1973 Ford LTD Brougham Coupe: Everything’s So Green!

Lately I’ve been watching the classic TV show The Streets of San Francisco after work. I lucked out about a year ago when I saw a collection of the first three seasons on DVD at Big Lots for a mere $14.99. Such a deal! Since then I’ve been metering them out as free time permits. It’s quite enjoyable.

The series immediately transported me to early 1970’s California, and I was smitten by all the car spotting. I’m not sure how often I paused or ran an episode back to confirm I had seen an Opel GT, Continental Mark IV, or Kingswood Estate in the background.

And Lieutenant Stone and Inspector Keller’s car changed like clockwork from 1971 to ’72, ’73, then ’74 Ford Galaxie 500 four-doors. And why not? They were the bread and butter of many police forces at the time, along with models from Chevrolet and Plymouth—though usually the black and white patrol cars were one step lower, as Custom 500s. Being a detective had its perks.

By the third season they got their nicest car yet, not just the usual Galaxie 500 four door sedan, but the four-door hardtop, even with the optional Luxury wheel covers! It was painted era-appropriate metallic copper.

But even Mike Stone didn’t have the clout to obtain the top-of-the-line big Ford, the LTD Brougham. As you’d expect, it had even more standard features, fancier interior, and more sound insulation than the Galaxie 500s. And if it was 1973 and you were shopping full-size Fords, there was another oh-so-’70s color besides burnt orange or copper or gold—you might have been smitten with one painted Ivy Glow, as our featured coupe flaunts.

There were three different full-size Ford coupes on offer for 1973: $3,778 Galaxie 500, $3,950 LTD, and $4,107 LTD Brougham. The base big Ford, the Custom 500, was only available as a $3,606 sedan or $4,050 station wagon.

In addition to Ivy Glow, Blue Glow, Ginger Glow and Gold Glow were available as extra-cost colors, available on the full-size Ford, Torino, Mustang, Maverick, Pinto and Ranchero. They were much like the Firemist paints available on Cadillacs and Moondust/Diamond Fire options on Lincolns in that they were brighter and had higher metallic content.

Our featured car was spied on eBay by your author back in July, 2014. I regularly haunted eBay and Craigslist (and still do today) for interesting and compelling survivors of The Brougham Age. And this one was gorgeous in triple green and sporting most every option, including the power sunroof and power 6-way passenger seat!

One interesting tidbit: At the time I assumed it was a remarkably well-preserved original car. But recently I found out from my friend Jeff Reynolds that he had seen the car before it was painted its current hue.

As he told me, “I’ve seen that very car. It was at Lincoln Land in Clearwater Florida. The first time I saw it, it was still wearing it’s original paint, which was a Key Lime yellow green. The repaint really suits it far better. It has nearly, if not every possible option available. It was originally ordered by a Canadian Ford dealer for his wife. It has a 429.”

I have to agree. While the pastel lime color is also very ’70s, that lustrous dark green with matching top and interior is just spectacular! I love it. And I miss LTDs. Maybe some day the crossover/SUV fad will finally fade and we can shop new LTD Broughams with all the mod-cons!