Black, white leather interior, four bucket seats.
Owned by Richard Petty's cousin (yes, he was playing the connection up, photo book and everything).
What a beauty of a beast!
Posted on 09/11/2014 8:12:13 AM PDT by Phillyred
Remember when roads were as smooth as a calm sea, cars were long as boats, and you felt like the captain of your land yacht? We do. Here's ten great land yachts.
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 9.) 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600
Suggested by LuckyChuck takes the racing line when he walks
Why It's So Smooth: Who says land yachts are limited to the U.S.? This 18-foot long , 5700 pound German cruiser was driven by Jeremy Clarkson and he promptly proved the car was designed to cruise in a straight line. So, sit back, grab a glass of champagne, and let the chauffeur do all the work. I guarantee you won't spill a drop of that Dom Pérignon.
Photo Credit: Ed Callow
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 8.) 1975 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
Suggested by War2d2: Secure In His Own Manhood
Why It's So Smooth: Measuring 19 feet in length, this coupé offered more interior space than some New York City apartments. You kind of start to wonder why this car was so long if it was meant to be a coupé… but then that goes out the window as soon as you sink into the driver's seat and feel the road roll pleasantly beneath you.
Photo Credit: RUD66
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 7.) 1959 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Coupé Convertible
Suggested by John Carter
Why It's So Smooth: The 1959 Ninety-Eight was completely redesigned, as was the entire Olds lineup, and was offered with 371 cubic inch Rocket V8 and Jetaway Hydramatic Transmission. It just sounds so velvety, unless you mashed on the accelerator causing a jerk when shifting from first to second gear. So be gentle and you'll be effortlessly yachting on the sea that is America's road.
Photo Credit: ConceptCarz
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 6.) 1973 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham
Suggested by Rusty Van Horn
Why It's So Smooth: Let's take this up a notch, BAM! The New Yorker Brougham sported Chrysler's Fuselage styling and was a full 18 and a half feet long. Power came from a 440 cubic inch V8, though power was reduced to meet stricter fuel and emissions standards. I know Rusty said 1972, but he pictured a 1973 and I know he didn't say Brougham, but I know he meant to. Either way, this land yacht is a leather upholstered, silky smooth dream to ride.
Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 5.) 1975 Mercury Marquis Brougham
Suggested by I can be stig?
Why It's So Smooth: You get the bonus points! Your prize is recognition! The name Brougham was originally used for a sedan that was bodied as a coupé but later on it was used to distinguish between the more luxurious and standard version of a model. In 1976 a consumer survey was conducted and it was found that the Marquis was preferred to the Olds 98 and Buick ELektra. The following year the Grand Marquis was selected over the Cadillac Sedan de Ville, demonstrating the luxury, comfort, and overall classyness of this land yacht.
Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 4.) 1971 Cadillac Eldorado
Suggested by Spiegel wants a large farva
Why It's So Smooth: The Cadillac Eldorado, named after the mythical land of gold, is the car of crazy Texas oil-men, purple-suited player haters, and Mafiosos. At 18 and a half feet, the Eldorado offered up a 500 cubic inch V8 for your yachting pleasure. It served as the pace car for the 1973 Indy 500, but that's the closest it will ever get to any form of motorsport. Best keep this lancha in a straight line.
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 3.) 1972 Buick Riviera
Suggested by ZeroOrDie
Why It's So Smooth: The Riviera is where you park your yacht. The Buick Riviera is a yacht! This boat-tailed land yacht just grew longer and longer that by 1973 it was almost 19 feet long. Its Corvette Stingray-inspired rear window and coupé body meant that you were cruising in style and the 455 cu. in. V8 provided silky smooth torque throughout the rev range. Just listen to that burble.
Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 2.) 1973 Imperial LeBaron
Suggested by Buster Brew
Why It's So Smooth: The 1973 Imperial LeBaron was the longest non-limousine production vehicle at a whopping 21 feet. The LeBaron's styling was described as the Fuselage Look by Chrysler and this particular year's styling was an evolution of the Fuselage look. What does this all mean? Even more classy and stylish faring.
Ten Great Land Yachts EXPAND 1.) 1961 Lincoln Continental
Suggested by rawtoast
Why It's So Smooth: The '61 Conti was a new design, but it was 2 feet shorter than its predecessors, although still 18 feet long. However, Ford used the "compactness" of this Continental as its main advertising point by having a woman parallel park the car to show how easy it is. This Continental was the first to have suicide doors and was considered the epitome of Lincoln styling. Sadly, this is the same car that John F. Kennedy was riding in the day he was assassinated.
Maybe not a land yacht but a great car...64 & 65 Ford Galaxy 500... mom had the 64 nicknamed The white Tornado... dad had a 65...in blue...
If you were dating a compliant young lass, it certainly has it's good points, but vans did too. On the other hand, I was a Mustang fan and no one got pregnant in my '67 coupe. (My Mom held her breath for three or four years, she told me later.)
See post #57
That isn’t entirely true. There were also hardtop sedans back in the heyday of American iron.
I shudder to think of how flimsy a hardtop sedan would be using unibody construction...
At least it was helpfully shaped. lol.
The doors would jam on “suicide door” Lincoln Continental hardtop sedans when jacked to change a flat. Pretty flexible.
Love those, too, lol. Sequential taillights all the way across. Prettiest dash of the era, really nice interior in general. Thunderjet V8. Another car that looks amazing in triple black, along with the 1st gen Cougar XR7.
IIRC, the suicide-door Continental was a unibody. But you don’t need suicide doors for that to happen; I had an ‘85 Chevy Sprint that flexed enough that you couldn’t open either door if you jacked one corner high enough.
Oddly enough, with my ‘91 Miata (which is not only unibody but a convertible), if you jack it high enough at one corner it starts lifting the entire side of the car.
we had a 67 or 68, used to put my Peavey guitar speaker with 4 12 inch woofers in the back seat.
When I got married in ‘70 I bought a ‘67 Cutlass that the original owner had installed a nice big reverberation amp in the truck just below the back window shelf and put an eight inch oval speaker in the shelf very professionally installed. It was a killer.
It did not have suspension mounts and when the car would go over a roll back curb or big pot hole it would bottom out a component in the amp and a big boom would sound when the amp was on.
My first car was a 1963 Chrysler 300, I bought used in 1967, everyone referred to it as the BOAT, have never since then owned a tougher car, and those where tough times, when it needed oil, I got used oil from a gas station, every station back then changed oil and tires, all my tires where used as well, and I bought them usually one at a time.
It always ran like a champ, it was a push button automatic and at some point and some how, those buttons got mixed up so the drive button was neutral and neutral reverse, but it could not be killed. I passed it on to my younger brother when I entered the Army in 1970 and he sold it a few years later for almost what I paid for it.
Those where the days my friend!
The mid-nineties fwd 3.8L GM cars are great vehicles!
I average 21-23 city (with an extremely light feather-foot!).
1960 Buick Convertible! My land yacht in 1966!!!
Wow. My smallish 4 cylinder Mercury Milan only gets 21 in the city!
My dad had that car when I was about 4 years old and I still remember how cool it was with the top down. What a car!
We always had big station wagons. Many times would get caught short on money on a fishing/hunting trip with my buddies (high school). But could always count on the spare change in the ash tray to fill up the tank to get us home.
Thought sedans were hardtops. Did you mean convertibles (retractable hardtops)? I have one, a ‘57 Ford Skyliner.
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