 4-door V-8's.
As for the Granada, Ford was able to get away with pricing it a bit high for a compact, as people fell for that mock-Mercedes styling. The base 4-door started at $3756 with the 6-cyl (my book doesn't break out 6 vs V-8 numbers for the Granada like it did for the Nova), which is close to what the Nova LN 6-cyl cost. Step up to the Ghia 4-door, and you're at $4283. Oh, and as for engines? The base Granada only had a 200-6, while the Ghia had a 250.
According to my old car book, the 200 put out a measly 75 hp that year, while the 250 was, believe it or not, worse, with 72! I always wondered if that was a typo, or if Ford just had some serious problems adapting to catalytic converters that year?
At least Chevy was getting 105 hp out of their 250 that year.
I think the Granada ESS came out for 1978, but by that time the compact market was really getting crowded, and the Granada in general was falling from favor. The Aspen/Volare had come out for 1976, and were aimed closer to the Granada than the Dart/Valiant had been, and then for '77 the Diplomat/LeBaron variants came out, and offered interiors that were downright luxurious for ANY car, let alone a compact.
Then, for 1978, GM downsized their intermediates, and that trim, smaller size put them in more direct competition with the compacts. And Ford's own Fairmont was introduced that year, offering rack and pinion steering, fairly nimble handling, light weight, and good fuel economy. It was plagued with recalls its first year out, but proved to be very popular.
I remember Rex Harrison's TV commercial..."Unbelievable!"
They're the same taillights as lesser Novas, but have additional chrome overlay over them. Chevy did a similar thing between the lesser 1967 Chevelles and the Malibu and Super Sport models that year.
I didn't like when the Nova LN was replaced with the "Concours" in '76. Then, and in later years, they put a stand-up hood ornament on it, wide taillights, and optional very-wide wheel opening moldings. None of those improved on the LN IMHO.
1975 Luxury Nova Coupe and Sedan option - RPO Z11
Model Availability
Custom Nova coupe - 1Y27
Custom Nova sedan - 1Y69
Power Train Availability
250 L6 1V L22 (standard)
262 V8 2V LV1 (extra cost)
350 V8 2V L65 (extra cost)
350 V8 4V LM1 (extra cost)
3-speed manual (standard)
4-speed manual (extra cost)
3-speed automatic (extra cost)
Equipment (used in addition to or in place of Custom equipment)
Exterior
Limited exterior colors, selected for optium match with interior colors: White, Dark Sandstone metallic, Dark Blue metallic, medium Blue, Silver metallic, Cream Beige, Sandstone, Dark Green metallic, Graystone and red metallic
Bright horizontal grill bars
Dark argent colored headlamp bezels with bright trim
Distinctive "LN" emblems on center of hood, front fenders and rear end panel
Bright horizontal moldings along hood front lower edge
Bright side window frame moldings (same as RPO-ZJ5)
Silver accented body side louvers on coupe model
Bright moldings are rear of deck lid and quarter panel
RPO-P01 wheel covers with body color paint treatment and "LN" emblem in place of bow tie
Body side pin striping - dual stripes on body side around wheel openings (available in gold, white or oxblood)
Clear parking lamps lens with amber bulb
White "LN" silk screen emblem on rear side window
Hot-stamped argent tail lamp trim
Metric engine displacement decals on front fenders (4.1 Litre, 4.3 Litre or 5.7 Litre)
Interior
Modified "H" bucket front seats, simulated 40/40 appearance with reclining features, soft foam sewn trim, new buns and revised seat back panel
New rear seat buns and tie down
Brushed knit cloth fabric in 4-colors: Sandstone, Blue, Graystone and Oxblood
Sewn cloth door trim construction with map pockets and carpeted lower portion (coupe and sedan front doors only)
New light beige colored nextel instrument cluster face plate with round fuel gauge and clock openings
Single basic color for cluster and carrier
Color-coordinated steering wheel and column with specific horn shroud insert
Dome lamp jam switch for rear doors on sedan model
Door checks for rear doors on sedan model
Electric clock
Auxiliary lighting (same as RPO-ZJ9)
Upgraded acoustic package
Luggage compartment mat (specific, full-width design)
Chassis
14x7" wheels
That's great to know. GM was a major positive factor in winning WWII.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Hmm, now that that was brought up, I looked back in my old car book, which does list the series code portion of the VIN. To use a Mopar example, it shows my '79 New Yorker as TP42. T: full-sized Chrysler, P: "Premium" trim level, "42": pillared hardtop.
For the 1975, Nova, all the base models are denoted with an "X". Custom and LN both use "Y". So, I guess that would signify that it the LN was an option, rather than a trim level?
FWIW, in 1976, they used "X" for the base Nova, and "Y" for the Concours, but there was no more Custom, which I hadn't noticed before. The Concours was still pretty ritzy, right? Basically an equivalent to the LN? Seems kinda odd that they'd just go to two trim levels...strippo and luxury, with nothing in the middle.
Or, maybe Chevy just thought that's all they needed. I guess I'm just used to the way Mopar was doing it, where they'd field a stripper Dart/Valiant or Aspen Volare, a nicer Custom model, and then a ritzy model denoted by "Premier", "S/E", or "Brougham".
Years ago, I remember seeing a '75 or newer Pontiac Ventura in the junkyard with a trim package like "SJ" or "LJ". That sucker was decked out pretty nicely. And back in the late 90's, I remember looking at a '76 or so Olds Omega Brougham at a local park and sell lot. That sucker was a nice little car!
I like the sedan far better than a '75 Malibu Classic sedan.
I agree for the most part, and the only reason I'd pick the Malibu over the Nova is purely functional...I need the extra legroom! But, I do think the Nova LN had a nicer interior than the Malibu Classic. And the overall lines of the Nova are much cleaner and modern looking. Still, I do like the Malibu. However, I always thought the '74-77 models had an unfinished look at the rear, with somewhat ill-fitting taillights. I liked the two round lights on either side that the '73 was sporting.
The Nova Custom remained as an upscale version of the Nova but the new top-of-the-line package was the LN (RPO-Z11) which stood for Luxury Nova.
Regards,
OW