(first posted 8/18/2014) OK guys, you know the drill. If you see “Klockau” in the byline, you can rest assured (well, most of the time) that you are going to probably see some old luxury car that most people under 30 will not recognize, nor care about. I freely admit I am somewhat of an anomaly: At 34, I love Imperials, Fleetwood Broughams, Cordobas and all other sorts of domestic rolling stock. Among my peers, I guess I’m a bit of a pariah; I’m not supposed to like these cars, dontcha know! Honda? Nissan? I freely admit they make some very nice cars, and if you bought one I would happily shake your hand and congratulate you with no guile whatsoever. But. But…there’s just something about those old luxury cars…
And if you’ve been on CC for a while, you know I love triple-yellow Cadillacs. Why? I don’t know. Why is the sky blue? Why do modern cars have such sucky glass area? Why do so many 32-year-old moms drive a 7,000-lb F150? That’s just the way it is–with apologies to Bruce Hornsby.
Screw convention! Why buy what others expect you to? Why be practical? Why not get what you want! Such thoughts resulted in the purchase of my Town Car Cartier, a car I never needed but always pined for. So, if you have the Brougham Bug and, like me, do not care to be cured, let’s take a look at this fine Cadillac automobile from the year 1977.
In the year of our Lord 1977, Cadillacs changed big time. No longer where they the factory-built lead sleds of the past decade or so. Instead, they were as practical as you can be when shopping luxury cars, with reduced curb weight, reduced overall length, and decidedly zippier handling–relatively speaking, of course.
They were also sharp. Despite the rapid weight loss plan, the 1977 Cadillacs were still very attractive, and as luxurious as any of the 1971-76 gunboats. And with the 425 CID V8, they still had plenty of punch, especially with the Ultra Slim-Fast diet they got.
Folks trading in their 1974 Coupe de Villes and Sedan de Villes on one of these would have found a not unfamiliar environment, with Sierra grain leather as far as the eye could see, Comfort Control, power you-name-it, an available Astroroof, and other assorted lux goodies. And… you could get yellow leather!!!
And this was no lame just the seats and a business-size-envelope-sized contrasting trim panel on the doors. No, this was a YELLOW interior! The dash, headliner, pillar trim, steering wheel and even the gear shift knob for the Turbo-Hydramatic were color-coordinated. Nice!
And if you wanted an 8-track stereo, by golly, you could get it! I am thinking a selection from Dean Martin would be appropriate in a car like this. Rock and roll? Ah, no, that was for F-body drivers back then!
While all the trim and details are somewhat lacking compared to Cadillacs of the 1950s and 1960s (so they tell me), I like the interiors on these. Chrome-trimmed pedals, a simple wheel to adjust temperature, woodgrained tuning and volume knobs (don’t get me started on touch screens in new cars!), and intricate chrome-trimmed HVAC outlets. And all with a yellow interior to boot. Me like! Me want! Alas, I already have one car I don’t technically need…
I’ve always loved these door panels too, with the red-and-white courtesy lamp with Cadillac crest, heavy chrome door release, and little chrome buttons for the power windows and locks.
While Cadillacs were usually seen with a split bench, this mint example has the “solid” bench, albeit in Sierra grain leather. So comfy! Lumbar support? What was that? Oh, you probably want a Volvo or BMW 530i.
And just because I can, here is the passenger-side door panel. Gorgeous.
The back seat was just as pleasant as upfront, with real space for real adult human beings. And, since it was the ’70s, you also got your own ash trays and lighters in each armrest. Ash trays in the ’70s were like cup holders in the ’90s–you just HAD to have them!
I regularly skulk eBay for fine examples of the Great Brougham Epoch™, and when I saw this lovely Cadillac with only 14,000 miles on the clock several Sundays ago, I just had to write it up, on the spot, for you fine CC folks. Whoever gets her will have a fine ride indeed!
eBay link here: 1977 Cadillac Coupe de Ville 14,000 miles, original paint
That’s pretty.
I’d probably choose a different color, but even in this light daisy I’d drive it.
There seems to be quite a few of these showing up for sale with really decent miles on them and in very good shape for a nice price. I wonder if this isn’t the next collectible car to start taking off in the near future.
I know some on here will say it isn’t as good as the older caddies and blah blah, but it does make a compelling argument for a nice summer cruiser.
And the trunk is still big enough to rig up a 50 cal.
“425 or 500?”
“500…………that’s the one you want……”
Thankfully the OO sprang for the leather instead of this.
This stuff ( I can’t really call it fabric) looks like it came out of a 1970 Maverick.
Wow. That wouldn’t look out of place in an AMC Eagle…haha.
Looks like Archie Bunker could have his lounge chair in the house and in his car at the same time.
AMC seemed to be the quirky ones when it came to interiors, even for the already-quirky ’70s. My mother’s ’74 Matador reportedly had a checkered interior.
To be fair, Roger, that was from the bottom of the line Calais, a car that should have never been produced it was so cheapola.
No it’s not, it’s a deVille. There was no Calais after ’76.
Correct, although the base interior packages seemed to carry on the Calais skinflint spirit. Things like tilt wheel and cruise control were still optional.
My parents actually ordered this very same interior Aberdeen cloth in their Coupe de Ville, just as pictured in the brochure. They were driving from L.A. to the Palm Springs area often, where my father played a lot of golf. They specifically wanted the cloth so it wouldn’t get so blistering hot sitting in the sun. It was not at all cheapo looking, but quite comfy and attractive. And it held up well over the years. I was kind of skeptical of it when they first took delivery, but it turned out to be a decent choice, after all.
I would like this car all the better if it had the plaid! It’s so interesting and fun! For me, the sew pattern on the upholstery in 1977 was kind of blah, even in leather, so the plaid really spices it up. (The 1979 models had a much nicer upholstery sew pattern/styling in my opinion.)
That’s GM in the late 70’s for you. The base cloth in the downsized Malibus was very similar to this–an interesting plaid-y affair with a vinyl stripe down the center. If you wanted a solid color, then you had to upgrade to the fancier seating surfaces (some sort of velour-y cloth I think).
My Mother’s Sedan De Ville had orange plaid!
You, my friend, have a very bad case of Brougham. The most effective cure is to go drive your Lincoln a very good distance at varying speeds. Don’t worry, it has a 4.6 that will be good for as long as hogs make pork.
However, there is one thing that is so out of place on this car. Why would anybody put a red 8-track in a car with a yellow dashboard? It clashes so badly.
Seriously, to my 1972 model year self, this is the epitome of Cadillac. This is the point at which the bar was set and everything else simply doesn’t compare. Oh, how the world does change.
Oh, you kids. 🙂 It must be an age thing, because this 1959 model saw his personal Cadillac standard being set with the 1963-64 cars. I wonder if this phenomenon says more about how impressionable we were at a certain age than the merits of the car?
“It must be an age thing…” Not in my (1968 model year) opinion.
Not to dis Tom’s crush, but I tend to think Beauty in American auto design was phased out during the late 60s. Dashboards made entirely of plastic, oversized bumpers, less and less chrome… no thanks.
