Street Spotted: Neglected 20th Century Luxury Cars

Saturday Night Fever territory, otherwise known as Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is decidedly old Brooklyn, or at least it's not the new kind of loft-party, DIY-trance-music scene, HBO sitcom Brooklyn you hear ranting and raving about. Resting at the foot of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Bay Ridge is a former 19th-century coastal resort town turned working-class suburb with scraps of its former affluence and gritty subcultures remaining into the 21st century. And situated in the center of this outlying neighborhood is a publicly operated parking garage, one that tells part of the neighborhood's story through its cars.

The first story this garage tells is one of successful urban development. Despite being served by a single subway line, a slew of inter-line connection possibilities and thoroughly serviced bus routes mean that even those with cars aren't beholden to driving through inter-borough traffic.

It's not an exaggeration to say that half of the cars in this lot are stagnant, as exampled by the thick coat of grime found on this 1993 Volvo 240 sedan. And while many other cars suffer a similar neglected fate at this garage, just as many are hidden under car covers and remain a mystery to even the most regular visitors.

An unwashed, first-generation Acura Legend may not conjure images of wealth and affluence, but the Legend was no economy car in its time. In fact, the Legend was first sold in 1985 at an approximate MSRP of $20,000, or $55,000 in 2023 money. With a sideswiped rear quarter panel and fading plastics, this version isn't in Radwood presentable shape, but it signals a history of bigger spenders in the 20th century. Or frugal-yet-comfortable used buyers in the 21st century.

Either way, it's nice to see an original example of the sloping-roofed, hatchback-trunked sedan style that is becoming increasingly popular these days, even inside Acura itself.

It may not be the most luxurious car of its time, but the third-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am was a survivor even when new. Strangled by necessary emissions regulations and almost developed in wrong-wheel-drive, the F-body iteration of the Firebird was not the tire-slaying, raucous, Burt Reynolds-driven machine it used to be, but it represented a changing era in American muscle.

Offered in a claimed 34 mpg four-cylinder version in addition to a variety of V6 and V8 powertrains, the boxy, angular styling and fuel-sipping mechanics were decidedly of the 1980s, with both the preceding and following Trans-Am models taking a curvy and smoothed design approach and featuring more powerful engines. Even so, GM claimed the model was the most aerodynamic it had ever made at the time. I'd like to imagine this car's owner took some solace in that.

I did say this garage would tell a story, didn't I? The further up you drive into the garage, the more luxury you will see. And this 1984 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur is a prime example of the affluence that once existed on the outskirts of Bay Ridge. While I don't know the specifics of who owns this Silver Spur, decoding the VIN shows this unit was sold in the base trim with a 6.8L V8. Power is fed to the rear wheels by a General Motors Turbo Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission.

Furthermore, this Rolls escaped a shabby fate thanks to a seemingly fastidious owner and a current, yellow New York inspection sticker, indicating this car was at least driven to be inspected within the last year. The Silver Spur sold for around $100,000 when new, or $281,000 in today's money when you account for inflation. If you're looking for aging luxury on a budget these days, however, buying a 1980s Silver Spur will only set you back around $25,000, according to data from Bring a Trailer. Godspeed to whoever keeps this car running.

Last but not least, it wouldn't be a proper luxury showing without a Bentley present. With no license plates and a dust-covered VIN, identifying the exact model year of this first-generation Bentley Azure is nearly impossible. Because of this, I'm banking on this particular model remaining within the 1996-1999 portion of its first manufacturing run.

Either way, the Azure follows a British luxury recipe laid out by models like the preceding Silver Spur: A big, turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 gets dropped into an even bigger chassis body and gets completed with the cushiest suspension available. As the reviews of its time note, it was a ridiculously fast car for its 5754-pound curb weight and poor aerodynamic shape—perfect for putting up big highway numbers on the New Jersey Turnpike nearby, en route to catch a Continental Airlines flight out of Newark.

As a bonus feature, this 2000 Mazda Miata brings us to the 21st century. This one looks like it even gets treated to some track days. Just like it should.