Executive car is a British term used generally to describe an automobile larger than a large family car, but which is not a high-end or ultra luxury car, a multi-purpose vehicle or a sport utility vehicle. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organization founded to test car safety. Karl Benzs Velo (vélo means bicycle in French) model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race 2005 MINI Cooper S. An automobile (also motor car or simply car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... A Ford Focus, classed as a small family car. ... A 2002 Lincoln Town Car, an example of a flagship luxury sedan[1] A luxury vehicle is a relatively expensive vehicle which includes additional features designed to increase the comfort of the driver and passengers. ... An MPV or multi-purpose vehicle is a passenger-carrying vehicle based on a car platform, and is generally a one box design—neither a distinct bonnet (US: hood) nor boot (US: trunk), but rather a maximised interior space. ... A fourth-generation (2006-) Ford Explorer, the best-selling mid-size SUV in the United States A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a passenger vehicle which combines the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or station wagon. ... EuroNCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme, is a safety assessment programme for automobiles supported by several European governments, many major manufacturers and motoring organisations across the world. ...

History

The term was coined in the 1960s to describe cars targeted at successful professionals and middle to senior managers, often as a company car but retaining enough performance and comfort to be desirable in their own right. Ford identified some of the higher-spec Cortina models as Executives, the 1600E Mk2 becoming something of a cult car in later years for its blend of performance and comparative luxury. The definitive Ford executive car of the 1970s and 80s was the Granada. Larger Triumphs such as the 2000 and 2500 firmly fitted into this category, as did some of the larger Vauxhall models from the VX4/90 and Ventora through to the Carlton. The definitive British executive cars of the 1960s and 1970s though remain the Rover P6 range, superseded by the modern SD1, and the Jaguar XJ6. At the bottom end of the market, executive cars could be luxury versions of family saloons; at the higher end they were often larger models by mainstream manufacturers or the entry-level models by large companies. The executive car was seen as aspirational, hence the emphasis on standing out from the crowd - but also a business tool enabling its users to exploit Britain's evolving motorway network. Early executive cars typically offered engines of between 2.0 and 3.5 litres in size, compared with 1.6 to 2.4 litres of a large family car; these days the average family saloon is more likely to be a two-litre car with executive cars generally starting at around 2.5 litres, although in some markets such as Italy and France where tax structures make large engines prohibitively expensive to own and run there are many 2.0-litre executive vehicles. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... The Ford Cortina was a medium sized family car sold by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... The Triumph 2000 was a mid-sized automobile produced by the Triumph Motor Company between 1963 and 1977. ... For information about the football team see Vauxhall Motors F.C. Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ... The Vauxhall Carlton was an automobile sold by Vauxhall in the UK, from 1978 to 1994 in two generations. ... // Rover was a British automobile manufacturer and later a marque based at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham. ... The Rover P6 series (named 2000, 2200, and 3500 for their engine displacement) was a group of saloon cars produced from 1963 to 1977 in Solihull, West Midlands, England. ... Rover SD1 is the code name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland and Austin Rover Group from 1976 to 1987. ... 1989 Jaguar XJ6 The Jaguar XJ is a saloon (or sedan) produced by Jaguar, launched in 1968. ... In consumer marketing, an aspirational brand is one that a large segment of consumers wish to own, but cannot. ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ...

Overview

Volvo S80 - a modern executive car

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x592, 184 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volvo S80 Executive car Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x592, 184 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volvo S80 Executive car Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... The Volvo S80 is a mid size luxury executive car produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo and was introduced in 1999 as a replacement for the Volvo 960/S90 sedan. ...

