I rented a 2nd gen Seville back in the 1980's. Yes, the interior was a wonderful place to be. Horsepower was nonexistent by this time in California, but it sure was plush.
You did a really great job presenting the first generation Cadillac Seville. Despite having researched this car extensively, I have never seen some of the brochure or advertisement pictures you display in your video. It was nice to see those pics. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I feel this is one of the 5 most beautiful cars ever produced, and quite possibly #1. You also provided lots of interesting technical information about the car. Congratulations on a great job, and enjoy your Seville!
Wow, it’s nice to see you mention the 1969 to 1971 Continental Mark III. That is also definitely in my top 5 list. One day I need to sit down and officially declare a 1,2,3,4,5 final list. It will be tough. Both the Seville and Mark III are very appealing to me. The 1967 to 1970 Eldorados are really nice, but I don’t think they’d rank in the top 5 for me. I like the years with the concealed headlamps the most - I think ‘67 and ‘68). Also in my top 5 would be ( and I know I’ll get killed for this)….1979 to 1981 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue. Another top 5 would be the 1979-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado (especially the interior and dash), and a car my mother owned, the 1969 Ford LTD Country Squire. Oh yeah, and another one I’ll get killed for… 1979 to 1980 Lincoln Versailles. I’ve often felt I was born 20-30 years too late, If I had been in my 30’s or 40’s I would have been able to buy these cars when they were introduced. @@TomSnyder-gx5ru
I have a 1980 2nd generation Seville. I really enjoy the car. I find it's rather absurd styling fun to look at and enjoy. Whereas I believe the 1st generation is a more timeless style I think the 2nd generation interiors are better thought out. The 1st generation interiors just left me wanting more.
It's great to hear that you're enjoying your 1980 2nd gen. Seville. It's interesting to compare the different design approaches between the first and second generations. In fact the 2nd gen. is much closer to the original concept of the 1st gen Seville. I'm thrilled to share more insights and lesser-known facts in an upcoming video. I appreciate your perspective on the interiors as well. Each generation definitely has its own charm and improvements. Nowadays, less is more for me. My Seville has very few options, and I enjoy it since less can break down or malfunction ;) Happy cruising your Seville!
I've owned several of these vintage Seville's and loved them. One was a highly used and rusty 1979 Elegante in black and silver. The next was a few years later and it was a one owner in perfect condition with zero rust. That was a maroonish brown with the matching top and leather. I kept that one for a long time. Now years later, I have a one owner (I'm the second owner) pristine 1986 Seville with 23,100 miles. Sitting along side it is my equally clean 1988 Cadillac Cimarron in red over silver with 61,000 miles. I love my older Cadillac's. Great videos by the way.
My father had one of those 1977 but he had to sell it because mom found out my dad bought the car with money she saved up as a down payment for a house in her country. Unfortunately my dream of being a mechanic never got fulfilled; with all this knowledge of swapping engines. I would have liked to restore a Seville with a LS swap
Thank you for sharing your personal story. It's bittersweet to hear about your father's 1977 Seville. It's never easy when dreams don't come to fruition, but who knows, maybe one day you'll have the chance to fulfill that dream and restore a Seville with an LS swap. Keep pursuing your passions, and thank you for watching my video!
This is a very refreshing take on a car that seemed pretty unexciting to me when it came out. I dig the take from a European about a Cadillac. I usually see an American gushing over a European model. Nice job on this TACG.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that you found my perspective refreshing. It's always fun to offer a different angle, especially when it comes to discussing cars across continents. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts!
It's quite possible that many parts were recycled within the General Motors brand. It helps streamline production processes and ensures consistency across different models within the same brand :) Thanks for your insight!
To be fair GM did a great job with the 76-9 Seville.The fuel injection was way ahead of the ECM that controlled it,they used the Olds V-8,and did a nice job hiding the X body platform.To be fair it was a great car in my unnecessary opinions,and it still looks good today.
