I grew up in a small Midwestern town and my best buddy in school was “the doctor’s kid” whose father bought one of these when they were new. My friend was paranoid about being labeled “the rich kid” so he made his parents drop him off around the corner from school and walk in the last couple of blocks every morning rather than deal with the “humiliation” of being dropped off in front of the building in a Cadillac! I always thought if he wanted to know TRUE humiliation he should have been dropped off in a very rusty, pea green, four door, 1969 Delta 88 like I was…..🤔
My Dad carpooled to work with an older Gentleman, who retired around 1990, who drove one of these. To me, these Caddies, with their ugly humpback styling and anemic but super quiet motors, epitomized the old man car. By contrast, there was this kid in my high school who had a fake ID, smoked, and drove a '69 Olds Ninety-Eight with the 455 4 barrel rocket engine. Being the eighties, he had one of the fastest cars in the lot😁 His old bomber was known to beat the 5.0 Mustangs the rich brats drove, and allegedly could run door handle to door handle with a new Buick Grand Nat up to 60
@@ohioalphornmusicalsawman2474 My Uncle, who lived in Ohio had a 69 Olds 98 with the big engine. It was stoplight to stoplight drag race every minute of every day that he drove it. What amazed me was that the tranny and engine held up great to this constant hard use.
Try being dropped off in a Florida Blue VW Rabbit..in a rural high school where the popular kids drove Z28s and lifted Chevy pickups. Though, about halfway through high school, I was watching an autocross event hosted at our Civic Center parking lot. At the end of the event, one of the marshals had a bullhorn, inviting spectators to a fun run with their cars....I was shocked when I heard "Hey you, with the blue Rabbit...those things are awesome on the course, bring it over!" So I did...we walked through a tech inspection, boosted the inflation on the tires...got a helmet and tried it out on the course...and I was hooked.....of course, my classmates were puzzled by the concept...their idea of performance was dragging stop light to stop light on Main Street.
Being English born, I never had a liking for american motorcars, except for the 1970 Cadillacs & Lincolns. We've always been a R.R. family. Still have 2 of our originally owned 1965 Silver Cloud III's. My Great Grandparents however had a Daimler DS420, (which is still in use in England by my 1st cousin) Anyway the point of all that was to say that the Slantback Seville is THE ONLY Cadillac of the 1980's that I truly love. It reminds me so much of my Great Grand's Daimler DS420. For the life of me I can not understand why they were not well rec'd by the americans. Classic/beautiful flowing lines on the beauty! Truly gorgeous!
Hands down, the 1980 - 1985 Seville has the most elegant front designs of any car, subtle differences make all the difference. GM was very proud of the Seville's flush mounted windshield, installed from inside the car rather than the old way of dropping the glass onto the frame from outside the car. To my eyes, the Seville's trunk design seems to make the hood appear even longer than the Eldorado's. Wish more owners had chosen the alloy wheels, they really highlight the Seville's elegant overall design. Thank you, Adam.
@@RobHealy1 Yes, I had to check my old showroom brochure! The aluminum alloy wheels were an option on all Seville and Eldorado models, standard on the Eldorado Touring Coupe. Those wheels really accentuate the Seville's flowing design, in my opinion.
@@eddstarr2185 you bet they did! That's one of the nicest looking factory wheels ever... Right next to the 56-57 Eldorado Sabre Spoke, in my opinion. I also always loved the old Lincoln forged aluminum dish wheels that they used in the mid Seventies. Cheers
I used to watch this channel strictly for the cars. Now, I also benefit from the almost Zen-like experience of the presentation style. And today, I NEED it... as I am having an unpleasant out-patient procedure this morning. I will try chanting "bustle-back" as a mantra to aid the local anesthesia.
It still retains the classic Cadillac front end. Modern Cadillacs don’t have that classic look which is a shame. I’d love to see retro 50’s look coming back to Cadillac 😊
I lived in South Africa in a couple of occasions in the 80’s. The 2nd time I lived there…a friend had the only 84 Seville in all the country. Was a never ending service nightmare !
How awesome is that. Riding around in a Cadillac feels a certain way in America where you can access them easily, so I imagine the feeling in a whole different country where they’re hard to get is a whole nother feeling!
Many of the wealthy families in my hometown rushed out to buy this Seville. I can still see them taking their kids for the first ride in them. Everyone was in awe of its ride and beauty inside and out. The first one I ever saw in town was a white one. I will never forget that moment all those years ago. The family in it, felt special. We were still riding in our 74 Eldorado which seemed old by then but was still an aging beauty with rust spots on the body.
That engine start at the very beginning was music to my ears. There is nothing like hearing an HT-4100 come to life. Your videos are so wonderful to me because of all the historical information you include. I've been in love with the Bustleback Seville since I was a young boy in 1980. I remember seeing a lot of older people drive these around town all throughout the 80's. I've driven a couple of these, and the ride is SO plush. This vintage of Seville has such an executive look to it, and that lovely bell chime was such a nice touch of old-world class. Wonderful video for a wonderful car. I have so many fond memories of these.
That is without a doubt the most beautiful and elegant example of that car I've ever seen outside a dealer showroom - and I was lucky enough to sit in one as a kid at a dealership. You are a lucky man.
I LOVE those Cars. My Mom had one in 88. Dark Blue with the Simulated White Convertible Top and the Gold Trim Package. Still to this day, what I consider, one of the most BEAUTIFUL Cars of all time
My grandfather had one of these. It was white with like a maroon velvet type interior. He was a long-time cigar smoker, but when he bought this car new, he cold-turkey stopped smoking. I remember the car to be very roomy, comfortable, and safe. Funny how 40+ years later, cars are still getting 20-25 mpg. I would love to have that car back to just cruise around in. Nice review!
