Here’s an opportunity: a genuine one-family-owned 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, born and raised in California, available here on craigslist for an asking price of $22,500. This tip comes to us courtesy of numskal, and the car is waiting in the desert—Palm Springs to be precise—for a new owner. Have you always wanted a car with overstuffed leather upholstery? You could probably fly out West and drive this home in comfort if this is your thing.
1970s luxury touches abound, from the thick vinyl top to the fact that the wheel cover centers are body color. It’s a four-door, long enough that they’ll see you coming from a distance. The paint even has a fancy name: Frost Orange Firemist. Wait until you open the door and get out. A glimpse inside will show you to be a person of discerning taste. Why else would your car be decked out in Antique Medium Saffron leather? The interior is as clean and tidy as the exterior, and the only thing that doesn’t work is the digital clock. That’s probably been broken since about 1980. There are other interior options to distract you from that, including a tilt/telescoping steering wheel and remote-control right-side mirror.
Mechanically, this car is in top condition. It’s only been driven 17,500 miles, for starters, and even then, it has had a number of maintenance items done for reliability, including new AC as well as belts and hoses. The seller sums up its condition by saying, “Runs and drives beautifully at all speeds.” It’s still wearing its as-issued California “blue plate” and has just one disadvantage, which is that it will need smog checks done every other year if you keep it in California or import it to a state with similar pollution control rules.
A few years ago, ten grand would have been a lot to ask for this car. Those extra two doors would be a value killer, with buyers preferring the Coupe version of this model. But the supply of true originals is dwindling, even in rust-free states like California, and you’ll have the added cache, if it means anything, of the 1977 model being the inaugural year for the Fleetwood Brougham in this configuration, a part of GM’s mid-decade downsizing efforts. The question then would be how much you can drive it and not affect the value. The other way to say this is, the current owner is asking a premium for originality. How much cruising—and what odo number—makes this Fleetwood Brougham into simply a big, old, four-door car?
One huge thing I noticed Immediately right off the bat is the amazing condition of the bumper fillers. Theyre still intact. And the color looks great on them. I remember the body colored hubcaps from back then too. The leather looks looks immaculate as well. I think someone, somewhere is going to be willing to pay for this Caddy.
Indeed, good catch! I remember ’70s and ’80s cars all too well; the rubbery plastic they used for fillers back then was absolutely notorious for deteriorating fast, many times well within 10 years after the car in question was made. Seeing one with showroom-perfect fillers is all but impossible. That alone ups the value of this car.
I couldnt agree more. When you see a Caddy that has sheetmetal and paint in great condition, but the fillers are cracked or missing ot just takes away from the whole car
Driveinstyle & Tony C
You’re right about the bumper fillers. UV rays were not kind to them. This ’77 has obviously had the fillers replaced. And in the late 90s and early 00s NOS was already becoming scarce. Some after market companies made replacement bumper fillers out of hard fiberglass. Which is why these fillers look so perfect.
The 77s didn’t have this next detail but ’74 thru ’76 had a thin chrome piece of plastic accentuating the rear bumper fillers. When you ordered the fiberglass replacement fillers, that thin chrome strip didn’t come with it. I could never find a replacement for it and the sun did a number on them as well so taking the original was out of the question.
It would be much cheaper for me to fly down from Nova Scotia than it would be to put the gas in that Caddie and drive it back home … still, this is a beautiful car and it would beg the question, park it or drive it?
I wouldn’t buy a car I couldn’t drive.
For me, it would be a weekend cruiser that would not see harsh weather.
They said a few years ago it was a 10k car…. Heartbreaker… It still is. Sorry but these are just USED CARS, this is not a collectable era. Yeah it’s very nice but still just a used car.
The ad states the bumper fillers have been replaced, but what about that fuel tank? It looks brand new. I have never seen anything that old without a little rust at least. This rig may never have seen rain. I think it is a gorgeous car that someone should enjoy.
I’ll defer to the Cadillac experts, but doesn’t it look like the fender and trunk lid Fleetwood badges have been painted over?
45 yet Cadillac tech here ( actually started in 1978!)
Nope. Exactly as they came from the factory this car appears as new… Wonderfully cared for
Nope. That is how there were manufactured.
I had a 77 Coupe DeVille in medium saffron inside and out, with matching landau top, for 18 years, from 1995-2013. I really wished it was a d”Elegance because I wanted those pillow-top seats so badly. This one is beautiful, and if the mileage is accurate, they might find a collector willing to pay, but I doubt if it’ll be that much. This would be nice to own and drive. When I had the rear quarter panel extensions replaced, it was hard to find replacements that fit well. I was wondering if those scripts were painted over, I’ll have to search online for pics of other cars to know for sure.
All those “scripted emblems “ were color coordinated with the paint colors. You’ll see it on the Fleetwoods. This is a GORGEOUS car, all the way around! I would say it IS WORTH at least 15-20k. But there’s no way you could ever restore or “bring up “ another one to this level. The 425 V-8 was really an award winning combination of power, torque, performance AND fuel economy! From the factory – these Fleetwoods got close to 20mpg highway! Huge jump from 12mpg with the 1976 models ( which I love) This one is a KEEPER! Love it! Just wish I was keeping it. Nice article!
