old yellow 78
Well-Known Member
There is a beautiful ’77 Volare wagon for sale on EB in recent days. 1977 Plymouth Other Premier Wagon 4-Door | eBay Looking at this car, I am struck with two thoughts. One, that the F body Volare and Aspen was one of, if not the most, attractive station wagons designed and produced in the 1970’s. Two, that the awareness and appreciation of, and hence the monetary value of, these cars is definitely increasing.
Particularly on the wagons, from every angle, the design is just right. Each detail integrates so well with the next, and the total effect is one of balance, perfect proportion, and restrained but attractive styling not typical of many other American cars during the same time period. It is amazing to me that so many haters love to malign the F’s in particular, and all cars of the ‘70’s in general. True, Chrysler did push them out the door too quickly, and quality periodically suffered in several areas as a result for the first two years, but after that, they were simply beautiful and excellent cars. In this way, they are somewhat similar to the spectacularly designed Chrysler Corporations ‘57’s – beautifully and creatively designed, but pushed to market too quickly. You would think that Chrysler would have learned a lesson back then, but I suppose in the mid-seventies, Chrysler felt it couldn’t afford to delay release of the F’s, given their precarious financial situation.
Regarding one particular major detail of the F’s design, the grille, my own personal preference is the ‘76/’77 Volare grille which this EB wagon demonstrates so effectively. Of the six different grille designs used on the Volare/Aspen’s during their five years of production, that one is my favorite. Followed closely by the ‘78/’79 Aspen grille. All of them were attractive, but those two are my favorites, and I believe fit the car’s styling so well.
As of this writing, the Volare wagon in the EB ad has not earned a bid yet, however, I do not feel that the price (either starting or “buy it now”) is out of line for that particular wagon. I think the days of getting these wagons for “cheapy lot” prices are numbered. This is partly due to them not just becoming more appreciated and noticed, but that so few seem to be left. Just try finding one in a salvage yard (with the wonderful exception of Deconstructor Jim’s business!) or for sale (with the exception of Gordie’s F stash out in Idaho!)
Owning Old Yellow, my ’78 Aspen base wagon, I could easily be considered to be simply biased, but actually, I remember well when the F’s were first introduced, and at that time, I was absolutely struck with how attractive these wagons were, and that they were the perfect size. I also remember that I thought they looked like an Americanized version of the venerable Volvo wagon (a good thing). In 1978, I bought my first F wagon, a slightly used ’76 Volare Premiere, slant six with four speed, brown with caramel interior. Although it was one of the much maligned “first year” F’s, it proved to be one of the very best cars that I have ever owned, and I miss it to this day. In the years since, I have owned approximately 9 or 10 more, and all but one were wagons. I had to search for several years before I finally found and bought OY a few years ago.
So, perhaps all of us F owners and admirers should give ourselves a collective pat on the back for beating the curve and appreciating these great cars even before they began to be recognized in the old car hobby. It will be interesting to see if and when repro parts begin to be reproduced (let’s hope they begin to reproduce those great grilles before too long). I also wish the seller of this wagon good luck, and preemptively congratulate the future buyer.
Particularly on the wagons, from every angle, the design is just right. Each detail integrates so well with the next, and the total effect is one of balance, perfect proportion, and restrained but attractive styling not typical of many other American cars during the same time period. It is amazing to me that so many haters love to malign the F’s in particular, and all cars of the ‘70’s in general. True, Chrysler did push them out the door too quickly, and quality periodically suffered in several areas as a result for the first two years, but after that, they were simply beautiful and excellent cars. In this way, they are somewhat similar to the spectacularly designed Chrysler Corporations ‘57’s – beautifully and creatively designed, but pushed to market too quickly. You would think that Chrysler would have learned a lesson back then, but I suppose in the mid-seventies, Chrysler felt it couldn’t afford to delay release of the F’s, given their precarious financial situation.
Regarding one particular major detail of the F’s design, the grille, my own personal preference is the ‘76/’77 Volare grille which this EB wagon demonstrates so effectively. Of the six different grille designs used on the Volare/Aspen’s during their five years of production, that one is my favorite. Followed closely by the ‘78/’79 Aspen grille. All of them were attractive, but those two are my favorites, and I believe fit the car’s styling so well.
As of this writing, the Volare wagon in the EB ad has not earned a bid yet, however, I do not feel that the price (either starting or “buy it now”) is out of line for that particular wagon. I think the days of getting these wagons for “cheapy lot” prices are numbered. This is partly due to them not just becoming more appreciated and noticed, but that so few seem to be left. Just try finding one in a salvage yard (with the wonderful exception of Deconstructor Jim’s business!) or for sale (with the exception of Gordie’s F stash out in Idaho!)
Owning Old Yellow, my ’78 Aspen base wagon, I could easily be considered to be simply biased, but actually, I remember well when the F’s were first introduced, and at that time, I was absolutely struck with how attractive these wagons were, and that they were the perfect size. I also remember that I thought they looked like an Americanized version of the venerable Volvo wagon (a good thing). In 1978, I bought my first F wagon, a slightly used ’76 Volare Premiere, slant six with four speed, brown with caramel interior. Although it was one of the much maligned “first year” F’s, it proved to be one of the very best cars that I have ever owned, and I miss it to this day. In the years since, I have owned approximately 9 or 10 more, and all but one were wagons. I had to search for several years before I finally found and bought OY a few years ago.
So, perhaps all of us F owners and admirers should give ourselves a collective pat on the back for beating the curve and appreciating these great cars even before they began to be recognized in the old car hobby. It will be interesting to see if and when repro parts begin to be reproduced (let’s hope they begin to reproduce those great grilles before too long). I also wish the seller of this wagon good luck, and preemptively congratulate the future buyer.
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