Classic Cadillacs (Deville/Eldorado/Seville): What Makes Them So Special?

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, Featuring a XT6 on your channel may have been the...... bravest thing you have ever done. 🤣

[@jdslyman1720]

What was even more brave was when he put that modern car next to a real Cadillac. He did have some nice things to say about it though, so I'll give him that. "Cadillac" and "Turbocharged 4-cylinder" don't belong in the same sentence. I bet it has that idiotic Stop/Start garbage on it too.

[@Sam62254]

@@jdslyman1720 Agree. I'm surprised Adam opted for the 4 cylinder in a car so big and heavy as an XT6. And, yes...all GM cars have that idiotic auto-stop built in. I have a 2023 XT5, and I HATE that feature. You can turn it off, but you have to remember to do it every time you start the car, as it defaults to auto-stop every time you restart. So annoying!

[@jdslyman1720]

@@Sam62254 Appearently, he can get the 3.6 V6 in it as an option. The only thing I'm wondering is if that engine still has issues with carbon buildup on the intake valves and timing chain failures if you are not dead on with oil changes. I had a previous version in my Impala, and while I didn't have really any engine issues when I had it, others did. It was mostly Traverses and Acadias when the soccer mom owner was "too busy" to change the oil on time and just kept driving when the monitor went all the way down to 0. Signs of transmission failure caused me to ditch my car, and the engine was pretty much clean inside. I also wanted something that was easier on fuel.

[@issyparrish]

Agreed. Mr. Wade was bold on this video.

[@fleetwin1]

Would love the hear what Adam thinks of that car.

[@mrho4speed]

This 69 Eldorado is beautiful from every angle!!!!!

[@marcelgaud]

That's when Cadillac was a "Cadillac"! Big, comfortable , powerful, and yet yes, sooooo quiet!

[@MarkWG]

They definitely stopped building Cadillacs in 1984. 40 years without Cadillacs. What a sad, end-times world we live in today with nothing but "suv's" and trucks. So glad I grew up in another era when we had several American luxury cars to choose from.

[@Cadillac61]

To own a Cadillac meant that you have arrived! I aspired to own a Cadillac. It wasn’t to show it off, it was to hit the very top of the luxury rung. They were very special cars. Today’s BMWs and Mercedes and whatever else, does not come close even to a Calais.

[@s2meister]

I still miss my 1969 Coupe Deville to this day. And I will stand on my opinion that 1969 was the peak of Cadillac, both styling and drive-line.

[@MarinCipollina]

I had a 1970 Coupe de Ville, which I would argue was just as good as the 1969. It was essentially the same car.

[@maconp1119]

My 78 CDV Gold Firemist and Doeskin interior was a cloud with its 425. Factory moonroof too!

[@richardbrimble1319]

I’m a Ford guy. But that Cadillac really is motoring artwork.

[@elplata7224]

My dad was a Cadillac man starting in the mid-60's. He had one of those late 80's Brougham d'elegance's. He would pronounce it like a Frenchman. Classic. What a boat.

[@jamesbosworth4191]

The late 80s Cads were small compared to the 70s and earlier Cads.

[@928gto]

Tailored is good word for all Cadillac attributes

[@FYMASMD]

The long wheelbase creates a smooth ride. Luxurious comfortable interior. Styling. And it used to be the quality of construction. These are what a Cadillac represents to me. I own a 66 coupe and my oldest brother has a 49 sedanette.

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

There will never be a more beautiful automobile. Period.

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

Those tail lamps are like candy ! Sweet !!!

[@clevejason]

Happy Big Block in the morning

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

Today’s Cadillacs are nothing more than fancy Chevy’s.

[@hurricane2649]

Exactly, I call them the "corporate car"

[@onetransmission7871]

Last year for Cadillac was 1977. 1978 up can be Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, or various European derivatives, especially Opel.

[@xqqqme]

Even back in the '60s or '70s one of the car magazines calculated that the difference in cost for GM to build a Cadillac versus an Impala (note: this is the cost to GM, after buying materials by the ton at a massive discount) came to about $47 and this was in things like a slightly deeper pile carpet, richer upholstery and additional sound deadening.

[@stevek8829]

@@xqqqmejust the 492 engine alone would account for more than that.

[@charlesseyle7784]

Happy thanksgiving to you, too, Adam. Thank you for making all these good videos.

