Vintage AMS Review: 1976 Cadillac Seville – “A Typical American — But One Of The Best”

The 1976–1979 Cadillac Seville was intended to compete with European luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL, but it was also sold in Europe. The West German magazine auto motor und sport (AMS) tested the German-market Seville in early 1976. Here’s what they had to say, which CC offers here for the first time in English translation.

This article by Götz Leyrer originally ran in AMS 5/1976 (cover-dated 28 February). I must confess that I struggled a bit tn translating the title: “Schaukel” means “swing,” like the kind you find on a playground, so my best guess is “VIP Swing Set: Uncommonly richly equipped American luxury sedan for just under 50,000 marks.”

The shaded text box (“Auf einen Blick”) reads:

“At a Glance”

Exclusive luxury sedan with an exceptionally extensive range of standard equipment. Plenty of space for the size class, but the trunk is too small. Good build quality, easy to operate, with a few exceptions. Extremely quiet and smooth-running fuel-injected V8 engine, adequate performance. Top speed over 180 km/h [112 mph]. Safe driving characteristics, overall satisfactory suspension comfort, good handling thanks to smooth and precise power steering. Acceptable price considering the equipment offered.

(The photo caption at the bottom of the center column reads, “Competition for European luxury sedans: Cadillac Seville.”)

 

Although this road test didn’t indicate exactly when the Seville became available in West Germany, Leyrer implied that it had been on sale for at least a few months. In the U.S., the 1976 Seville went on sale in May 1975. Given the lead times involved in road testing and magazine publishing, I’m assuming that the German-market car arrived no later than the usual fall start of the 1976 model year.

The text began:

There is one thing of which manufacturers of expensive luxury sedans cannot be accused: lack of self-confidence. While Rolls-Royce claims with disarming self-assurance that it builds “the best car in the world,” Cadillac, a company belonging to the American General Motors group, has been advertising for many years with the no-less-ambitious slogan “Cadillac — standard of the world.”

For a long time, Americans were prepared to believe this — this is proven by the high sales figures for cars in this price range, which made Cadillac the largest producer of luxury cars in the world. The oil crisis and the austerity hysteria that followed in the USA led to a setback for the gigantic Cadillac sedans. Buyers suddenly preferred the less bulky vehicles from Mercedes or Rolls-Royce — reason enough for General Motors to develop the smallest Cadillac in 60 years, which was also intended to boost sales in the European markets.

As a sidebar later in this article acknowledges, the project that became the K-body Seville was under way before the OPEC embargo and oil crisis that began in fall 1973, although that did give the program an increased urgency. The energy crisis was a short-term setback for Cadillac, but not as much as you might think: Cadillac sales dropped by about 25 percent from 1973 to 1974, but the division still sold 28 percent more cars in the 1974 model year than they had in 1971. The interruption in Cadillac’s growth was very brief, and Cadillac actually set a new sales record for 1976.

 

The greater threat posed by imported luxury cars was harder to quantify: an erosion of Cadillac prestige, which continued even as Cadillac’s sales volume climbed through the late ’70s. Cadillac was losing its luster among affluent taste-makers, particularly on the West Coast, and a growing number of younger American buyers were turning up their noses at big domestic luxury sedans. U.S. car magazines, which had been mostly impressed by Cadillac 20 years earlier, now took it as an article of faith that European (and particularly German) luxury cars were inherently superior. The Seville sought to challenge that perception while also offering traditional Cadillac virtues in a smaller and (theoretically) more fuel-efficient package:

Of course, it was not to be a “Caddy” for poor people, and so the Seville received equipment of a richness that is not found in the larger Cadillacs. That is why the Seville, affectionately known in the USA as the “Baby Cadillac,” costs 49,200 marks in Germany — a good five thousand marks more than the huge Fleetwood Eldorado.

According to International Monetary Fund data, the average exchange rate that year was 2.54 DM to $1 USD, so the Seville’s West German list price was equivalent to roughly $19,400 USD, or around 30 percent more than a loaded Seville cost in the U.S. That was more than a German-market Mercedes-Benz 450SEL, which listed for DM 44,440.40, the equivalent of about $17,500 USD, but much of the Seville’s standard equipment cost extra on the 450SEL — in particular air conditioning, for which Mercedes charged an extra 2,670 marks. So, on an as-equipped basis, they were similarly priced. (The more powerful 450SEL 6.9, mentioned later in the text, listed for DM 69,930 at this time.)

