The automobile industry has changed through many large milestones since the first modern car was built in 1886 by German inventor Karl Benz. Today, vehicles have utilized so much of these milestones over the years that they feel more comfortable and easier to use than ever before with technology like air conditioning, navigation systems, in-car entertainment, and more. It’s important though to look back 50 years in time to check out what vehicles on the market were considered luxurious at the time.
Size
When you think about a luxurious car today, you might be thinking of a vehicle that can fit your entire entourage like a Cadillac Escalades. However, car manufacturers weren’t thinking much about how many people could fit in the car but how comfortable the people sitting in the car could be. This was emphasized through designs like the 1961 Fiat 1500S that only fit two people but had no hood over the car so you could feel the cold breeze of the air while you sail down the road.
Manufacturers
While the concept of what a luxury car is has changed rapidly over the years, the manufacturers building luxury cars largely haven’t changed. The largest luxury car manufacturers 50 years ago were brand names like Cadillac, Lincoln, and Mercedes. Other manufacturers like Oldsmobile 98 and Thunderbird went out of business but some luxury manufacturers have since grown in size like Chrysler and Rolls Royce.
Cost
Many people dreamed about having a luxury car of their own 50 years ago but the automobile market was still in its infancy compared to today. Top luxury car models of the time like the 1969 Mercedes 2-door cost $10,000 at the time which would be $69,000 if bought today. That amount of money can seem like a lot for the average car buyer but it doesn’t compare to the many luxury car models out on the market today. For example, someone looking to get a top-of-the-line Rolls Royce can be expected to initially pay $1 million or more along with paying tens of thousands of dollars over time to get specialized repair services that Rolls Royce typically can only do.
Similar features
Features utilizing technology like touchscreens and built-in navigation systems were not possible at the time of 50 years ago, luxury or not. Car manufacturers have kept some staples over though from every luxury car model in the past to today like leather seats and plush carpeting. In addition to comfortable seating, it was possible to have state-of-the-art sound systems that could still be considered costly today.
