I still can’t believe they’re 💩-canning the car that started the whole thing for them! Just roll back to the generation that’s the newer of Jack’s LSes, put the latest safety and infotainment in it (as long as it doesn’t become a screened shitshow), and sell as many as you can until the tooling wears out! You wouldn’t have to touch anything—just make sure the electronics architecture can be upgraded whenever 4G is sunset!
No gaping-shield grille or whatever they did to destroy the ES design! You can keep the interior look of Jack’s car while making the entirety of that dash use TFT displays (with physical HVAC and primary radio and other controls—seat heaters/coolers, etc.)!
Oh yeah! The sound system! Make it the finest Levinson to grace a Lexus!
Matador Red? Where is that on the red->burgundy spectrum?
The only Matador Red of which I was aware to this point was the cherry-ish color available on Oldsmobiles around the 1968-1972 timeframe, like my Mom’s 1971 Cutlass “S” Coupe.
I get that not everyone is going to like the same cars I do but PN was incapable of separating his personal dislike for a vehicle from his contempt for anyone with a differing opinion.
Compare that to someone like Jack or Robert Farago,who can still be quite sharp in their critiques, but always seem willing to hear out someone that disagrees.
The original tagline for CC was "every car has a story" but Paul was very uninterested in stories that contradicted whatever he already declared.
After reading these, I'm like "....hmm, I wonder what pops up on craigslist?" Granted, this is actually being sold over in Las Vegas, but for the sake of discussion:
Interesting, wonder why they used the 1976 Eldorado tail lights? Bet there is a ton of putty in those rear quarters. Like Tom said, no not worth that kind of money.
From what did they crib those doors? I presume they’re bespoke creations; they don’t look long enough to have been Coupe DeVille doors.
Of the various things that used OG Sevilles as the basis for SSK replicars to other two-seat coupe models, all had the front doors from the donor car; in fact, the example here is the first Coupe SeVille that I’ve ever seen that had doors that could legitimately have been used on a hypothetical Caddy factree offering.
Those taillights, though! They need the vertical spears next to them! Big bowl of “not good” here!
I agree and I really liked the taillights on these Seville's. Would have been easier to just put Seville Headlights and a Cadillac Wreath on a 78 regal coupe
I 100% agree with everything you said about this Caddy. It’s a beautiful design that is well balanced and subtly muscular, like a champion swimmer in an expensive suit.
"Prosthetic limb beige" is somehow more hilarious than it has any right to be. I always enjoy you swooning over things I don't know much about, like these Caddies. My only connection to them is remembering my totally dreamy 5th grade teacher saying she wanted one and I agreed with her because she was all that.
1976 my family visited USA. We were in nyc and went to the gm building where there was a new yellow Seville. We even got to sit in it and work the electric seats which us rubes from Africa had never experience before. Compared to the Australian fords we got the Seville was in another orbit of sophistication and luxury. I think that car is what induced my father to move to the USA. He never got one but did later get the bustle back which was a pos.
Thank you for clearing up the nova story, I really did think they were novas.
The 1975 Seville is such a great design. To me, GMs handling of the Seville's success is an even greater GM deadly sin (sorry for the Neidermeyer-ism...I think that came from Paul tho) than the Vega, Citiation, or even the Cimmaron.
Firstly, This was a car that exuded elegance and class in a time of vinyl top toupees and Rolls Royce grilles on everything. This was a car that GM had the balls to price higher than the much larger traditional models. It was well known that there was some Nova engineering behind it all. Yet it still sold well and drew in a younger crowd to Cadillac. They decide to abandon the sheer look and slap a baroque Gatsby era body on the 1980 model. It took Cadillac back down the road to the Greatest Generation customer base from which it would never really return.
Secondly, GM copied and pasted the Seville sheer look on every vehicle designed afterward. The 1980 Olds cutlass notchback sedan being the most egregious.
Only GM could pull off a failure like that in the midst of a success.
I just want to note that my father's new ES350 has a Matador Red exterior and a *white* interior! It's all happening!
So he got the last of the good ones? The '26 looks like a cardboard prop from Back to the Future II.
Yeah that was the idea. He turned in his 530i lease early to do it.
And you can snag it when he trades it. Love it when a plan comes together. :)
I still can’t believe they’re 💩-canning the car that started the whole thing for them! Just roll back to the generation that’s the newer of Jack’s LSes, put the latest safety and infotainment in it (as long as it doesn’t become a screened shitshow), and sell as many as you can until the tooling wears out! You wouldn’t have to touch anything—just make sure the electronics architecture can be upgraded whenever 4G is sunset!
No gaping-shield grille or whatever they did to destroy the ES design! You can keep the interior look of Jack’s car while making the entirety of that dash use TFT displays (with physical HVAC and primary radio and other controls—seat heaters/coolers, etc.)!
Oh yeah! The sound system! Make it the finest Levinson to grace a Lexus!
Ship the tooling to Brazil and make them for 40 more years.
Matador Red? Where is that on the red->burgundy spectrum?
The only Matador Red of which I was aware to this point was the cherry-ish color available on Oldsmobiles around the 1968-1972 timeframe, like my Mom’s 1971 Cutlass “S” Coupe.