I've always loved the Cadillac trumpet horn. It just says classy barge coming through. Love the horn so much i took the horn out of my Carrolla & put the Cadillac trumpet horn in it lol & it gets people to move lol
I agree. Was not fan of this design. Although I would very much like to have a beautiful car like this one. I believe my appeal to Adam's cars are the wonderful years (or times) that they represent. The cars remind me of different times that I have very fond memories of. At the time, those years didn't seem like anything special. But there isn't much that I wouldn't do to return to the 70s~80s. Cheers
Back in the early 80's, my boyfriend Mark was working at a Cadillac dealership. He showed me the back lot, surrounded by a fence. Inside, there were four Sevilles and Eldorados of this vintage, with the new fuel-injected engines. They were burned up, to the point where even the tires were melted off. Mark told me that the Cadillacs with the EFI had two kinds of ender badges: if the lettering was red, they were likely to catch fire without warning. The ones with the BLACK lettering didn't have that bug in the design. Off topic, I just left a bunch more comments on the '61 Imperial dash-panel page. I also plan to upload the ENTIRE '55-56 Dodge LaFemme original article with pictures soon, and will mention its URL on the LaFemme page. You're doing a great job!
The Bustleback Seville is so unique!!! I thought that the 76 - 79 Seville was so classy so when the 80 came out I hated it. Now I'm older & wiser, I love it!!! 👍👍🎃
Thanks for this video. I had a 83 Seville and I don't know why I ever sold her. Funny when you mentioned the back windows I'd remembered that I had a 1986 Pontiac Bonneville (beautiful car) that had absolutely NO options at all to roll down the back windows. I'd originally thought I'd bought a old police car until recently. The Malibu sedan was the same. That Caddy is amazing brother!
I used to think this Biscuit interior was the Classiest Seats of any car. I had it in my ‘85 Biarritz Eldorado in that Beautiful Red and stainless top and Astro roof. It had the Added Extended Chrome Hood Extension with the flying Goddess. My sister would always say “The King has arrived” lol. I was scared of the car when I knew more about the engine and transmission. But that car just on looks alone could sell any day of the week.
I thought I’ve seen a Pure Michigan plate on another one of your beauties before. Glad to see a fellow Michigander who enjoys a drive on these crisp days. Thanks for showing us your collection!
I have always loved the styling of that era Seville. I think Cadillac nailed it. I wish they had designed it to use the SBC engine and in a RWD configuration.
My dad bought one in two tone gold in 85. It was a great colour combination with light tan leather. I remember many family road trips in that car and I remember that in the mid to late eighties that it did feel dated by the time dad came home in 88 with a new sedan Deville gold edition. That was a beauty done in black with grey leather
My buddy just picked up a clean 1983 with low mileage that was well cared for. When we first drove it the 4100 was pretty lethargic and weak. With a tune up, fresh gas, a new replacement high flow catalytic converter to replace the shot and restrictive pellet unit, replaced fluids, a bump in base timing by 4 degrees and some higher quality ignition wires and plugs the difference was staggering to say the least. It went from about a 17 second 0-60 car to under 12 seconds which is still not quick but more than enough to keep up with traffic and pass on a two lane road safely. I went over the oil change and anti-freeze regimen and GM stop leak with them and they are going to follow that closely along with waiting for heat to come out of the vents before driving so should have many years of good service with this car!
I also had a 1984 Cadillac Seville Elegant gold delivery with the same brown interior and outside brown two-tone. My goodness, I loved the car, it was the most beautiful car I've ever had. Unfortunately, someone drove into my side who overlooked a stop sign.
Another spot on episode. When I think of Cadillac, this car and the 76-79 Sevilles come to mind. The Cadillac looks great 👍 keep up the great & informative videos 🤘
The bustleback might have been all about the rear end design, yet it some ways so was the 1976 Seville. Come to think of it, so was my all time favorite Cadillac design, the 1967-70 Eldorado. When the 1976 Seville launched it had an air of elegance, even a sort of formal restraint, and yet looked modern. There was something about how the rear wheel arches made the wheels look larger than they were, and the body above the wheels slimmer, and right on top of that slimness, that formal, upright rear window. The trunk also continued that slimness, smartly ending with the wrap around rear lights. The two tone Elegante, with its painted roof rather than vinyl, accented this slimness, and formal rear window, even more and with auto level control it looked oh so very stylish, and expensive. Even with that modern look, it seemed to recall something from the 1930s. As EmmyJune212008 points out the 1976 Seville had great dash-to-front-axle ratio, adding to its elegance. Then the bustleback arrived and it removed what defined the car. Perhaps it was the right decision, but not for me. Sales of the 1976-79 Seville peaked at almost 57,000 units in 1978, and even in its final year sold over 53,000. The bustleback never sold even 40,000 units, and in its third year sold less than 20,000. While the 1976 Seville looked smaller than it was, the bustleback, to my eyes, looked larger. My friend's mother had the diesel version bustleback. It was heavy, sounded clattery and seemed like a tired car. To me the Seville will always be the 1976-79, and it still looks good today.
Absolutely! That first-gen Seville was an exceptional design. It had a sense of proportion and stance more like the European sedans - with the wheels pushed to the corners of the body emphasizing an athletic, road-ready look. At the same time, the design and the detailing was pure Cadillac. What Bill Mitchell called, "shear" design - with crisp, straight lines that really dominated auto styling for the next decade. My favorite part of the first Seville is that wide, upright "C" pillar - a crib of Rolls Royce sedans at the time. I remember when Motor Trend interviewed Mitchell upon the Seville's introduction and he pointed that out. When the interviewer asked him why they didn't make the Seville look more like a contemporary Mercedes he replied, "If you're gonna' steal you rob a bank, not a grocery store!"
Growing up in Michigan during the 80’s and 90’s I would see tons of these. I was never particularly fond of them but they’re really eye catching nowadays. We had an 83 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Ave at the time. It’s actually the car that got me into Mopars. It became my first car in 98.