The ’64 deVille has long been a favorite of mine.
And the ’64 Thunderbird.
And the ’65 F-250.
And…
It is about age; about that time I thought that bell-bottoms and disco were the height of chic. What does a five-year old really know about life?
Definitely an age thing, which I realized when my father in law (also a car geek) only seemed to be interested in cars from the ’40s and not much later, whereas my main interest were cars from the 60’s and 70s – those when I was a kid.
This ’64 model definitely has a soft spot for the late ’60s Caddies (exterior styling, less so the interiors).
This may sound conceded, because I’m about to go off on boring old memories, but I have to side more on influences from one’s youth as the main factor, instead of age. Just like things that inspire you to a certain career when you grow up, what kind of cars you find nostalgic and fondly remember are not always based on what was new at that time. I think it has more to do with where you grew up, along with who raised you, and the kind of people you spent time around.
This “1984” teetotaler has very fond childhood memories of mostly 50’s, 60’s and 70’s cars. Sure, there were 80’s and 90’s cars around, but with a few exceptions, most of them blended in with the scenery. Our family’s first car was a 1970 Olds Cutlass S Holiday Hardtop – by then, a rusty but gutsy beast of a car hiding a 350 Rocket that could kick it on the highway. Needless to say, Mama had a lot of fun taking us to school and shopping! It was nothing like Grandma’s ’76 Cutlass Supreme – that one had the quiet 260 V-8 and was a whole different luxury experience. We moved to Seattle in ’89 and there were late 60’s to late 70’s cars everywhere you looked. Neighbors across the street had a ’68 Wildcat 4-dr hardtop in green with a black interior – that beauty was sharp. All the cool kids’ parents drove nine passenger station wagons, mostly Caprices and Country Squires. I loved those too- but had to wait until I was 16 to get my hands on a 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser for the paltry sum of $700. Took my drivers test in it and only failed backing around a tight corner. Wish I still had that car. . . After that, many a GM wagon graced our driveway, among other vehicles of the era. There was even a Coupe DeVille, 1975, light yellow with a white vinyl top and brown leather interior. Bought it for $300 and all it needed was a new opera window and a little love. It was 70’s cars galore – and when was all this? 1992 – 2003. Not long ago at all. . .
Just do what you do, and love the cars you love. It’s all good.
I actually agree with the ’63-’64 being the best ever and I’m 31, but it is the holy grail in many ways to me, despite a soft spot for the ’75-’76. And on the other end, I can muster some kind of appreciation for everything through ’96 as being somewhat true to the big, comfortable Cadillac. These ’77-’79s to me, when I force myself to be objective, fall into a transitional phase as the last ones with better (or at least genuinely different) guts than the 98 and Electra–let alone the lower priced Bs, not just more bric-a-brac. A bigger engine, a bigger transmission. More decoration but sturdier guts, too. An engine actually designed to perform competitively to keep a big car up with then-current traffic conditions, not just generate max fuel economy at 55mph or satisfy geezers cruising from the luncheonette to the links and back. At the same time, they’re the first compromisers, being smaller in size, giving up treats like the rear footrests, being on the same wheelbase in the DV and Fleetwood lines.
After ’79 the engines were either slow embarrassments to the Cadillac name (368 conventional) or slow, unreliable embarrassments to the Cadillac name (368 864, 4100), or non-Cadillac engines shared with Chevy wagons and Silverado trucks (307, L05, LT1), transmissions intended for Chevettes. even if I can still admire the quality of the bric-a-brac in the ’80-’92 RWD models (metal coat hooks, the classic Cadillac exterior door handles, the old style peaked hood, the real courtesy lights, the button upholstery) vs. the true plasticrap that came after that.
That is probably one of the nicest examples of that car. Most have faded paint and all the plastic(such as the filler between the tail lights and body) are cracked or missing.
I have always had a soft spot for car clocks and I have always loved those early digital clocks such as the one in the Caddy
That said, Mr. Klockau, what has gotten into you? You grew up in a Volvo loving family and you go and and take a walk on the wild side with Broughams which are the antithesis of everything Volvoian culture stood for. Sigh
Actually I have always liked the so called “old people cars” and would love to get my hands on a nice 91-96 Buick Roadmaster wagon.
You remind me of another nit I have to pick with this dash. The early ones had the digital clock up next to the gas gauge. But in 1979-ish when the time started to display on the radio, they stuck a little piece of black plastic in the hole that said “Cadillac” and so it was for evermore. Temp gauge? Outside thermometer? Anything? A low class move if ever there was one, that irritated me just a teeney bit every time I got into my 89 Brougham.
Ah the clock delete plate. I had that in my 1985 and 1987 Cutlass Supreme sedans. Prior to the 1984 model year the analog or digital clock in the dash was still a option. On the cars not equipped with the clock there was a plastic delete plate that the olds rocket symbol on it. But starting with the 1984- 1985 models they installed radios with clocks on them and continued to use the same clock delete plate. Well if you take the plate off you can see that not only did GM decide to leave the clock connector in there BUT it still had power so I bought clocks from 1982 Cutlass Supremes and the trim plates and boom I had a working clock on a car that that option disappeared years before.
I would imagine that had you decided to take off that clock delete plate on your 1989 Caddy, you might have found the wiring intact and could have gotten a clock from a older version and popped it in.
Having owned a similarly hued ’76 Cutlass, I do like this car a lot.
The ’78 Cadillac received revised tail lights and bumper ends that I thought perfected this design. Cadillac got the Federalized bumpers right on these cars.
I found this picture of the ’78 on Old Car Brochures. The “Love Boat” is in the background. How disco era groovy can you get?
Great cars before the engine mess that came too soon.
Thanks for figuring out which year this one is for me. I was surprised to come across it this winter in my neighborhood on a rainy day; you just don’t see classics driven that time of year. I am not particularly a fan of these cars, but in this color, I was stopped in my tracks. The Caddy barely fit into the townhouse driveway, so there was just no way I was going to get any shots from the front.
This Cadillac has fared better than the Love Boat in the background…..
A demolition derby for old cruise ships?
Darn you beat me to it! I always though the ’78 and ’79 were a better expression of this design. The ’77 had a coarser grille texture and those wraparound taillight lenses, which made it look cheaper.
I like it, Tom. It may be downsized but still looks huge. But with the square headlights, somewhat modern as well (in an 80’s sense, that is). That light butter or daisy color is nice as well. Any idea what the real name is of that shade? I’m also seeing the inspiration for the wheelwells on the GM full size trucks!
The exterior color is “Naples Yellow” if I read the old car brochures correctly. I’m sure there was only one yellow.
I’m still in shock over the yellow interior. YELLOW!
Wonder what the take-up rate was on yellow interiors?
Old Pete:
Yellow(in varying hues and intensities) was the
white of the 1970s! The other option of that era
being somber brown, or woodgrain, in interiors
both mobile and domestic.
I’ve seen Naples Yellow in person. It’s a bit wilder than you might think from photos. It has a lot of green in it and it’s pretty bright even though it’s a light yellow. Think key lime versus lemon meringue or cream.
