A frequent lament in the Barn Finds universe is that Cadillac lost its way and has never returned to the “Standard of the World” status that the brand enjoyed for decades. That may or may not be an unreasonable position. However, to understand what a Cadillac should be, one must closely look at an example of the marque when it was among the finest luxury cars available. This 1973 Cadillac Coupe deVille for sale on Craigslist in Vancouver, Washington is a standout survivor in excellent original condition. From chromed bumper to chromed bumper, this brown behemoth is everything a Cadillac should be at a cost of $15,500. Do you think this car was one of the last of the great Cadillacs? Thanks to T.J. for this great big Cadillac find!
In the interest of fairness, I must admit that I fell in love with Cadillacs as a youngster. My grandparents owned a Dynasty Red 1973 Cadillac Coupe deVille with a white leather interior and genuine wire wheel hubcaps. This was not a subtle car at a little over 5,000 lbs and a smidge over 19 feet long. They purchased it as a used car from one of my grandfather’s customers. This family had a standard practice of checking off every box on the option sheet and this massive coupe was no exception to that practice. It had everything from an AM/FM with 8-track, power everything, and even a mechanism that pulled the trunk shut in case you brought along enough luggage to fill the cargo hold of a modern Boeing 777. The only additions made by my grandfather were an Airguide compass, a heavily modified CB radio, and a polished chrome flying lady hood ornament.
They drove this Caddy as their primary transportation from about 1975 through 1979, when the same customer sold them their 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham deElegance sedan to replace what was then known as “the red Cadillac.” As a kid who loved cars, this one certainly made an impression on me. From the tick-tick-tick sound that all Cadillacs of the time made at idle to the push-you-back-in-your-seat-torque you felt when the huge gas pedal was pinned to the floor, this my friends was a car of the first order. It was also the preferred transportation for making numerous pilgrimages to rural Georgia for my grandmother’s annual family reunions, funerals out of state, and trips to the hobby shop on Saturday with my grandfather at the wheel puffing on a Muriel Magnum cigar. Everything about the car was heavy, well-built, impressive, and garish. When they got the newer Cadillac and sold the red one, both grandparents thought the new one just wasn’t as good as its predecessor.
To this day, I would love to own one for myself. Maybe not in Dynasty Red with a white leather interior. That combo was a bit much for my subtle sensibilities. Sadly, another Coupe deVille in my life may be a dream that never gets to be fulfilled. Being part of a Facebook group for these cars reveals that some of the more complicated accessories are problematic to keep working and that finding a good example is difficult. Sort of like an article I read that highlighted the inexpensive prices for real honest-to-God French chateaus on the real estate market. The selling price for these opulent dwellings is low because they would bleed a billionaire dry with all the constant upkeep. I would imagine that a 1973 Cadillac Coupe deVille with low mileage wouldn’t be quite that taxing, but the potential is there. Still, I would like to glide north on Highway 441 one more time in one of these, seeing the scenery reflect across the mirror-like chrome on a flying lady hood ornament. These are truly majestic cars that were larger than life in every way.
So, let’s imagine that the combined forces of poverty and inflation weren’t exacting an inordinate amount of force on my finances and that I wanted to purchase a good example. This 1973 Cadillac Coupe deVille seen above and below appears to be exceptionally well-kept. It has just 74,280 miles on the odometer and is advertised to be a one-owner California car. It rides on a set of Coker wide whitewall tires and the seller has a California title in hand for whomever comes up with the asking price or some combination of an interesting trade and some folding cash.
Looking at some of the known problem areas for these cars, the pictures show a car with few issues. The steering wheel on every one of these cars cracks in this manner suggesting that the plastic shrunk a bit too much after it was made. That also pushes out the decorative inlay around the wheel. Those chasms you see are sharp as a knife, but other than lacing on a leather cover I am not aware of anyone offering reproduction steering wheels. The hood also doesn’t fit right on the driver’s side. That is also common and would call for a real bodyman to fix it. We are told that the paint is a bit thin in a few spots from years of polishing. Given the thickness and quality of Cadillac paint during this period and the obvious fact that this was an indoor car, Mr. Miyagi was maybe the original owner. I also wonder about the upside-down air cleaner lid.