Yeah, you either love it or hate it, and I really used to hate these, but have grown over the years to only dislike them, lol. These were out when I was very young, but I remember a number of relatives on my mother’s side who were Cadillac buyers making fun of this model wondering what the hell Cadillac was thinking trying to sell cars that looked like the rear end was “sawed off”. Given how iconic and successful the “classic” Cadillac style was from the 50s through even the 90s, the lack of a long, prominent tail end with vestigial fins and vertical tail lamps was sacrilege to them, and I agree. It’s not even functional as that trunk would be larger if it didn’t have that odd bustleback slope (sorry Wayne Kady!). Add the fact that these cost more than a Fleetwood Brougham, and I could never get the appeal. As Cadillac needs to learn even today, if someone wants a Mercedes, they’ll buy a Mercedes. Trying to copy Mercedes and BMW and ditching their heritage has led them down a path from “Standard of the World” to just another also-ran car company. I feel the Seville, though not necessarily a failure itself, unfortunately marked one of the first steps in this journey.
It has taken me decades to find the name of the designer of this Cadillac, thankfully I clicked on this link. It has taken more than 4 decades to accept the design of this car, it is slowly growing on me, the front is otherwise perfect.
This has, is & always will be my preferred Cadillac of any model ever. Daring design, ultra smooth & quiet ride, my preferred trim is the Elegante with the two-tone Plum Firemist paint. As a 15 year old kid going into 9th grade auto mechanics is when this came out. I loved it but my classmates not so much, probably enjoyed going against the grain of choice. I remember the brochure I carried everywhere, it was a textured white parchment paper style with the Cadillac crest embossed on the cover. I like the blacked out trim inside, less bling for your eyes, as well brings out the grain of the fake wood a bit more classy.
In 1997 I bought an 84 Seville with factory alloy wheels, a rare option. That car was a money pit. Luckily I worked at a dealership at the time and all the service on the car was cost plus 10%. The heater core was the most expensive repair I recall. But it needed a lot of front end work. Mine was lighter in color with the same color interior as this car. Those seats were so sumptuous. Really quite and nice riding car with a gutless 4.1 engine. Merging on to a Houston freeway was a test of one's nerves. The engine really let this version of the Seville down. I eventually sold it to a guy who wanted a car to drive across the country. I wouldn't mind owning one of these with a v8-6-4. It's a good engine with the cylinder deactivation disconnected. One thing Adam didn't point out is the side glass on these cars is THICK, presumably to cut down on noise.
I feel the EXACT same way about fall and driving my 81 Imperial. The car cabin is intimate & has a distinct smell when heater warms interior. Also brings back memories. It’s something you cannot buy no matter how much you pay for a new car
What a beautiful example! I recall the stir these cars created when they were new quite well. A friend bought an '83 with the Bose sound system, which was quite impressive for the day. I think the styling is good, but of the three luxury cars (Seville, Continental, and Imperial) with the bustle back design, the Continental carried it off the best. I think so because the Continental (Fox) body is narrower, and the vertical taillights create a further visual impression of height that this type of styling needs to be successful.
BITD I owned a Givenchy Continental in two tone blue with velour interior, fully loaded. The Continental of this Era is so much better than the Seville in build quality, not space. The throttle body injected 302 with 4AOD transmission is virtually indestructible. Loved my Continental.
These have always been sort of an "automotive guilty pleasure" for me. The design is just so unlike anything on the road today: and I think it's great! Like an American Rolls-Royce.
Having owned Cadillac and Mercedes of that era, the reliability of the Cadillac cars was stellar. We had an '85 Fleetwood Brougham FWD and the engine used more oil than we had experienced with Cadillac. I was told by Cadillac the rings on the piston were "lined up" instead of staggered.
Sweet video, brings back memories growing up in the early 80s when these were everywhere. One of my first cars was an 80 Eldorado with the 368ci NON-8-6-4, Was a great, torquey motor, and the fuel injection was actually very reliable. My grandfather had an 85 Eldo at that time, lot of fond memories of us comparing our cars -it was just peculiar to note the strange differences -we couldn't believe GM was going kinda backwards in many ways, and from a great motor (olds 350 was a good one too) to the now infamous "hook and tow" 4.1 -thanks for reminding me of that precious jem!! Looking forward to your upcoming Doug Damerau of this car!!!🙂
Amazing to point out the subtle design aspects that make such a difference. Also remarkable is the mention of the wheel/body stance. Especially with the turbine vane wheels, which are massive looking themselves, the car has a very sustantial look to it. Plus, the flush windshield with the massive roof contours is something that I remember well from our 81.
I called it the wheel offset. GM always had that correct on all of their cars. Ford and Chrysler larger cars, the body always kind of hung over the wheels like they were trying to save a nickel with a shorter axle or something. I noticed this as a kid and always hated that. The cars looked ridiculous from the rear.
This Seville is SO GORGEOUS!! This example is the reason the why the 1984-1985 was so popular and why they still have loving followers. Your videos are very interesting and informative. Keep up the great work. I enjoy your car enthusiasm. 👏👏👏🏆
I still have a very vivid memory of seeing a kid at school being dropped off in 1984 in a Seville Bustleback. At the time this thing was the king of luxury and I was so jealous.
I've always wanted one of these, my dad had a beautiful one in charcoal grey (or something like that). I used to love the way it felt as we rode down the freeway. It felt like we were gliding. The problem is getting one today that isn't practically junked. The problem with the Cadillacs and Lincolns of this era was that once they started to break down, they went quickly. These vehicles are intricate and not easily repaired and the parts not easily replaced. You often find yourself breaking something trying to repair something else, or something going bad leading to a cascade of issues. I feel like this would make an awesome electric engine swap candidate.
It might be a coincidence..but I have noticed that men who love this cars styling are usually very educated, down to earth, are "foodies", romantic, and believe you only live once so you better live well. In other words..we are keepers. 😉 Thanks for another great vid, Adam! 🙂👍
If I came across a V8-6-4 I think I'd have to keep the system active. It seems like such a neat idea... GM actually trying to do something innovative. Mercedes demoed cylinder deactivation on the 1979 w126 500SEL, but it never shipped as far as I know. But they managed to do it with Bosh CIS! Speaking of controls... I was amazed at how much nicer the turn signal / headlight dimmer lever felt on my ELR compared to a friends Chevy. Same looking control, but the one in the Cadillac felt much much nicer.