Is it Naples or Colonial Yellow?
I think the only yellow offered in 1977 was Naples Yellow.
My ’79 Malibu was originally a very similar color to this, which I’ve seen referred to as both “yellow beige” and simply “light yellow”. I’m sure Cadillac had their own shade, but this is close.
It certainly didn’t have a yellow interior! That is one of the most fantastic things about this car–the color-matching of that interior. We may be just starting to see the return of legitimate options for seat colors, but that dash–wow.
Beautiful Caddy overall. I understand your affliction–I’ve got a case of the Brougham bug also, though I’ve never owned one (closest was a ’91 Crown Victoria LX). And I’m 34, so Devilles like these were relatively common in my younger years, and yet something to look up to. A well-to-do friend of my Dad’s owned a couple of Coupe Devilles back then and I thought they really said that You’ve Made It in life. Nowadays? He’s been an Acura man since the mid 90’s. How times change.
A friend’s grandmother had a CDV with the plaid seats, yellow interior, but the carpet was black, as I recall. odd combination. Neat cars.
I worked with an elderly lawyer with the double yellow outside but with that light-ish brown interior. It was a 1984 model with the 4.1. He drove Town Cars exclusively after that yellow Cad.
A banker who lived up the street from me had a black sedan with the saddle interior, and two tone painted pinstripes, beige and gold…I wanted that car so badly, it was beautiful.
After all these years, I still have mixed feelings about these cars. They were a huge quality improvement over the ones that came before them. And these early ones were downright fast. But they never measured up (in my eyes) to the last of the big Lincolns. But come 1980, I would take the Caddy all day every day.
I got to drive a 77 Fleetwood sedan several times when it was fairly new. I recall the car as being much floatier and more isolated than the later big Broughams like the 89 I later owned, even the models of the early 1980s. Also, my Aunt Norma and Uncle John bought a new 78 Sedan DeVille and kept it for years and years.
Unlike you, Tom, I never liked that dash from the start. I figured that Cadillac would change it in a few years. Wrong. I was also less than wowed by the styling on these early models. I thought the 1980 restyle said “Cadillac” better than these did.
The 77-79s are arguably better built. They certainly have better engines, except for possibly the ’80 and the ’81(if you clip the V8-6-4 wire).
and 80-ups had a lot of quality issues. I remember seeing a near-new ’80 model with a huge sheet of paint missing from the drivers lower door.
The ’80 and up B C rear drive cars also got thinner sheet metal. They tended to look dented up within five years, even in the hands of careful owners. Between cost cutting and looking for ways to get better fuel mileage, these cars suffered quite a lot.
I remember driving an 80. (This was the benefit of a job at a funeral home, you got to drive a lot of big, new, expensive cars.) I recall it as down on power from the 77 and that it had a ride that was much firmer. It certainly handled better, but there was not nearly the isolation between the drivers seat and all of the mechanical stuff that the earlier car had. At the time, the ride quality was extremely disappointing to me.
In hindsight, the power thing was probably a really nasty axle ratio that the 368 had to overcome.
Did the 1980 Deville ordered by the funeral home have a heavy duty suspension option for livery service?
Yes, most of them did, my family garage had the service contract for a couple of funeral homes in Victoria, where half the population is about to croak. All the funeral cars where heavy duty everything. We converted a bunch of them to LPG. One of our mechanics got a retired one from 1973 Fleetwood circa 1990 and it had 45,000 miles on its 472, which ran on LPG.
The ’80 restyle was subtle, and definitely said Cadillac in a big and positive way. It is interesting that despite the success of the ’77 B C cars and most of the ’78 A cars that GM decided to pick up retro touches on many of their cars when they were updated in ’80 and ’81.
Today, this ’77 car almost seems like it should be the successor to the ’80 restyle.
I agree! For both the 1980 B & C (full-size) cars and the 1981 A (mid-size) cars, they went back to making them look longer and lower again, even if they actually weren’t. It’s visible on the Cadillac, and even more on cars like the Cutlass Supreme, which got its 1977 tall vertical taillights back for 1981, along with the quad headlights which came back in 1980. On the B & C, rooflines got more formal (especially on the coupes) which had the effect of making the trunks look much longer, and lengthening the appearance of the whole car.
JP with all due respect, I wouldn’t call a 1978 Cadillac fast. Not dog slow, but certainly not fast. The 425 makes 330 lb/ft torque so it is peppy around town, certainly compared to a Lincoln Town Car with a 460. They also feel a lot peppier than a New Yorker with a 440. However, around 110 km/h the barn door drag coefficient overwhelms the 180 hp available.
Yes, the cars are floaty, very much so and to an extent they are very hard to drive in the mountains. I did that last summer and it was exhausting. Coming up the Coquihalla out of Kamloops (a very long and steep grade) it would do 90 km/h pedal to the metal. Not fast.
I was thinking fast in the context of late 1970s big cars, so the standard wasn’t all that high. I recall watching another kid (a friend of the owner’s son) do a fairly impressive parking lot burnout in that 77 Fleetwood. I never explored its top speed, but up to 60 mph, the car moved right well.
Yes, the cars will do burnouts if you brake torque them, since they have something like 330 lb/ft of torque. The Car and Driver test listed 0-60 in 10.6 seconds, pretty quick for the day.
I don’t think that the 472/500/425/368 V8 were designed to be run at high speeds. The 425/368 engines were tuned for lowend torque, at 2000 to 2400 RPM’s depending on the engine. The FI versions of the 425 at 2400. The Northstar engines were designed to run at high speed (150 MPH) until the head bolts fail.
The postwar OHV V8 which Cadillac used from 1949 through 1967 was a good engine at moderately high speeds (120).
I ran through my vast store of courage long before the 425 in my 77 ran out of speed. Cruising at 80 was no problem except for the fuel economy. I think it would have cruised at 100 if not for me. We will never know but I can say that it would do whatever it would do without breaking. I have about had it with fragile head gaskets etc and am starting to hanker for one of those old (all steel) engines. Now that I think about it, it’s time to restore instead of talking about it.
With the standard 2.28:1 axle ratio, you engine should run under 3500 RPM’s at 120 MPH, assuming that it would have enough power to get up to that speed. These engines should hold up if they are not run over 4000 RPMs. Winding them over 5000 RPMs is not good for them.
The last Cadillac engines designed for high RPM were the 390’s from 1963. To get decent power out of them, a less than smooth camshaft was used. Combined with Hydramatic, this made for a less than vibrationless experience and the cars were hard to keep in proper tune. This is why the motor got punched out to 429 CID, and the next generation was at 472. These cars were all about torque and the 425 made lots of it in the much lighter car.
Nobody drives a car at 150 mph here so it is kind of a moot point.