The most striking thing about the '76 Sevile was its sheer beauty, with its forward front wheel placement, Silver-Shadow-inspired roofline, and its one-year-only egg-crate grill. The most interesting thing about it was the silk-purse-from-a-sow's-ear story of the conversion of the Nova/Camaro platform into a refined luxury car. The Nova X platform was neither refined nor space efficient since it had a massive front subframe which consumed space but overlapped the unitized body braces, and front wheels directly under the center of the engine to optimize the handling of the Camaro. The one thing both it and the Versailles had in their favor was a history of use in performance cars, giving both better handling potential than their primitive architectures would suggest. But GM did an amazing job of making this creaky platform even quieter than the bigger Cadillacs; they also made it hard for the casual observer to see any common lineage with its cheaper fore-bearers. What they couldn't do was get more than adequate performance out of the emission-controlled, CAFE-driven engine technology that was available at the time, or get more than 4-passenger comfort, even with a 3" stretch, out of the notoriously cramped Nova platform. The car was not for everyone, but for those who wanted European size with American cushy smoothness and quietness, it worked.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree, the egg-crate grill of '76 really complements the car's design. While the following years' grills are good too, nothing beats the charm of the first model year. I absolutely adore the interior of the '77, especially that two-spoked steering wheel - now angles, just a straight bar from left to right! It's true, the Seville stands out with its unique style and improvements, making it quite distinct from other X-Body cars. Thanks again for your input!
I have a 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon, which was an early attempt by GM to create a "Mercedes-fighter" before the Seville; alongside the Pontiac Grand Am. Both mentioned comparing them to more expensive "european touring cars" in their advertising and Car and Driver even decided to do a rather optimistivc comparison between a Salon and an S Class. I wonder if these were to test the waters for the Seville, to fill a gap while it was developed, or if they were totally separate programs. It's just a trim level and so has nowhere near the features of the Seville, but it is interesting to see what GM decided gave a car European credentials. Four door models only, front reclining bucket seats with console, headlight dimmer on the turn signal instead of the floor, 15" radial tires, "handling" suspension, paint matched wheel covers, and emblems with a bunch of flags was apparently what they thought it took. Or at least, what they could afford. Still, I'd love a Seville. Or an S class.
That could very well be the case, especially considering that the R&D for the Seville started around that time, if not a bit earlier. It's fascinating to see how Cadillac approached European cars. Although the car has a timeless styling, its American roots are evident when compared to European counterparts. Cadillacs aim for the international market didn't quite meet expectations. While they did sell some cars globally, they didn't make the impact they had hoped for. At least here in Europe. Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences, really appreciate it!
Never understood the sheer stupidity of rear red light blinkers. I drive a brand new German automobile which in this market has red, not amber rear blinkers. Some cars have amber blinkers but most don't. Don't get me started on our antiquated headlight laws. Now, for the 1976 Seville. We had one when they first came out, my mother drove it and loved it. Being Florida, it s hot and humid most of the year and the air conditioning was superior to my dads 1972 280 SE which he always complained about the insufficient air conditioning. Getting back to the Cadillac, rain water leaked into the trunk from the start and numerous other issues here and there. About 1978 it was replaced with a Fleetwood.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's always fascinating to hear about people's experiences with different cars. Appreciate you taking the time to comment!
I worked for Cadillac when the Seville came out at the start of production in May when it was introduced. At first, many American buyers did not like it because it was smaller and cost thousands more than the Sedan Deville!
Interesting video, a few inaccuracies sadly. It's relatively straight forward to keep the EFI running as original. Pity you don't have an email address, been with these cars over 40 years. I'd be interested in communicating.
Very interesting to hear a modern European perspective on the original Seville. It's hard even for me to appreciate the great styling only because GM started to endow its "lesser" marques with similar styling (Olds Cutlass and Buick Century sedans, Chevy Malibus, Pontiac LeMans, etc.) to the point that it was a bit "ho-hum" a few years after it had been on the roads. Definitely an excellent quality car, and it is not quite accurate to say that it was a bold move to compare Seville with "established" makes. Daimler-Benz may have had some years on Cadillac, but Cadillac was certainly not an upstart in any sense, especially compared with companies that were founded decades afterwards. Cadillac had veritable prestige in the 1930s, including the V-16 engine that only had competition for the soon-to-be-defunct company Marmon, while the big mass-produced Cadillacs of the 1960s had several traits that were class-leading. That being said, by 1976, Cadillac was very much mass-produced, and trying to focus on exclutivity by making comparisons to various European cars was indeed bold. But interestingly, its difficult to really compare the Seville with ANY of the cars that it compared itself to. Some of the Europeans were more sporting (the BMWs, others more luxurious (the 450SEL, Jaguar XJs and Silver Shadow), or comparatively austere (Volvo 164 and the Mercedes 200 series). The Seville might have outclassed some of these vehicles in certain areas, but none were a direct competitor. In fact, Seville supposedly cannibalized sales of larger Cadillac models. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing considering the Seville was as much as twice the price of a standard Cadillac. Classic cars as daily drivers are uncommon in my area, but I have seen the occasional original Seville in recent years driving on nice, fair weather days, and the condition is typically excellent rather than a "rat rod" on its last legs. Although I grew up with the highest regard for American cars, they lost a great deal of competitiveness and uniqueness in the wholesale shift from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, the pressures of corporate cost cutting, and the developmental costs of meeting various safety and environmental regulations. I remember having a conversation with a much younger car nut whose knowledge I greatly respect, and I had to agree with him that, GM for instance, lost much of its greatness when the last full-sized cars were produced.