The text continued:

“Body: Luxury Made in USA”

Despite all the efforts of its forefathers (see also “Stages of Seville development”, page 32), the Seville did not become a European-looking car — this is due to such typically American stylistic elements as the pompous radiator grille, the vinyl roof in the same color as the car, and the colorful coat of arms on the hood, which is a slightly stylized version of the family crest of the French nobleman le Sieur Anthoine [sic] de la Mothe Cadillac, who in the early 18th century founded the city of Detroit.

At least the Seville, with its strictly straight body shape, was simpler than the larger, overly cluttered Cadillac models, and its dimensions were definitely European. With a length of just under 5.20 m [204 inches] and a width of 1.82 m [71.8 inches], its external dimensions are roughly the same as those of a Mercedes 450SEL.

The name of Detroit’s founder was spelled Antoine de la Mothe — a typographical error.

(The photo caption of the dashboard photo reads, “Old-fashioned speedometer, lots of buttons and levers: Seville dashboard.”)

 

The main text on this page continued:

The interior also has Mercedes dimensions, apart from the slightly smaller width. There is plenty of room to stretch in the front; in the back, three people can sit comfortably next to each other and enjoy plenty of knee room. Unfortunately, the satisfaction of the space is seriously dampened when the trunk lid is opened, which can be done electrically from the driver’s seat: the luggage compartment holds less than, for example, that of the small Audi 80.

The advantages of the Seville body include not only the experienced workmanship, but also the remarkably luxurious interior, which at the same time makes it clear that the Americans’ concept of a luxury car differs considerably from that which is common in England, for example.

For the most part, the German-market Seville was just like the 1976 U.S. car, so I’m not going to translate most of the Technical Data and Measurements section. However, there is one important difference worth noting: The German-market car’s output is listed as 193 PS DIN, which is equivalent to 190 hp, about 10 hp more than the U.S. Seville. This was likely due to the deletion of most of the U.S. car’s emissions control equipment. (By this time, ECE type approval rules did include some emissions standards, but they were still much laxer than contemporary U.S. standards, and West Germany remained committed to “low lead” gasoline.)

 

Here are some key points from the AMS test results:

Performance

• 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph): 11.8 seconds
• 0 to 160 km/h (0 to 100 mph): 38.5 seconds
• Standing kilometer: 33.4 seconds
• Top speed: 184.6 km/h [114.7 mph]

Consumption

• Autobahn at ca. 110 km/h [68 mph]: 19.3 liters per 100 km [12.2 mpg]
• Autobahn at ca. 145 km/h [90 mph]: 26.8 l/100 km [8.8 mpg]
• Surface streets: 21.1 to 27.3 l/100 km [8.6 to 11.1 mpg]
• Short trips: 23.0 to 28.0 l/100 km [8.4 to 10.2 mpg]
• Test consumption: 24.8 l/100 km [9.5 mpg]

(I’ve converted the metric consumption figures to miles per U.S. gallon, not Imperial.)

With fewer emissions controls and a bit more power, the Seville was slightly faster than U.S. cars, but no less thirsty. It might have been a bit more economical in steady-state cruising at U.S. freeway speeds, but as the text went on to explain, that wasn’t usually feasible in West German traffic. AMS didn’t get anything approaching the contemporary U.S. EPA combined rating of 17 mpg.

The main text continued:

While Rolls-Royce or Jaguar operate with expensive precious wood and high-quality carpets made of Scottish sheep’s wool, US designers say — certainly not entirely wrongly — that cheap plastic parts and inexpensive synthetic fiber carpets do the job just as well. Despite the lavishly upholstered seats, which are either covered in velour or (for an additional charge) in leather, the Seville interior does not make a significantly more dignified impression than that of much cheaper American cars, but it is equipped with a multitude of accessories, some of which must be described as technical gimmicks.

These include the optional [Guide-Matic] automatic high and low beam system, which may be useful on straight American highways. On German country roads with their numerous bends, the system only dims when the oncoming driver shows his displeasure by flashing his headlights. The tiny lights on the front fenders that indicate when the low beam, high beam, and indicators are on are also hardly essential, nor are the lights above the rear window that glow red in the interior mirror when the tail lights are working. Finally, there is even a warning light that indicates when the fluid level in the windshield washer reservoir is low.

Of course, there are also a whole range of really useful details. For example, the electric window lifts, the central locking, the exterior mirrors that can be adjusted from the inside, and the electric seat adjustment, which works on three different levels for the driver’s seat and, together with the telescopic and height-adjustable steering wheel, enables a comfortable, relaxed seating position. Finally, a practical little feature is a small light above the door lock, which is switched on by pressing the doorknob and makes it easier to find the keyhole in the dark.

