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Case of the Boxy Cadillac

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:22:51 +0000

During the 1970′s and 80′s Cadillac produces some of the most popular luxury, and boxy, vehicles: The Coupe De Ville & Deville sedan. They were family cars, limos, pimp mobiles and seen as carries of important individuals both in real life and on films/television. Both the Cadillac DeVille and Coupe de Ville have grown into more aerodynamic rides since the late 70′s, but didn’t we all have an aunt or grandfather who drove one of these 90-degree angled beautiful beasts?

Seventh generation Coupe De Ville 1977-1984

General Motors introduced these B and C body designed in 10When General Motors initiated 1977 – shrinking all of the early 70′s both in size (about 10 inches) and in weight (half a ton, give or take, depending on the model). The new standard engine was a 425-cubic V8, giving way for a V6 variant for the fuel conscious, or those suffering thanks to the gasoline crisis around that time.

A special edition Coupe de Ville was also available in 1977. Three-sided, wrap-around tail lamps were a 1977 feature only, but would appear again in 1987. As for those Caddy’s with padded vinyl roofs it was the popular Coupe de Ville Cabriolet, just make sure you get a coating of fabric protection on there before the sun chips it away.

Sixth generation DeVille 1977 – 1984

1977 was Cadillacs 75th anniversary, and the beginning of a ne age in automotive design with Caddy. This year also so the introduction of smaller DeVille sedans and coupes. Outside, along with those right angles, you had vehicles that were several inches shorter and almost half a ton lighter. The vehicles had more space conscious interiors, with large seats and a pushed back dashboards without bulging gauges but still with the easy to handle over sized steering wheel. The sixth generation DeVille was a landmark for the auto company – being the first since the 1949 Cadillac to not have rear fender skirts. The classic 500-cubic V8, which produced 190 horsepower, was replaced for 1977 by a 180 horsepower 425-cubic V8 of similar design. FUture models later offered a V6 engine, but this unfortunately cut back on sped and acceleration.Still, both models sold successfully until the end of their initial run in 1984.

Cadillac Goes Crossover with the SRX & CTS Wagon

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:39:23 +0000

Cadillac is going crossover with their teased SRX. Caddy execs hope this will give a dynamic boost to the name, winning over fans of both luxury automobiles and families who need the extra room for weekend trips. Designer Clay Dean notes: “The next-generation SRX is the result of the continued exploration and refining of Cadillac design language, with the goal of creating dramatic presence in the luxury crossover space…”

At the same time Cadillac leaked SRX renderings they also sent out a press release featuring their CTS Sports Wagon. According the release: “Based on the hot-selling CTS sport sedan, and a sister vehicle to the CTS Coupe Concept, the Sport Wagon extends the design-driven renaissance of Cadillac…With the CTS Sport Wagon’s 3.6L V-6, direct injection translates to 304 horsepower, no loss of fuel efficiency and a 25-percent drop in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions.”

Expect to see both make an appearance at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Cadillac Coupe de Ville – A History in Pictures

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:39:47 +0000

From 1949 to 1993 the “Caddy” was best summarized by its classic two-door Coupe de Ville. Made famous not only by Cadillac, but also in song, on television and as characters onto themselves in motion pictures, the De Ville quickly grew to become one of the most recognizable automobiles in the world. From Pink Cadillac to Boss Hogg’s cruiser in Dukes of Hazzard and even “The White Whale” in Hunter Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Coupe de Ville is Americana.

Introduced to the public in 1949 as a two-door hard top, the Coupe de Ville quickly became a flagship vehicle for the Cadillac lineup. First-generation Coupe de Ville models in ’49 started at a whopping $3,500, with sales doubling in 1950 and again in ’51. Many referred to the original Caddy’s as “boats” or “torpedoes” thanks to their bottle nose front end and finned rear. By 1957 Cadillac introduced their historic dual head lamp design, which would remain with the company until the late 1980′s.

When you see most Caddy’s on the big screen, or picture what a classic Coupe de Ville looks like, most people will reference the fourth generation vehicles beginning in 1959. It is a definitive De Ville style – four head lights and rear fins that could pierce the side of a ship.With design and popularity came size – not just in the amount of buyers, we mean literal size! The Coupe de Ville grew roughly 17 inches overall by 1973.

The 1960′s came and went, with a front and rear end overhaul for Cadillac vehicles in 1965. Headlights were turned on their sides, as were tail lights, which were transformed from matching cones to long rectangles. Curved angles (including windows, dash and fenders) were turned to right angles for a more conservative and new-age look to match the boxiness of other American and foreign cars.

As the 1970′s passed, you were more likely to find hardtop De Villes on your dealer’s lot than convertibles. It was the age of low key design and even lower gas consumption. By the 1980′s Cadillac’s Coupe de Ville shrunk in size but retained its tough looks and powerful engine. The 80′s also brought front-wheel drive conversion on a C-Body. This led the way to a four door and extended cab touring version, or “DeVille Touring Sedan” – known today as the Cadillac DTS.

Photos from Wikipedia