I’m not so sure I would agree, overall, that the quality was improved on these. The sheet metal held up a bit better in the rust belt than the 1971-76 ones did. But everything inside the car was cheapened. The headliners sagged and then collapsed, the sun visor fabric came off the backing, the door weatherstripping shredded, the window switches came loose from the doors, and that pseudo-wood insert in the steering wheel center was lucky if it made it off the dealership lot without cracking (it is a notorious item of unobtanium for those restoring a ’77 today). All of these items held up far better on the much maligned 1971-76 models. All through the 1990’s I was able to buy all the $500-1000 beater 1974-76 Cadillacs and Buicks I wanted with perfect interiors. These 1977-79 cars were newer but still much more likely to be trashed inside.
That dash in particular brings back memories. Dad got this very model & year, but in brown. I remember listening to the 8-track sampler tape (e.g. Barry Manilow) all evening as Dad met with real-estate clients. Quite a revelation as it was the 1st car with a quality sound system that we owned since it was his 1st luxury car, perhaps a conscious attempt to catch up to Grandpa, who as a committed Cadillac customer, had a blue ’72 Coupé deVille.
Lots of room inside that boat. GM did well with that generation of large cars. Dad later traded it in for a 1980 Sedan deVille; don’t know why he didn’t get this initially, given his career.
Shoot, I lied: Dad had a ’78, not a ’77.
P.S.: After Grandpa died later, I got to do the unthinkable while we sorted out his effects: drive his ’72. I’ll never forget punching the throttle of that 472, & then grasping the magic behind these cars: You feel like a big shot driving one.
Wow, Tom, I am amazed you came up with this. My parents’ exact car, my dad’s first (and last, it turned out) Cadillac. It was triple Naples yellow, with the matching cabriolet roof, and it had the matching yellow Aberdeen cloth interior upholstery (sort of like a flannel fabric), and those fake wire wheel covers. Dad specially ordered this car, he had so always wanted a Cadillac, and I remember he shelled out about $14,000 for it, a huge sum for the day. I never thought of this car as particularly broughamy, although it was probably close. An attractive model, very powerful with that 425 V-8, as I recall, and I drove it often. It was a fairly nimble vehicle, easy to drive. My father actually passed away while on a vacation trip driving this car, and my mother continued to drive it all the way up to 1994. My brother and I derisively called it the “Banana Boat,” although I secretly kind of loved it, nonetheless. Several years after selling it and getting mom into a gently used ’89 Eldorado, we saw this car parked in her doctor’s parking lot, still going strong along about 2000, a testament to its durability, I guess. Downsized as it was, it still said “this is a Cadillac.” I salute you for your love of these old luxomobiles, for a young guy, you must have an “old soul,” and I mean that in a complementary sense. Nicely done.
“This is a Cadillac” is just right. They may not have been my aspiration, but I lost respect for them after they dropped the big-blocks & RWD. The whole point of the American luxury barge is showy excess & comfort, not economy & efficiency. FoMoCo may not have been the brightest bulb, but they understood this, & Dad did too, as he afterwards became a Town Car buyer.
The minute I saw the pic I thought where is Don – this is his family’s car! I loved the GM downsized restyle in 77, especially the Chevrolet and the Cadillac. This is one gorgeous coupe. The interior details are wonderful; I especially like the lighting. something not done as elegantly in many contemporary cars. Overall, it looks trim but classy. Glad to hear it was powerful and nimble to drive.
This color would really stand out among the black, white, and silver cars in today’s parking lots. It’s funny, we’ve come full circle. When I was quite young in the early 50’s, I felt surrounded by black and white cars from the late 40’s early 50’s. Then came the exuberant color revolution of the early/mid 50’s. Now we’re back to basics. I’m one of the guilty parties: of my last five cars, one was black and four were variations of silver/grey/platinum, graphite.
Yeah, CA Guy, I was pretty shocked when I first opened up CC yesterday morning. Mom’s car, alright, big as life (except for the cloth upholstery, identical to the brochure picture above, see my comment from today). Even for the Great Brougham Epoch that Tom writes about frequently, these late 70’s Cadillacs still had an appealing classy cachet to them, you felt like a million bucks driving along, although you also felt sort of conspicuous, in a funny way (maybe it was just the yellow). But my dad loved the downsized, trim look, he couldn’t wait to take delivery. Mom soldiered on with the Caddy for years after Dad passed, we couldn’t shake her from it, although I recall it did become somewhat troublesome in its last years, it had maybe 75K miles on it when we finally sold it. Kind of miss the old Banana Boat now!
I’m with you on the “guilty as charged” approach to colors, my last four or five cars have all been shades of gray or silver or black, even though I’ve loved the now extinct color options that were once widely available, somehow I’ve mostly gravitated to dark colors. But living in the desert now, next time it’s going to be white or something light, the heat buildup with dark-colored interiors/exteriors is murder. I cannot fathom the huge numbers of black cars you see down here.
Your parents mirror my Aunt and Uncle and their 78. After my uncle died, Aunt Norma kept that car for years, even buying a Cutlass Ciera for regular driving. She kept the Caddy for trips. It was painted an oxblood color with a matching vinyl roof and matching leather inside. I had harbored hopes of making her an offer on it when she got ready to sell, but it was already gone by the time I found out about it. It had to have been fairly low miles as well. It was a beautiful car that had been kept immaculately.
“But my dad loved the downsized, trim look, he couldn’t wait to take delivery.”
My grandfather felt the same way about the ’77s. He wanted a ’76 Seville when it came out but it was too expensive. I could tell he was feeling uneasy about that because a same-size replacement for his ’70 SDV was going to be too much car as he was getting older and recovering from a heart attack.
I had read about GM’s B/C line coming up and told him to wait (he was considering a Versailles!) because the new, smaller Sedan de Ville would probably be perfect.
It was love at first sight for him and many others like your dad. The new cars looked lean and sleek, you couldn’t miss ’em. I never remember anyone saying they looked too small or were a compromise. It was brilliant of GM to bring out the Seville first, at such a high price, and get everyone used to small means premium before launching the ’77s.
Calibrick, you describe my dad’s experience to a “T.” He seriously considered the ’76 Seville, but ultimately decided against them because he thought they just weren’t big enough, or “Cadillac cachet” enough, for the significant price difference (and more to the point for him, he claimed the Seville wouldn’t hold his golf clubs!). He decided to wait for the ’77 de Villes, having heard that they were going to be downsized. And sure enough, he was in that Cadillac dealer placing his order as soon as the 77’s were out, never missed a beat. I, too, never remember any grousing about the smaller size de Villes, they seemed to be just right for the times, and were so much more sleek and elegantly appealing than their gargantuan ’76 predecessors.
I remember that Car and Driver write up by David E. Davis on one of these Coupe de Villes, I think it was a ’78. He really liked driving the car.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cadillacben/sets/72157631245896734/detail/
The above article is in many ways wonderful, even hysterical (loved the “Damn the Datsuns, full speed ahead” and the line about the Hewitt girl in the back seat) prose, but the constant harping on how it could be somewhat better if only it was slightly more Germanic is annoying; we have proceeded to be hectored in this line of thinking for the next 30 years and have basically given in. What on earth is wrong with Twilight Sentinel? I never found that control to be complex at all, on the ’77-’92 it’s a rotating ring by the lights that snaps on and off. Auto door locks? Oh, the horror! Read the graphs, the thing basically accelerates as well, runs more quietly, and brakes more quickly than the others, while costing a lot less (there, that was the problem with Cadillac, no longer exclusive enough, too good of a bargain for the show-offs, yet too overstated for the Olds and Buick gang). They were right on with the brakes point though. And soon after this article, they started decontenting this model like nobody’s business until by 1988 we were back to drum brakes in back and a 140 hp Oldsmobile engine. Yeesh.
