Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Many Americans bought gas-sipping Colts and Chevettes when Malaise fuel prices hit… but some stayed with big Buicks!
This 32-year-old, daily-driven LeSabre sports traditional Detroit design and looks much less dated than economy cars of the same era.
The standard LeSabre engine for '78 was the 105-horsepower Buick V6, which wasn't much engine for a 3,500-pound car. You could also get a 165-horse turbocharged V6 or a Chevy 305 with 140 horsepower (and V8 torque). OK, fine, it's ridiculously underpowered. Even a minivan with an entire kids' soccer team inside would blow this car away in a drag race, but which vehicle would you rather drive to Vegas?