This was probably the last gasp of the Standard of the World , let’s all take a moment in silence to say goodbye and salute the Greatness Cadillac signified to us all for 80 years or from conception to 1977. The caddy that zagged was totally unbelievable to this day. How embarrassing who was to blame?
I agree with the first two sentences but don’t understand the last two.
He’s referencing the Catera, the marketing strategy was “The Caddy that zigs”
And they used “Ziggy the duck” as a logo.
Absolutely love it. (Why can’t I have Jay Leno’s money? LOL!)
Hate it! Beautiful car. Well kept and maintained but was too short, too narrow and too tall for a Cadillac. 1976, the last year of the truly big Cadillacs, of which I’ve owned several, they were Cadillacs!
The trunk of the ’77 looks like it was chopped off and a bumper and taillights were added. Was so disappointed when GM downsized. From ’77 on, cars of all makes were square and boxy with no flair.
(Except for Lincolns which stayed huge through 1979)
Lincolns got large again from 1990 to their demise in 2012. I own a 94 Town Car. Large and in charge with excellent fuel economy to boot, have attained an actual 30.9 out of mine, average is 19 in town and 27 on the road. Love Cadillacs, but could never abide this color!
This is a very nice car! It reminds of the 2 door Caddy that Ray Liotta drove as Henry Hill in the Movie GOODFELLAS all day long. 😊
I have to admit, I agree with one point the article’s author made. I am one who prefers the streamlined look of the 2-door full-sizers of this period as opposed to the boring, conventionally-hinged, box-shaped profile configuration of the comparative 4-door models. That said, however, this car looks almost like it’s been in a museum nearly all its life (is Cameron Frye’s dad the owner??).
It was my first experience riding in a Fleetwood, albeit a ’78 model, that got me into an obsession with remote trunk-poppers, cruise control, and cassette players, none of which my grand’s ’67 Lincoln was fitted with. It took some more years before I could do anything about those deficiencies; then I made a terrible mistake in giving that car up for pocket change for all the wrong reasons.
Now I have a ’66 Lincoln which has been retrofitted (by me) with everything cars could be had with in the ’70s, except reclining seatbacks and automatic shut-off of lights (though the car does have a functional auto-dimmer). Seatbacks, I can’t do anything about without replacing the whole front seat, which I don’t really want to do. The sentinel feature, I could do something about, just haven’t yet done it.
I bought one of these in a coupé configuration several years ago. Couldn’t get used to the floating oscillating ride, and the steering that only suggested the general direction in which you might want to go. Run over a dime and the car would pitch, roll, and yawl in every direction. (Granted, my family were Chrysler drivers…)
You should have gotten a good front end alignment. I’ve a few of the 77 to 84 full size Caddy’s and have never experienced what you describe.
With that mileage and condition I’d think it’s easily worth the asking price.
Ouuwee… This is the 1st year of the “Big-Ones” (77-79) Was Street Pimpin’ at its best.. The ONLY thing was instead of a HO 350 or 400, Cadillac put in a weak but quiet 425 motor.. Someone’s gonna have 1 heck of a date in this… Oh.. ONCE AGAIN, It’s NOT a Barn Find by far lol
i would be careful. i am very familiar with this generation of cadillacs and would take a close look at this car…
even though the engine and interior look in fine shape, the car has obviously been repainted, case in point…
the paint does not have the luster that cadillac paint jobs had.
cadillacs had pin striping as standard during this era.
there is no pin striping on the car.
upon closer look, the rub strips and nameplates have been painted over. a sign of an inferior paint job.
it may be a good deal, but i would take closer look,
remember, caviat emptor.
@Jim,
The pinstriping is visible in several of the photos included in the ad. Fleetwoods of that era do indeed have body colored nameplate backgrounds, as we see on this car.
Back (way back) when I was just an 18?y.o. lad, I bought a ’78 Fleetwood Brougham in I believe this very color… mine was loaded, level ride, thick padded vinyl top, moon roof (power), the only option that car didn’t have was two-tone paint. All of those “features” are what led me to trade it in on my first (of many) Trans Am’s…. “Twilight Sentinel” & “Automatic Dimmer” conspired to no longer allow headlights to turn on at all – the sensor in the grille had gone bad ($$). I had already replaced the rear air shocks with Gabriel’s as I had found out the originals were also made by them & merely had different fittings. The rear brakes (disc) had never been adjusted & the calipers had to be replaced. The (double) locking wire wheel covers had had the locks removed at some point – I ordered new locks (8) & a key for them. By the time I was approaching my 21st birthday, I’d had enough of the nickle & diming that it was putting me through. That & I was more than tired of the comments about “driving Dads car”. I traded it in Sept. ’86 (8 years old) on a ’79 T/A that I ended up totalling almost 2 years later.
I drove it this morning…it’s in safe hand in a private museum with plenty of other Cadillacs…the AC is still ice cold!!!
As far as price $22,000 is really stretching it. But with its also extreme low mileage this would be a good find for someone searching for the same car that this is. If you can live with the meager horsepower be my guest. My grandmother’s ‘57 Coupe de Ville had 300 hp, this one has around 1/2 that.