I liked DED, though I did find that they nit picked that DeVille a bit too much, but he writes “we actually liked driving it”……see, people did like these cars!
I have later C&D article where they review the 1979 Eldorado and they did have some nice things to say about that Cadillac too, contrary to what some people think, these cars weren’t totally unpopular road boats that no one liked.
@ Carmine. Heck yes. If even those who dislike American cars liked them, they must have been pretty good. Also sold very well. Can you imagine selling over a hundred thousand 18 foot long Coupe DeVilles today?
You know, when I reread the stuff David E Davis Jr wrote in the 1970’s, I see it is long-winded schlock but when I was a teenage car nut, this stuff was gospel to me. I had a subscription to Car and Driver when I was like 13 and I pored over every word like it was the word of Job.
I have stated it here before, these were the last really good Cadillac cars. They had lots of meat in the car, they drove well and the 425 pulled like a Cadillac should and no better automatic than the Turbo 400 has ever existed. The torque of the 425 meant that 2.47 gears worked beautifully. The one my buddy has is easy to own and cheap to run and it is a 36 year old car. That’s basic quality and this was the pinnacle of GM Sledism.
I thought the final drive in the 425 test car would be tall as well, maybe a 2.56, but according to the article it had a 2.73. I’m surprised the highway mileage at 17.5 mpg was as good as it was.
The Mercedes 280E was a surprise too, it got just 15.5 mpg hwy, which was worse than its city!
The standard axle ratio was 2.28:1 except for California cars or fuel injection, which was 2.73:1. Note also that the RPM’s were limited to 4500, perhaps because this gave the best performance, but also pushing the engine much harder would be pushing the valve train beyond its limits.
The test car has the optional California emissions for $75.
Fascinating info Fred, that explains it. I use the “automotive-catalog” site to get specs for older cars because it’s quick and accurate. It told me 2.28:1 for the 425 cars and then I saw 2.73 for the Car and Driver car and started to doubt my source, which was a bummer. I looked at the option list too, hoping to find a high altitude or towing package, but there was none. I thought for a moment “could that CA emissions package have a shorter final drive in it?” I told myself no but bingo that was it, thank you. You learn something new everyday!
Anyway the Car and Driver car clocked 10.6 sec. 0-60 with a relatively low 2.73 “California” final drive. If the 49 state cars came with 2.28 then those, even net of whatever additional power was robbed by the CA emissions, were 12.5-13.0 sec. cars or same as my 307 Brougham which is the point of this debate. 307 cars are not just quick off the line, they are as fast to 60 as the 425 cars with 2.28:1, which is the way most were built.
The 17.5 highway mileage figure of the C and D test car, which is pretty bad except when compared to something like the Mercedes 280E, would be slightly better at say 18.5 mpg with 49 state emissions and a 2.28 final. The 307s with 200R4 get 23-24 highway.
Same acceleration (307 and 425 2.28 both at around 12.5-13.0 secs 0-60) and much better mpg are hard to beat so that will conclude this debate.
The ratings were 13 city 19 highway, FI 1 MPG less. I seem to get a 403 error when I try to get into the Automobile Catalog site. The Old Car Brochure’s had the info on axle gearing.
The 86 307 is rated 18 city 25 highway (adjusted numbers).
the 78 280 was rated 14 city 19 highway
I see that there is another “Fred” so will probably add something to my name.
Here’s one I saw recently, with a seemingly nonsensical plate
Maybe it’s like Jeopardy?
The answer is: Whats in the trunk?
You can never post too many of these Tom 😉 Stunning car with only 14,000 miles, wow! Impressive selling price too, $14,100 with 43 bids.
I think you’re right about guys under 30 not knowing or appreciating classic cars from the 70s but these 77-92 Cadillacs may be different, it seems everybody likes them. Because of their longevity they were built new when a 30-year old was a kid old enough to know them.
It’s a tragedy that starting in 1982 they went to the HT4100 as the only engine on the 2-door bodystyle. A Brougham Coupe with even the 307 would have been an awesome machine!
Cadillac was faced with the bad PR of a guzzler tax or a more fuel efficient drivetrain. The 8-6-4 engine did not improve fuel efficiency enough, probably because the variable displacement looked like a gimmick to the government. The 4 speed overdrive might have made 6 L V8 efficient enough, but the 4100 with 4 speed is what they did, probably to make sure.
GM should have done better planning for the CAFE standards than they did. I think they expected the government to back off.
Just the opposite, their move towards wholesale downsizing means that the anticipated that the government was going to further crack down on the mpg standards, which is what was supposed to happen, the government in fact, DID back down, CAFE was frozen for a long time by President Regan, it was supposed to continue to increase for several years.
The guzzler tax was imposed on less than 17 MPG’s for model year 1981. For 1982 the tax was on less than 18.5 MPG and continued to increase until 22.5 MPG for 1986. The 6 liter V8 probably would not have met the standard. I am not sure what numbers are used, but I think the unadjusted numbers, which in 1986 for the 307 is 24 MPG. The Limo’s are 22 MPG and were taxed.
This was the first car I remember my maternal Grandfather owning when I was a kid, although his had the Astroroof option. I was a relatively poor kid that grew up in Appalachia and my Grandfather lived in Louisville at the time.
I remember visiting my grandparents and being basically speechless as Grandpa drove me around downtown Louisville one day with the Atroroof open, surrounded by the air-conditioned, buttery yellow leather of the big Caddy and the (to my young eyes) HUGE buildings in the crowded, bustling city.
My parents owned a 68 VW Bug and 72 VW van….The only cars I had any real experience riding in. The closest town to where I grew up in Eastern Kentucky had 3 streets and was all but abandoned by the time I came along.
To me, that Caddy was a luxury rocket ship and man, did it fly compared to my parent’s Volkswagens!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Tom!
I remember one of these as my first experience with an Astroroof too, my old man had a buddy that had a triple silver Coupe deVille with the glass astroroof, I remember riding in it at night and sticking my head out the sunroof while going down the road and seeing that big vast hood with its Cadillac crest proudly standing at the prow and with the fender mounted Vigilite lamp monitors going glowing in blue and yellow, you could say it made a lasting impression.
I DO understand, TK. I purchased a last generation Town Car last week.
Good for you! I like the color too.
Come on everybody, buy a Town Car! Don’t let true luxury pass you by! 🙂
Love the triple yellow!!
In May 1974, my bride and I obtained a brand new triple yellow 1975 Seville from
AAA Driveaway in Detroit to deliver to a dealer in Downey, CA.
The Seville was the first ‘downsized’ model from Cadillac.
For the entire 2300 miles, we were badgered at every gas stop, followed
constantly by gawkers, and pace by every state cop on the route west.
