Oftentimes, we have a jaded view of some formerly expensive car that didn’t survive the test of time well. It makes you question its original value, or what the first owners were thinking. But sometimes, an example of that car comes along that helps put the pieces together, like this survivor-grade 1984 Cadillac “Bustleback” Seville here on eBay, where a few bids have been lodged but the reserve remains unmet.
This Seville literally appears to have every option: a factory moonroof. Upgraded wire wheels. Some sort of factory stereo that added in hi-fi speakers on the rear shelf. These cars always show up as dilapidated shells of their former selves, looking like it spent the last ten years as a homeless shelter. In this instance, this car looks as nice as the day it sat on a showroom floor. Those wire wheels are fantastic, and fill out the big Caddy’s profile nicely.
The interior makes you believe in the hype around Cadillac’s living room-like accommodations. Those seas are incredible – they almost make you wonder if it was even legal to install driver and passenger chairs that look like they could rock you to sleep in five minutes or less. It appears this Seville has a leather (or at least vinyl)-wrapped dash top, along with fake wood applique. It all works well here and remains in mint condition.
Shots like these are among our favorite, showing an OEM car cover atop the OEM trunk mat with the OEM jack still in place and OEM instruction sticker along the side. The spare tire is even wrapped in carpeting! Yes, these Cadillacs are still dinosaurs compared to their modern counterparts and the engineering was deplorable, but finding one that at least provides a clue as to why a 1980s Cadillac buyer would plop down hard-earned money for one of these – well, cars like this help us understand.
My boss, at the time, bought one of these new… black w/deep maroon interior. It had the 8-6-4 in it and it seemed to run pretty good. I never drove it but, I rode in it many times. Not a bad car.
I think your boss had an 80. In 84, they had the 4.1 motor.
My boss at the time also bought one of these. I think the engine was the dreaded 4.1 litre. It was a really nice looking car and decent riding it just did not have any power.
I have an 84 that looks a lot like the one on ebay but with a continental kit and I’ve had no problems with the 4.1. One guy wrote that by 84, they made improvements to the 4.1 but I don’t know what exactly GM did to improve it. You’re right about one thing–it is underpowered.
Hard to believe there was a time when some designer said “Cadillac really needs a heavy rear impact look”
My thoughts exactly! It’s as if it backed into a brick wall and part of it stayed in tact and fell on the trunk. That aside, this looks like a great example of that car.
I agree! Looks like it got rear ended by a jacked up 4×4.
Even though I think it is a very ugly car you would be hard pressed to find a nicer example if this design floats your boat.
I always thought that this style would be great if you chopped the top and made it a dual cowl pheaton.
I thought this was a beautiful looking car. They look best in one solid color with real wire wheels and vogue tires like this one and without that fake convertible top. The moonroof is the icing on the cake. If only that tan interior was red….
These cars wee controversial in their day, but I think they look sensational now. One of the last cars GM built according to the deigners’ wishes rather than the accountants’.
This one is nicely equipped, but the Elegante would have bumped everything up a notch. Can’t tel if the stereo is the standard unit or the Delco/Bose unit. Cadillac did offer true wire wheels for the Seville, but these are aftermarket wheels. Lovely, just not OEM.
I also think that these are aftermarket wire wheels as are the ones on my 84.
This was one of the last cars styled under the leadership of the legendary Bill Mitchell.
The style is a knock of of the Rolls Royce body maker of the 1930’s and 40’s James Young and it is known as a razors edge style. It is extremely hard to get right and these Seville’s did a better job than most. I am not certain that white give you the best view of the body. A black or very dark blue / red would show off the look better but these were good cars in the day and still acceptable today.
Every hatch back make could blow the doors off of them but then that is not the point of this car. I am certain the right person would buy this and turn it into a wedding limo. Perfect candidate for that kind of use. I think in a couple of years it could pay for itself and then you have in effect a free car.
These were hot cars when I was growing up in Brooklyn.
I wanted one really bad or the Eldorado. Could not afford any one of them so I had the Riv. The next best thing.
All the cool “Connected” guys had the Eldo or the Seville.
I wish I could go back in time.
Some of you might know what I mean.