Body styles

In general, executive cars are 4-door saloons. Some manufacturers seek to differentiate their offerings by offering fitting them with spacious station wagon/estate variants, or with 5-door liftback bodies - in particular Rover, Saab, and Renault have been known to prefer such body styles, with Ford also offering such models through the 1990s. Until the 1990s, some models were also available as 2-door coupés, though such models are often also categorized as sports cars. Some executive-car-based coupés are also marketed under different nameplates, so that the link is not obvious. A Toyota Camry, a recognizable sedan The Ford Five Hundred, a full-sized sedan The 3-box design, indicative of a notchback sedan, as illustrated on a full-size luxury sedan. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... A hatchback is a type of automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin which includes an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind by a hatch or flip-up window. ... Rover may refer to, A stereotyped name for a dog Rover bicycle, originating in 1885, that is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle Rover (car), a car marque, and historically a car company, Rover Ltd. ... For other uses, see Saab (disambiguation). ... Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks. ... The Ford Scorpio is an executive car produced by the Ford Motor Company at its factory in Cologne, Germany between 1985 and 1998. ... The Peugeot 406 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupé, noted for its large, angular design 1980s Volvo 480 two-box coupé 1997 Rover Vitesse Coupe, club coupe Mercedes CLS, a modern four-door coupé Gala-Coupé of Leopold II, Brussels 1970s Sunbeam Alpine fastback coupé A coup... 1963 Jaguar E-Type, a classic sports car A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving. ...

Market situation

While executive cars were quite popular in Europe in the beginning of the 1970s, with most major manufacturers and brands having an entry in this category, the fuel crises hampered their sales. Some models did not achieve sales volume that would justify their development costs and have been cancelled without replacements. Gradually, the executive cars became more premium vehicles, with basic versions with less equipment and smaller engines disappearing from the market. Another problem was steep depreciation, especially concerning cars with less favorable image. This article is about energy crises in general. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Declining-balance depreciation of a $50,000 asset with $6,500 salvage value over 20 years. ...

On the other hand, large family cars grew in size, being offered with larger engines (including V6 units, considered premium in Europe) and higher equipment levels, taking over the role of less premium executive cars due to still lower prices. In particular, the executive cars from mainstream manufacturers, such as Opel Omega and Ford Scorpio fell victim to this trend, with the remaining models being positioned mostly as premium cars and coming from brands specializing in larger/more expensive vehicles. A Ford Focus, classed as a small family car. ... The Ford Essex V6 engine V6 and V-6 redirect here. ... There was also an Oldsmobile Omega, an unrelated vehicle in the 1970s/80s The Opel Omega was an executive car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1986 and 2003. ... The Ford Scorpio is an executive car produced by the Ford Motor Company at its factory in Cologne, Germany between 1985 and 1998. ...

Notable exceptions are French manufacturers, Citroën, Peugeot and Renault, who continue to offer executive cars despite having a lineup of vehicles starting with economy city cars and not being considered premium brands. On the other hand, a growing number of Asian manufacturers started offering executive cars, though some of them backed off facing rather slow sales.^{[citation needed]} Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. ... Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing cars, vans, buses, tractors, and trucks. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Urban car. ...

Other corresponding classes

The German equivalent is "upper-middle class (car)" (Obere Mittelklasse) within the classification maintained by Kraftfahrt Bundesamt. Another designation for the class is "E-Klasse" (E-Class) within the classification assigning a following letter of the Latin alphabet to every class of cars arranged in size, starting with the letter "A" for city cars. Those designations are also often used in several other European countries, especially by automotive media with ties to German publications. German standards generally define such vehicles between 4.8 and 5.0 metres in length and have list prices of between EUR 25-60,000. Mercedes E280 CDI Mercedes E280 CDI The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a mid-sized luxury automobile sold by the Mercedes-Benz branch of DaimlerChrysler. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Urban car. ...

In France, these vehcles are known as "Grandes routières," a class of comfortable long distance cars that first emerged on the French market in the 1930's. The Citroën DS is a prominent example. 1974 Citroën DS23 Pallas Directional headlight detail of a Citroën DS21 Swedish-spec Citroën DS with headlight wipers Citroën DS Break - also known as the Safari, Familiale, or Wagon 1966 Citroën DS Convertible Turn indicators were mounted in the upper corners of the rear window...

