Museums across the country are wonderful hiding places for classic cars. Although most require work to return to a roadworthy state after years of inactivity, the climate-controlled environment means they are usually well-preserved. Such is the case with this 1973 Cadillac Sedan de Ville. What sets it apart from the average museum piece is that it is a turnkey proposition that drives as well today as it did when new. This is understandable since it has a genuine 1,726 miles on its odometer. It needs a new home and an owner who appreciates all it offers. The Caddy is listed here on Craigslist in Scottsdale, Arizona. The seller set their price at $27,500, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this remarkable survivor.
The seller describes this Cadillac as being in “like new” condition, which is easy to understand considering its history. It is unclear when it went on display, but it only recently emerged into the light of day. Life indoors has left it in remarkable condition, and it wouldn’t look out of place on the showroom floor of the nearest Caddy dealership. Its Harvest Yellow paint shines beautifully. There are no faults or defects, and the same is true of the panels. I can’t spot any rust problems, although the limited supplied photos make it difficult to be 100% certain. This de Ville rolled off the line as new five mph bumpers became mandatory, and while they make the car look heavier, larger vehicles like the Cadillac carry them better than smaller models. The bumpers and trim look excellent, while the tinted glass is flawless.
The fantastic presentation continues when we dive inside this Cadillac. There’s no point in searching for problems because it is in as-new condition. It hasn’t had the opportunity to develop wear or damage, with the upholstery, plastic, trim, and faux woodgrain looking as good as it did the day the car rolled off the production line. The originality of the interior is reflected by the presence of some of the manufacturer’s information cards, including the seatbelt user guide and information on the emission system. Since it is a Cadillac, there are a few features to make life comfortable for the occupants. They include climate-control air conditioning, power windows, a power front seat, a tilt wheel, and an AM/FM radio.
Buyers in 1973 received their new Sedan de Ville with a single drivetrain combination. It featured the 472ci V8, which sent 220hp to the rear wheels via a three-speed Hydramatic transmission. Naturally, power assistance for the steering and brakes were standard appointments. Although most buyers weren’t focused on outright performance, the fact the de Ville could cover the ¼ mile in 17.7 seconds was considered impressive for a car weighing 4,993 lbs. This car’s sheltered life makes its odometer reading understandable. The seller recently replaced the tires and battery to return it to a roadworthy state, but it remains 100% original. It runs and drives like new and is a turnkey proposition. Having said that, I would probably undertake some short trips before considering an extended journey. There is a chance that some seals or belts may be brittle, and there would be nothing worse than having one fail in the middle of nowhere.
Cars like this 1973 Cadillac Sedan de Ville rewrite the rule books because it is doubtful you will find another with an odometer reading under 2,000 miles. That raises the question of what its fate will be. The asking price is well above the market average and is in the ballpark of what Hagerty quotes for a Concours example. That odometer reading is its greatest strength, but it could also be its weakness. Part of its value is tied to its mileage, and every additional mile could negatively impact its value. It deserves to be driven and enjoyed as its creators intended, but I suspect that won’t happen. It recently emerged from a museum and will probably head to another soon. I hope I’m wrong, but it will be interesting to gauge your response. Do you feel strongly enough that you would save it from that by parking this Caddy in your garage?
Check out the dimensions of your garage
before you buy.
I bought a ’72 Buick LeSabre,& when I got
it home,& in the garage,I couldn’t open the small
door on the back of it more than a crack.
I had a 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood, it barely fit in the garage lengthwise. But also check the width. I have a standard two car garage. I couldn’t walk between the cars because the Caddy was so wide.
He may have replaced the tires due to age, (cracking) but he installed wire wheel covers off a newer Cadillac–approx. 1975-76. Cadillac did not have a wire wheel cover option in `73. Just an FYI.
You’re 100% correct. Those wheel covers aren’t original to the car.
Nice Cadillac, but I’ll take the all-white ’93 Mustang GT feature car next to it.
Its actually an LX model i believe Fisher. Special edition one. They look great w the all white treatment.
