In my opinion, this house is fit for a Celebrity. But I sure would like to find one of these that’s still on the road!Īnd since our featured ad hints at wood-paneled family rooms, we might as well enjoy an ad for actual wood paneling. Still, Chevrolet offered the package through the 1987 model year.Īlthough I’ve readily professed my soft spot for wood paneling, I probably wouldn’t have paid $325 (that’s $850 in 2021 dollars) for the privilege of adding such trim to a Celebrity. It’s unclear how many estate packages found their way to customers, but they were always a rather unusual sight. This package included the “simulated wood-grain exterior applique,” special wheel opening moldings, and badges on the front doors that read Celebrity Estate.

If there was such a group of enthusiasts, they must have made their collective voice heard, for just such a package premiered for 1985. Wood-paneling enthusiasts must have despaired, however, because Chevy provided no “estate package” for 1984 Celebrity wagons. Once Malibu production ended, a wagon joined the Celebrity lineup. So maybe I would have been the target market for Chevrolet’s “estate equipment package” that debuted on Celebrity wagons for 1985.Ĭhevrolet added the FWD Celebrity its lineup for 1982, though its first two years included only 2- and 4-door sedans, as Chevy’s mid-size wagon offering remained the RWD Malibu through 1983. Though I’ve never lived in a house with such a feature, I’ve always found wood-paneling to be relaxing and comforting – even if the “wood” isn’t quite real. Check out the commercial below and judge for yourself.We all have certain items that we appreciate for no rational reason – for me, one such example would be wood-paneled family rooms.

not unlike a certain prehistoric race of animals.

We can't help but snigger a little - while the Encore is indeed surprisingly roomy, nimble, and composed, our first drive found it to be glacially slow, too. Set to air this weekend on ESPN during the NCAA college basketball tournament, the ad plays up the Encore's maneuverability and surprising interior space by setting the baby Buick amongst a herd of lumbering CG dinosaurs created by Tippett Studio, the folks behind Hollywood blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Ted, and the Twilight series of films. Just check out Buick's first television spot for its 2013 Encore, the tiny crossover that is pushing the Tri-Shield into territories unknown while looking to outrun the brand's reputation as a refuge for elderly clientele. That's what General Motors appears to be betting on, at least. The whole 'SUVs as dinosaurs' trope has become something of a threadbare cliché among auto writers, but that doesn't mean the wider world of consumers has caught on to the Jurassic nature of our line of thinking.

1950 buick station wagon