 

The sidebar includes artist’s renderings of several of the styling prototypes for the car that became the Seville.

“European Role Models: Stages in the Development of the Seville”

The steady rise in sales of European luxury cars in the USA, mainly at the expense of Cadillac sales, prompted General Motors’ poshest division to develop a “small” Cadillac in 1972, which was to be named “La Salle” in memory of a luxury car built by Cadillac in the 1920s and 1930s — the name was only changed to “Seville” at the last minute.

The first prototype (drawings 1 and 2) clearly shows the efforts of the designers working under the direction of GM chief stylist Bill Mitchell to achieve European lines: the sloping rear section is unmistakably similar to that of the distinguished British Daimler saloon.

 

 

When Daimler-Benz introduced the new S-Class, a new prototype was developed (drawings 3 and 4), in which stylistic echoes of the successful Mercedes cars in the USA were sought. Incidentally, the first two prototypes had front-wheel drive and the over seven-liter engine of the Oldsmobile Toronado — only later was the decision made in favor of a “mere” 5.7-liter V8 in the interest of better economy. The last design (drawing 5), which was finally adopted for series production, was influenced by a third European luxury car: The steeply raked rear window and the angular trunk section make it clear that the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow served as a model.

 

AMS had the sequence of events a bit muddled: Development of the La Scala prototype, based on a theme originally conceived by Stan Wilen, began before the bustleback La Salle design, and both were shown to management at the same time in June 1973. The new direction that followed in fall 1973 (drawing 5) was Stan Parker’s adaptation of the La Scala design with a more vertical backlight, suggested by Bill Mitchell. This was close to the final Seville design (although as the sidebar notes, it was still badged “La Salle” until the last minute).

(The photo captions above read, “The profile and external dimensions of the small Cadillac reveal the intended similarity to the Mercedes 450SEL — Pompous front, simple rear.”)

 

The text continued:

Although the windshield wiper switches are arranged logically and are easy to reach, operating the Cadillac is not child’s play at first: the impressive number of buttons, levers and lights means that you first have to study the thick operating manual in detail.

The instrumentation, which includes only a speedometer, fuel gauge and digital clock, is sufficiently clear, and the operation of the combined heating and air conditioning system, which is controlled automatically, is exemplary. All you have to do is preselect the desired interior temperature, which is then maintained regardless of the weather conditions outside.

The Seville driver soon no longer cares much about what is going on around him. Surrounded by the sound of the standard stereo radio and supported by electric assistants that save him from having to use his own muscles, he rolls along calmly and cultivates a typically American driving style that is free of sporting ambitions, but undoubtedly easy on the nerves. Anyone who is not fundamentally opposed to this can certainly enjoy getting around in the Seville.

Automatic climate control had finally become standard on all Cadillac models for 1975. Installation rates had been over 90 percent for some time, but I suspect standardizing it may have been a way for Cadillac to soften the blow of this period’s frequent inflationary price increases. Although the system was automatic, selecting the “Economy” mode kept the air conditioning compressor off, which might have slightly reduced the dismaying fuel consumption.

 

“Engine: Eight Whispering Cylinders”

The drive unit of the small Cadillac plays a decisive role in this pleasure. The 5.7-liter eight-cylinder engine, which was taken over from the GM division Oldsmobile, is particularly pleasant because its presence is hardly noticeable. It runs smoothly and is extremely quiet even at high speeds — measured noise levels were even lower than those of the Mercedes 450SEL 6.9, which was named the quietest car of the year in last year’s test report by auto motor und sport.

With an output of 193 hp (142 kW) at a modest 3600 rpm, this eight-cylinder engine is not particularly powerful considering its large displacement, and the horsepower seems modest considering the Seville’s weight of over two tons. The Cadillac is far from the superior performance that the 6.9 liter Mercedes has to offer — without lacking in performance: Since the entire characteristics of the Seville make a sporty driving style seem almost a sin against the spirit, the acceleration times and top speed of over 180 km/h [112 mph] are normally completely sufficient.