Thank you so much for your insightful comment! Cadillacs bold move was indeed that they compared their Seville to other European brands, as it was ahead of them in many ways. And I couldn't agree more, that cars lost their greatness some decades ago. In my opinion, as a European, I think all of these US classics before the 80s had something special to them. But I must admit, that I love US classics in general more than European classics. Thanks again for taking the time commenting and sharing your well appreciated insights!
The 76 Seville was a gorgeous car, and it still looks great unfortunately GM cheapened out on the suspension. It could have been a Mercedes competitor, but at the time GM was run by bean counters and the stupid Congress voted in the 55mph speed limit. 55mph is 90 kmh for those in Europe. Trust me Democrats life mission is to rob people of joy. In Europe it’s the greens. Let freedom roll Autobahns for all
The initial price tag was considerably lower, but unfortunately, it proved unattainable. Also, I've got a video coming soon where I'll share some lesser-known facts with everyone.
My 1984 500SEL was $52k, so really Sevilles were "cheap" when compared to the Euro-imports. But both were a waste of money unless you had it to burn, which many did.
I rented a 2nd gen Seville back in the 1980's. Yes, the interior was a wonderful place to be. Horsepower was nonexistent by this time in California, but it sure was plush.
You did a really great job presenting the first generation Cadillac Seville. Despite having researched this car extensively, I have never seen some of the brochure or advertisement pictures you display in your video. It was nice to see those pics. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I feel this is one of the 5 most beautiful cars ever produced, and quite possibly #1. You also provided lots of interesting technical information about the car. Congratulations on a great job, and enjoy your Seville!
As far as styling is concerned - how about the '67-'70 Eldorado and the '69-'71 Continental MKIII ?
Wow, it’s nice to see you mention the 1969 to 1971 Continental Mark III. That is also definitely in my top 5 list. One day I need to sit down and officially declare a 1,2,3,4,5 final list. It will be tough. Both the Seville and Mark III are very appealing to me. The 1967 to 1970 Eldorados are really nice, but I don’t think they’d rank in the top 5 for me. I like the years with the concealed headlamps the most - I think ‘67 and ‘68). Also in my top 5 would be ( and I know I’ll get killed for this)….1979 to 1981 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue. Another top 5 would be the 1979-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado (especially the interior and dash), and a car my mother owned, the 1969 Ford LTD Country Squire. Oh yeah, and another one I’ll get killed for… 1979 to 1980 Lincoln Versailles. I’ve often felt I was born 20-30 years too late, If I had been in my 30’s or 40’s I would have been able to buy these cars when they were introduced. @@TomSnyder-gx5ru
I have a 1980 2nd generation Seville. I really enjoy the car. I find it's rather absurd styling fun to look at and enjoy. Whereas I believe the 1st generation is a more timeless style I think the 2nd generation interiors are better thought out. The 1st generation interiors just left me wanting more.
It's great to hear that you're enjoying your 1980 2nd gen. Seville. It's interesting to compare the different design approaches between the first and second generations. In fact the 2nd gen. is much closer to the original concept of the 1st gen Seville. I'm thrilled to share more insights and lesser-known facts in an upcoming video.
I appreciate your perspective on the interiors as well. Each generation definitely has its own charm and improvements. Nowadays, less is more for me. My Seville has very few options, and I enjoy it since less can break down or malfunction ;)
Happy cruising your Seville!
I think it’s Uber cool and a very elegant car. My friend’s dad had one back in the days in Germany. It was super exotic
I've owned several of these vintage Seville's and loved them. One was a highly used and rusty 1979 Elegante in black and silver. The next was a few years later and it was a one owner in perfect condition with zero rust. That was a maroonish brown with the matching top and leather. I kept that one for a long time. Now years later, I have a one owner (I'm the second owner) pristine 1986 Seville with 23,100 miles. Sitting along side it is my equally clean 1988 Cadillac Cimarron in red over silver with 61,000 miles. I love my older Cadillac's.
Great videos by the way.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences with these vintage Cadillacs! I'm thrilled to hear that you're enjoying my videos.