The first time I remember seeing one of these beautiful cars is seeing one in the segment "Night of the Rat" in the film Nightmares. I thought it was such a gorgeous, stately car. It is my dream to own one of these.
Thanks for the memories, i was a young Caddy-Chevy dealer Tech back then, Had a Engineer tell me the HT4100 was the best engine ever made! Ok Buddy! FWIW i am still a Caddy-Chev Dealer Tech!
Adam, I hated the bustle back car back then - I was a car crazy teen. But it “grew” on me years later and now I love it. I think this car is much more handsome in it’s time than the later BMW Bangle bustle back cars were in their day. I’m so thankful that you are collecting and preserving so many cars. I can imagine a future when enthusiasts talk about “Adam’s collection”. 😁 I’m also thankful for you sharing all your knowledge.
I use to own a 1984 Cadillac Coupe DeVille with the 4.1L engine. What a piece of junk that was. Every time the odometer reached 89/90k, I had to replace the engine. Besides the original engine, I replaced it two more time. Then finally the rockers started to rust out so I got rid of it. To me, the "Bustleback" Seville was a take-off to the cars of the 1930's, only with a more aerodynamic design to them. Also you're right about not having any power. I never even attempted to pass another car unless I was on the freeway where the car I passed was heading in the same direction as I was. I loved the styling of the car but I wouldn't buy another Cadillac of those years because of the engine and the power.
Great video! I owned an Elegant. Classy black and silver. It wanted to hydroplane easily when raining. The a/c unit leaked and needed to be recharged each and every spring. It always looked nice parked under the street lights in downtown Boston.
Back in the 80s, my parents had a new Fleetwood Brougham D'elegance. The ride in that era of cadillac was impeccable. I can remember feeling rich just riding in it.
My neighbor had an 86 D' Elegance (big, fluffy pillow top seats) just like you stated. I still believe that car had the best and quietest ride of any car ever. Was slow, and the lifters would rattle sometimes under acceleration like most cars in those years. But man, what a smooth and plush ride!
My in-laws were GM faithful and in 86 they bought a Sedan DeVille. I found it under powered, overpriced and understyled. But, in a drive from San Diego to San Jose, I discovered the joy of the highway cruiser and imagined what a 60's car might have been like. It was a very pleasant and very civilized ride.
My dad was in management at the local Cadillac dealership from the late 70's thru the 90's and as a kid just learning about cars and driving the Cadillac in that time frame was the luxury standard. Mercedes & Rolls Royce had a luxury presense in that time but not like today. The Seville coming out with the swope back was a huge jump in styling for 1985.
I think you pointed out just about everything that I love about the 80-85 Seville. I have a 81 Elegante, and I love it. Love the rake of the A pillar, and the windshield which is uncharacteristic of an 80’s 4 door car. It not only looks richer inside- it is a much more comfortable car inside than the 76-79 Seville. I own a 76 and I can tell you the 81 gets more seat time, it just has a better ergonomic design and feel. Love the rear and the subtle curves with the all the creases and angles. I need to find the trumpet horn, those two extra horns are just Cadillac to me. The 4100 has been good to me in other cars, and I also drove this in other Sevilles, but I really love the 6.0L, it’s not fast but it is very strong and feels noticeably quicker. The trunk is huge, most people don’t expect that in such an angular looking design.
Re the coloured headliners. If you can’t get what you are after you can easily paint them to match the colour you are after and you would never know. I did that on my Mark VI Lincoln sedan (blue).
Авто/Мото
I grew up in a small Midwestern town and my best buddy in school was “the doctor’s kid” whose father bought one of these when they were new. My friend was paranoid about being labeled “the rich kid” so he made his parents drop him off around the corner from school and walk in the last couple of blocks every morning rather than deal with the “humiliation” of being dropped off in front of the building in a Cadillac! I always thought if he wanted to know TRUE humiliation he should have been dropped off in a very rusty, pea green, four door, 1969 Delta 88 like I was…..🤔
I will take the Delta 88 any day 😁
My Dad carpooled to work with an older Gentleman, who retired around 1990, who drove one of these. To me, these Caddies, with their ugly humpback styling and anemic but super quiet motors, epitomized the old man car. By contrast, there was this kid in my high school who had a fake ID, smoked, and drove a '69 Olds Ninety-Eight with the 455 4 barrel rocket engine. Being the eighties, he had one of the fastest cars in the lot😁 His old bomber was known to beat the 5.0 Mustangs the rich brats drove, and allegedly could run door handle to door handle with a new Buick Grand Nat up to 60
What right lane hog said
@@ohioalphornmusicalsawman2474 My Uncle, who lived in Ohio had a 69 Olds 98 with the big engine. It was stoplight to stoplight drag race every minute of every day that he drove it. What amazed me was that the tranny and engine held up great to this constant hard use.
Try being dropped off in a Florida Blue VW Rabbit..in a rural high school where the popular kids drove Z28s and lifted Chevy pickups. Though, about halfway through high school, I was watching an autocross event hosted at our Civic Center parking lot. At the end of the event, one of the marshals had a bullhorn, inviting spectators to a fun run with their cars....I was shocked when I heard "Hey you, with the blue Rabbit...those things are awesome on the course, bring it over!" So I did...we walked through a tech inspection, boosted the inflation on the tires...got a helmet and tried it out on the course...and I was hooked.....of course, my classmates were puzzled by the concept...their idea of performance was dragging stop light to stop light on Main Street.
Being English born, I never had a liking for american motorcars, except for the 1970 Cadillacs & Lincolns. We've always been a R.R. family. Still have 2 of our originally owned 1965 Silver Cloud III's. My Great Grandparents however had a Daimler DS420, (which is still in use in England by my 1st cousin) Anyway the point of all that was to say that the Slantback Seville is THE ONLY Cadillac of the 1980's that I truly love. It reminds me so much of my Great Grand's Daimler DS420. For the life of me I can not understand why they were not well rec'd by the americans. Classic/beautiful flowing lines on the beauty! Truly gorgeous!