Comparing the Seville’s straight-line performance to that of the 450SEL 6.9 was unfair given that the latter cost about 20 percent more than the Cadillac and had an engine of 6,834 cc to the Cadillac’s 5,737 cc, with 92 more horsepower. A more direct comparison in terms of price would have been the standard German-market 450SEL, which until 1977 made 225 PS from 4,520 cc. AMS clocked a 450SEL at 10.5 seconds to 62 mph and 24.4 seconds to 100 mph. It was also quite thirsty, but its test fuel consumption was about 20 percent less than the Cadillac’s. (The 1977 450SEL, introduced that fall, was de-tuned to 217 PS for better fuel economy, so it was slower than the earlier version, though still quicker than the Cadillac.)

As AMS acknowledged, the Seville’s performance was more than adequate, but it came at a very heavy cost in fuel consumption. The tricks Cadillac had used to eke out EPA ratings of 15/21/17 mpg were just not relevant for West German driving conditions. Unlike most senior German luxury models, the Seville could get by on regular gasoline rather than super, but that was small consolation when the Cadillac was hard-pressed to return more than about 10 miles per U.S. gallon, despite delivering performance no better than some six-cylinder cars with half its displacement. Clearly, wafting along on a wave of quiet, lazy torque had its appeal even for European drivers, but it was an expensive way to travel.

(The photo caption under the engine photo says, “The 5.7 liter V8 engine has fuel injection and produces 193 PS.”)

 

Leyrer was surprisingly skeptical of the value of the Seville’s Bendix fuel injection system:

Unlike all other American V8 engines, which are fed by large four-barrel carburetors, the Seville engine is equipped with electronic fuel injection. Why — that is difficult to understand, at least for Europeans, because the U.S. carburetors perform their task satisfactorily throughout. The decision to opt for the more expensive fuel injection was made for marketing reasons; in America, fuel injection is regarded as a sign of particularly high-quality technology, and because it is used in Mercedes, the Cadillac technicians did not want to do without it in the Seville, which was clearly designed as a Mercedes competitor. The small “Fuel Injection” badge on the sides of the car is a sales pitch that should not be underestimated in the USA.

In terms of response to accelerator pedal movements or fuel consumption, the injection system did not offer any advantage over comparable eight-cylinder engines with carburetors. Test fuel consumption was within the expected range at 24.8 liters per 100 km. Other GM cars with 5.7-liter engines, such as the Oldsmobile Cutlass and the Buick Century auto motor und sport tested, achieved 22.1 and 23.5 liters per 100 km, respectively.

Port fuel injection did give the Seville version of the Oldsmobile 350 V-8 an extra 10 horsepower compared to the four-barrel version of the same engine, thanks mostly to the elimination of manifold heat. However, Cadillac had done nothing else to improve its performance — a cheap parts bin job disguised by the expensive injection system, which, as Leyrer correctly surmised, had been adopted more for reasons of prestige rather than engineering need.

 

The text continued:

Well aware that fuel efficiency is not one of the strengths of low-powered eight-cylinder engines, Cadillac installed a monitor system on the Seville that illuminates a green light when the engine is operating in a fuel-efficient range and immediately switches to yellow when the injection system is processing large quantities of fuel. In practice, however, this device proved to be pointless: When changing speed, which is often necessary in this country, the driver is almost always admonished by the yellow light. Longer green phases can only be achieved if the so-called cruise control device is switched on at medium speed on the highway — which is, of course, rarely possible in the local traffic conditions — which makes the Seville stubbornly maintain a preselected speed.

Cadillac’s Fuel Monitor System also included a red low fuel light, which might have been of some value given the Seville’s heavy fuel consumption. However, Leyrer’s description illustrated the differences between German driving conditions and the speed-limited American roads for which the Seville was designed.

 

The TH400 transmission received much higher marks:

The Americans are said to build the best automatic transmissions in the world — even a company as noble as Rolls-Royce is convinced of this, and therefore gets its supplies from General Motors. The Seville once again demonstrated in an impressive manner that this praise is not unfounded. Its Hydra-Matic transmission harmonizes perfectly with the flexible eight-cylinder engine, shifts almost smoothly even when kicking down, and is so impressive with its spontaneous reactions that the driver is never tempted to influence its work by manually intervening.

Here’s the equipment list from the page above:

• Automatic transmission
• Power steering
• Heated rear window
• Automatic seat belts front and rear
• Front head restraints
• Belted tires
• Automatic air conditioning
• Automatically controlled heating
• Automatic level control
• Brake booster
• Tinted windows all round
• Laminated glass windshield
• Central locking
• Stereo radio with station-seeking and electric aerial
• Electric seat adjustment
• Folding armrest front and rear
• Adjustable steering wheel
• Electric windows
• Electric trunk release
• Exterior mirrors adjustable from the inside
• Cruise control
• Lamp monitoring system
• Automatic headlight and dimming control device
• Fuel monitor indicator lights for high-consumption driving
• Automatic handbrake release when starting the engine

Many of these features were standard on the U.S. Seville, but it sounds like the German cars came with nearly everything on the options list except leather upholstery (which the text said was available at extra cost) and the Astroroof.

