The best Cadillacs ever made?

[64\/54Cadillacking]

I've sorta been on a hiatus recently on the forum due to personal reasons but I'm now trying to get back on focusing on my Cadillacs again, and this thought came to my mind.

In your opinion, what were the best Cadillacs ever made? You can be as biased as possible because I know a lot of us are.

IMHO opinion, the late 40's-50's Cadillacs were the best of them all due to them being the most bold and stylish Cads, and having the highest quality of materials, followed by the 60's up until about 65-66. Reasons being is that interior styling and quality dropped off significantly after 66. But the reliability and power was still amazing in the later 60's-early the 70's Cads.

Performance and durability were never a question in a Cadillac during those days  since the majority of them were stoutly built cars mechanically up until around 1976 when Cadillacs were still seriously overbuilt tanks on wheels.

[cadillactim]

Really not easy to say with all the technological changes over the years. Is a 390 engine better than a LT1 engine? The technology would favor the LT1. How many of the older drivetrains could go over 200,000 miles?

Even with build quality one would have to compare apples to apples. Newer cars are designed to absorb energy in a collision making them in some ways safer than the older cars.

Disc and antilock brakes are definitely better than drum brakes, dual master cylinder better than single, and so on.

So would it be really fair to compare 60s to 40s, 70s to 50s, etc?

It is obvious that cheaper plastic materials began to be used in a lot of interior parts. And that really began obvious in 1969 and up models.

Safety became more important in 1967, and so some plastics started making their way into the cars then, but I would say the 1967-68 models are no less quality than the 1966 and back.

I believe the answer to your question in the end is really subjective.

Personally I think the 60s were the best decade that I can compare. The 50s and older cars were before my time.

To me, a Cadillac was a classy car, sleek and pretty (not gaudy looking), long and plenty of chrome. I like the 1963-65 Fleetwoods. I also like the 1967-68 convertibles with the sloped fenders and stacked headlights.

I owned a 1995 Fleetwood and own a 1967 convertible. The 95 was a nice car overall, but not what I think a Cadillac should be like the 67 is.

But that is me. And others will have their views which are just as legitimate as mine.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

For me, nothing beats a 425 powered 77/78/79 for best overall satisfaction and enjoyment. I also like its clean sharp body styling which stayed looking fresh for many years. Rust resistance was dramatically improved in this generation and the 425/THM 400 driveline was about as rugged and reliable as anything Cadillac ever made.

It was not uncommon for owners who had consistently traded up for a new Cadillac every several years to have kept their 77/78/79 for 7 to 10 years or more. Money was no object for any of these people if that says anything. Those who did wind up trading up to a new '80s model (of the HT4100 era) almost invariably regretted it.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I will heartily agree with Eric. All of the tri-7 Cadillacs we have had have been exceptionally reliable. (#1 was a 1979 SDV that I don't think Gay had any major shop time on it. I "had" to get #2 that showed up on the local Chevy lot which was a 1978 SDV. Both were d'Elegance models. So we more or less had twins.

The third one was happenstance. I was looking at a semi-ratty FireThorn '76 Eldo conv and a guy stopped and said, "Don't buy that junker. I know of a mint '79 CDV. It was Dark Cedar with a light Cedar top. I made a bundle on it at the car lot. The next one my body man told me about. It was a white '79 CDV a kid had for sale about ten miles from me. I did some cosmetic work on it and it ended up going to Oklahoma City. Finally, I saw a '79 Dark Cedar Fleetwood on eBay in Paduca, KY.

It had a large dent in the driver's door which was no problem to repair when I had it painted at Maaco. I flew down to pick it up. It was a one owner, little old lady car bought off the showroom floor in Michigan City, IN. I drove it about ten miles towards home and the muffler went out. So, it was noisy on the way north to spend the night on Jack Miller's couch in Terre Haute. Got home the next day.

Before we got it painted, we met my son and grandson in Lynchburg, VA for a soccer match. Then, on to Richmond for a visit. No problems on this 1500 mile round trip.
Got the paint done in time for Savannah, GN, for her first prize in class. Then on to Kansas City in the heat. A/C worked fine.

Drove it all over IN for regional doings. I had to install a different heater/ac unit and compressor was the main problem I had with this car. I stopped driving it as much after we found the lo-mile '91 Seville, and I decided to let her go.

It had sat in the garage for nearly two years with little attention beyond installing new rear plastic. One young man came up from Terre Haute and loved the car but was shy on $$$. Then, about a year later, he called and asked, "Would you take a thousand less for the car. I have that much in cash at the present."