Cool car.I know people won’t like this but I’d put dual exhaust with cherry bombs on it,that’s it, and cruise this boat.It would have that bad guy exhaust sound when his car was taking off down the road like in the old cartoons.
Wonder if they had a schedule to start this car. Carb,fuel lines and gas tank would have to be replaced or cleaned to even to get it to run, Like mentioned before tires would be a issue also.
The seller said he recently replaced tires and battery.I’d replace the two rubber fuel line hoses and it’ll probably need a accelerator pump cup. If the tank’s empty I’d pour a gallon or two in it and see what it does. If I kept it and drove it daily a fuel pump and filter and coolant hoses too along with all fluids.
A/c system has been converted to 134a.
Retrofitting to garbage 134 big mistake. It leaks out. Had it done. Waste of money. Plenty of R12 out there. I have a 30 lb cylinder of it a widow just gave me. Nice car. I had a red 73 Coupe Deville in 2003. Sold it for $500.
I say it’s a buy for the right person if I was a luxury type guy how could you go wrong with the standard of the world when it was?
Looks like a perfect example of Cadillac luxury at its zenith. I was glad Barn Finds wrote it up and appreciated all the wise comments on the garage size requirements and great advice getting it started after being a static museum display for so long. My dad had brand new 1971 and 1974 Coupe de Villes in this time frame. I briefly owned a used 1976 Coupe DeVille but worked downtown so it was never practical for rush hour traffic, tight spaces and narrow parking garage lanes and probably worse today. The cars were awesome..just too big for my situation and Cadillac replacement parts were very expensive my dad warned me.
When a Cadillac was a Cadillac.
I can’t remember how many land yacht Caddy’s I’ve owned, if had the space I’d scarf this baby up in a minute. What a beautiful museum piece!
Price has been reduced to 26k… overspray on the drivers side door latch? hmmm…
Why would a 73 Sedan de Ville be in a museum in the first place? Seems like an odd choice. I had a 73, and despite the rust and all, it still felt like you were barely moving, even at 90.
What could you possibly buy new today that could hold a candle to this brand new-old final chapter of The Standard of the World? It should be sold already if there is any justice left in this world.
If I didn’t already have a 75 Coupe I would seriously look into this. Beautiful car.
I owned a 1971 Sedan Deville for a couple of years during the mid ’70s. I loved the car and this one brings back the memories. 27 gallon fuel tank.
Better replace all rubber lines- not just fuel-related, but vacuum lines, brake lines etc. And watch the trans carefully for leaks.
This cars twin was my wife’s first car when we met and dated in ‘86. We didn’t drive it a whole lot with it getting 8 mpg. but boy it sure was comfortable. It had about 90,000 miles on and little rust when they gave us $500 trade in on a new ‘88 Chevy Celebrity.
Bad move huh??
The interior is that of a low mile car, but it has been repainted. A repaint is not indicative of the alleged miles.
I would want to look at it up close and personal before laying down this kind of cash for this car. Maybe 102,000 mile car driven by a very tiny old lady that was repainted? Not sure, but it shouldn’t have needed a repaint yet.
Here is a picture from the ad I blew up. There would not have been paint on the latch from the factory, so it has been repainted.
I am not so sure that that is necessarily the case. There were running changes in assembly methodology and varying degrees of quality assurance throughout that time period and even differences between how one factory did it to another. The attaching bolts for the latch are correctly painted in place thus the latch would’ve obviously been installed at the time, so it comes down to whether the latch was masked or heavily greased during assembly. I can’t see any overspray on my original paint ’70 SS 396 Chevelle (Kansas City), but my original paint ’71 GP (Atlanta) has a smidgen of factory overspray on it. There are other pics on the web of survivor Cadillacs of the same vintage with pristine original (not reproduction) jamb stickers with zero evidence of masking around them revealing both fully and partially painted strikes so I believe this would require a deeper dive into factory methodology at the time and place to be absolutely certain.
I can’t post pics but here is a stunning survivor ’72 Luxury LeMans with traces of paint on the latch very similar to my GP. Orlando Classic Cars absolutely sets the standard when it comes to survivor cars: https://www.orlandoclassiccars.net/vehicles/888/1972-pontiac-luxury-lemans