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Spotless Survivor: 1988 Ford LTD Country Squire

Some people may believe that this 1988 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire is too new to be classed as a true classic. However, with the demise of the large station wagon, these are the sorts of vehicles that seem set to grow in popularity, and value, within the classic car sector. This one is in extremely nice condition and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. The Ford is located in New Hyde Park, New York, and is listed for sale here on eBay. With bidding having reached $2,550, the reserve hasn’t been met. There is a BIN option available, and this has been set at $12,000.

The Black paint and nearly perfect woodgrain finish on the Ford provide a nice contrast and give the car a truly classy look. There are a few minor flaws in the timber edging, but these aren’t too severe. The factory wheels appear to be in really nice condition, while the external trim and chrome look to be faultless. The LTD is fitted with a two-way tailgate, which allows easy access to the additional seating that makes this vehicle such an attractive and versatile option for a larger family. I think that one of the things that really saves the look of this car is the external trim. By 1988, manufacturers were moving away from external chrome quite noticeably. Much of this was being replaced with trim that was either black or color-keyed to the vehicle’s paint color. In a large vehicle like this, the result would have been a heavy and somewhat somber appearance. The inclusion of chrome gives the whole car a lighter and brighter look.

Opening the doors of this Crown Victoria reveals acres of red upholstery. It also reveals an interior that is in incredibly good condition. Velour upholstery was a popular choice during the 1980s, but it was also a material that could grow quite tired, worn, and dirty pretty quickly. The interior of this car has managed to avoid that fate, and it looks really good. There isn’t a lot to fault there, and the car provides some nice equipment to reinforce that feeling of luxury. You get climate-control air conditioning, power windows, power locks, 6-way power front seats, cruise control, a trip computer, a tilt wheel, power antenna, and the premium AM/FM radio/cassette player. Life must have felt pretty good inside this wagon in 1988.

Powering the Ford is the 302ci V8 engine, while the owner also receives a 4-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. From 1986, this engine received electronic fuel injection. This provided a useful increase in both engine power and torque, as well as improving overall driveability. The presentation of the engine bay looks quite tidy, and while the owner does indicate that the Ford has only covered 67,000 miles, he doesn’t mention whether he holds any evidence to verify this. What he does say is that the car has been meticulously maintained, which is some really positive news.

By 1988, the writing was on the wall for the large station wagon, and the Country Squire was no exception. When the 6th generation was released in 1979, sales were strong, with nearly 68,000 cars rolling off the production line. In 1988, Ford struggled to sell 14,940 examples, and the figures just continued to deteriorate from there. By 1991 the jig was up, and the end had finally come for the Country Squire. This particular car is priced higher than average, but it would seem that its condition is also well above average. It offers a terrific combination of luxury and versatility, so this is a listing that should be worth watching…or a classic worth considering as a next purchase.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    Someone loved this big Ford. Very nice example. Would be fun to bring to Cars and Coffee on Saturday morning, then to take the grandkids for ice cream Saturday evening.

    Like 13
  2. Avatar Bakyrdhero

    I feel like there should be a category titled “New Classic” or “today’s classics” for cars like this. I can’t believe how deep Maroon the interior still is. I’m a fan of these cars and this one is a beautiful example.

    Like 16
  3. Avatar Sam61

    Those first 2 pictures remind me of Bert Weinman Ford commercials on channel 9 Chicago…ready for Linn Burton to pitch the car.

    Nice find

    Like 4
  4. Avatar Jonathan

    How the build quality by 1988? My parents had a 1985 between 1989-1994 and it was a constant problem for them. It did have a bit a miles on it, but still…it was difficult to deal with as I remember. When my parents bought the 1992 Caprice wagon in 1994 that was a breathe of fresh air. Granted it only had ~15,000 miles on it at the time, but it was pretty much low maintenance for the next 6 years and 140,000 miles.