I said that I would so he came up with three friends, and promptly drove the car to Indy and then back to his home. (Remember, the car had sat for two years.) He called when he got home in love with the car.

If I ever win the lottery, I am going to call Richard Sills and start throwing money at him for one of his '79 Fleetwoods. One is "worn-out" with 35K on it. The silver one is "new" with some 5K.

These three years have a few faults. But not many. And the first one might have been the best, as Gay drove it to work and back for several years with no problems. I finally sold it to the brother of a fellow lady car salesman after it had sat for a year or so. It still ran fine.

[jdemerson]

In your opinion, what were the best Cadillacs ever made? ...
IMHO opinion, the late 40's-50's Cadillacs were the best of them all due to them being the most bold and stylish Cads, and having the highest quality of materials, followed by the 60's up until about 65-66. Reasons being is that interior styling and quality dropped off significantly after 66. But the reliability and power was still amazing in the later 60's-early the 70's Cads. ...

A fun topic to think about and read about, but a tough one if it is to be taken seriously. What is the meaning of "best"?

If it is bold and stylish, then: 1930-37 V16; 1938 Sixty Special; 1941; 1959-1960; 1967-70 Eldorado. (Surely there are others...)

If it is most significantly improved over its predecessors, then perhaps it is: 1941; 1949; 1963-64; 1965-66; 1967-1968 (for 472 and for safety items as noted by Tim); 1977-79 (as noted by Eric); 1990-92 Brougham (traditional elegance with reliable and powerful 5.7 V8s); 1994-1996 (for mass, ride, and Corvette power). I'll limit to at least 25 years old.

If its engineering innovation that has an impact on the entire industry, it would be a different list, but would likely include early V16, 1949, 1964 (Climate Control and Turbo-Hydramatic).

If it is the classic that I'd most like to live with as a daily driver, it would be either 1977-79 Fleetwood or 1990-1992 Brougham.

Note that 1952 is not on any of these lists, yet in 1952 many auto publications judged Cadillac to be the best mass-produced car in the world.

Differing opinions are welcomed!!

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

If it is the classic that I'd most like to live with as a daily driver...

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X

That's the criteria I was mainly thinking of, ie: enjoyment of use and overall manageability.   

[59-in-pieces]

It is hard to argue with personal preferences.

Having grown up my entire aware life and exposed to Cadillacs of my grandparents and my Dad and his brothers, how could I choose.
But, I recall specifically my Dad bringing home his new 65 and saying this damn plastic car. "They're just not making them like they used to".

Since Cadillacs have lost their distinction as "the Standard of the World", it follows that their uniqueness as given way to:
Options became standard accessories - everybody has them.
There came the safety standards in design - everybody has them.
There came the efficiencies and electronics - everybody has them.
The loss of a convertible model - few if any have them, not Cadillac.
And perhaps more recently, over-all design - everybody looks the same.

The conclusion may be, the WOKE movement (turning our eyes from the past) has resulted in homogenous cars, only distinguishable by color selections.  But even that has faded from Cadillacs.

The prophetic lyrics - its all ticky tacky, and we all just look the same - paraphrased.

Have fun - while you can.
Steve B.

[Lexi]

I've sorta been on a hiatus recently on the forum due to personal reasons but I'm now trying to get back on focusing on my Cadillacs again, and this thought came to my mind.

In your opinion, what were the best Cadillacs ever made? You can be as biased as possible because I know a lot of us are.

IMHO opinion, the late 40's-50's Cadillacs were the best of them all due to them being the most bold and stylish Cads, and having the highest quality of materials, followed by the 60's up until about 65-66. Reasons being is that interior styling and quality dropped off significantly after 66. But the reliability and power was still amazing in the later 60's-early the 70's Cads.

Performance and durability were never a question in a Cadillac during those days  since the majority of them were stoutly built cars mechanically up until around 1976 when Cadillacs were still seriously overbuilt tanks on wheels.

Guess I am more on board with the 64\/54Cadillacking but Eric and Steve's comments ring particularly true as well as the other comments. Such as what does "best" mean in this context? Ultimately a question that cannot be answered, but for me most any 1950's Cad for appearance inside and out, with a 1970 or a late 1970s drive train for performance. My final analysis is that vintage Cadillacs are like women, "They are all good except some are better than others". Clay/Lexi

[64\/54Cadillacking]

All great comments, I also love the 77-79 Cads, personally when I think of a Cadillac, for whatever reasons, those years come to mind instantaneously, probably because that design lasted all the way until 1992 and it's such a classic Cadillac design.