It is RED https://www.reddit.com/r/Lexus/comments/vsfb3q/picked_up_my_new_es350_ultra_luxury_today_the_red/#lightbox
Candyapple! Nice!
I get that not everyone is going to like the same cars I do but PN was incapable of separating his personal dislike for a vehicle from his contempt for anyone with a differing opinion.
Compare that to someone like Jack or Robert Farago,who can still be quite sharp in their critiques, but always seem willing to hear out someone that disagrees.
The original tagline for CC was "every car has a story" but Paul was very uninterested in stories that contradicted whatever he already declared.
I still would occasionally comment on CC even after I quit writing. Mr. Wonderful then blocked me. As they say in Minnesota, OK then...
“Yer darn tootin’, ya betcha!
“Ya shoor, it’s a daycare, but day’re cleaning and painting! Da kiddos’ll be here Monday morning! Don’t-cha worry ‘bout dat!
Can I interest you in da Tru-Coat?”
Thanks, I shot gin out my nose. 🤣
i might always be of the opinion that cars of this era will look ugly to me but oh man the colours
the colours
If you Google 70s Cadillac color and upholstery charts, the sheer number of amazing colors and fabrics will boggle your mind.
Actually, I have scans of a bunch from about 74 to 90 that my friend Jayson sent from his collection. I should do a post here.
After reading these, I'm like "....hmm, I wonder what pops up on craigslist?" Granted, this is actually being sold over in Las Vegas, but for the sake of discussion:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ctd/d/henderson-1977-cadillac-san-remo-coupe/7900389714.html
Rare one! But 85 grand? Hmm no. Haha.
Interesting, wonder why they used the 1976 Eldorado tail lights? Bet there is a ton of putty in those rear quarters. Like Tom said, no not worth that kind of money.
From what did they crib those doors? I presume they’re bespoke creations; they don’t look long enough to have been Coupe DeVille doors.
Of the various things that used OG Sevilles as the basis for SSK replicars to other two-seat coupe models, all had the front doors from the donor car; in fact, the example here is the first Coupe SeVille that I’ve ever seen that had doors that could legitimately have been used on a hypothetical Caddy factree offering.
Those taillights, though! They need the vertical spears next to them! Big bowl of “not good” here!
I agree and I really liked the taillights on these Seville's. Would have been easier to just put Seville Headlights and a Cadillac Wreath on a 78 regal coupe
“Close enough—for government work at least….”
Since I’ve spent 33 years as a government IT guy, I always say “close enough for a government worker!” 😂
I 100% agree with everything you said about this Caddy. It’s a beautiful design that is well balanced and subtly muscular, like a champion swimmer in an expensive suit.
I always liked the Black and Silver Seville. Those were sharp.
"Prosthetic limb beige" is somehow more hilarious than it has any right to be. I always enjoy you swooning over things I don't know much about, like these Caddies. My only connection to them is remembering my totally dreamy 5th grade teacher saying she wanted one and I agreed with her because she was all that.
1976 my family visited USA. We were in nyc and went to the gm building where there was a new yellow Seville. We even got to sit in it and work the electric seats which us rubes from Africa had never experience before. Compared to the Australian fords we got the Seville was in another orbit of sophistication and luxury. I think that car is what induced my father to move to the USA. He never got one but did later get the bustle back which was a pos.
Thank you for clearing up the nova story, I really did think they were novas.
What motor did these cars have
350 Olds V8 w exclusive Bendix electronic fuel injection.
Looked up the olds 350. Bigger bore shorter stroke than a chev so I’m guessing much smoother.
Article said besides deck height pretty much the same as a 455, amazing.
No wonder people didn’t like being stiffed with a chev in their 88.
gm divisions each having their own engine each all with essentialy the same architecture, imagine that happening today, the bean counters would freak
The 1975 Seville is such a great design. To me, GMs handling of the Seville's success is an even greater GM deadly sin (sorry for the Neidermeyer-ism...I think that came from Paul tho) than the Vega, Citiation, or even the Cimmaron.
Firstly, This was a car that exuded elegance and class in a time of vinyl top toupees and Rolls Royce grilles on everything. This was a car that GM had the balls to price higher than the much larger traditional models. It was well known that there was some Nova engineering behind it all. Yet it still sold well and drew in a younger crowd to Cadillac. They decide to abandon the sheer look and slap a baroque Gatsby era body on the 1980 model. It took Cadillac back down the road to the Greatest Generation customer base from which it would never really return.
Secondly, GM copied and pasted the Seville sheer look on every vehicle designed afterward. The 1980 Olds cutlass notchback sedan being the most egregious.
Only GM could pull off a failure like that in the midst of a success.
Hey what happened to the pictures? We used to be able to zoom in.
Those pics were 11+ years old, I copied from the RG version.
I'll have to go into my photo files to see if the originals are still there, but they could be long gone.
Yeah but on the Substack app, I can’t do it w Jack’s pictures either
Great to hear we are starting to get some color choices back.
What caused color to exit the market? Was it consumer (dealer) preference, or did manufacturers force it by dramatically reducing options to cut cost?
Was color available up and down the lineup up until the 90s, or did you always have to buy from premium brands?