[@douglasdowns4846]

I remember when people complained that Cadillac owners thought they owned the road! I suppose looking in your rearview mirror and seeing that imposing Cadillac front end, you would feel that way.

[@dave1956]

I think that Cadillac had more than just styling. Their image was second to none, be it just hype or what have you. Back in the day when you drove up in a new Cadillac it said that you had arrived. The engines were exclusive and great until the infamous HT4100. The diesel I won’t even mention! Even small things like the climate controls and the radio knobs spoke quality! I miss them.

[@MrPoppyDuck]

I remember as a kid that I could tell a Caddy at night by those thin vertical tail lamps. I still love those late 60s to mid 70s Caddys.

[@danlarson4513]

One of if not the most bueatiful body styles. A true understated American Classic. My favorite Cadillac of all time.

[@randyfitz8310]

Adam, I wish to differ with you on the trunk pull-down description and operation: The cylinder is pneumatic like a screen door closer, it has an internal spring and air chamber which slows the movement of the internal piston which is compressed by lowering the trunk lid where the rubber wheel (not a dampener but rather a mechanical lever for the closing cylinder) charges the pull-down device attached via a cable running across the floor under the carpet and the latch strike rises when opened and retracts just after the trunk is closed. I first saw this on my neighbor’s 1968 Coupe DeVille and it is a feature on my 1973 Eldorado.

[@randynutt5660]

From a time when Engineers got the say in style and design comfort. Today its all about Name recognition and cost savings. Incredible how much detail in production went into these cars!

[@TheBigfoot567]

The egg crate grill was first used on the top of the line Postwar packards in 1948 - 1950. Biggest engine, most luxurious model had egg crates. Look it up.

[@jamesbosworth4191]

The top-of-the-line 48 - 50 Packards did indeed, but Cadillac did it first BEFORE the war.

[@fleetwin1]

You are so right about the egg crate grille being a Cadillac theme. I remember my parents bringing home the 73 Caprice claiming it looked like a "Caddy" from the front.

[@ErikGretland]

I had a 63,74,76,79,99. Loved them all.Ive painted many over the years for my customer's.

[@judih.8754]

I have a whole new appreciation for the design language used on these cars. Marvelous

[@michaelbrown5601]

Happy Thanksgiving

[@markpfeifer1402]

Thank you for getting me into some different big 70's cars that I might have previously overlooked.

[@jazzjokesjalopies]

That was an impressive feat to open that hood with one hand. 😊

[@Rom3_29]

I like 1979 Eldorado, especially Bizarre model, with stainless steel roof cover. Older models have distinctive characteristics that looks different from other cars. Long and sleek side view.

[@MarinCipollina]

Biarritz*

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Cadillacs from 1946-1980 are my favorite cars. They might not be the "best", but they were always handsome, comfortable cars. I think Cadillac stylists turned in good work during this era, and made designs that are still attractive and distinctive today. Cadillac represented something special back in the day, and while today a 67 Camaro or Impala might be just as or even more desirable than a 67 Sedan DeVille, the cadillac still remains a great dependable car that looks amazing and drives well. I love them! From the fabulous 50s fins, the sleek and sculpted cars of the 60s, to the big brougham boats of the 70s, I genuinely just feel connected to these machines. The represent a by gone era of American auto design, and way of life.

[@daveallen8824]

I remember when I was sourcing a Pontiac 455 for my Firebird, I made several trips to salvage yards only to find an Olds or Buick 455 - the young guys didn't realize that there was very much a difference. The divisions went their own way. They were all excellent engines, just ...different.

[@josieann5031]

Wow! That is one gorgeous car. Makes me a bit sad because we will never see the likes of this again.

[@kclefthanded427]

I miss the chrome bumpers that new ones will never offer

[@thewiseguy3529]

They will eventually, it just won't be real Chrome, it'll be plastic.

[@rogergoodman8665]

Your Eldorado looks great in that color combination! I love old Caddy's!

[@kroge007]

It was always nice to see buttons that were distinctive to the each GM division. By 76 Cadillac had crest on the radio and headlight buttons. Nowadays they are mostly all the same across the GM lines.

[@tombrown1898]

Speaking of the egg crate denoting luxury, in 1948, the Packard Custom Super, their top of the line car, had the egg crate grille, which carried through til the 1951 redesign. But what made the car distinctive was the 5" longer wheelbase, all forward of the cowl.