The 59 Cadillac is likely the most iconic Cadillac of all time. Was it the best one though? Again it's all subjective. Now if only the 59 had the 472 and TH400 trans, it would possibly be close to it IMO.

A friend of mine, that was also a close friend of Charles Fares owns a beautiful black on black 59 Sedan Deville, seeing it up close in person is a sight to behold. Sometimes I still can't believe how cars like that could be produced with all the tooling and materials that needed to be involved in constructing them. The cost of all the chrome, little details, and crazy fin rear end design had to cost GM a fortune to build in the late 50's.

One thing I didn't like about the 59 is how small the interior was for the relatively huge exterior. I mean the rear seat didn't have a lot of legroom compared to my 54 Cadillac Fleetwood which has legroom for days and an interior that's a size of mini football stadium.

Of course over time, Cadillacs added more features so you can in a sense add those extra features and options to the list of certain Cads being better, more luxurious than other years.

So I do appreciate the Cadillacs that have advanced and evolved even if that meant giving up some material quality for better functionality, performance and reliability.

Although I used to own a 94 Fleetwood Brougham, it never once felt like a Cadillac to me, but rather a giant Chevy which it pretty much was underneath the skin.

Now the 87 Brougham that I briefly owned however, did still look and feel like a Cadillac, and old man's Cadillac though, a mafia gangster from goodfellas, or even a pimp, but my 54 Fleetwood and definitely my 64 SDV, both feel and look like a young person in his 20's and 30's would own them.

You can tell how over the course of time, Cadillacs styling became more and more conservative and restrained which started mainly in the 1970's maybe even starting in 65' which BTW the 65's are beautiful cars and are not conservative looking at all by todays standards.

I'm still firm on the 50's Cadillacs being the most iconic decade for Cadillac which touches and attracts people from all ages.

I have love for the 30's Cadillacs as well, but the fact that there's simply not a whole lot of them around, and you can't really drive those cars like you normally would a 50's-70's Cad because of their ancient age and hard to come by parts, they're not practical to own unless you bought a completely restored one and drive it like you could a modern car.

I'm currently dreaming of owning an all black 58 Fleetwood and or a 59 Coupe Deville/Fleetwood 🤤🤤🤩🤩

One day when money and time isn't of a concern to me lol. Until then, all I can do is keep dreaming.

[Lexi]

As usual, I agree. I came so close to buying a black '59 Cad but had nowhere to park it. Clay/Lexi

[59-in-pieces]

I am more than slightly bias when it comes to 59's and especially the Eldorado Biarritz.

What comes up more often than not is the fact that every where I've gone people love the car.

And more to my earlier post, they can't believe that "way back in 59" so many of the creature comforts they take for granted existed so long ago.
That was the era of "the Standard of the world" and the ho-hum expectations of the modern car.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[smokuspollutus]

1982 Cimarron 1.8 with 4 speed manual.

[Caddyholic]

1982 Cimarron 1.8 with 4 speed manual.

Try to find one now.

[jdemerson]

What if "Best" means having the greatest progress/improvement over its predecessor? 

Some candidates for this version might be 1930 V16, 1938 Sixty-Special, 1941, 1949, 1968, 1976 Seville, 1977-79.

My vote would probably go to 1977-79 Deville and Fleetwood: All-new, substantially downsized while retaining passenger and luggage space, still quiet and smooth, dramatic improvements in rust-proofing and body sealing.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X

[64\/54Cadillacking]

What if "Best" means having the greatest progress/improvement over its predecessor? 

Some candidates for this version might be 1930 V16, 1938 Sixty-Special, 1941, 1949, 1968, 1976 Seville, 1977-79.

My vote would probably go to 1977-79 Deville and Fleetwood: All-new, substantially downsized while retaining passenger and luggage space, still quiet and smooth, dramatic improvements in rust-proofing and body sealing.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X

Great point John, I think in some ways, It's the tale of the "best" designed or the best "styled" Cadillacs, vs the most "improved mechanically" and the years with the most "progress/improvements made on every level".

Hands down the best Cadillac engine ever made was the 472 ( which the 425 is derived from, its also a great motor), and IMO the best Cadillac overall driving car might be the 1968-70 Cadillacs right before all the smog equipment started choking off the engines performance. Mechanically the 68-70 Cads was the absolute sweet spot for Cadillac performance. Carrying 6 heavy adults with a trunk full of luggage wouldn't even phase the 472 and TH400. I honestly can't fathom the downsized 77-79 Cadillac riding smoother, being quieter and more comfortable than a 76 Fleetwood Brougham that weighs over 1,000lbs more than the 77-79 Fleetwood's/Devilles, and has a whopping almost 13 inches more in wheelbase than the downsized models. This does make a huge difference in the way the car rides and drives in my experience.