(The photo caption reads, “Very numerous: switches for the electrical aids.”)

 

It was in chassis design where the Seville most diverged from high-end European cars:

“Chassis: Simple American Style”

U.S. car manufacturers are no strangers to effort in the area of chassis technology. Since experiments with air suspension in the 1950s did not produce the desired results, an unpretentious, uniform style has emerged. Double wishbones with coil springs at the front and rigid axles at the rear are common. Recently, the latter have been located by additional longitudinal arms and cushioned by coil springs in many US cars — an effort that was admittedly not made in the expensive Seville:

(The photo caption reads, “Sales-booster in the USA: reference to fuel injection.”)

Simple leaf springs were sufficient at the rear, because in order to save the effort of developing their own chassis, Cadillac resorted to the floorpan of the cheap intermediate Pontiac Ventura and Buick Apollo.

Again with a view to Daimler-Benz, this simple chassis was supplemented by a complex device — an automatic level control that does not allow the rear to sink under load and thus ensures that the full spring travel is always available.

Since good comfort ultimately depends not only on expensive chassis constructions, but also to a large extent on the weight of the car, the Seville’s primitive chassis does not pose any serious disadvantages in this regard.

I think it’s worth emphasizing that while Leyrer described the Seville’s chassis as “primitive,” he seemed to have approached it with a reasonably open mind, weighing its ride and handling performance rather than simply dismissing it out of hand for not having the latest technology.

 

For many years, it was common for U.S. cars sold outside North America to be fitted with “export” springs and dampers, often supplemented by harder brake linings. Since this Seville was an official factory import distributed by General Motors Deutschland GmbH in Rüsselsheim rather than a private importer, it’s possible that it had somewhat stiffer underpinnings than similar cars sold in the U.S. (It would be difficult to find out for sure without locating German service manuals or type approval paperwork.) However, judging by the driving impressions, if the German-market Seville had a firmer suspension, it doesn’t appear it was much firmer than its American counterpart.

(The photo captions in the upper right read, “Plenty of space for passengers … but little room for luggage.”)

 

Of the Seville’s ride and handling, Leyrer observed:

It absorbs small bumps smoothly, is not disturbed by cobblestones and only shows weaknesses on long bumps in the road. Here, strong vertical movements often occur, which are particularly unpleasant because they end in rocking aftershocks due to the weak damping.

In this respect, the Seville does not reach the level of European luxury sedans, and neither does it in terms of driving safety. As long as the roads are flat, it goes around bends with considerable body roll, but always remains good-naturedly understeering and never gives its driver any problems. On the other hand, it does not like bumpy roads: here, the body starts to pitch even at moderate speeds, and the rear axle tends to hop slightly.

During the development of the Seville, Cadillac engineers had repeatedly reassured themselves that it didn’t need independent rear suspension or a De Dion axle. “All our simulation work has shown that the only reason to put an independent rear [suspension] on a rear drive car is for trunk space,” Cadillac chief engineer Bob Templin insisted. “[Y]ou sure don’t get anything out of it handlingwise … if you do a job of matching up your compliances and look at the system rather than the individual features, you can’t tell the difference from an independent rear on virtually any kind of road.” However, with a live axle on leaf springs, the soft spring and damping rates that gave the Seville its plush smooth-roads ride also made it lose its cool on choppier pavement. The Seville was rewarding to drive in a more relaxed manner, but its chassis didn’t really permit it to be an all-arounder.

Brakes were more satisfactory:

The Seville’s braking system, which consists of internally ventilated discs at the front and finned drums at the rear, made a good impression by American standards. It requires little pedal pressure, decelerates accurately and proved to be sufficiently stable. Fade was only provoked by exceptionally high loads — for example, several successive braking maneuvers from around 160 km/h [100 mph].

For 1977, the Seville would get four-wheel discs, which probably improved its fade resistance.

The shaded text box on the right side of the page is a summary of the car’s pros and cons:

TEST POINT RATING

1 = very good, 2 = good, 3 = satisfactory, 4 = adequate, 5 = inadequate

EQUIPMENT: 1

Unusually comprehensive standard equipment (including air conditioning, stereo radio, electric windows, electric seat adjustment, central locking). Automatically controlled, powerful heating.