I owned a 1976 and a 1979 Seville. Both white . One with deep red leather. The other with saddle leather. Loved them both !
My father had one of those 1977 but he had to sell it because mom found out my dad bought the car with money she saved up as a down payment for a house in her country.
Unfortunately my dream of being a mechanic never got fulfilled; with all this knowledge of swapping engines. I would have liked to restore a Seville with a LS swap
Thank you for sharing your personal story. It's bittersweet to hear about your father's 1977 Seville. It's never easy when dreams don't come to fruition, but who knows, maybe one day you'll have the chance to fulfill that dream and restore a Seville with an LS swap. Keep pursuing your passions, and thank you for watching my video!
This is a very refreshing take on a car that seemed pretty unexciting to me when it came out. I dig the take from a European about a Cadillac. I usually see an American gushing over a European model. Nice job on this TACG.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that you found my perspective refreshing. It's always fun to offer a different angle, especially when it comes to discussing cars across continents. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts!
That looks like my 85 Chevy pickup s twilight! 😊😊
It's quite possible that many parts were recycled within the General Motors brand. It helps streamline production processes and ensures consistency across different models within the same brand :) Thanks for your insight!
To be fair GM did a great job with the 76-9 Seville.The fuel injection was way ahead of the ECM that controlled it,they used the Olds V-8,and did a nice job hiding the X body platform.To be fair it was a great car in my unnecessary opinions,and it still looks good today.
I have a 1976 Cadillac Seville.
The most striking thing about the '76 Sevile was its sheer beauty, with its forward front wheel placement, Silver-Shadow-inspired roofline, and its one-year-only egg-crate grill. The most interesting thing about it was the silk-purse-from-a-sow's-ear story of the conversion of the Nova/Camaro platform into a refined luxury car. The Nova X platform was neither refined nor space efficient since it had a massive front subframe which consumed space but overlapped the unitized body braces, and front wheels directly under the center of the engine to optimize the handling of the Camaro. The one thing both it and the Versailles had in their favor was a history of use in performance cars, giving both better handling potential than their primitive architectures would suggest. But GM did an amazing job of making this creaky platform even quieter than the bigger Cadillacs; they also made it hard for the casual observer to see any common lineage with its cheaper fore-bearers. What they couldn't do was get more than adequate performance out of the emission-controlled, CAFE-driven engine technology that was available at the time, or get more than 4-passenger comfort, even with a 3" stretch, out of the notoriously cramped Nova platform. The car was not for everyone, but for those who wanted European size with American cushy smoothness and quietness, it worked.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree, the egg-crate grill of '76 really complements the car's design. While the following years' grills are good too, nothing beats the charm of the first model year.
I absolutely adore the interior of the '77, especially that two-spoked steering wheel - now angles, just a straight bar from left to right!
It's true, the Seville stands out with its unique style and improvements, making it quite distinct from other X-Body cars.
Thanks again for your input!
@@thataustriancarguy I too like the two spoke wheel the best on this and the other 1978's. Something so elegant about it.
I have a 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon, which was an early attempt by GM to create a "Mercedes-fighter" before the Seville; alongside the Pontiac Grand Am. Both mentioned comparing them to more expensive "european touring cars" in their advertising and Car and Driver even decided to do a rather optimistivc comparison between a Salon and an S Class. I wonder if these were to test the waters for the Seville, to fill a gap while it was developed, or if they were totally separate programs. It's just a trim level and so has nowhere near the features of the Seville, but it is interesting to see what GM decided gave a car European credentials. Four door models only, front reclining bucket seats with console, headlight dimmer on the turn signal instead of the floor, 15" radial tires, "handling" suspension, paint matched wheel covers, and emblems with a bunch of flags was apparently what they thought it took. Or at least, what they could afford. Still, I'd love a Seville. Or an S class.
That could very well be the case, especially considering that the R&D for the Seville started around that time, if not a bit earlier. It's fascinating to see how Cadillac approached European cars. Although the car has a timeless styling, its American roots are evident when compared to European counterparts. Cadillacs aim for the international market didn't quite meet expectations. While they did sell some cars globally, they didn't make the impact they had hoped for. At least here in Europe.
Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences, really appreciate it!