I can't speak for all Cadillacs since I simply haven't owned or experienced all of them, but I do remember once upon a long time ago when I owned a 72 SDV, I looked at a beautiful 1970 SDV that was for sale.

I clearly remember taking it for a test drive and realizing how much of a smoother driving car it was compared to my rather "rattley, squeaky" 72 SDV.

Even the way the doors closed and body felt, it was a tighter, better built car IMO compared to my 72. The 70 also felt much quicker off the line, it had less body pitching upon accelerating, and more seamless shifting from the TH400.  At the end of the day the owner wanted too much for it, so I had to pass on her, but wow was it a very nice car. 

My 68 CDV was an even better car but the 70 honestly was quieter and a bit smoother on the road if my memory serves me right.

Besides how awesome the 69-70 Cadillacs look, they also drive extremely well.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I honestly can't fathom the downsized 77-79 Cadillac riding smoother, being quieter and more comfortable than a 76 Fleetwood Brougham that weighs over 1,000lbs more than the 77-79 Fleetwood's/Devilles, and has a whopping almost 13 inches more in wheelbase than the downsized models. This does make a huge difference in the way the car rides and drives in my experience.

Nobody was more surprised than me when I got behind the wheel of a '77 for the first time some 40 years ago but it's absolutely true. Ride was even further improved in 1978 when softer body mounts were used. The softest riding Cadillacs ever made IMHO were the RWD DeVille/Brougham 1978 to 1986 with 1977 a close second.

As far as I'm concerned Cadillac knocked it out of the park with this generation. They did most things well, were easy to live with and and looked great doing it.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Eric, I think that color combination is the same as Richard's 35K one... (It'd match my eyes) as my daughter might say.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Eric, I think that color combination is the same as Richard's 35K one... (It'd match my eyes) as my daughter might say.

Barry, Richard's is similar except his is Norfolk Grey lower color while the lower color on this is Sterling Blue. Both have Crater Lake Blue upper color.

Point of trivia: 1979 was the only year two tone paint was available on the Fleetwood Brougham.

[jdemerson]

Great point John, I think in some ways, It's the tale of the "best" designed or the best "styled" Cadillacs, vs the most "improved mechanically" and the years with the most "progress/improvements made on every level".

Hands down the best Cadillac engine ever made was the 472 ( which the 425 is derived from, its also a great motor), and IMO the best Cadillac overall driving car might be the 1968-70 Cadillacs right before all the smog equipment started choking off the engines performance. Mechanically the 68-70 Cads was the absolute sweet spot for Cadillac performance. Carrying 6 heavy adults with a trunk full of luggage wouldn't even phase the 472 and TH400.

For this discussion I'll stick to the criterion, greatest progress/improvement over its predecessor. In general I think of the various generations of Cadillacs, e.g., 1959-60, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1969-70, 1971-76, 1977-79. But in terms of progress/improvement of its predecessor, I would isolate the 1968 models and examine improvement over the 1965-66 models. For me the '68  stands out because of the 472 and TH400 as well as available disc brakes and shoulder belts. I agree that 1969-70 were great cars, very handsome, but possibly not as significantly improved over 1967-68 models.

I am persuaded by Eric's analysis of 1977-79 models. They were better than they had any right to be, given their shedding of 900 pounds. I didn't have experience with those models, but I did assist in the purchase of a 1977 Caprice (which I drove many times). Even that lowly Chevy was an amazing car, yet it couldn't have held a candle to a 1977-79 Brougham!

John Emerson

[James Landi]

With regard to progress and improvement, one way to tease out the contrasts would have us focus not only on engine improvements which is a great idea , but also on driving dynamics, comfort, and durability.   

Having lived through the change from king pin front suspension to ball joints and rubber upper control arm bushings, torsion bars, single leaf rear springs, vacuum actuated level control, the advent of rear mounted ac evaporators and electronic comfort control, the introduction of molybrium rings and hardened valves, alumunium blocks with iron heads, variable dampening for shocks, variable displacement engines, heads up displays, etc, etc, there's so much to discuss. 

Applying some of those criteria, I think the most radical changes occurred between the '56 and '57 model years and, of course, the 76 to 77 years.    So much was different.    James