You are right Gene. Every cool guy wanted one in New York. Brooklyn, Long Island, Bronx, ect. A Seville, Eldorado or a Riviera like you said but don’t forget the Olds Toronado, the big 98 Regencys and Buick Electra Park Ave, they were right up there too. Kids used to take off the hubcaps if you did not have the locks so you could not park on the streets overnight unless you were really well known. Then, nobody touched your ride.
I do . Cruze up and down ave u or kings highway
I lived a block away from ave u. The best street was 86st in Bensonhurst as I remember, but that was 30 years ego. The fun we had.
I lived on the east side east 13 the st and have u
I’ve tried hard, for decades, but I just can’t see the beauty in these ducklings.
Nice car nonetheless
I had use of one of these in ’84 for 8 weeks while the owner (my biz partner) was in Europe. It got a lot of looks and thumbs up then and was quite controversial from a design standpoint. I loved driving it, but then I was 39 and it pushed all the right buttons.
Today, I’d love to own one of these. I always liked that styling. Future collectible I’m thinking.
How much “future” can you wait for? It’s 33 years old and nobody wants them now.
How much future?
Answer, unlimited!
…but I hate it in white.
The best color back then was. White with burgundy metallic sides, and white interior leather. Carriage true spoke rims. Fake convertible white top. Gold emblems all over. Fake rolls Royce grille. This was the ultimate combo for “connected guys” in the 80s.
I will be pleased to make the first Jimmy Hoffa comment regarding the trunk contents.
not really a fan of these, but it instantly made me think of this. ok, its not a ’79, but still…
https://youtu.be/Fo_2TE6C56Y
That’s a hilarious vid!!!!
Thanks for the laughs!!!!
Oops, I forgot about the car, I was laughing so hard! Eh, not my style. You have to credit where credit is due, it is a very well preserved piece of “history”, just like the one in the video!!!! Too funny…………………………………
Beautiful car. Someone is going to get a rel head turner.
Its sweet. That 4100 is a piece of crap. My buddy has a mint Navy Blue one with white top. Yup, plenty of guys had em in the 80s in the boroughs. Always wanted an Eldorado though. Black Biarritz would of done it. Back when we still built American cars.
Nice car, but I’m still putting the ’75 body style ahead. More conservative, but it had the fuelie 350. “Bustle back”. Good description. What’s so bad about the 4.1 liter engine ? I’m told they are a great motor swap for a Fiero.
The 84 Seville was a very expensive Caddy for its day. I went through the option list on my 84 and back then, it would have stickered out at around $30k and that’s in 1984 dollars. For comparison, I had a 1980 Toro that stickered at $12k. The 4.1 is slow but I’ve had no problems with mine.
Beautiful car, the 4.1 was much improved for ’84-’85, much fewer problems…want more power? 350 Olds is the popular swap but you lose much of the fantastic on board diagnostics…probably has the delco-Bose stereo, as it does seem to have everything; including the digital dash and pwr seat recliner…I would take tan over red interior any day
I’ve always liked the controversial styling and Izzy love to put this one in my garage.
My dad loved these. His was a 1980 with the deisel engine. Medium metallic blue over light metallic blue. Blue leather. It turns out that was one of the worst GM engines, ever, but when it was working, it was a nice ride. Very comfortable and a pleasure to drive. He finally had to let it go because that engine just needed too much work all the time. (And you know it’s going to cost plenty when the dealership takes you home in a limo after you drop off your car!) He always wanted another one, with the gas engine, and almost bought one exactly like this one that we found and test drove. He and I both loved it but I think it was the old mum that put the kybosh on it.
Hah! I remember when the ’59 Cadillacs arrived at the dealers… What an uproar! Everyone it seemed, hated the look of those extreme fins – some even saying they were “dangerous”. One of the great TV ads at the time showed a winsome fashionista drawing the camera’s attention to the front grill. The narrator then intoned: “The new grill… Massive; but without a hint of heaviness.” Even as car-hound teen, I thought, “Huh?” Skip ahead more than 50 years, and what Cadillac of that era is most sought-after? Right. The bustle-backs are headed the same direction for exactly the same reason as the ’59’s. In a day of ho-hum suppository-shaped cars, the brazen bustle-backs will find their way into the restoration shops of the future.