    This one is very nice (great colors and pristine surfaces), but I’m not ready to buy a nice vintage wagon yet for the price of a nice 2 year old used Chrysler minivan.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar PaulG

    Bought the same car. root beer brown metallic with brown velour interior. One owner, 99k miles. Paid 1500 in 2014.
    Got 20 mpg at 75 mph across the desert w/ A/C on.
    Got my share of “Hey Griswold” shout-outs!

    Like 17
  6. Avatar Classic Steel

    Its very clean and original 👀👍
    Its genre is from big family days and travel.
    Now its mini vans, SUVs and four door trucks …, i bet this family truckster (vacation movie) and the truck are close in mpg and towing basic ski and fishing boats 👍 (most but not all 50k trucks haul people these days in the burbs) 😏

    You should watch Jerry Seinfeld’s Cars and Coffee ☕️ episode with sara parker season four…
    I am sure besides netflix its on YouTube 👀

    Jerry comments and replies… 😎
    ““I don’t like this car. It’s big. It’s wasteful. It has stupid fake wood paneling on the side,” says Jerry. The car in question: a cherry red ’76 Ford LTD Country Squire Wagon owned by his guest, Sex in the City star Sarah Jessica Parker. “She just bought it and I don’t even know why. But I’m gonna find out.” Before the drive out to the Colony Diner in New York’s East Meadow, Parker explains: “I grew up in a car like this. I spent so much time in the back of that car. Smell it. A little bit of gas, which I love. So much space. I cannot believe we are in this car and it’s mine,” she gushes. Amazingly, sports car-loving Jerry eventually falls for the land yacht’s charms: “I have to say I kinda like driving this thing.”

    Like 6
  7. Avatar markp

    Looks like the same wagon as in Stranger Things Season 3.

    Like 1
    • Avatar CS

      Close; that was a Mercury Colony Park. They got a different tail and nose treatment; a bit more modern-looking than these Fords.

      Like 1
  8. Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

    I don’t consider these station wagons to be overly large, certainly not when compared to cars of the 1970s. They were land yachts!

    Like 4
  9. Avatar Paul Hudson

    I love these wagons. Very useful and cheap to fix. I think the rare model of this generation LTD is the 2 Door. They only made them from 1979 to 1987. I had an 1988 Crown Vic Black with Red Velour. It was a nice car. I traded it in at Carmax on a 1995 Mazda 6. I remember when I traded it they offered a pretty good price about $1800, I had only paid $500 for it when I got it. I went back to them and told them that it had 150,000 on it not 50,000 and the odometer had turned over. They lowered the offer to $800. In hindsight I should have kept that car. It really did do well on gas 20-25 MPG mostly highway.

    Like 6
  10. Avatar CS

    It’s very, very nice and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in black before. 12K BIN seems optimi—no, that’s full-on Crackpipe. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen one of these go for more than half that, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens here.

    I notice that there are no photos of the tailgate laid down…so I wonder if the rear window is non-op, which would cause that.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Miguel

      CS, if you look at the Ebay ad, somebody paid the buy it now for the $12K.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar George Mattar

    Beautiful. But too much money. Holds a ton more than today’s ugly $50,000 plus SUVs. I grew up in the late 50s and early 60s. All we had were Ford wagons. Dad did get a new full size Pontiac wagon in 1966. Took my drivers test in 1972 in our white over red Country Squire. 302 with two barrel Autilute carb.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Odd as heck it has openable FROM THE FRONT!! small vent windows – in 1988??, tho they don’t seem to open much.
    Yet, oddly, 20!! years earlier, Chevy’s ’68 caprice commercial on youtube brags about full door glass styling & astro ventilation. I thought the ’68 caprice coupe with optional hidden headlights was the most futuristic * graceful looking full size production car ever made.

    Like 1
  13. Avatar chrlsful

    like it, the foxbodied (’83/6) even more (LTD/Marqus) as they were mid sized when there wuz a real class 4 that.
    Lookin for them (foxbodied wagons) in the North East: spot one ‘just put an aol’ on the end of my name.

    Like 0

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