Beautiful background scenery, you for sure know where to film 👍😉😁,. Very well done video
Hands down, the 1980 - 1985 Seville has the most elegant front designs of any car, subtle differences make all the difference. GM was very proud of the Seville's flush mounted windshield, installed from inside the car rather than the old way of dropping the glass onto the frame from outside the car. To my eyes, the Seville's trunk design seems to make the hood appear even longer than the Eldorado's. Wish more owners had chosen the alloy wheels, they really highlight the Seville's elegant overall design. Thank you, Adam.
Were there alloys on any of this generation aside for the ETC models? I don't recall alloys on standard trims until the next gen.
@@RobHealy1 Yes, I had to check my old showroom brochure! The aluminum alloy wheels were an option on all Seville and Eldorado models, standard on the Eldorado Touring Coupe. Those wheels really accentuate the Seville's flowing design, in my opinion.
@@eddstarr2185 you bet they did!
That's one of the nicest looking factory wheels ever... Right next to the 56-57 Eldorado Sabre Spoke, in my opinion.
I also always loved the old Lincoln forged aluminum dish wheels that they used in the mid Seventies.
Cheers
@@victorseastrom3455 Indeed, also the Daimler DS420: i.pinimg.com/736x/f4/17/00/f417007ee3647ffba837f22f4e284d77--jaguar-daimler-wedding-cars.jpg
Wait. The windshield is installed and removed from INSIDE the car?
I used to watch this channel strictly for the cars. Now, I also benefit from the almost Zen-like experience of the presentation style. And today, I NEED it... as I am having an unpleasant out-patient procedure this morning. I will try chanting "bustle-back" as a mantra to aid the local anesthesia.
Maybe not my favorite style, but what a beautiful, clean, and shiny example. You have some beautiful cars in your collection.
The only Cadillac model that Hot Wheels made!
It still retains the classic Cadillac front end. Modern Cadillacs don’t have that classic look which is a shame. I’d love to see retro 50’s look coming back to Cadillac 😊
I lived in South Africa in a couple of occasions in the 80’s.
The 2nd time I lived there…a friend had the only 84 Seville in all the country.
Was a never ending service nightmare !
How awesome is that. Riding around in a Cadillac feels a certain way in America where you can access them easily, so I imagine the feeling in a whole different country where they’re hard to get is a whole nother feeling!
@@EGLS254
You’re correct…
I also had access to the only 1968 Dodge Charger in the entire country, and the only 1970 Buick Skylark.
Always loved the turn signals on the hood. Just always was amazed at that as a little kid
Many of the wealthy families in my hometown rushed out to buy this Seville. I can still see them taking their kids for the first ride in them. Everyone was in awe of its ride and beauty inside and out. The first one I ever saw in town was a white one. I will never forget that moment all those years ago. The family in it, felt special. We were still riding in our 74 Eldorado which seemed old by then but was still an aging beauty with rust spots on the body.
I had an 85 Seville. Bought it with 20xxx miles in 1990. I loved the car and it was always an eye catcher. Thanks for sharing.
That engine start at the very beginning was music to my ears. There is nothing like hearing an HT-4100 come to life. Your videos are so wonderful to me because of all the historical information you include. I've been in love with the Bustleback Seville since I was a young boy in 1980. I remember seeing a lot of older people drive these around town all throughout the 80's. I've driven a couple of these, and the ride is SO plush. This vintage of Seville has such an executive look to it, and that lovely bell chime was such a nice touch of old-world class. Wonderful video for a wonderful car. I have so many fond memories of these.
That HT-4100 was a piece of shit engine
That is without a doubt the most beautiful and elegant example of that car I've ever seen outside a dealer showroom - and I was lucky enough to sit in one as a kid at a dealership. You are a lucky man.
I LOVE those Cars. My Mom had one in 88. Dark Blue with the Simulated White Convertible Top and the Gold Trim Package. Still to this day, what I consider, one of the most BEAUTIFUL Cars of all time
My grandfather had one of these. It was white with like a maroon velvet type interior. He was a long-time cigar smoker, but when he bought this car new, he cold-turkey stopped smoking. I remember the car to be very roomy, comfortable, and safe. Funny how 40+ years later, cars are still getting 20-25 mpg. I would love to have that car back to just cruise around in. Nice review!
OMG!!!!! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
I wanted one of these in high school, and I still want one!!!!!
Are you Close to Phoenix az ?
Loved my 84 in Rosewood Metallic. Interior always smelled like new with that good quality leather My kids named her Aunt Bea
What a joy to see this car! I have loved this rear styling ever since it came out. Thanks!
I've always loved the Cadillac trumpet horn. It just says classy barge coming through. Love the horn so much i took the horn out of my Carrolla & put the Cadillac trumpet horn in it lol & it gets people to move lol
Great idea! I should put that horn in my Corolla! I imagine people would look around wondering where that noise came from.
You know, it's really funny how I thought this was the ugliest car in the world when I was little, but now I would give anything to have one.
Same thing here 😄
I agree. Was not fan of this design. Although I would very much like to have a beautiful car like this one. I believe my appeal to Adam's cars are the wonderful years (or times) that they represent. The cars remind me of different times that I have very fond memories of. At the time, those years didn't seem like anything special. But there isn't much that I wouldn't do to return to the 70s~80s. Cheers
You were a wise child.
Back in the early 80's, my boyfriend Mark was working at a Cadillac dealership. He showed me the back lot, surrounded by a fence. Inside, there were four Sevilles and Eldorados of this vintage, with the new fuel-injected engines.
They were burned up, to the point where even the tires were melted off. Mark told me that the Cadillacs with the EFI had two kinds of ender badges: if the lettering was red, they were likely to catch fire without warning. The ones with the BLACK lettering didn't have that bug in the design.
