There were a large number of Seville kitsch-mobiles, of all kinds and with varying degrees of bad taste, but I had no idea that the Seville wanna’ be, the Versailles, also was the willing victim in these botched cosmetic surgeries. Here’s the proof: the 1979 Versailles Coupe Royale by Grandeur. But it’s missing the obligatory side-mount spares. How pathetic is that, if you can’t even imitate that? That’s so…Versailles.
Here’s the real deal:
There; that’s more like it.
And if you want to preserve seating for four, Grandeur also had the Seville Formal Sedan. Don’t you wish you had been rich in the eighties?
No. Because I’d be just like Gordon Gekko
Why in the world didn’t they just convert 2 door Monarchs? What ruins the looks of nearly all these ” alternate ” high end sedan conversions is the retention of the shorter front doors of the (original) 4 door sedan.
I seem to remember a few photos of a late 70s Cadillac Seville convertible where the builder went to the trouble of having longer/2 door length doors incorporated in the design. In the case of this Versailles, there already existed a 2 door body shell. Maybe have the the roof resculpted to resemble the top of a pre-War Continental and viola…100% better looking than that lead photo.
The foreshortened doors are the biggest problem for me. Totally agree with everything you said.
https://www.tumblr.com/carsthatnevermadeitetc/190668533622/cadillac-seville-san-remo-coup%C3%A9-convertible?source=share
I do kinda want that red 4 door……
That a 76-79 Seville lenthen for that silly spare wheel look ! what the wealthy won’t do to look important ! lol
IMO, that Versailles looks terrible. That doesn’t say that I like the Seville models much better as I prefer stock vehicles. But I will say that the Seville conversion without the different grille and without the fake spare tires on the front doesn’t look so bad. Either way, I’d stick with the factory cars.
I never thought about the provenance of these but of course it’s Florida.
The best I can say about this car is that it doesn’t immediately shout “Ford Granada” when I look at it.
There is a fix for this stuff, a car crusher. It would be very satisfying to turn one of these into a cube or a pancake.
I have trouble imagining the person who looked at the available competition and decided that one of these was the way to go.
When I first saw these on the road, i said to myself, “BARF.” I have not changed my opinion. At least we enjoyed a laugh today looking at these.
I think they misspelled Poupe Royale. 🙂
The 4-door Grandeur looked so nice in both Seville and Versailles. Gave the car that something extra. I would have given the 4-door some of the extra wheelbase for the rear seat leg room on the Lincoln.
Didn’t Lincoln toy with the idea of a Granada based coupe without the opera windows? I thought I saw a concept photo somewhere.
Didn’t Lincoln show a coupe concept of the Versailles based off of the Granada without opera windows?
I did some “digging” on Google Images and yes, there was a Versailles coupe concept that used the Granada/Monarch body but without the opera windows. The roof seems, in the only photo, to have been slightly extended a la the 79 Versailles sedan roof treatment.
Google also had a picture of a “proposed” or custom/one of Versailles CONVERTIBLE.
I found this photo of the ’80 Lincoln Versailles Town Coupe. I do not know more.
https://barnfinds.com/30k-miles-1977-lincoln-versailles/1980-lincoln-versailles-town-coupe/
If you checked the opposite side of the rear interior behind the driver’s side, its definitely a photoshop that “failed” because it didn’t match with the opera window and its more from a four door 1979-80 Lincoln Versailles. Nice try though.
Just a rendering. Wasn’t a production car. The writter of the article said he made it.
Where`s the REST of this car??
I’m not gonna say that both the designers and buyers of these abominations were fueled by cocalne, but it was the late 70s, after all.
Quick comment so I can page away before I hurl: what are those two bright white rectangular areas on the front bumper of the red 4-door thing? One between the 2nd and 3rd(?!) bumper guard, and the other to the right of the 4th? Just reflections of something in a sloppy photo, or…?
It looks like the worst airbrush job ever.
The grille lines look like a freehand pencil drawing.
What it rreally reminds me of is the original “”paintbrush” app in Windows, where you can just erase part of a picture, leaving white space.
In any case, this picture has issues.
As best I can tell, after enduring a Google image search for a few more pictures, those are just strange reflections. Though I wouldn’t put it past Grandeur to install super-bright fog lights in one of these. “Cuts through the darkness like its owner cuts through the mundanity of modern life….”
Children, can you say the word “pimpmobile”?
That gaudy Florida company put a Lincoln grille on the Cadillac Seville!!
The aftermarket RR grill was probably more aesthetic than this raised grille
Grandeur should’ve started with the 1979 Mark V (which IIRC had a lower MSRP than the glorified Granada/Monarch) Just move the front axle forward by 6″ and add an additional slat to the “fender vent” (to signify the V8 engine under the hood). That would’ve been far less work for much better results.
Is there an engine compartment photo of these anywhere online? Is there jut a huge empty space between the engine and cowl (save for the steering column)? Or perhaps in front of it?
The engine is still up against the firewall.
My Google search only found this pic. Maybe, in front, another luggage compartment?
Engine access would’ve been good.
(There, I found something nice to say!)
The Lincoln looks less horrible with this treatment somehow. Maybe it is the lack of the spare tire or the fact that it was a less good looking car to start with? I would imagine these would have been monstrously expensive when new. Hard to imagine there was enough buyers to make it profitable. If the craftmanship was good the Lincoln would protect its occupants well in a front end collision with all that crumple space so that is something I guess.
As cruel as it sounds, when new I remember people laughing at the owners of these behind their backs.
Imagine many left right out , whether or not the owners back was turned. Eeek!!
Why are opera windows called opera windows?
The gal in the Coupe Royale ad looks like the gal from The Love Boat.
If I were to choose between the Opera Coupe and one of the ladies I’d take the Opera Coupe. Cheaper and less hassle in the long run.
I’d bet the three “cars” were (hopefully) each one of a kind.
Cut the roof off and use the Granada doors without the door window frames and style a proportional rag top. That would probably suppress the gag reflex somewhat…
Someone thought of that :
http://www.lincolnversailles.com/custom6.htm
THAT looks like it was a two door version of something originally – which makes it good in my book. It looks like it was made that way as opposed to the Rube Goldberg in the article.
Sedan model equipped with two side washing machines
Cars from 1973- 1979 were ugly. Or should I say BUMPER-cars?
Many adopted a neo-classical style, described as “baroque”, inspired by the RR, Bentley, Mercedes or rather, the idea that the stylists of the time had of what the stylistic codes of the RR, Bentley and Mercedes applied to american luxury cars. The huge bumpers complied with the legislation in force in the 70s.
Why, why, why did they use a four door version of this car to make this thing? It’s awful. Not sure, but couldn’t they have taken a two door Granada or Monarch and adapted the rest of the Versailles to it? It may have been a LOT of work to make this thing, but it looks like a bad joke. I’m sorry to make such comments even if it was 45 years ago because somebody put their hard worked hard making it, but MAN!
I was trying to think of the best word to describe these cars ….tacky seems appropriate