OPERATION AND MANEUVERABILITY: 3

Effortless operation thanks to numerous operating aids, but switches and levers not always positioned in a practical manner (wiper switch on the dashboard). Simple but clear instrumentation. Good handling thanks to smooth, direct power steering.

DRIVING SAFETY: 3

Good directional stability, low crosswind sensitivity. Unproblematic understeer in bends. Poorer handling characteristics on uneven road surfaces, poor winter characteristics.

BODY: 2

Neatly finished, not yet too large by European standards, four-door body with good space, but too small trunk, adequate visibility. Representative appearance.

COMFORT: 2

Overall good suspension comfort, but impaired by too little damping on long bumps (body rebound). Comfortable seats with little lateral support. Extremely low interior noise even at high speeds.

PERFORMANCE: 3

Sufficient acceleration, good traction even at low engine speeds. Top speed 184.6 km/h [114.7 mph].

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION: 2

Low-vibration and very quiet-running eight-cylinder engine with fuel injection. Very good cold-running characteristics. Perfectly tuned, smooth-shifting three-speed automatic transmission.

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY: 5

Relatively high purchase price. High maintenance costs.

Total costs at 10,000 km/year – 55.1 pfennig/km;
at 20,000 km/year – 44.1 Pf/km;
at 30,000 km/year – 40.5 Pf/km.

Oil change intervals too short (every 5000 km), inspection every 5000 km.
Warranty ½ year or 10 000 km. High fuel consumption, test consumption 24.8 liters per 100 km [9.5 mpg] on regular gasoline.

This test didn’t mention what the Seville cost in German road tax, but the earlier auto motor und sport long-term test of an Oldsmobile Cutlass (AMS 2/1976), with a carbureted version of the same engine, had incurred a hefty annual tax of DM 835.20, equivalent to around $330 USD. I assume that the road tax was factored into the cost per mile figures.

 

I unfortunately don’t have any hard numbers on overseas sales of the 1976–1979 Seville. The published production totals include exports, and if Cadillac released separate export figures, I haven’t been able to find them. The U.S. Department of Commerce indicates that total U.S. passenger car exports to West Germany (from all manufacturers, not just Cadillac) were 6,385 in 1976 and 7,423 in 1977, so German Cadillac sales can’t have been huge.

Nonetheless, it says a lot about the 1976–1979 Seville that European reviewers, and even some European buyers, were prepared to take it as seriously as they did. (See this 1977 CAR comparison for a British take.) Leyrer concluded:

The fact that Cadillac is absolutely right with the Seville formula “smaller but better” is shown by the popularity of this latest Cadillac with the public. It sold well — and not only in the USA, but also in West Germany, where the number of Cadillac registrations soared to unprecedented heights within a short space of time. The fact that you can get a car with the Cadillac name for just under 50,000 marks has contributed to this. This can provide some consolation for the fact that the Seville did not achieve the qualities of the European automobile celebrities in all respects. It remained a typical American — but one of the best.

I don’t think this was an unfairly critical or particularly harsh review: AMS recognized the kinds of conditions for which the Seville was designed (some of which were very different from West German driving conditions), and they found it very pleasant when driven in the manner intended. (If anything, I think they were overly conciliatory about its fuel consumption, which was brutal by European standards.)

 

However, Leyrer’s summation echoes what I’ve been saying about the Seville for over 15 years: It was an excellent smaller Cadillac, but as a Mercedes-fighter, it ultimately rated only honorable mention.

Related Reading

Magazine Rewind: CAR, September 1977 – Which Is The Best Car In The World? (by Roger Carr)
Vintage R&T: 1976 Cadillac Seville Preview, Technical Analysis and First Driving Impressions (by Paul N)
Curbside Classic: 1976-1979 Cadillac Seville – GM’s Deadly Sin #11 – The Sin of Underachieving (by Paul N)
The Perilous Success of the Cadillac Seville (at Ate Up With Motor)
Vintage Comparison Test: 1977 Cadillac Seville, Chrysler LeBaron, Dodge Diplomat, Lincoln Versailles – Detroit Aims For The Black Forest, Hits Bloomfield Hills (by GN)
Curbside Classic: 1977 Cadillac Seville – European Sizes Run Smaller (by Brendan Saur)
Curbside Classic: 1978 Cadillac Seville – Nope, Nothing Wrong Here (by Tom Klockau)