[@markdc1145]

Although I truly love the hidden headlamp Eldos, this car is still ✨👌

[@willythewave]

That was an impressive feat to open that heavy hood with one hand. Adam strong arming the Caddy.

[@commandertopgun]

Wow Adam, truly informative video about these beautiful massive Cadillac cars of the hey days in the 50s, - 80s, they were incredibly stunning

[@SSGuy415]

Cadillac had a unique feeling to the steering too. Not only the mechanics, but the steering wheel itself.

[@DanEBoyd]

To me, grill shapes and textures, along with taillight shapes, are the glue which lends cohesiveness to all of the various overall designs.

[@gregt8638]

Thank you for posting another great video, Adam. I've also been thinking since watching yesterday's xt6 video, how I'm still not impressed. I so yearn for the days when Cadillac made magnificent smooth quiet comfortable cars. Seems like it's gone forever. ( so are the chances of me buying a new Cadillac)

[@urbo42]

The front bumper on a 1968 Chevrolet is three pieces, so, yes, Chevrolet did have three piece bumpers. It also had an extruded egg crate grill.

[@stex1985]

You said a mouth full when you said used to be a Cadillac. The 65 and 66 are still my favorites.

[@desertmodern7638]

I believe the truck release mechanism on these cars is vacuum but the pulldown mechanical, the spring and cable system being loaded in the last inches of downward lid travel by the roller arrangement at the hinge. I've only owned the electric pulldowns, but a friend and I decades ago examined his 1970 Eldorado and attributed the Rube Goldbergian arrangement to that end. So, absurdly, the trunk was made notably harder to lower so it would be easier to latch.

[@randyfitz8310]

@desertmodern You are correct!

[@gettcouped]

Looks like Caddy is going back to the more vertical headlight styling. Look at the 2025 CT5 refresh and the Escalade refresh. Loving that design return!

[@madmike2624]

If only GM would bring back some of that styling, sad times we are living in design wise that is. Great content Adam!!~

[@CarsandCats]

You have great taste in cars. I like just about everything you own.

[@damianbowyer2018]

Very Distinctive Features on the Caddies back then, Adam...The best era for Caddies was the late 60's/early 70's for sure and well before the downsizing of Engines and Bodies...Cheers fm Damo.

[@markloubser2433]

Thanks for your erudite commentary on these wonderful cars! Great stuff, regards.

[@IowaBudgetRCBashers]

58 eldo is my absolute favorite caddy of all time

[@kshawnaskin323]

Hello Adam, Fisher Body responsibility was cowl rearward. However, taillamps was division responsibility. Also, FB controlled stamping, so those 'sharp' quarters were a result of having freedom in the dies (no. of hits per panel).

[@AlexanderWaylon]

The hood closure on the Eldorado sounds virtually identical to the 67-72 truck. Can hear the flutter of the sheet metal. I wonder if you can see vibration in the sheet metal at a red light for instance. That is a beautiful car. Cadillacs bumpers and chrome were the best GM had to offer. The Cadillac exclusive side view mirror with the brand name formed in the casting, Even in the 70s and 80s with the specific Cadillac only early font for the controls, all the color coordinated parts… Cadillac is definitely a car you bought for its details. I’m not sure if that’s true today.

[@dustin_4501]

And Cadillac was never the same again... Shame.

[@Sam62254]

This car is just gorgeous. I especially like the tail end, taillights, rear quarter panels, and rear window glass. They simply don't build them like this anymore.

[@cadillacguy1890]

I think what some people who are complaining about modern Cadillacs are missing is the fact that government regulations make it almost impossible to make unique products. The costs associated with design, certification and manufacturing today make individualized items for vehicles cost prohibitive. Look at Ford and Lincoln, Toyota and Lexus, Nissan and Infiniti, Hyundai and Genisis, Honda and Acura, the amount of components they share. It’s the nature of the vehicle manufacturing business these days.

[@sp-lc1fy]

Beautiful rides.

