If you were observing the car scene in the middle 1990s (what a great time to be alive), you undoubtedly saw Cadillac working very hard to convince younger shoppers to step foot in the showroom. Anyone remember “The Caddy that zigs” and that weird duck that was used to market the ill-fated Catera? Getting away from the geriatric set and into the mind share of 30-something movers and shakers was paramount to Cadillac executives, but it was never able to convince anyone other than their usual buyers that cars like this clean 1997 Cadillac Seville listed here on craigslist were reserved for anyone other than a retiree in Boca. This one has low miles and is listed for $7,995.
For all the failures regarding demographic shifts, Cadillac really did attempt a 180 in terms of its core product mix. The emphasis on quality was clearly driven down into the details, even if mechanically, the car still had some foibles to work out. The quality of the trim and the exterior styling both showed perhaps the most legitimate attempt to dissuade buyers from going into the BMW and Mercedes-Benz showrooms than ever before, with details like actual Zebrano wood trim as opposed to decades of fake crap that looked like wood, and loads of technology that spoke to a generation that grew up with gadgets (although it was reserved for the Deville, Cadillac’s night vision system was one of the coolest things I had ever seen at the time.)
Even if the Seville didn’t stop your average E-Class shopper from buying another German taxi, it was clear Cadillac has finally built a product worth crowing about. Although it was front-wheel drive, the road tests at the time indicated it was not a major limiting factor, with no major gripes related to torque-steer reported. And the big change came when the Northstar V8 was introduced, which led to a similar seismic shift in how models like the Allante were perceived. Yes, this engine had its issues, but there was no denying that the straight-line speed was impressive, and the front-driver’s stability in corners was also commended.
The styling has always been handsome and still looks relatively current today. You could do far worse than one of these for a daily driver, and this car’s low mileage of just 33,000 means you really could drive it for another decade or more with just standard maintenance. The seller has added some Vogue wheels and “Diamond Back” tires, which are certainly a matter of personal styling choices; personally, I would look for some OEM wheels from the last version of the STS trim sedan (this is an SLS, which is a bit softer sprung.) Still, a lot of car for the money. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
You were a nobody at Shady Pines if you weren’t rolling around in a Cadillac with Vogue Tyres. Odds are this was driven by a widower named Vito who wore V-neck sweaters and enough gold jewelry to make Mr. T jealous.
I like this Caddy and it’s at a price I can not only dream about. That top picture though bears an unsettling resemblance to an Oldsmobile. Putting that aside, it’s large and in charge and very much a Cadillac.
Very nice interstate cruiser, I could see me heading West to visit my kids.
Finally the proper street tyres for a Caddy, Mustard and Mayo’s….
Vogue tires are absolute junk. 1st thing a new buyer should do is replace them with something that will last and are safe. Vogues are neither.
This from a man who sold them and would never own a set.
Interesting; I was just about to order Vogues for my car. Could you please elaborate on what is not “safe” about them? Thanks.
Nice car, but delicate Northstar head gaskets due to weak head-blot threads in aluminum block.
100k mandatory head gasket change on the Northstar, 3k$ job???
Great buy. My father in law had one and it served him well for 11 or 12 years. He had no problems with the Caddy and none with the Northstar. I did have a buddy who changed the Head Gasket but it was done while he was doing a timing repair. I would not hesitate to buy this after an inspection. For 8K you will get a hell of car without the electronic BS and if it does cost you 3K, you are still way ahead of buying a 35K Camry. I don’t understand why more folks aren’t buying these classic 1980 to 2008 cars that have been well maintained instead of plunking down 45K plus for a car that probably will go south a year after the warranty and the styling sucks.
My ’97 Seville with the “Northstar” engine had less than 20k miles when it started burning over a quart of oil every 1,000 miles! After having had at least a half dozen other issues in the first 2 years they told me the dealer would pull and install a “new” Northstar engine. I politely declined and immediately drove to my local Toyota dealer and traded it for a 2000 Toyota Camry V6 XLE that we drove for almost 200k miles with not one issue and not one regret!!