America’s Top 3 Classic Cars for the Rich in the 20th Century

In the 1900s, America’s top vehicles, such as the Buick Roadmaster and Lincoln Town Car
Three types of classic vehicles that only rich people ride

American luxury vehicles were sold in large quantities from the early 19th century to the 1970s. However, due to the oil crisis, European cars that used less gasoline received more attention than American luxury vehicles. As a result, the glory of American luxury vehicles faded into history.

American luxury vehicles are famous for having various characteristics such as uninhibited proportions, impressive design, and huge chrome. Let’s look at American luxury vehicles from that time that are still remembered as the best even after time has passed, such as the Buick Roadmaster and Lincoln Continental.

1926 Chrysler Imperial
Features a huge tailfin

The Chrysler Imperial, launched in 1926, made government officials and celebrities choose it as the top luxury car due to its sizeable 6-cylinder engine and comfortable interior space. In 1953, the Imperial was equipped with an excellent air conditioning system called Airtemp. Imperial became an independent brand in 1955, but many people still referred to the car as Chrysler’s Imperial.

The second-generation Imperial, released in 1956, had dramatically revised styling, including a width of over 2m (about 78.74 inches) and a massive tail fin at the rear of the body. The Imperial’s successors continued to offer luxurious interiors, including armchair-like seating, until it was discontinued in the 1980s.

The fourth generation of Buick’s Roadmaster
The first to feature a torque converter transmission

Buick’s Roadmaster was also one of America’s luxury vehicles. The original Roadmaster, developed and produced in the mid-1930s and revived in the 1990s, had the most extended wheelbase of any Buick vehicle and was Buick’s flagship model between 1946 and 1957. At launch, the Roadmaster was sold in several body styles, including a four-door sedan and two-door convertible with an in-line V8 engine.

In the early 1940s, the fourth generation of the Roadmaster debuted with a new vertical bar grille and was said to be the first automobile to use a torque converter transmission. The Sweep Spear with prominent chrome body sides and moldings was introduced for later models. Buick’s classic Roadmaster, with a length of over 5m (196.85 inches) and a plush interior, has earned the honorable title of land yacht. The Roadmaster was discontinued for about 33 years from the late 1950s but returned in the early 1990s as a sedan and station wagon.

The fourth generation of Lincoln’s Continental
Used as a presidential limousine

Thanks to the Continental, Lincoln became a luxury vehicle brand, which went into production in 1939. The Continental was first launched in two-door coupe and convertible models and later helped auto brands create the personal luxury vehicle segment. In 1956, after World War II, the second generation Continental model was released, and it was said to be the most expensive vehicle sold by an American automobile manufacturer at the time.

Lincoln’s Continental reached its peak in the fourth generation. The 4th generation Continental, launched in 1961, was released by refining the simple European design to fit the American style. It was also used as one of President John F. Kennedy’s ceremonial vehicles and was characterized by its unique open interior and suicide door. In addition, the Cadillac Eldorado, powered by a 5.4-liter V8, and the Lincoln Town Car, which appeared in the 1980s, can be said to be America’s best luxury vehicle at the time.