The late 1980s brought us one of Cadillac’s most ambitious cars, the Allante, a Pininfarina-styled two-seater that aimed to compete with the likes of Mercedes and Jaguar. This 1989 example, now up for sale here on eBay, shows just 64,000 miles and comes with a clean title. It’s not a finished cruiser but rather a project that could make sense for someone who appreciates Cadillac’s bold luxury experiment of the era.
The seller picked this car up last year with the intention of restoring it, but a recent relocation forces the sale. As it sits, the Allante will fire up with a jump and runs, but it won’t hold a charge if it’s left parked too long. That means the next owner will need to chase down an electrical draw or plan on replacing the battery outright. These are the kinds of quirks that come with a car that’s been sitting, but the good news is that the 4.5L Cadillac V8, known for being smooth and torque, is present and accounted for.
Inside, the Allante is trimmed in a red interior that matches well with its era-correct vibe. Cadillac pitched the car as a blend of Italian style and American comfort, and while it still has that aura, the years have introduced some issues. The passenger seat won’t move forward or back, the A/C isn’t functioning and makes a whining noise when engaged, and there are a handful of electrical gremlins sprinkled throughout. Anyone familiar with Allantes will recognize that chasing down wiring faults and relays is par for the course, but it’s also what makes the model more affordable today compared to its German competition.
Cosmetically, the car presents as a complete project. The listing doesn’t call out rust or major body damage, so it seems like most of the effort here will go into mechanical and electrical sorting rather than panel replacement. That’s a big plus for someone who wants to bring one of these unique convertibles back to regular use.
With just 64,000 miles on the clock, this Allante hasn’t been over-driven, and when sorted, it should still deliver the comfortable ride and distinctive styling that made Cadillac’s Italian-American collaboration stand out when new. For someone with the time and know-how, it could be an affordable entry into the world of rare luxury cars with a pedigree that stretches from Detroit to Turin.
This does not look too bad, lots of elbow grease might rescue the interior. Mechanically it is just GM and parts are available at Rock Auto and other ordinary places. Allante only parts are available, mostly used, but some reproductions thanks to 3D printers, from three reliable sources, one in FL, one in NJ, one in CA. Mine has an electrical gremlin, solved with a battery disconnect switch, tracking down the leak has been very frustrating. They are an inexpensive way into the hobby.
I always loved these and get tempted. They I read up on them. I ended up with a Buick Reatta Convertible instead. Only 2,437 were ever built vs 21,430 Allantes. The Allante is better looking though. The Reatta looks like a car that Richard Scarry designed in one of his kids books but it has the fantastic 3800 engine. It is much larger than it looks in photos and two 500lb people could comfortably sit side by side in those bucket seats. There is a a very low mile Allante near me that this write up has be thinking about again. Bad barnfinds, bad.
electrical nightmares stay away from it or you will be sorry
I don’t know who was in charge of Cadillac, or even GM for that matter, in the 80s, but they had no clue as to what they were doing. Instead of doing their own thing or coming up with fresh ideas, they decided they needed to “compete” with Europe. And it was never a contest.
Cadillac in particular was trying hard to get back the “Standard of the World” crown which never happened and never will. The world has changed.
But, IMO, whenever Cadillac came out with a new model to compete with European cars they ALWAYS fell short. As for the Allante they farmed it out to Pinnaferina (sp?) And had special planes made to transport, etc., etc., making the car too expensive to compete. WHO at the time had a two seater, besides Corvette? BMW didn’t. Mercedes did but that was well established.
The Allante was not designed well. I think it’s a beautiful car and I want one from my bucket list. But a half power half manual top left it out of the competition. ALWAYS, when GM rushes to get a car out (and they always rush) it’s underpowered.
Alliante had buttons everywhere, which actually confused drivers. Everything was power operated (except that stupid top). You at least had a choice of an analog or digital dash. The digital was a disaster.
Basically what I’m saying is GM and Cadillac in the 80s has poor management. The Allante was an expensive flop. The Cimmeron , another “Cadillac” rushed into production to “compete” with European cars was a disaster and really messed up Cadillacs reputation.
I personally like the design of the Allante but it’s reputation is questionable.