On the positive side, the seller tells us that this car is rust-free. That is a rarely seen quality on these cars. The steel GM used during the early seventies wasn’t exactly top shelf when it came to corrosion protection, with Cadillacs built in 1976 taking the overall “Most Likely to Rust Out” title. Perhaps the worst feature of these cars was the vinyl top. Despite great care, the previously mentioned red Cadillac rusted through under the vinyl top in many spots without revealing the extent of the damage until the top was peeled back. It took a lot of patching to fix it correctly, and by the time the repair was done, the car was sold to someone else. It is good to see that this car looks to be solid. However, I would carefully inspect the top before making the deal.
If you do decide to make a deal, the seller tells us that they will pick you up at the airport and you can drive this stately Caddy home. Depending on where you live in North America, the fuel costs may equal the GDP of a small European country. A 5,000 lb seventies Cadillac with a 472 cubic inch V-8 that was built before CAFE standards were taken seriously does not sip gas like your neighbor’s Prius. It is a car built with little regard given to such niceties as fuel economy. This is what Cadillac built before pressures both internal and external pushed the company off course. Can they ever build cars like this again? It is a different world today and a car like this would never roll out of a General Motors factory. Perhaps the past is best left in the past, no matter how glorious that past was.
Did you ever own, drive, or ride in an early seventies Cadillac? Do you think that the Cadillacs of this era were the last of the “real” Cadillacs? Please share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
I’m a fan of white wall tires, but wide whites went out of style at the dawn of the sixties. Thin stripes would look better (IMO) on this car. Lovely int! GLWTS!! :-)
Dawn of the sixties? You need to go watch Superfly!
He’s talking pre superfly when 30’s 40’s 50’s was done with them but wait a minute, superfly you’re going to make your money by and by
I agree with Moparman, the wide whitewalls detract from the overall presentation of this gorgeous Caddi. Narrow whitewalls or the vogue tires from this time period would be a definite improvement.
Rustytech,
Isn’t it strange how trends fall in and out of fashion? What looks worse is blackwall tires on a car like this. It denotes the owner was too cheap or took the low road. In olden days a well dressed man wore spats. Now it’s not uncommon to see medical professionals wearing jogging shoes. Or someone sporting a
tuxedo with Nikes. The world is forever changing.
I bet being unshaven, hoodies, smart phones & rap music will NEVER go away.
At 16, I drove a 1971 Eldorado in a similar color combination to high school every day. It was my first daily driver! As a family of four, I believe we had seven cars/trucks at the time. Dad was always fixing up an old car.
I had saved enough money to buy a car, but my father didn’t want another car in the driveway. He told me I could drive the Eldo or walk. I chose not to walk.
I own two Cadillacs today, a CT4 and a CT6. They’re both fine automobiles and I love the CT6 with Super Cruise, but there’s something to be said about the opulent 60’s and 70’s Caddy’s.
What year is your CT6? I have a 2017, 3.6 with a bad transmission. I’m hoping the car is reliable after I get it back, once or if GM ever finds one to rebuild and send.
One of the car repairmen on YouTube has warned the viewers to stay away from the 3.6 motor. I have a ‘15 ATS with the 2.0. No issues with 93,000 miles.
The thing is that you can carry 5 folk at motorway speed in something like a Fiat Multipla; why do you need something with enough flat space to land a helicopter on?
Jack Pearl was a vaudeville comedian who played a character named Baron Munchausen. While trying to convince his straight man of some outrageous accomplishment the straight man expressed his disbelief. The good Baron then asked, “Was ya dere, Charlie?”
An observation like that belies a fundamental misunderstanding of what a ’60s-’70s Cadillac was. My grandfather’s last car was a 1972 Sedan de Ville. I was lucky enough to drive it several times on the twisty lake country roads of northern Wisconsin. Make no mistake it was a huge hunk of metal but surprisingly agile and great gobs of relentless torque pushed me nearly to the limits.
This car is in the same class as the ’69 Toronado reviewed the other day. Great in their day, wildly impractical now – thankfully many of them are still around for those of us fortunate enough to have lived with and driven them to appreciate.
