6 photos
The early-to-mid 1980s is a forgotten era of American car manufacturing. That’s for good reason. Even if some Internet irony-fueled automotive normcore car movement could get you to appreciate that era’s aesthetics, the poor build quality would slap you back into reality.
An emblematic car from that era is the wood-paneled 1985 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country wagon. Even with a turbo and leather seats, it remains a hideous icon from an era that nearly killed the station wagon. It’s about the last car one would expect to lead a British classic car auction. But, this Town & Country wagon is special. Frank Sinatra sat in it hundreds, if not thousands of times.
H&H Classics is selling Frank Sinatra’s LeBaron in a live online auction in February. The LeBaron Town & Country is about the last car one would have expected an A-plus list celebrity to be chauffeured around in, which is why Sinatra purportedly spent the last 10 years of his life doing just that.
Sinatra owned a myriad of better cars during his life. He opted for a 1970 Lamborghini Miura during a mid-life crisis. He owned a 1984 Rolls Royce Corniche given to him for his 70th birthday that recently went up for auction. But, he also owned the beige Town & Country with what appear to be faux wood rivets.
The ad doesn’t bother to give the mileage. No one is buying this car for a pristine edition of Chrysler’s 2.2 liter I-4. Old Blue Eyes’ butt once gracing this T&C with its presence is the difference between many thousands of dollars at auction and a scrapheap.
If celebrity 1980s LeBaron woody nostalgia is your thing, Jon Voight’s LeBaron convertible is probably the better long-term investment.