In the United States and Canada, these vehicles occupy the 1 million vehicle/year Mid-luxury segment. German exports are competitive in this sector and use entry-level-luxury and mid-luxury as the base of their ranges, As has happened in the UK, the market does not reward economy brand cars that branch up into this segment. Brand perception of value is the key selling proposition, so American and Japanese manufacturers have established separate luxury brands like Cadillac, Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura to compete successfully in this segment. A 2002 Lincoln Town Car, an example of a flagship luxury sedan[1] A luxury vehicle is a relatively expensive vehicle which includes additional features designed to increase the comfort of the driver and passengers. ... A brand is a customer experience represented by a collection of images and ideas; often, it refers to a symbol such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme. ... The Unique Selling Proposition is a marketing concept that was first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern among successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. ... Cadillac is a brand of luxury vehicles, part of General Motors, produced and mostly sold in the United States and Canada. ... Infiniti,is a Japanese brand used by Nissan, an automobile manufacturer and serves as Nissans luxury brand to the American, Canadian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, South Korean (first dealership opened in 1989) and Taiwanese markets. ... Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese based American car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. ... Acura (アキュラ) is a brand name used by the Japanese car manufacturer Honda in the US, Canada and Hong Kong since March 1986 to market luxury automobiles and near-luxury vehicles. ...

Rental car classification segments that generally correspond with it are P (Premium) and L (Luxury), though it has to be noted that these classifications are often applied quite liberally by rental companies.

The Australian term for cars this size is simply large car size.

Cars bigger than executive in Europe

A saloon car larger and/or more expensive than an executive car would be classified as a luxury car in Europe. In Germany, those cars are referred to as Oberklasse ("upper class"), or "F-Klasse". Non-luxury full-size cars (like the Chrysler 300 and Honda Legend) have always been rare in Europe, so there is no term for that segment. A Ford Taurus, a typical 1990s sedan. ... A 2002 Lincoln Town Car, an example of a flagship luxury sedan[1] A luxury vehicle is a relatively expensive vehicle which includes additional features designed to increase the comfort of the driver and passengers. ... 2001 BMW 750iL A full-size car is a term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car, usually having a wheelbase greater than 2. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... It has been suggested that Acura Legend and Acura RL be merged into this article or section. ...

Compact executive cars

Within the large family car class, premium cars such as BMW 3 Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class, are sometimes referred to as compact executive cars in the United Kingdom ^[1][2], reflecting their status and relative size compared to mainstream large family cars and regular executive cars. In North America, such models can be labelled entry-level luxury cars, compact or sometimes mid-size luxury cars, or alternatively near-luxury cars, though this classification depends more on price than on size. A Ford Focus, classed as a small family car. ... The BMW 3 Series is an entry-level luxury car / compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. ... The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is an entry-level luxury car / compact executive car produced by the German automaker DaimlerChrysler. ... Alfa Romeo 159, a compact executive car mainly sold in Europe Infiniti G35, an entry-level luxury car for sale in North America and Japan Compact executive car (British English, Mittelklasse in German) or entry-level luxury car (American English) is a car classification which respectively describes large family cars... A 2002 Lincoln Town Car, an example of a flagship luxury sedan A luxury vehicle is a vehicle which provides a great abundance of ease and comfort. ... The Rambler American introduced in the late 1950s was an early compact car. ... A mid-size car, frequently referred to as an intermediate, is an automobile with a size between that of a compact and a full-size or standard-size car. ... A luxury car is a relatively expensive car. ...

References

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ...

See also

• List of recent mainstream executive cars
• List of recent premium executive cars
• Large family car
• Luxury vehicles

This is a list of current automobile models by type. ... This is a list of current automobile models by type. ... A Ford Focus, classed as a small family car. ... A 2002 Lincoln Town Car, an example of a flagship luxury sedan A luxury vehicle is a vehicle which provides a great abundance of ease and comfort. ...

External link

• A list of executive cars tested by EuroNCAP