I kind of was dere, but on the other side of the water rather than in the land of the freeway. I suppose the equivalent status symbol here’d be Jaguar/Daimler, but even they’re not that much bigger than, say, a Cortina.
There were people that imported American cars, but they’re wildly impractical here because the roads are so much narrower.
The divergent evolution of the car…!
Because you can! Not only can you fit 6 people they will also be very comfortable. And there is no fiat ever made that will ride with such smooth comfort than this Cadillac !
Upside down air filter cover so that you can hear the roar of the Q-JET as it sucks wind when it’s floored. Haven’t seen that one in a dogs age.
Dimes or mustard and mayo would look good…
If I was considering buying this or any car for that matter, I would not let the whitewalls or the raised white letters or even if they were retreaded snow tires influence my decision.
What a lovely car. These are a splendid ride for you and your friends. The joy of the drive will offset any cost at the pump.
Angel, I’m beginning to see the beauty in this dashboard ;)
Its a beast!! Upside down air cleaner lid as said in past comment more air to the carb and you can hear it when floored!!
All this Caddy needs is a swan with lighted wings hood ornament
And curb feelers
That’s what my friend Buzzy Thomas
would say we’re he still with us. You see, Buzzy had quite an imagination
and boy did it show every time he would pimp one out. Outside exhaust
pipes, Connie kits, padded rooves, gangster whitewalls, he did it all. It was said that he could build the best
ghetto cruiser in town– if anyone alive
possessed that knowledge. And he was very well-paid for his work too.
Beautiful Cadillac! Among my many Caddys I owned starting at age 16,I had (2) 73,s, one sedan and one Fleetwood limo. I do not like the wide white walls on this one. It does need a tv antenna, perhaps a boomerang.
I’d say 1976 was the last year for the great Caddys , they were downsized after that
Cadillacs was the fleet staple in my families business during that time. Lincoln tried dipping their toes on in the pond but couldn’t get the water to ripple. When my father let me drive the Cadillac limousine to school the first time I instantly became the most popular kid in school. I recall some of the cheerleaders beating up some of the football players for trying to pick on me and also trying to flatten the cars tires. Jeff Bennett don’t give up hope. When you lose hope you lose everything. The universe will give you what you ask for. But be patient and specific and careful when you do. Your subconscious mind is always working wonders.
YES a real Cadillac, in all aspects in 1973 I had become 41 years old and finally was making the $$$to own one but based in Little Creek UDT base there was no pace to keep it NOW????? Gott sell my Buick because of a publisher scam.
The posting has been deleted. Presumably a deal was made. At about $3.00 a pound it’s a better bargain than hamburger.
Great write up, Jeff.
The perfect car, only those gangsta whitewalls need to go.
Nelson,
At times Cadillac had the best dashboards, other times (1974 thru 1976) they had the worst. When they were good, they were great.
What’s it all about Allie?
The Heartbeat of America made an appearance in North Yorkshire when Greengrass drove into town in his 1959 Imperial Crown Convertible.
You could land your Fairey Ultra light on the hood and put your Austin in the boot.
A memorable entrance indeed.
That turned over AC lid was just to be able to hear it run, and 472 cubic inches suck a lot of air LOL. Its almost as quiet anyways with that dual V belt accesory drive. No squealing a.c. or p.s. belts. BTW, that hood hinge is mis-aligned from being pulled down 100% on the bolt slots. The correct setting is about 90% and the hinge will roll over center and “pull” the hood closed. Just sayin…
Once upon a time I started a restoration project on a 67 Coupe Deville that for pile of reasons never was finished. A couple of years later I found a 73 on a used car lot and bought. After having the 73 for a couple of years I really missed the 67 and wouldn’t mind another. I liked it better the way it drove than the 73. To me the 73 is a BIG HOG compared to 70 or earlier.
Mom and dad would buy my dad’s boss’s Cadillacs every time the boss sold them… they were always a year or two old. Favorite one was the 73 dark gray brougham with black vinyl top and black brocade interior. The footrests were the coolest part for me growing up…. I miss that car.
Throw some Vogues and Spokes on this car, Trues or baskets, not 18s or anything putrid