Low-mile vehicles always get a major stink-eye from a lot of readers and commenters. Maybe because after decades of reading used car ads and dealing with used car salespeople, it’s sometimes hard to believe such claims. Then again, every once in a while, we run across a car that appears to be the real deal, such as this 1984 Cadillac Seville. It’s posted here on eBay in Carmel, Indiana, and they’re asking $16,500, or you can make an offer. Thanks to T.J. for the tip!
The infamous bustle-back second-generation Seville was made from 1979 (for the 1980 model year) until the end of 1985, and it’s hard to argue with the love-or-hate feelings on this sloped-back design. I like it, but I also like Subaru 360s and Comuta-Cars. I wish my ’84 Seville had been this nice. Mine was very nice, a 9 out of 10, but it wasn’t as nice as this example appears to be. The Full Cabriolet Roof option puts this car over the top.
There’s a surprising amount of room in that sloping trunk, but not as much as if it had been brought out flat, as with most other vehicle trunk lids. I was surprised when I opened the trunk on mine the first time; it was nicer than our house. That wouldn’t take much, now that I think about it. The seller says this is a one-family-owned car, and the low miles are “actual,” which I’m assuming means verifiable.
The seat color is, I believe, called Dark Briar Brown, according to the leather color chart on this person’s Flickr page, and it goes perfectly with what I believe is Woodland Haze paint and a Dark Briar Brown faux convertible top color, according to the listing on page 9 of this brochure for Sevilles with the “Full Cabriolet Roof” option. The back seat looks like new, as expected, and the seller lists the only real glitch inside or out as being that the front bumper filler material is showing a couple of cracks.
The engine is GM’s 4.1-liter OHV V8, the one that everyone worries about, but I never had an issue with my ’84 Seville. It was rated at 135 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque when new, and power passes through a four-speed THM automatic to the front wheels. The seller doesn’t say how it runs, but says the car, in general, is in excellent condition and the AC is cold, so I’m assuming it runs as it should. Hagerty is at $14,700 for a #2 excellent-condition example, almost two thousand less than the seller’s asking price. How much is this one going to sell for?
Super clean Caddy. Whether this generation of Seville is your cup of tea ( or coffee, or Vodka or Bourbon) you have to admit the unbelievable condition of this Seville. I remember when these came out. And this color was pretty popular too not just on the Sevilles, but the Deville and Eldorado too. This looks like it could have been sitting on the used car lot at Brogan Cadillac Oldsmobile in 1985, its just that clean. I know some people aren’t fans of the fake convertible top but on this generation of Seville with the sloped trunk I think it works.
Its the definition of the 80s in the Americana world. Probably more collectible than a PeeWee Herman doll in 2030. I still would love to have it as a driver for that money.
My uncle had this exact caddy but with true wire wheels was a nice car..
the wire wheels were made in england
Other than personally not caring for the bustle-back design, the SeVille brings back some bad memories.
One Friday morning we had work backed up through the weekend and into the following week. A guy brought his SeVille in for us to identify and fix a clunk in the front end. We took it for a drive and decided that something like a rock had lodged in the RH front suspension.
We lifted it up and saw the culprit between the lower control arm and the frame. It took some prying but it came loose.
I was having a further look around underneath when I realized that the hoist was coming down. I yelled out that I was still underneath and not to let it go. My co-worker appeared frozen, with the control box in his hand. Then I saw hydraulic oil streaming out from a ruptured hose in the hoist.
Long story short, the hose blew and the safety only locked on one side; the other was coming down on its own. It finally got to a steep enough angle that the car slid off the hoist. To add insult to injury there was a trash can standing beside the hoist and it made quick work of the rear door.
That hoist was about two years old and all the 1-ton dualie service trucks, mini school buses, seismic trucks, all well over 10K lbs. up and down safely, and a passenger car is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
That was back in ‘82. The damage to the car was close to $1500.00. We made up two new hoses in house to replace those wimpy off-shore ones and never had a problem with the hoist again.
The owner of the car was a good sport and brought the car back for various other ailments. Then we fell out of touch for about 25 years until he joined our collector car club.
When we have our annual car inspections, there still is the odd comment about the hoist safety locks working properly…
these sure were ugly new and still are 40yrs later.
