After a stellar sales year in 1985 with a partially downsized product range, Cadillac sales promptly fell by over 100,000 units in 1986. The debut of the exciting new Allanté in 1987 did not act as a halo for the brand as intended, and the roadster managed only 3,363 sales its first year. Would 1988 be the year Cadillac rebounded? Not quite.
The big news at Cadillac in 1988 was a new 4.5-liter V8, as the company stepped away from the troubled and unreliable HT4100. Cimarron had its final outing, and though it had revised styling and a V6 at the end, it was too little too late to attract buyers. DeVille, Seville/STS, Fleetwood, and Fleetwood Sixty Special did not receive substantive changes aside from the new V8 in 1988. The sad Series 75 limousine was discontinued for 1988, and Cadillac left limousine building to the coach firms, which happily converted many Broughams.
Allanté used the HT4100 for one final time, an odd product decision for the brand’s most illustrious vehicle. Brougham also remained the same as previously. The only model to receive a restyling was the Eldorado, which got longer at the rear, and previewed the design refresh coming to the other front-drive models (save Allanté) in 1989.
The Cimarron had its worst sales ever as it bowed out, and managed only 6,454 units. At its conclusion the Cimarron asked around $16,071 ($45,115 adj.), but did have a bit of range on pricing given the available options. The DeVille line was notably more expensive in either of its flavors in 1988, where the base Coupe DeVille asked $23,049 ($64,704 adj.) the sedan was $23,404 ($65,701 adj.), and the Cadillac Touring Sedan was a couple grand more. A top-tier Fleetwood with d’Elegance package asked a very spendy $28,025 ($78,673 adj.). DeVille and Fleetwood coupe managed a total of 26,420 sales in 1988, but sedan data is not available.
Seville was offered in three flavors in 1988: Base, Elegante, and new Seville Touring Sedan. Seville continued to be expensive and its price jumped about $2,000 to $28,152 ($79,029 adj.) in 1988. Despite this, sales improved to 22,968 standard models, and 1,499 specially-built STS sedans constructed by Cars & Concepts. The Elegante package was eliminated after 1988.
The restyled, lengthened Eldorado also saw a price increase but by this point was notably less expensive than the Seville, at $24,891 ($69,875 adj.). The additional length and more aggressive rear end treatment was proof of what consumers wanted to see from Cadillac. Eldorado sales immediately increased to nearly double their previous figure: 33,210 examples.
Sixty Special continued as an expensive thing few purchased, and was $34,750 ($97,552 adj.) in 1988, or $100 less than the previous year. The traditional Brougham saw its sales fall in 1988 to 53,130 as the Seventies hangover became less appealing to forward-looking customers. Brougham saw a modest price increase this year, to $23,846 ($66,941 adj.), and was still a value buy compared to other options at Cadillac.
The Allanté saw a price increase like other models, to $56,533 ($158,702 adj.) in 1988. Headlines included optional and more reliable analog gauges, and a standard trunk power pulldown feature. Sales fell to 2,569, a fraction of the 270,844 cars Cadillac sold in 1988. Sales were about 12,000 lower than the already bad year Cadillac experienced in 1988.
In 1989 the standard front-drive models across the portfolio were restyled, and finally began to look how they should have in 1986. The DeVille and its sedan cousins received a wheelbase stretch of three inches, a new roof line and rear window, and longer fenders front and rear. Coupes remained on the shorter wheelbase of 1986. The results were Cadillacs about six inches longer on average, and a lineup that looked much less sad. From here through 1991 pricing increased steadily on all models.
The lineup itself did not change, though coupes were proving much less popular than sedans. Coupe DeVille (and Fleetwood) fell from 26,420 sales in 1988 to 4,108 in 1989. Sedan DeVille was still a winner at 122,693 sales and made up more than 44 percent of the brand’s sales.
Fleetwood Sixty Special was now the same length as the regular DeVille, and was built by Cadillac instead of contracted. With new standard Lear-branded seats designed by Giugiaro and formal fender skirts, the price decreased to just $34,230 ($91,807 adj.). A rare vehicle, 2,007 were produced in 1989.
Seville saw its sales fall a bit to 20,422 standard models, and 1,893 STS sedans. After the refresh newness wore off the Eldorado, its sales declined to 27,807 but were still much better than the first couple years of the eleventh-gen. Brougham sales continued their decline, and in 1989 a total of 40,264 were sold. Allanté remained on its slow-selling course, and managed 3,296 sales.
Cadillac’s total production in 1989 was 276,330. Perhaps not quite the improvement the brand expected given its restyling across the portfolio. 1990 brought with it the larger 4.9-liter V8 that would be a pinnacle of Cadillac engines for quite some time, and standard airbags across the line (save Brougham).
Coupe DeVille sales fell in 1990 to 2,438 (their lowest ever), while the sedan’s fortunes improved to 131,717 cars, including Fleetwood. Fleetwood Sixty Special saw a notable price increase in 1990 to $36,980 ($94,278 adj.), with corresponding decrease in sales to 1,817. Seville had its best sales year of the generation in 1990, when 32,235 were sold. That figure was supplemented by 1,893 copies of the STS, identical production to the prior year. In 1990 the STS asked $36,320 ($92,596 adj.) before options.
Eldorado was looking old by its last couple of years, and sales declined to 22,291 in 1990. Pricing had increased to $28,885 ($73,640 adj.) by that year, plus $3,180 ($8,107 adj.) for the luxurious Biarritz package. The Brougham of 1990 was one of the oldest car designs still on the road, and compared poorly with modern competition: Its sales fell further to 33,741 cars. Allanté remained consistent at 3,101 sales. At the conclusion of 1990, total sales fell once more to 258,168.
In 1991 Cadillac readied itself for an exciting new engine – the 4.6 Northstar V8 – and two all-new products via the redesigned Seville and Eldorado. At the base of the range the DeVille saw another stellar year, where 12,134 coupes and 135,776 sedans were sold. Fleetwoods became an ever-smaller fraction of the sales during this time with their conservative and formal looks.
Fleetwood Sixty Special saw another price jump in 1991, to $38,325 ($92,481 adj.). Again its sales shrunk, now into triple digits at 879. 1991 was a carryover year for Seville and STS, as new product loomed. Sales fell to 24,225 standard cars, and 2,206 STS variants. The STS proved increasingly popular but was limited by both its high price and low production.
Eldorado shared the same fate as the Seville with the shadow of a much more modern car looming. Its sales were 16,212 in 1991, the lowest of the entire generation and the lowest since 1966. Pricing was high that year, at $31,245 ($75,396 adj.), a full $2,400 ($5,791 adj.) increase from the prior year. The Eldorado Biarritz saw its last outing ever in 1991.
Brougham continued its retreat from popularity as there was a new large Cadillac brewing in the background. Sales totalled 27,231 in 1991. The Allanté was also down on its luck, with a new low tide mark of 2,500 sales. Pricing was segmented as the hardtop was no longer a standard feature, in order to advertise a lower purchase price. Soft top versions were $57,260 ($138,172 adj.), while the hardtop was a ludicrous $62,810 ($151,565 adj.).
With its mix of ancient (Brougham) and mid-eighties products, 1991 was another rough year for Cadillac. Sales were just 220,284, the worst year for the brand since 1970. They hoped to turn all that around with the Touring-ification of the brand beginning in 1992. There’s a new Eldorado in our next installment.
[Images: GM]
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