How is it that some cars with a reputation for unloved or overpriced can survive for years in the care of one owner or family, seeming providing decades of dutiful service? There are Cadillac Allantes in junkyards all over this fine country, to say nothing of the ones with one foot in the grave and listed on places like Marketplace suffering from years of neglect. Yet here is a 1991 Cadillac Allante listed here on craigslist with the seller seemingly indicating it has been a delightful summer cruiser for his family since new. The asking price is $5,500.
When the Allante was new, it faced towering obstacles to success. The asking price was probably the greatest hindrance to achieving significant market penetration, with many consumers passing by the Cadillac dealership when the Allante rolled out. Too much money and too few features that mattered to someone in that price bracket. The original engines weren’t exotic or powerful enough, quality control issues ran rampant, and at the end of the day, it was a front-wheel drive roadster meant to compete with the likes of the powerful R129 Mercedes-Benz convertibles.
Still, there were plenty of buyers who found room in their garages and their hearts for the Allante, which still looks surprisingly modern today. And even if the value proposition wasn’t ideal, you were still buying into a model that had been painstakingly assembled, and there was a prestige factor that couldn’t be ignored. The interior also looks quite handsome by modern standards, and with under 85,000 miles on the clock, it still presents well. The leather seats show surprisingly little wear, and the same goes for the dash.
The seller reports it “….runs and drives perfect,” which indicates that someone in the family has kept up with servicing. These Allantes can suffer from cooling system issues tied to failures of the fans and water pump, so one would assume the primary caretaker has made sure to update both components. The 4.5L V8 produces 200 b.h.p. and 270 lb.-ft. of torque, and while the later Northstar-powered example is seen as the one to have, the earlier cars are typically more affordable. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the find.
Why are all these cars on the west coast? Yeah I know the winters are mild and there’s no need to salt the roads. Maybe a better question is why am I not on the west coast? This car would be seriously tempting if it was closer.
Was tempted to emigrate to left coast in the 60s, but life got in the way. All in all glad I stayed in western pa.
Yep, I agree. If this were anywhere close to me, I would buy it in a heartbeat, but not going to pay the several thousand it will cost to ship it.
i would back it down the boat ramp and let float out to sea.
Why this and the Buick Reatta are deemed of little value just shows the irrationality of the public at large. I own a ’93 with the much disparaged Northstar engine, but mine, with about 140,000 miles is still fine. A few rust spots, a few little dents, some clear coat peeling off the flexible plastic parts, ripped “bonded leather” in driver’s seat, enough really good ones for the museums, so mine, like the advertised one, is a great daily driver with the top down. On the freeway, at 75 mph, the wind noise, top down, soft top up, hard top on, too much for my wife. “Entertainment” system broke before I owned it, radio and CD player in the trunk playing through the speakers it came with. Mechanically it is a ’93 Caddy and mechanical parts are available. Body and trim available from at least 3 sources, one in CA, NJ and FL each. This is offered at a decent price. It should be a real “classic” in time, rare and expensive, but I won’t live long enough I fear. But a great way into the hobby. I have only seen one other one where I live in CA, I had only seen two when I lived in NH, this one with a previous owner, and one originally owned by the Caddy dealer’s wife, and a junker, for $1200, but it was a ’91 and the parts I could have used were either toast or not the same. It is the only one at local car shows and gets admiring comments after the “What is it?
Always thought these were very nice looking cars but super expense when new. GM really took a bath on them.
……and gone.