At the Stardust in Las Vegas they comped us a full night with meals and chips if we parked the
Seville out front in the valet area.
What a marvelous car!
What a great story. I don’t think any new car would draw that much attention from the general public in today’s world.
“At the Stardust in Las Vegas they comped us a full night with meals and chips if we parked the Seville out front in the valet area.”
Great story! It doesn’t get much better than a triple yellow Seville. I bet it drove great too.
Bought one these when it was just three years old. It had been my dream car since they came out. I had just graduated college after seven years of hard work earning the money and studying. I had owned earlier models, a 57,64, a 66 Lincoln, and 70 CDV. I loved this car. I felt it was the zenith of Cadillac evolution. I think that I’ve got to get another one.
Five years later here’s a photo.
There were no Sevilles for sale in spring 1974, first model was a 1976 model introduced in spring 1975. Was it an early prototype?
1975!! You are right it was 1975, while in the road we listed to the Indianapolis 500 and Bobby Unser won it that year in a rain shortened race!
Growing up in Brooklyn NY, my brothers best friends girlfriend had the exact same car. Being in Brooklyn NY, and the usual stereotypical people that lived in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Caddy’s were extremely common amongst it’s residents. Hers was triple yellow just like the above pictures. The color was stunning in person. She had the car accented with brown hand painted pinstripes with her name on the drivers door and her boyfriends name on the passenger door. Her daddy was connected, that’s why he was able to afford this car for his 21 year old daughter.
There were so many 77-79 Caddy’s in our neighborhood. Our next door neighbor had a SDV in that beautiful rust color with matching roof and interior. The couple down the street had a knock your socks off 77 Fleetwood Brougham in white with a powder blue interior and white roof.
Also in Brooklyn (and maybe in the other boro’s too), dealers offered a special edition of the Coupe and Sedan de Ville’s called “Pierre Cardin” . This package included two tone paint which differed from the factory available two tone paint. The accent color was only on the lower portion of the sides of the car, and most of the times they were either white with blue on the lower body, or a tan with a deep copper color on the bottom. All the car’s emblems were gold color instead of chrome. But the most unique feature was instead of pin strip, it had a wood grain stripe where the factory pinstripe would have been. On the front fenders where “Pierre Cardin” emblems. The majority had true spoke wheels, not the Caddy spoke hubcaps. I believe the interior was stock except for a Pierre Cardin emblem on the dash.
Another interesting edition was the “Islander”, which may have only been sold at local Staten Island and Long Island dealers. It was two tone silver on the top, black on the bottom in the factory two tone style separated with red pin stripes. The roof on these cars were always metal. The interior was matching black and silver two tone with red carpeting. It was gorgeous.
Also, popular in Brooklyn were the previous generation 74 to 76 Coupe de Ville’s in bright orange, lime green, and bright yellow that had the matching plaid interiors where the rug and dashboards matched the exterior color. They always had the white cabriolet roofs.
I only ever recall seeing one 75 Calais in the neighborhood, It was a coupe in white with a dealer installed landau roof, dealer installed chrome grill cap, and a black vinyl interior. They owners where probably not connected LOL
I do miss growing up in Brooklyn and being able to see tons of beautiful Cadillac’s that were in colors other than silver, grey, black, or beige with interiors that was just as colorful.
That’s a good one, the lighter ’77-up style with the 425. The later 6.0L 368 engine gave marginally better fuel economy but noticeably less power. Bullet-proof Turbo 400 transmission. Decent build quality for the day as well.
I had to search the web and just found this website showing the Pierre Cardin caddy. This one has the Phaeton roof.
Note the two tone paint, the wood grain pinstripe, and other unique styling features.
http://www.coindispenser.com/pierrecardincadillac.html
Wow. That’s impressive! I’ve never seen one anything like that before…
I LOVE Cadillac triple creamy yellow cars! Always have. It’s a shame they dont still offer it, even if it would lose something in the translation to modern vehicles.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would LOVE a new XTS in this yellow with matching interior!
That would look pretty good, this creamy yellow color did hang on in Cadillacs for a while, it still remained popular in Miami until about 1993 or so, I remember lots of slantback Sevilles, little Eldorados and FWD DeVilles in this color, a white fake convertible top was a popular add-on for Miami Cadillacs in this yellow.
I finally got to drive a new XTS a couple of weeks ago. I came away very impressed.
I want to test drive an XTS and a 2015 Hyundai Genesis. Some reviews of the new Genesis have dubbed it the Lincoln Town Car of today.
Gee, somebody took care of their Caddy….nice! Reminds me of car shopping with my parents in 1978. My dad was a Ford man, but his 73 LTD Brougham rusted away and he wouldn’t buy another, so off we went to a GM/Olds/Cadillac dealer. While they browsed the Delta 88’s, I went straight to the Cadillac’s….I knew he’s never go there, but hey, it was worth a look, I even got him to sit in an wine Eldorado Biarritz in the showroom…he was a good sport! They settled on a Caprice Classic, but at least it was the same color as the Eldorado! I did get the Cadillac, a metallic rose brougham dinky…I still have it!
I wanted my parents to trade in their ’72 for a new ’77 so badly. But, inflation had MSRP’s high and out of reach for most middle class buyers. We got a used ’77 LeSabre instead two years later.
And now thiniking about it Caddys should be more exclusive I guess?
Another beautiful Cadillac! Thanks for the article.
I’m way under 40 and I love the Broughams too. Every time I go past the Lincoln dealerships I lust after the Town Cars they get in (and usually never keep more than a few weeks). I love the big Caddies too.
I love the Baroque styling, the soft ride, the spokes and white walls, the comfy seats, the room, the hood ornaments etc. etc. Plus, they fit me like a glove.
Looking back, a number of them could have used some real luxed upgrades like real wood and real chromed metal instead of plastic. Even if it is “fake” luxury I still like the style, but for cars that were styled as “The Standard of the World” they were kind of chintzy when you really looked close. Even if they wouldn’t be built like the bespoke coach build Cadillacs of the distant past, the little details are kind of a big deal. Even just having real wood and less slipshod build quality would have went a long way in keeping the punch that names like “Cadillac” and “Lincoln” had intact.
With the chintzy plastic wood, inferior build qualities and problems coupled with their craptacular HT4100, Caddy really suffered in the 80s. I love the styling, actually I think the exterior look was the best of the Caddies, but the rest of it-not so much.
Real wood would have made a big difference. They couldn’t have used the big swaths of it like they did with the plasti-wood, as it would be cost-prohibitive. But smaller applications of it can still convey real luxury.
Great find Tom. Make this one grey and it is the one I had just before we got lost in Fomoco with Lincoln Town Cars. It was a really great car that I liked a lot. 425 backed up (I think) with a TH400. Wife ran it into the back of a Dodge station wagon that had the gall to be parked where she wanted to drive. Thought twice about dropping a lot of the guts into a C10 I owned but the insurance company wanted too much for it. Guess the parts were popular with someone.
Just thinking, had a 77 Impala wagon that I liked just as well. Guess 77 was a good year. I was stuck in Cuba so missed it for new cars. Could afford them when I retired and owned those two. No disappointments.