[@MG-sj1em]

Alex, another great video. I have a 2020 XT5. Yes, it still has some Cadillac queues to it like the tail lights. (I don't like that the turn signal inside) is angled. I like the dash and the outside styling all come to a point like the chevrons - "V". I've had 25+ Cadillacs from my 1st a 1962 Sedan DeVille to 2023 CT4. There is still some Cadillac blood running through all of them. My favorite to look at 1970 Convt and Coupe but they were rattle traps a frankly not up to par. Looked fantastic through. My 2019 XTS was a favorite. But #1 my '20 XT5. Best ever imo. That Eldo is DD gorgeous.

[@nhzxboi]

Love the logo. When you look deep into it you find out that it is shallow and means nothing. Sorta like a Corinthian family crest. :P

[@turbofanlover]

Man, that is a gorgeous car. I love pretty much everything about it...including the colour. Definitely my fav car from Adam's collection (I haven't seen all of them, however). Honestly, this might be the most impressive, best looking Cadillac that I have ever seen.

[@lordmaul3]

The 1966-1970 Eldorado are my favorites Cadillacs.

[@khakiswag]

Cadillac used to be a unique division in GM. Not only were the engines exclusive to Cadillac most of the parts were also. They also were some of the most technically advanced cars in the world. None of that is true anymore. The XT6 is a dressed up Chevy Traverse.

[@jamesengland7461]

The modern magnetic ride suspension on some Cadillac models is actually advanced; this Eldorado has rear leaf springs. The Chevy pickup the same year had sophisticated coil springs and long trailing arms.

[@johnde2754]

Great Review ! We have to state, it was incredibly bizarre that by the seventies the Cadillacs didn't come STANDARD with a passenger door mirror. What was the additional cost for the passenger side MIRROR if a buyer checked the box on the order sheet ? 🚘🔍 - 💲💲

[@kylejuve5494]

I’ve had 4 caddies from the seventies, I could only afford them under the $1k range. Loved them to the death of them.

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

The taillights on your Mercury demonstrate that when you copy a copy, it isn't as sharp as the original. :) But seriously, it and the Eldo are both great-looking cars. I think if I were to get a classic Cadillac, I'd want a first-generation Fleetwood Eldorado.

[@lcurtsinger4313]

One of my very favorites

[@928gto]

Generally indistinct is Cadillac, mostly everything nowadays

[@dano51222]

Happy Thanksgiving Adam. I truly enjoy your videos. When I was a kid, I would doodle the name Cadillac,over and over. My first was a 1987 Carmine Red, white carriage top, white leather interior. It was a head turner. Next a 1966 deVille convertible, a 1990 1/2 Allante, a 1992 sedan de Ville, a 1996 sedan deVille. Then I went German. Do you own a convertibles?

[@BarryTsGarage]

Great until 1970 for me… Thanks for posting another good one, Adam!

[@davidcommins1]

Beautiful car, was the passenger wing mirror an optional extra?

[@pcno2832]

One other thing which, while hardly unique to Cadillac, came to signify the brand's traditional nature, was the thumb-button exterior door handle, which graced the cars from around 1950 up into the early 1990s, after which, Cadillac succumbed to the prevailing trends and used the dreaded fingertip pulls for a while, before switching to today's grab-handles. While the thumb button handles could pose problems for the handicapped at times and for everyone during the winter, they had more style than anything used since.

[@MarinCipollina]

Thanks for this one Adam. It seemed to me that as the Cadillac began to shrink in size that they would start adding more and more Cadillac crests everywhere. In case somebody wasn’t sure what kind of car they were in. The big V emblem under the crest on the hood, and on the rear of the deck lid made a Cadillac a Cadillac to me. Going back to the early 1960s having electric windows made a Cadillac a Cadillac at a time when that was a very rare option for more pedestrian vehicles, as was climate control HVAC at a time when regular air conditioning was a rare and pricey option.. The heavily sculpted front end of every Cadillac resulted in a very dramatic presence. The front end in particular always had a scowling or snarling kind of presence to it, very snooty. Buick didn’t do that. Oldsmobile didn’t do that. Nor did Pontiac or Chevrolet. That was another thing that made a Cadillac a Cadillac. Cadillacs had the biggest V8 engines GM offered. Nothing less than a V8 was offered in a Cadillac, and always GM’s biggest. Because Cadillac. Cadillac had constant velocity joints instead of universal joints for the driveshaft. That also made a Cadillac a Cadillac. Cadillac assembly lines moved slower and employed the most senior GM assembly workers. And of course, you mentioned the vertical rear tail fans that continued in some measure most recognizably ending with the 1992 Fleetwood, which was the last of the old squarish C bodies. Red light bulbs behind clear tail light lenses was another Cadillac trademark that made a Cadillac a Cadillac .