Off topic, I just left a bunch more comments on the '61 Imperial dash-panel page. I also plan to upload the ENTIRE '55-56 Dodge LaFemme original article with pictures soon, and will mention its URL on the LaFemme page.
You're doing a great job!
The Bustleback Seville is so unique!!! I thought that the 76 - 79 Seville was so classy so when the 80 came out I hated it. Now I'm older & wiser, I love it!!! 👍👍🎃
Thanks for this video. I had a 83 Seville and I don't know why I ever sold her.
Funny when you mentioned the back windows I'd remembered that I had a 1986 Pontiac Bonneville (beautiful car) that had absolutely NO options at all to roll down the back windows. I'd originally thought I'd bought a old police car until recently. The Malibu sedan was the same.
That Caddy is amazing brother!
I used to think this Biscuit interior was the Classiest Seats of any car. I had it in my ‘85 Biarritz Eldorado in that Beautiful Red and stainless top and Astro roof. It had the Added Extended Chrome Hood Extension with the flying Goddess. My sister would always say “The King has arrived” lol. I was scared of the car when I knew more about the engine and transmission. But that car just on looks alone could sell any day of the week.
I thought I’ve seen a Pure Michigan plate on another one of your beauties before. Glad to see a fellow Michigander who enjoys a drive on these crisp days. Thanks for showing us your collection!
I like it too, Adam. In a time of boring designs it was nice to see Caddy step up and build something distinctive. Great color on this one.
An insanely Gorgeous Cadillac!!!
Wow, this takes me back. Great channel.
Beautiful automobile, and the interior and exterior color looked great ...probably my personal favorite on the Seville.
I have always loved the styling of that era Seville. I think Cadillac nailed it. I wish they had designed it to use the SBC engine and in a RWD configuration.
Last of the beautiful Sevilles. The appearance of true coachwork. Enjoy the ride Adam.
My dad bought one in two tone gold in 85. It was a great colour combination with light tan leather. I remember many family road trips in that car and I remember that in the mid to late eighties that it did feel dated by the time dad came home in 88 with a new sedan Deville gold edition. That was a beauty done in black with grey leather
This cars color perfectly matches the fall atmosphere! Love it!
My buddy just picked up a clean 1983 with low mileage that was well cared for. When we first drove it the 4100 was pretty lethargic and weak. With a tune up, fresh gas, a new replacement high flow catalytic converter to replace the shot and restrictive pellet unit, replaced fluids, a bump in base timing by 4 degrees and some higher quality ignition wires and plugs the difference was staggering to say the least. It went from about a 17 second 0-60 car to under 12 seconds which is still not quick but more than enough to keep up with traffic and pass on a two lane road safely. I went over the oil change and anti-freeze regimen and GM stop leak with them and they are going to follow that closely along with waiting for heat to come out of the vents before driving so should have many years of good service with this car!
I also had a 1984 Cadillac Seville Elegant gold delivery with the same brown interior and outside brown two-tone. My goodness, I loved the car, it was the most beautiful car I've ever had. Unfortunately, someone drove into my side who overlooked a stop sign.
Another spot on episode. When I think of Cadillac, this car and the 76-79 Sevilles come to mind. The Cadillac looks great 👍 keep up the great & informative videos 🤘
I thought this was the pinnacle of elegance when I was little!!!
The bustleback might have been all about the rear end design, yet it some ways so was the 1976 Seville. Come to think of it, so was my all time favorite Cadillac design, the 1967-70 Eldorado. When the 1976 Seville launched it had an air of elegance, even a sort of formal restraint, and yet looked modern. There was something about how the rear wheel arches made the wheels look larger than they were, and the body above the wheels slimmer, and right on top of that slimness, that formal, upright rear window. The trunk also continued that slimness, smartly ending with the wrap around rear lights. The two tone Elegante, with its painted roof rather than vinyl, accented this slimness, and formal rear window, even more and with auto level control it looked oh so very stylish, and expensive. Even with that modern look, it seemed to recall something from the 1930s. As EmmyJune212008 points out the 1976 Seville had great dash-to-front-axle ratio, adding to its elegance. Then the bustleback arrived and it removed what defined the car. Perhaps it was the right decision, but not for me. Sales of the 1976-79 Seville peaked at almost 57,000 units in 1978, and even in its final year sold over 53,000. The bustleback never sold even 40,000 units, and in its third year sold less than 20,000. While the 1976 Seville looked smaller than it was, the bustleback, to my eyes, looked larger. My friend's mother had the diesel version bustleback. It was heavy, sounded clattery and seemed like a tired car. To me the Seville will always be the 1976-79, and it still looks good today.
Absolutely! That first-gen Seville was an exceptional design. It had a sense of proportion and stance more like the European sedans - with the wheels pushed to the corners of the body emphasizing an athletic, road-ready look.
At the same time, the design and the detailing was pure Cadillac. What Bill Mitchell called, "shear" design - with crisp, straight lines that really dominated auto styling for the next decade. My favorite part of the first Seville is that wide, upright "C" pillar - a crib of Rolls Royce sedans at the time. I remember when Motor Trend interviewed Mitchell upon the Seville's introduction and he pointed that out. When the interviewer asked him why they didn't make the Seville look more like a contemporary Mercedes he replied, "If you're gonna' steal you rob a bank, not a grocery store!"
A beautiful example I was 11 in 1980 to see these new were a treat brings back good memories
A very enjoyable and informative styling analysis in this video. I believe this body design has aged well over the decades.
Growing up in Michigan during the 80’s and 90’s I would see tons of these. I was never particularly fond of them but they’re really eye catching nowadays. We had an 83 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Ave at the time. It’s actually the car that got me into Mopars. It became my first car in 98.