Yellow is not my color choice but these were handsome cars. I remember a neighbor’s very handsome black with gray interior 79 Fleetwood.
Perfect time capsule. Must have been stored inside 99 percent of it’s lifetime for everything, especially the interior to be in such mint condition. A good buy at 14k, pretty much a new old car.
My first ride in a Cadillac, in the distant haze of earliest memories, was in my grandfather’s ’77-’79 (don’t know the year) power blue sedan (probably a DeVille). I just barely remember that before he began buying Grand Marquis during the mid 80s. So technically, this is the model that got me hooked on land yachts and Cadillacs–although the real credit goes to the sky blue ’86 MGM LS, which I remember fondly.
I’ve always wanted to drive one of these, along with their ’71-’76 predecessors (the latter for different reasons). I’m especially intrigued because the 425 has about the same horsepower and torque ratings as the last L05s used in the ’91-’93 iterations. There might be some differences in where it shows up though, and it’d be, for me, a fun comparison.
I find JPC’s comment that they rode more softly than their successor ’80-’92 models to be interesting. I had an ’87 that rode nicely but was always dealing with loose vacuum lines, eQjet issues, and the dog slow 307. Now I have a ’93 that is loads faster, very fuel efficient, and rides well but that I just can’t make myself like (too much plastic, too obviously attached to the dashboard with tabs, too little chrome, and an overall lack of distinction).
I’ve always liked the ’77 models, overall, best of the ’77-’90/’92 square box run. That year, there were some distinctive headlight and taillight treatments that were never really repeated. The ’77 Cadillac is a nice nod to the ’69 taillights. The ’77 Electra and LeSabre front end seem to remind me of the ’59, and the Electra, which I own, has what are borderline real rather than vestigial (as on the Cadillac and Olds 98) tailfins rising above a rapidly sloping trunk. The Bonneville had the extra lines on the turn signals in front and extra webbing on the taillights in back which to my eye looked classier.
I will also plug the interior door panel grab handles in these, which are identical to those in my Electra. I suspect I’ll be in the minority but I much prefer them to the “casket-handles” which followed.
My sense–from commentary, from listening to mechanics, etc., is that these–the 425 powered ’77-’79 run, were pretty much the last Cadillacs people took seriously and persons under 50 would seriously consider buying and cross shopping against other luxury brands like MB, until very, very recently. They still had some status to them, even if it was by this point kind of faux-aspirational, and these had some quality to back that up. In the right colors they were probably still considered quick, nimble, tony barges in 1977. In some sense, the last Cadillacs that had some exclusivity.
Anyway, you’ve found a beauty. I’d want my ’77 CDV in red with white vinyl roof and white leather. Though this would also look great in dark green, midnight blue, powder blue, or silver or black if it were a sedan.
The guys at cadillacforums.com who’ve driven various models say that the 77-79s drove tighter and more firmly and the 80-89s drove softer with more float. They also say that the 90-92s with the L05 had the stiffest ride of all the 77-92s.
I remember reading about a stiffer ride in the 90-92 models, and almost every one I’ve seen has the stabilizer bar in back, which my ’87 did not have. My Electra, which is somewhat similar to the DeVille although on a slightly shorter wheelbase, seems to transmit a bit more over bumps than the ’87 but it doesn’t have the Delco air shocks for one. It definitely handles more tightly than my ’87.
Orrin, got a picture of your Electra? What color is it? I saw a near mint ’79 Electra 225 at a show last year. It had no vinyl top and was in that light pastel green that was offered only in 1979.
Been meaning to submit a My CC a write up and I will soon. This’ll have to do for now. Was the yellow setup as pictured in the ’77 brochure. I went through the ’77 catalog and had it redone in the dark green, also from that year, as it seemed the only other color that’d go with the beige interior. I’m now working on fixing up the interior which, while still very comfortable, is the shreddy cloth base version found in the 225 and is somewhat the worse for wear. The previous owner mercifully removed the vinyl top before any rust occurred, I do intend to put one on eventually (probably white). It’s not perfect but is still a lot of fun and has taken me all over the East coast.
The dark green is very nice. Please do submit a My CC on it when you have the time. I think it would be very well received!
Awesome looking car Orrin. Love the color. I’ll never forget the first time I rode in one of these as a kid, it was a brand new Electra, silver with red velour. The combination of quietness and smooth ride was at a breakthrough level and I don’t think I’ve ever ridden in a more refined car.
Thanks guys. It has some minor kinks but a lot of that refinement is still there. It isn’t the quietest ride I’ve ever had (the prior owner had installed FlowMasters whose negative effects I have only partially counteracted with resonators but would really need to completely overhaul for $ I see no point in spending right now to bring it to stock quietness), nor the softest ride (my ’87 Brougham wins that one so far but it had the OEM air shocks and I have conventional ones on this which might have firmed it up a notch) but it is the “smoothest”, if that makes sense. The 350 just purrs and the 3-speed THM 350 is the smoothest non-electronic transmission I’ve ever experienced.
I will get on the CC. You’re right, we have had only one Electra-Parkie of the ’77-’84 generations as I recall and it was an outtake. For whatever reason these are thinner on the ground despite having sold pretty well; I’ve seen only one other ’77 recently.
You are correct on the ride comments. I am 47 years old and have had a ’73, ’77, ’83, ’88, ’93, and two ’96 big body Deville/Fleetwoods and your observations are dead on. The ’96 Fleetwoods were unbelievably nice, strong, fast, and efficient cars, but as far as the “real” old Cadillac feel the 1977 Fleetwood I had in college was great. Tons of room and power.
To top it off my 1983 Sedan Deville was a two tone blue DIESEL. Absolutely loved that car. Talk about a conversation piece. Pulling into a truck stop between a Peterbult and a Kenworth always caused someone to try and stop you from making a mistake.
I’ve always thought the 1977-79 full sized Caddies were the best looking of the bunch with 1978-79 being my favorite years due to the taillights, these were IMO the last great era of the Caddies due to it having a good powertrain although it’s not in the same league as the pre-1971 models, I do find these to be an improvement over the 1974-76 coupes (was never a big fan of the GM full sized coupes of the mid 70’s).
This year IS the one to have. The later models with the tiny 4.1 V8 were gutless wonders.
Great find, Tom.
These have always been amongst my favorite Cadillacs. My parents both grew up in working class Bronx, and their parents never owned cars). Cadillacs were a huge deal, and after a few moves up the GM ladder, my father had bought a ’73 SDV, red with white top and white leather (not at all flashy!). Beautiful car, even if at the age of 8 or so I could tell it was somewhat chintzy, except for the leather. He traded it in on a 1977 SDV, this time in much more subdued silver with matching top and black leather, with black painted pinstripes. Funny how this combination was kind of rare at the time, against the many colors available, and quite opposite of the way things are now. But I remember how much nicer this car seemed than the ’73, much more solid and quiet. And they sprung for the 8-track tape, thanks to my and my brother’s urging. Neil Diamond for mom, Lynyrd Skynrd for the kids (and of course I secretly enjoyed the Neil too).