It could have 14 miles on it and I still wouldn’t want that abomination of a cadillac. Had and 85 with a 4100. After the head gasket went and repaired the car was never the same. Too big of a car with too small of an engine.
Is Flickr still around?
I hate (all caps) the dashboards of this era of Cadillacs. I like the bustleback style of these (copied by Imperial later) but I never understood the sloping clear taillight lens over a vertical red lens. Why not just make the red lens slope? Designers!
Slap an 1984 diesel in this baby and . . . it’s all mine! I used to work in a Cadillac Dealership as a GM Certified Master Tech and, I can tell you . . . . . a moderately maintained GM 5.7 Liter diesel engine is bullet proof. I STILL have one, in my ’82 El Dorado. Yeah, I’m paying more for fuel BUT, I’m getting TWICE the mileage. Last time I checked, 32 MPG @ 65MPH on a trip to Harrisburg and back! AND IT RUNS BETTER than the “Hook & Tow” 4100 Cadillac V8, of that vintage.
Mr. Quasimodo, you’re car is ready!
Beautiful condition, but… that 4100 brings back some bad memories. 1985 my college roommate and I were headed back to our Alma Mater for a football weekend. His Grandmother rarely drove anymore so she suggested we take her almost new Seville, identical to this one, roof and all to give it some exercise. The car had about 8k miles on it and had just been to the Cadillac dealer for service and inspection. 30 miles outside of Jacksonville on I-10, the temp light came on and about 30 seconds later a geyser erupted under the hood. Late August in N Florida is no place to be on the side of a major interstate. We had a cooler full of Budweiser but only a few bottles of water, I poured what we had into the radiator and limped to the exit and a small Mobil station. Called the Caddie dealer, they sent a tow truck and we realized our great weekend was likely over. The Cad needed a water pump and radiator drain & fill, but Grandma had had enough, the Caddie was traded for a new ’86 deVille which of course had the exact same engine. No matter, Grandma stopped driving altogether shortly after. Coincidentally, a few years later i scored an awesome deal on an off-lease ’87 Fleetwood d’Elegance also with the 4100. Under 50k miles in great condition, I drove it for 4 more years and the 4100 never gave me a hit of trouble. Slow, but quiet, smooth and dependable. Maybe GM had solved the problems by ’87?
Those Cadillac Seville’s that year were the only Cadillacs I ever had that the tail lights were perfect for putting in sequential flashers since they have three lights on each side and I did,and it look really,
Coool!
And just to reiterate what I said a few months before,I had four of them, 1981, Seville to 1985 Seville,all had over 150,000 miles when I bought them and I never had any major problems with the engines and I was always crazy about the digital dash, especially at night, even though the main instruments (speedo etc), had vacuum fluorescent displays (bright blue), whereas the radio and the climate control at LED displays(orangish) which are different colors. It still looked really neat.
had one with a 8-6-4-0 another nightmare
No zero in there. I had one of those too 170,000 miles, again not one problem owned it over 13 years.
I bought it for my late girlfriend.
Anyone can ruin almost any car,even a Cadillac if they drive like idiots, especially downshifting and punching the gas all the time.
Hideous. I would have to drive this eyesore with a bag over my head so no one knew it was me! The 76 to 79 were gorgeous.
Obviously, you need to have some “class” to appreciate this car.
Need I say more?
Low class, maybe. Case closed!
I had an 84 Seville and after a while the style grows on you. This Seville had a nice ride, but when Cadillac went to aluminum engines, it all went downhill! I have a 98 Eldorado with blown head gasket and a 70 Eldorado that starts right up! Guess the engines were lasting too long.
I’ve come back around to appreciating this body style as automotive sculpture (having had the Hot Wheels as a kid helped), but the cabriolet roof ruins it except as a period piece. It’s a shame Cadillac didn’t have the guts to make a truly forward-looking Seville in 1980; if they had, there wasn’t one person who’d be put off by that who wouldn’t have just bought a Fleetwood instead.
They wound up with too many cars for the same buyer, and as that cohort aged out of the market they were stuck with a geriatric image it’s taken 40 years to shake.
Remember the obomination they called “Cimaron”. . . . . It was a Cavalier with “K-Mart” jewelry. Or the “Catera”, made by Opel.
Yes, they were mistakes, but they had nothing to do with the Seville. It was original and unique.