Yeah, you either love it or hate it, and I really used to hate these, but have grown over the years to only dislike them, lol. These were out when I was very young, but I remember a number of relatives on my mother’s side who were Cadillac buyers making fun of this model wondering what the hell Cadillac was thinking trying to sell cars that looked like the rear end was “sawed off”. Given how iconic and successful the “classic” Cadillac style was from the 50s through even the 90s, the lack of a long, prominent tail end with vestigial fins and vertical tail lamps was sacrilege to them, and I agree. It’s not even functional as that trunk would be larger if it didn’t have that odd bustleback slope (sorry Wayne Kady!). Add the fact that these cost more than a Fleetwood Brougham, and I could never get the appeal. As Cadillac needs to learn even today, if someone wants a Mercedes, they’ll buy a Mercedes. Trying to copy Mercedes and BMW and ditching their heritage has led them down a path from “Standard of the World” to just another also-ran car company. I feel the Seville, though not necessarily a failure itself, unfortunately marked one of the first steps in this journey.
It has taken me decades to find the name of the designer of this Cadillac, thankfully I clicked on this link.
It has taken more than 4 decades to accept the design of this car, it is slowly growing on me, the front is otherwise perfect.
This has, is & always will be my preferred Cadillac of any model ever. Daring design, ultra smooth & quiet ride, my preferred trim is the Elegante with the two-tone Plum Firemist paint. As a 15 year old kid going into 9th grade auto mechanics is when this came out. I loved it but my classmates not so much, probably enjoyed going against the grain of choice. I remember the brochure I carried everywhere, it was a textured white parchment paper style with the Cadillac crest embossed on the cover. I like the blacked out trim inside, less bling for your eyes, as well brings out the grain of the fake wood a bit more classy.
In 1997 I bought an 84 Seville with factory alloy wheels, a rare option. That car was a money pit. Luckily I worked at a dealership at the time and all the service on the car was cost plus 10%. The heater core was the most expensive repair I recall. But it needed a lot of front end work. Mine was lighter in color with the same color interior as this car. Those seats were so sumptuous. Really quite and nice riding car with a gutless 4.1 engine. Merging on to a Houston freeway was a test of one's nerves. The engine really let this version of the Seville down. I eventually sold it to a guy who wanted a car to drive across the country. I wouldn't mind owning one of these with a v8-6-4. It's a good engine with the cylinder deactivation disconnected. One thing Adam didn't point out is the side glass on these cars is THICK, presumably to cut down on noise.
My first exposure to your channel. Love the in depth dive into this era of automobiles. I’m learning so much!
I feel the EXACT same way about fall and driving my 81 Imperial. The car cabin is intimate & has a distinct smell when heater warms interior. Also brings back memories. It’s something you cannot buy no matter how much you pay for a new car
What a beautiful example! I recall the stir these cars created when they were new quite well. A friend bought an '83 with the Bose sound system, which was quite impressive for the day. I think the styling is good, but of the three luxury cars (Seville, Continental, and Imperial) with the bustle back design, the Continental carried it off the best. I think so because the Continental (Fox) body is narrower, and the vertical taillights create a further visual impression of height that this type of styling needs to be successful.
BITD I owned a Givenchy Continental in two tone blue with velour interior, fully loaded. The Continental of this Era is so much better than the Seville in build quality, not space. The throttle body injected 302 with 4AOD transmission is virtually indestructible. Loved my Continental.
These have always been sort of an "automotive guilty pleasure" for me. The design is just so unlike anything on the road today: and I think it's great! Like an American Rolls-Royce.
I’d love to have this Cadillac Seville. Beautiful
That's a beautiful car even today 2023.I wish I could afford one of those beauties
10 seconds in.. I had to stop the video. The sound of the start up was absolute siren song to my ears! 🤤
Looking forward to the quirk video 😎 Spent my summers in Canada and remember all these great cars 😎 Hi from Belfast Northern Ireland
Adam, this well preserved example of a Bustleback looks exquisite.
Beautiful car. Great lines!
Having owned Cadillac and Mercedes of that era, the reliability of the Cadillac cars was stellar. We had an '85 Fleetwood Brougham FWD and the engine used more oil than we had experienced with Cadillac. I was told by Cadillac the rings on the piston were "lined up" instead of staggered.
Thank you very much, a wonderful car that will never be made like this. Thank you for the excellent explanation, the effort, and the classy comment
Absolutely beautiful car. Great video.
Sweet video, brings back memories growing up in the early 80s when these were everywhere. One of my first cars was an 80 Eldorado with the 368ci NON-8-6-4, Was a great, torquey motor, and the fuel injection was actually very reliable. My grandfather had an 85 Eldo at that time, lot of fond memories of us comparing our cars -it was just peculiar to note the strange differences -we couldn't believe GM was going kinda backwards in many ways, and from a great motor (olds 350 was a good one too) to the now infamous "hook and tow" 4.1 -thanks for reminding me of that precious jem!! Looking forward to your upcoming Doug Damerau of this car!!!🙂
I used to be on the fence about these models, but yours is absolutely stunning!!
Amazing to point out the subtle design aspects that make such a difference. Also remarkable is the mention of the wheel/body stance. Especially with the turbine vane wheels, which are massive looking themselves, the car has a very sustantial look to it. Plus, the flush windshield with the massive roof contours is something that I remember well from our 81.
I called it the wheel offset. GM always had that correct on all of their cars. Ford and Chrysler larger cars, the body always kind of hung over the wheels like they were trying to save a nickel with a shorter axle or something. I noticed this as a kid and always hated that. The cars looked ridiculous from the rear.
The interior is simply divine. Man.
I have never been a fan of that trunk style but the care itself is gorgeous.
This Seville is SO GORGEOUS!!
This example is the reason the why the 1984-1985 was so popular and why they still have loving followers.
Your videos are very interesting and informative. Keep up the great work.
I enjoy your car enthusiasm.
👏👏👏🏆
My neighbor had one of these in the 80's with the black/grey two tone. It was totally different than my dads VW Golf Diesel.
I still have a very vivid memory of seeing a kid at school being dropped off in 1984 in a Seville Bustleback. At the time this thing was the king of luxury and I was so jealous.