While I liked the updates to the grille and taillights in ’78, which did seem to make it more expensive looking, I liked, and still like, the purity of the ’77.
The car I drove for a week when my brother and sister-in-law got married almost 30 years ago.
Red and white on white leather, 500 cubes of the smoothest power delivery I had ever driven up to that point, and it fit eight persons, if two of them were smallish (that’s my the 2 year old son in the photo in his Miami Vice outfit).
It belonged to my sister-in-law’s mother, and even though it was about eight years old, there was less than 20K on the odo, and it had never seen snow. I felt like a king driving that around. I put about 1000 miles on it as I was the designated chauffeur for the festivities, ferrying people around and being the airport taxi!
Pretty car and the perfect color, very cheerful. The only sour note for me is the half taillight/ half bumper guard arrangement on the fins.
This is the Caddy that sags, not zigs!
Lovely. Make mine white on red and a ’79.
I also like the bench seat. Dad had a 79 with the odd 60 / 40 split. Without a power seat on the passenger seat we also sat very low in it.
Dude I’m 21 and I drive a 72 ltd base model (351M Cleveland). Not everyone under 30 is clueless to what driving classic luxury feels like. The other car in the pic is a 78 delta 88 Royale.
Cool cars! Good to know not everyone my age (and younger) is stuck on crossovers and vanilla modern sedans!
Nice LTD! Love the original look of it and it’s great to see another young guy who knows what’s up with the older iron. (I say another…I’ll turn 34 in a couple weeks, I need to stop thinking of myself as “young”…) Great color too.
Interesting to see how the Delta 88, while much lighter, and probably narrower and shorter, looks more massive due to the far higher hood.
These are really underrated cars and there are still loads of them around. There were loads of them produced to begin with and since they were status symbols to a wide segment of society in those days, they tended to be pretty well kept. There are lots of them around and even a quick Craigslist search will produce results. They were well built cars, especially the ones from Oshawa and parts are cheap and available. The only problem ever with these cars is the #@$#Q#$#$%@$ GM automatic climate control. No amount of money tossing and/or frustration will ever make this system work once it’s broken!
Gotta love the center floor mat protecting the carpeting over the transmission tunnel. I’d forgotten the plethora of insignificant options available then–power vent windows, headlamp washer/wipers, fender-mounted lamp monitors, even polyphonic horns. My ’89 S-class doesn’t have even one-touch power windows or a power-operated left side mirror!
My favorite in my Aunt and Uncle’s car was the great big black rubber floor mat for the trunk (with a great big Cadillac crest, of course) to cover the nice trunk carpet and protect if from those filthy suitcases that would occasionally be placed there.
Man, what a gorgeous car. And that color combination is beautiful.
Cadillacs truly had awesome color choices back then. Henry Hill’s Cadillac comes to mind.
I’ve seen new Cadillacs with interesting leather color choices too so that’s nice.
Also, I’m 21, and I love anything “old” and Brougham. Specially Cadillacs. There’s a specialness to them, with so many small details and luxuries.
So don’t worry Tom, you are not alone lol.
My grandfather has always been a Cadillac man, when he can, and he used to have a 79-85 (not sure of the exact year) Eldorado and I loved that car. I was sad when he sold it (and later got wrecked). I still have a key from it somewhere.
I also remember the first time we went to Orlando back in 1998 and he made a big deal of renting one of the new Town Cars. It was really nice in black and quite the experience as a young kid.
My parents also have stories of my mom driving an early 70s Cadillac he used to have back in the 80s I assume, and calling it the Challenger (space shuttle) or a transatlantic ship since it was so big.
He used to work in casinos so I guess the mobster rides are only natural lol.
Tom, excellent observations on what made the interior of this car a stand-out at the time of it’s introduction: yes, it was still plastic-heaven, but it was fresh and pseudo-retro (the radio in the CENTER of the dash- think about it; a Cadillac hadn’t had a center-mounted radio in decades; plus the symmetry of left and right dash proportions; the fake wood placement on the doors mimics the 66 Fleetwoods). Great article!
As for yellow… Always thought it was an ‘old folks’ color. Until I stopped at a roadside consignment lot to look at a ’76 Seville (I’d always loved the 1st generation -and despite the fact that it was in triple yellow I had to look and ask price (sorry, I can only refer to the dash color as mustard, not yellow -and is that 70s or what?).
Well, over a three week period of resolving my ‘yellow-issues’ that Seville ended up in my driveway -my first foray into old, domestic, luxury car ownership. Yah, I’ll have mine with extra butter.
Your Seville looks to be in amazing condition! I too bought a yellow Cadillac even though that wasn’t the color I was looking for. The yellow on my ’86 FWB is called Chamois. I love the color now, it’s attractive, warm and draws people in. Another nice benefit is that it’s easy to find your car in a parking lot 😉
Interesting that the center mounted radio would have been seen as a retro touch then. On the one hand yes, on the other hand the 1977 Caddy dash somewhat previewed the now-mandatory center stack concept. My kingdom for a new car with a cockpit style dash like the 1971-73 Caddy and 1971-74 Buick.
A neighbor had an early 80s model in a washed-out color called Waxberry yellow…not nearly as vibrant as this color. They bought it new and were constantly disappointed in the low power of the HT4100 and the general build quality. I remember overhearing the owner’s husband complaining to my dad that it was their first, and last Cadillac.
Tom Klockau… There’s a triple-yellow Cadillac Seville for sale in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.. for reasonable money. The ad is on Rhode Island Craigslist.
That somewhat dirty-grayish yellow used on the dash and steering wheel (and shift knob) is my pick for Most ’70s Color Ever. I’d take it in the Aberdeen cloth in a root-beer brown metallic Sedan deVille with gold pinstriping and no vinyl top.
Only 14,000 miles on a 37 year old (at the time) car! Just a few hundred miles a year, or used only for a long drive vacation once every five years. As you said, whoever bought this will get a fine car, handsome too. Might need some new tires though.
In the Spring of ’87, my senior year in college, I was with a bunch of friends cruising the back roads outside Lambertville, NJ in a 1964 DeVille convertible, when we came up behind this car’s twin.
There were two older couples in the car, the men up front and the white bouffant hairdo’d women in the back. On the trunk was one of those magnetic CB antennas, and wrapped around it was the dead possum it speared somewhere along the way.
We kept following, waiting for one of the ladies to look back and recoil in horror, but they never did, and we eventually turned off on another Jersey back road.
33 years ago, and it came right back to me when I saw the first pic.
Love the car! I always like the ’77 model and the coupe in the yellow is a beautiful. I can see many a Cadillac lover or dis-liker in the comments. Great presentation!
Nice to see the old girl again, can’t believe it’s been six years since this last ran. Nothing new to add (see my several comments above), but it brings back fond memories of my mom driving this big Caddy for 17 years. Thanks for the reprise.
I remember seeing one like this at Lindsay Cadillac in 1977 and wondering why someone would want that color. As a mature adult, I can see that it works, especially after decades of boring neutral colors.