[@loveisall5520]

Sadly, with the safety, emission and fuel requirements these traditional Cadillacs will remain a pleasant memory. I rented an XT6 and hated the damned thing. Rough riding, hard and uncomfortable seats, plastic everywhere.

[@judgegixxer]

I love the colour of this one and the ass end is gorgeous. If I had to choose this car or the new SUV version to take on a cross country road trip, I’m picking the old one. (fuel cost not considered)

[@Onlythetruth88]

There has never been another car like the Cadillac and there never be another one

[@OnkelPHMagee]

I can see how the Olds 98 copied the vertical emphasis in the rear, but Buick's Electra took it to a much lesser degree: ridges on the outboard edges of the trunk area but vertical taillights only in 1964.

[@sharkinstx]

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Adam.

[@Flies2FLL]

As to the Cadillac pointed hood, it did indeed return on the '77 de Ville. But it was reduced in size and it was made of FIBERGLASS. These had a captive hood with a front clip.

[@samiam5557]

Long and dark, shiny and black, Open up your throttle, let 'em roar, Tearing up the highway like a big old dinosaur!

[@sharkinstx]

My ‘68 Bonneville had hidden wipers - I’m pretty sure that Pontiac was the first to have hidden wipers, starting with the 1967 B-Body cars (it’s mentioned in the ‘67 brochure).

[@coreyjones1518]

Thank you for the video Adam.

[@billymcmanus9642]

Remember the old little song in the ad for Mercury?? ARE YOU CRAZY FOR A MERCURY?? Lol the things you remember from the older days when you see a car 🤣🤣 I think GMC gingle was LIKE A ROCK 🪨😂😂

[@dansharp2640]

Hi Adam, I thought full sized 61-68 Chevrolets also had three piece bumbers. Great video!

[@dbevit]

I really like your channel and I would like to see more content on the fuselage era (1969-1973) Mopar full size cars (Imperial, New Yorker, Monaco-Gran Monaco, Fury-Gran Fury). Thanks!

[@MNBluestater]

Adam covers these extensively, either scroll through his videos or do a search.

[@license2kilttheplaidlad640]

Pontiac was absolutely not copying Cadillac in styling or anything else

[@luisvelasco316]

Happy Thanksgiving, Adam. Go Lions!

[@scottenser464]

Happy Thanksgiving Adam

[@warmstrong5612]

Cadillac went from being Halo cars that people aspired to own to Hollow cars that have no soul.

[@wilsixone]

Adam, I think you're reaching on those power window switches, they're identical to any GM window/seat/lock switches of the time.

[@TalismanPHX]

Happy Thanksgiving Adam 🦃🦃🇺🇸

[@billiebobbienorton2556]

Can you please do a Cadillac Catera please...Thanks!

[@fleetwoodpup8328]

'69 Eldo is where its at!!

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Are you guys shooting these fine cars so they look like Taladaga Fords and Sea Monsters?

[@dave-ish8098]

The trunk pull-down mechanisms will always make me laugh. It just seems so over the top (had a 95 Fleetwood with one)

[@billymcmanus9642]

🦃 HAPPY THANKSGIVING ADAM 🦃😊

[@Lasuvidaboy-jp4xe]

The two different engineering groups being Fisher body at the rear of the cowl and the division forward of the cowl explains why the paint on my 1975 Pontiac Granville was problematic. The paint is still perfect on the Fisher portion and the shoddy paint on the Pontiac division had to be repainted.

[@928gto]

Expansive hood, dome gave strength

[@davidbolt5113]

A Cadillac grille (or sheet metal) should be a “wide grin”, showing success and power. That’s it.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you Adam. Yes, those Cadillac details made them Cadillacs. It is sad they are gone as well. Cadillac influenced a lot of the GM brands even Holden in Australia with the details. I agree about the influence of Cadillac on Oldsmobile. You see it on Ninety Eight and Toronado. The 1971-1978 Toronado was influenced by your Eldorado. Your Cadillac looks like a Cadillac. The newer ones have too much Chevrolet influence on them. Just my opinion.

[@jayweiss4378]

I think Elvis had one of these….enough said 😎