I've always wanted one of these, my dad had a beautiful one in charcoal grey (or something like that). I used to love the way it felt as we rode down the freeway. It felt like we were gliding. The problem is getting one today that isn't practically junked. The problem with the Cadillacs and Lincolns of this era was that once they started to break down, they went quickly. These vehicles are intricate and not easily repaired and the parts not easily replaced. You often find yourself breaking something trying to repair something else, or something going bad leading to a cascade of issues. I feel like this would make an awesome electric engine swap candidate.
It might be a coincidence..but I have noticed that men who love this cars styling are usually very educated, down to earth, are "foodies", romantic, and believe you only live once so you better live well. In other words..we are keepers. 😉 Thanks for another great vid, Adam! 🙂👍
If I came across a V8-6-4 I think I'd have to keep the system active. It seems like such a neat idea... GM actually trying to do something innovative.
Mercedes demoed cylinder deactivation on the 1979 w126 500SEL, but it never shipped as far as I know. But they managed to do it with Bosh CIS!
Speaking of controls... I was amazed at how much nicer the turn signal / headlight dimmer lever felt on my ELR compared to a friends Chevy. Same looking control, but the one in the Cadillac felt much much nicer.
The '76 Seville was a Classic. This is a Klassic
From day one, I always loved this car
I could never quite warm up to this generation of Seville but found the Eldorado to be quite handsome.
I love 1979-1985 Caddy´s. Great Design.
I had 82 Seville with all the chrome i loved it
Your new house and location is so beautiful.
These look fantastic with the chrome buckle and belt option on the trunk!
Love em or hate em....but at least you remember them! And that's what's relevant 40 years later. Nice interior as well.
Absolutely love it! I miss our ‘81 black on red leather Seville.
it's a beautiful car. it's very well kept. someone really loved this. love the bustle, very unique. nice!
LOVE it!! Such a beauty…. 👍✨
What a beautiful Cadillac!
The first time I remember seeing one of these beautiful cars is seeing one in the segment "Night of the Rat" in the film Nightmares. I thought it was such a gorgeous, stately car. It is my dream to own one of these.
Thanks for the memories, i was a young Caddy-Chevy dealer Tech back then, Had a Engineer tell me the HT4100 was the best engine ever made! Ok Buddy! FWIW i am still a Caddy-Chev Dealer Tech!
Adam, I hated the bustle back car back then - I was a car crazy teen. But it “grew” on me years later and now I love it. I think this car is much more handsome in it’s time than the later BMW Bangle bustle back cars were in their day.
I’m so thankful that you are collecting and preserving so many cars. I can imagine a future when enthusiasts talk about “Adam’s collection”. 😁 I’m also thankful for you sharing all your knowledge.
beautiful car....love the black one...i remember as a kid seeing this car...it evokes luxury
A friend I used to have got a nice yellow1983 seville. It was so nice and he liked it a lot.
I use to own a 1984 Cadillac Coupe DeVille with the 4.1L engine. What a piece of junk that was. Every time the odometer reached 89/90k, I had to replace the engine. Besides the original engine, I replaced it two more time. Then finally the rockers started to rust out so I got rid of it. To me, the "Bustleback" Seville was a take-off to the cars of the 1930's, only with a more aerodynamic design to them. Also you're right about not having any power. I never even attempted to pass another car unless I was on the freeway where the car I passed was heading in the same direction as I was. I loved the styling of the car but I wouldn't buy another Cadillac of those years because of the engine and the power.
Great video! I owned an Elegant. Classy black and silver. It wanted to hydroplane easily when raining. The a/c unit leaked and needed to be recharged each and every spring. It always looked nice parked under the street lights in downtown Boston.
Back in the 80s, my parents had a new Fleetwood Brougham D'elegance. The ride in that era of cadillac was impeccable. I can remember feeling rich just riding in it.
But 80s Lincolns rode smoother & quieter.
Just as Adam. 😁
My neighbor had an 86 D' Elegance (big, fluffy pillow top seats) just like you stated. I still believe that car had the best and quietest ride of any car ever. Was slow, and the lifters would rattle sometimes under acceleration like most cars in those years. But man, what a smooth and plush ride!
@@paulpeterson4311 Towncars had better engines and build quality but the Cadillac Brougham had the plusher ride
I remember when these first came out. Cadillac took 10 steps back with this design.
My in-laws were GM faithful and in 86 they bought a Sedan DeVille. I found it under powered, overpriced and understyled.
But, in a drive from San Diego to San Jose, I discovered the joy of the highway cruiser and imagined what a 60's car might have been like. It was a very pleasant and very civilized ride.
Hai , i like your style and all the cars you have and present.
My dad was in management at the local Cadillac dealership from the late 70's thru the 90's and as a kid just learning about cars and driving the Cadillac in that time frame was the luxury standard. Mercedes & Rolls Royce had a luxury presense in that time but not like today. The Seville coming out with the swope back was a huge jump in styling for 1985.
Love your Cadillac. One of my favorite cars. Thanks for your video and best wishes from Switzerland.
I got a 92 sedan Deville. I really enjoy your videos and yes I like your car or car's
I think you pointed out just about everything that I love about the 80-85 Seville. I have a 81 Elegante, and I love it. Love the rake of the A pillar, and the windshield which is uncharacteristic of an 80’s 4 door car. It not only looks richer inside- it is a much more comfortable car inside than the 76-79 Seville. I own a 76 and I can tell you the 81 gets more seat time, it just has a better ergonomic design and feel. Love the rear and the subtle curves with the all the creases and angles. I need to find the trumpet horn, those two extra horns are just Cadillac to me. The 4100 has been good to me in other cars, and I also drove this in other Sevilles, but I really love the 6.0L, it’s not fast but it is very strong and feels noticeably quicker. The trunk is huge, most people don’t expect that in such an angular looking design.
Love the new digs!
Love the bustle backs and the interiors!
I miss my hunchback Seville.
Re the coloured headliners. If you can’t get what you are after you can easily paint them to match the colour you are after and you would never know. I did that on my Mark VI Lincoln sedan (blue).
Now that is a handsome car