I have owned 4 Sevilles
Never understood the sheer stupidity of rear red light blinkers. I drive a brand new German automobile which in this market has red, not amber rear blinkers. Some cars have amber blinkers but most don't. Don't get me started on our antiquated headlight laws. Now, for the 1976 Seville. We had one when they first came out, my mother drove it and loved it. Being Florida, it s hot and humid most of the year and the air conditioning was superior to my dads 1972 280 SE which he always complained about the insufficient air conditioning. Getting back to the Cadillac, rain water leaked into the trunk from the start and numerous other issues here and there. About 1978 it was replaced with a Fleetwood.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's always fascinating to hear about people's experiences with different cars. Appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Even the Chevy Nova and Buick Apollo were pretty decent cars back in the day, as long as you had the 350 V8.
I worked for Cadillac when the Seville came out at the start of production in May when it was introduced. At first, many American buyers did not like it because it was smaller and cost thousands more than the Sedan Deville!
Wow, your insights are worth its weight in gold! Thank you so much for sharing them, I can't thank you enough!
Thank you! I will answer any questions you may have on your 76 Seville. I worked for a Cadillac dealer in NY from 1965-2010!
Interesting video, a few inaccuracies sadly. It's relatively straight forward to keep the EFI running as original.
Pity you don't have an email address, been with these cars over 40 years. I'd be interested in communicating.
Very interesting to hear a modern European perspective on the original Seville. It's hard even for me to appreciate the great styling only because GM started to endow its "lesser" marques with similar styling (Olds Cutlass and Buick Century sedans, Chevy Malibus, Pontiac LeMans, etc.) to the point that it was a bit "ho-hum" a few years after it had been on the roads. Definitely an excellent quality car, and it is not quite accurate to say that it was a bold move to compare Seville with "established" makes. Daimler-Benz may have had some years on Cadillac, but Cadillac was certainly not an upstart in any sense, especially compared with companies that were founded decades afterwards. Cadillac had veritable prestige in the 1930s, including the V-16 engine that only had competition for the soon-to-be-defunct company Marmon, while the big mass-produced Cadillacs of the 1960s had several traits that were class-leading. That being said, by 1976, Cadillac was very much mass-produced, and trying to focus on exclutivity by making comparisons to various European cars was indeed bold. But interestingly, its difficult to really compare the Seville with ANY of the cars that it compared itself to. Some of the Europeans were more sporting (the BMWs, others more luxurious (the 450SEL, Jaguar XJs and Silver Shadow), or comparatively austere (Volvo 164 and the Mercedes 200 series). The Seville might have outclassed some of these vehicles in certain areas, but none were a direct competitor. In fact, Seville supposedly cannibalized sales of larger Cadillac models. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing considering the Seville was as much as twice the price of a standard Cadillac. Classic cars as daily drivers are uncommon in my area, but I have seen the occasional original Seville in recent years driving on nice, fair weather days, and the condition is typically excellent rather than a "rat rod" on its last legs. Although I grew up with the highest regard for American cars, they lost a great deal of competitiveness and uniqueness in the wholesale shift from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, the pressures of corporate cost cutting, and the developmental costs of meeting various safety and environmental regulations. I remember having a conversation with a much younger car nut whose knowledge I greatly respect, and I had to agree with him that, GM for instance, lost much of its greatness when the last full-sized cars were produced.
Thank you so much for your insightful comment! Cadillacs bold move was indeed that they compared their Seville to other European brands, as it was ahead of them in many ways. And I couldn't agree more, that cars lost their greatness some decades ago. In my opinion, as a European, I think all of these US classics before the 80s had something special to them. But I must admit, that I love US classics in general more than European classics.
Thanks again for taking the time commenting and sharing your well appreciated insights!
Ooph, 14mpg. Well I guess that's not terrible since my '84 500SEL barely gets that on a good day.
Utube can't spell!! 😅😅😅
The 76 Seville was a gorgeous car, and it still looks great unfortunately GM cheapened out on the suspension. It could have been a Mercedes competitor, but at the time GM was run by bean counters and the stupid Congress voted in the 55mph speed limit. 55mph is 90 kmh for those in Europe. Trust me Democrats life mission is to rob people of joy. In Europe it’s the greens. Let freedom roll Autobahns for all
The only "bold" thing about the Seville was it's inflated price!
The initial price tag was considerably lower, but unfortunately, it proved unattainable. Also, I've got a video coming soon where I'll share some lesser-known facts with everyone.
This was a huge departure for American design and manufacturers
My 1984 500SEL was $52k, so really Sevilles were "cheap" when compared to the Euro-imports. But both were a waste of money unless you had it to burn, which many did.
Downsizing GMs of lates 70s was wonderful, too american and too rationals, not so all the Mopars and Ford.
Horrible intrusive music.