Automotive Loyalty: The Evolution of Brand Preferences
As a young car enthusiast, I was raised in a household marked by staunch brand loyalty. In those days, families typically remained attached to one car manufacturer. Mopar enthusiasts wouldn’t consider the “Found On Road Dead” alternatives. GM loyalists enjoyed a wealth of choices within the brand itself, while AMC loyalists felt that other options were overly extravagant or costly. Consequently, foreign brands were rarely in consideration.
This kind of brand allegiance is hard to fathom today when automotive buyers frequently change their preferences with each new lease or as their odometers approach that pivotal sell-by number. The increasing competition in the market has likely enhanced the overall quality of vehicles available today, which in turn has kept marketing teams actively engaged.
Growing up, my family primarily supported GM vehicles. My mother’s uncle sold GM cars in Wisconsin, and both sets of grandparents owned Buicks. We drove Chevys, as that was the most accessible tier on GM’s pricing ladder. I arrived home from the hospital in a ’60 Bel Air two-door sedan, which was later swapped for a ’65 Impala fastback sport coupe. This was followed by a similar ’66 and a ’68 Caprice custom coupe demo that my dad acquired during a cocktail party. In 1969, we purchased a basic Townsman wagon, boasting only air conditioning, an AM radio, and a 350/Turbo-Hydramatic powertrain.
This vehicle made a lasting impression on me. From that driver’s seat, I first took the wheel, fulfilling 15 years of yearning, assisting, and honing my driving skills on pedal cars. For various reasons, Dad decided to keep that Townsman for 170,000 miles. When I started college, I inherited an even more basic, un-air-conditioned ’69 Chevy Brookwood wagon from Dad’s cousin.
Although my Chevy loyalty was firmly established at this point, the first two cars I purchased with my Oldsmobile dealership wages were actually ’66 Mustangs. I bought those despite their affiliation with Ford due to their iconic status as pony cars.
However, I soon found myself frustrated with their Ford connection every time maintenance was due. Consequently, I returned to my Chevy roots with a fully loaded 10-year-old ’73 Caprice Estate wagon. But when its fuel efficiency proved nearly bankrupting, I exchanged it for a Canyon Brown metallic VW Dasher diesel wagon—its manual transmission catered to my need for a versatile ride. While I appreciated its fuel economy, its sluggishness led me to part ways with the VW brand when the engine failed at a mere 150,000 miles.
A significant shift occurred when I began working with Lee Iacocca’s post-bailout Chrysler Corporation in July 1985. Over six years, the enticing employee discounts and access to affordable low-mileage executive lease vehicles encouraged Dad to shift his loyalty away from GM.
In addition to purchasing my only brand-new car—a custom-ordered 1986 Dodge Lancer ES Turbo—my newfound loyalty to Mopar led to subsequent purchases, including two “Forward Look wagons,” a ’59 Dodge Custom Sierra and a ’57 Plymouth Custom Suburban, along with the 1967 Sunbeam Alpine that I still cherish. Nowadays, I own a charming 1985 Chrysler Town & Country K-car wagon that transports me back to my youthful post-grad years.
As children, we view our fathers as heroes and assume their vehicle choices are rational. Reflecting back, I wonder if Dad would have opted differently had he rigorously compared competitive options. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to delve into this question by comparing top models of Chevy and Ford wagons in a head-to-head review for the now-retired Motor Trend Classic magazine.
In the Chevy corner stood the coolest ’69 Chevy wagon available: the GM Heritage Center’s Kingswood Estate, featuring the exceptionally rare L72 solid-lifter 427 engine. Only a small number of the 546 L72 engines installed in full-size Chevys were fitted in wagons, most configured as minimalist racing specials. This particular model had nearly every available option and bore the nostalgic Dover White over blue color scheme reminiscent of our family Townsman. Representing Ford was a high-end Country Squire, similarly appointed with nearly every option and a powerful 429 big-block engine in Presidential Blue decor.
My journalistic analysis concluded that the Ford was objectively a superior vehicle that year—and likely for several years prior and after. It notably outperformed my cherished Chevy in ride comfort, interior noise levels, body rigidity, seat comfort, wagon features, ventilation, and audio quality—leaving only quarter-mile times in which Chevy excelled.
Despite my findings, childhood loyalties are challenging to set aside. I often find myself browsing options for ’69 big-block wagons, still holding fondness for my early automotive preferences.
