It’s Father’s Day, so it’s time for another rumination on the cars of my dad. Since he isn’t so much a car guy as he is a person who appreciates cars, the logical next step after showing the ones he’s owned is getting into the ones I remember testing with him.

1977-79 Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar
I am unsure if we tested any of these, but I do remember renting them when we went on family trips to California. All I had to do was ask him to specify a Thunderbird or Cougar, and viola! Though personal luxury coupes, they were large enough for a family of four to travel around Los Angeles in comfort. In retrospect, I have no soft spot for these cars.

I also remember becoming excited for the 1980-82 Thunderbird — what kid wouldn’t based on the hidden headlights and optional gee-whiz digital speedometer? But today, this generation seems like a downgrade, a car lost in the fog of Malaise. Considering over 288,000 were built, it’s amazing how uncommon they have become.

1981 Chrysler Imperial
For whatever reason, I loved Imperials of the 1970s. One interesting quirk that was different from Brand X was that their headlight doors dropped down, instead popping up. So when I caught wind that a new Imperial was appearing in dealerships, I begged my dad to go test one. I believe the dealership (on Kirkwood Highway — Gambacorta?) had a Sinatra Edition in the showroom. I cannot remember the test drive, but I do remember my dad saying there was an issue with the engine, so maybe we revisited and tested the car in ’82? I still love these, but I don’t feel compelled to own one.

1982 Lincoln Continental
Though at the time I didn’t realize what flattery meant, this is the car that personified it in relation to the Cadillac Seville. I’m fairly sure it was the Givenchy Edition because of the colors of Black and Medium Dark Mulberry Metallic, a combination that didn’t move me then, but I reckon I understand it today. I don’t remember much about the test drive other than the buttons on the dashboard because I was totally enamored by the digital dashboard. I’m somewhat glad my dad never bought this, though there’s nothing wrong with them.

1983 Lincoln Continental Mark VI
My dad bought a leftover 1976 Mark IV when the lot of Holiday Lincoln-Mercury was full of Mark Vs (and leftover 1976 Cougars, too), so he had a soft spot for Lincoln. When it was time to replace his, the Mark VI was the latest and greatest (and I was thankful, as I never cared for the Mark V). The Mark VI ushered in a four-door as well as a coupe, but I cannot remember what we tested other than it was black and pewter; looking at a brochure, I realize it’s a ’83 Bill Blass in Midnight Black and French Vanilla. I know these were downsized, but they never seemed that way (and they came across successfully, I feel). I couldn’t tell you why Dad didn’t pull the trigger, but it probably came down to money.

1984 Mercedes S-Class W126
This was his dream car — always unattainable, but close enough that he tested several over the years. Chances are that it would have been a 380SEL, though I recall not being able to decipher how Mercedes named its cars (two seemingly identical cars had different numbers). I remember these cars as being very, very solid (just shut the door of one!) with seats that felt different than those of other cars.

1984 Saab 900
I couldn’t tell you what year it was, but I do remember Dad testing a Saab 900, probably a 1984 model. I am unsure whether it was a turbo (likely), but I do remember sitting in it, him putting the key between the seats, mw staring at that unique dashboard, and him explaining to me (while navigating a tight U-turn) how these cars are known for handling snow. My recollection is it may have been above his price point, but now I imagine he simply wasn’t ready for a four-cylinder in his V-8 world.

1984 Lincoln Continental Mark VII
Out of the bunch, this is the one that my dad came closest to buying. A common thread, I suspect the price was slightly out of reach to him. This car was thrilling to me, being the first American car with European-style headlamps, plus it was based on the aero T-bird, which was among the coolest evolutions of cars to a kid who still relied on September for model-year debuts. Like the later Pontiac Trans Sport morphing into the Montana, the Mark VII (rightly) morphed into an LSC-spec personal luxury car.

1985 Citroen CX
Lucky me! A fledgling Citroen fan was able to score a nice tour on a car that shouldn’t have been in the U.S. I remember going to the Philadelphia Auto Show and discovering this company (led by a gentleman named Stout, I recall) called CX Auto in the “other” section of the show. I wouldn’t say my dad was a Citroen guy, but his interest was piqued, plus he was always up for making his son happy.

I do remember going to Media, Pennsylvania (possibly — definitely outside Philly) to test the CX, and I remember testing both the GTi and the long-wheelbase Prestige. Though I should have been more interested in the sportier version, I was taken by the limousine charms of the Prestige. I still have love the CX — in fact, I think I prefer it to the DS. Since he wasn’t hands-on, I imagine Dad nixed the CXA because getting it serviced would have been problematic, but nonetheless I cannot say whether he was taken by the car.