41K Mile Neo-Classic: 1986 Tiffany Classic Coupe
When it comes to 1980s opulence, does it get any more splendid than a Tiffany Classic coupe? The craze over neoclassical designs seems to have hit a high watermark in the late 1980s, with the most excessive of the designs peaking in the late 1980s. The fact that these cars still show up and command $30,000 is nothing short of amazing to me, as I always considered them to be the poster child for depreciation. Find this Tiffany with 41,000 miles on the clock listed here on craigslist for $29,500.
When you look at the sheer length of this Tiffany, it reminds you that everything about this car, from its proportions to its equipment list, was over the top. The Tiffany looks absolutely correct wearing gold paint and white-wall tires, not to mention having the color-matched spare tire covers sitting proudly in the swoopy fenders. The color works particularly well, breaking with the tradition shades of whites and tans we often see on these 80s oddballs.
If you tried to introduce a car like this now, would it succeed? That’s the question I always have when one of these comes up for sale. The reason a car like this did have a loyal following and found enough buyers to keep making new models is a very telling indicator as to where consumers’ hearts and minds were at in this time period. Style and flash were all the rage, and appearing to have Gordon Gekko levels of wealth was a priority for many car shoppers at the time.
The seller refers to this both as a Zimmer Golden Spirit and as a Tiffany Classic Coupe, but I’m going with the latter. The Tiffany was produced by Classic Motor Carriage Company in Florida, and typically used the chassis from a Mercury Cougar (along with the running gear.) It will be a fairly cheap car to maintain, and few cars at this price point will get you so many eyeballs. I don’t know that I’d spend $30,000 on one, but enough people seem to. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Tony P. for the find.
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Comments
Personally I don’t think that a design like this, newly introduced now, would succeed, but this is a very niche product anyhow.
More likely, specialty niche / conspicuous consumption vehicles are already produced; they’re just BEV/PHEV SUV’s for beaucoup cash.
Oh God not another one.
It’s all relative, but a bastardized T-Bird of the same vintage with a boat-tail rear and some teak would look “better”….a slightly classier version of big pimp’n!
Stunning ✨️
Insane thought. This is fox body based, yes? Throw some NASA American Iron type suspension on it, warm up, or replace the Windsor. Add a cage. Go hunting unsuspecting victims at your local road course.
Another relic of the leisure suit, gold chain with bad wig crowd, crawls out of storage.
Not as awful as some until you get to the back. Unleashed grotesquery!
Looks like it was the follow up design by Homer Simpson.
These neo-classics get a bad rap, but I’ve always liked them, ever since seeing my advertisement for them in a 1983 issue of the Robb Report and the Matt Houston TV series where he drove an Excalibur, during the first season. I remember seeing the Tiffanys and Phillips Berlinas parked on Rodeo Drive in the ’80s, and they definitely had a unique and cool presence, especially compared to all of the Mercedes and BMWs that lined the street. These were even unique compared to the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirits and Spurs that these neo-classics would be parked next to. So, obviously they’re not for everyone, but if I was looking for something unique, yet also something I know I could still easily get parts for, I’d definitely consider a neo-classic like this Tiffany.
I’ve commentated on cars saying “That car’s so ugly it’s cool.” This car isn’t cool.
“Nice custom Mercury Cougar you got there.”
“How DARE you call my Tiffany Classic coupe a Cougar!”
Steve,
Should we call it a Volkswagen? Every one of these neo-classics uses the VW bugs parking/turn signal lights.
No imagination. No imagination.
Egad, that is one UGLY car and in gold it is even more nasty. Quite the pimpmobile.
Even Cruella Deville wouldn’t drive this monstrosity.
Actually, she does. Hers is white if I remember my Dalmatians correctly.
Hers is very similar.
So the guy doesn’t even know for sure what he’s selling? Can’t he look on the title? Sounds fishy.
Landon gets it.
When those huge pre-ww2 luxury cars were pushing 40 their price and collectability created trailer queens.
.
This is a reliable drivable retro that made made more sense in its prime than it does now.
Still not for me, just too far before my time I guess. 😊