It seems that these cars at least showed some pride, I would probably never buy one in turth as they don't really handle like the cars that I like, but I do appricate them for what they are. Here is a nice example. I thnk that if the big three went back to making cars l this instead of neons and cavalirs they might be able to do sometning. Detroit will never be able to makes a sports sedan, the Taurus SHO was a nice try, but why bother competing with sometning that you can't do as well. This appeals to me more then most of the modern stuff that gm is making today.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LQQK-LOW-MILES-GARAGE-KEPT-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ220144270318QQihZ012QQcategoryZ6149QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Big ones like that are OK if you like sitting on a sofa while driving a tennis court

1976 was the last year of the really huge ones, but they were hobbled with monolithic catalytic converters, railroad tie bumpers, and stumbled around, hobbled with smog impedimentia.

This is the classic General Motors "training film" of how to drive their big barges from the early 70's really quick. Sports sedans? You decide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i6xfVek5Yg

They used to really mean something, you should have seen the new Cadillac ads of the 1950's and 1960's. They were a real status symbol then. All the movie stars, potentates, plutocrats and princes rode around in "the standard of the world". The height of their lurid styling excesses would surely have to be the 1959 Eldorado convertible, in lipstick red.

Their nadir was reached by 1982, when a tarted up Chevy Cavalier got leather seats, fake wire wheel hubcaps, and Cadillac badges, and was sold as a Cadillac Cimarron.
The awful diesel engines and limp HP4100 engines and the variable displacement V8-6-4 motors compounded the damage to their reputation, as did the god-awful quality control of GM in its cars from 1980-1990 and beyond.

They are slowly making a comeback today. Better than Lincoln, at least, which seems to have lost its way.


The CTSV is actually a decent sports sedan, drawing from the good GM Opels in Germany. The 1975 Cadillac Seville was the first attempt at a sport sedan, and as such it was a failure, though it sold pretty well in America, and actually was assembled in Iran for awhile also.

The Cadillac Catera, a rebadged Opel from Germany, also was sold recently,
and marketed as a sports sedan, but
but nobody ever mistook them for a BMW 3-series, and they sold poorly.


And the rappers and footballers catapaulted the Escalades to popularity, even they are basically pimped up Chevy Suburbans and pickup trucks.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

OMG, I thought that the all the American iron, especially stuff with early smog controls were some of the biggest pieces of crap ever built. I always liked European cars for many reasons but mostly because the bean counters did not control everything and the designers were allowed to express some of their passion. Look at that Cadillac, what an ugly turd it is. My mom had caddies for years and I thought they were all death traps because of their terrible suspensions. Great in a straight line but forget about any evasive manuver.

The US manufacturers would do well to deal with their labor or they will be out of business in a few years. That is unless the Feds bail them out like they do to everyone else. But even now their sense of styling sucks and they still have quality problems even after having their lunch eaten time after time. Remember Toyota is now the largest car manufacturer in the world. Then there is poor Ford that has to recycle styling from 30 years ago. The US car makers just can't seem to get it right.

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Doug

1987 300TD x 3
2005 E320CDI

That is a rolling zip code. Reminds me of my old 71 Chrysler Newport. Room for 15, gas mileage of a Sherman tank going uphill and a seven body trunk.

There is a '73 Eldorado Conv. for sale in Sarasota - should have the 8.2 liter (500) engine in it. Looks decent from the outside. Either $2500 or $3500. Expect about 8mpg city and 11 highway.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Get the cool looking Eldo. 1970 or older, plus you have the 500 or 472-- depending on the year.



I bought a '69 Fleetwood about 5 yrs ago, kept it for 2. Sold it with 45k miles, put on a few thousand w/o a hitch.

Bought it sight unseen from an older gent in Pittsburgh. Drove it back to Wisconsin and only stopped for gas. Great interstate cruiser.

Watch out for the usual suspect, rust! Otherwise they're straight fwd. Most of them need front end work due to the huge lump.

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Here is one of a '73

Attached Thumbnails

 

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

The last year was 1976, when SAE fasteners were used exclusively, in GM Automobiles.
That Fleetwood Brougham, is a real big car, a boat. I like them.

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SONNY was right...Nobody Cares.
Calogero, from the movie, "A BRONX TALE."

Screw the 8.2L. Find one with a 350 Diesel.

that reminds me of the clint eastwood movie 'thunderbolt and lightfoot' when he goes into the dealer at the end and buys a white eldo w/ a red interior w/ cash!!

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0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

nh500sl has good taste in cars, IMHO. Cadillacs from 1965 through 1976 are some of the nicest cars ever built. I discovered Cadillacs by accident in 1974, my junior year in high school. Gas prices spiked (premium went to a whopping 70 cents per gallon!), so people were unloading their gas guzzlers. I got a pristine 1965 Coup de Ville for $800. What a creampuff that car was. Handled great. It had the nicest interior I've ever seen on a car.

Look at this 1966 on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1966-Cadillac-Sedan-Deville-62000-miles_W0QQitemZ260154497629QQihZ016QQcategoryZ6146QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Look at the picture of the front seat and dashboard. See how the glove box is in the middle? It created enormous leg room for the front seat passenger and made for a really clean appearance.

I have not driven every luxury car of that era, but I would take a 1965 or 66 Coup de Ville over any others that I've been around from that time, including Benz and Rolls Royce.

Boats try a 2008 CTSV, don't knock it till you plant your foot!

I'm always amazed that such large engines like the 500 could produce so little power, and consume so much fuel.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-842919039937845247

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

a regular at my store drives a concourse quality El Dorado... back when they took up a whole parking spot!... It is beautiful.. Black on Black ... with the 10ft long hood and a mile of rear overhang.. IIRC 500 cubic inch engine and jeeze its hot

Black on black is rare. Most of the 197x Eldo's are that horrendous white or red.

__________________
'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Its a magnificent car. If I had to choose a 70's era boat.. that would soooo be it. My dad had a later fleetwood which was a tugboat compared to that frign battleship.


The owner of the El Dorado also has a convertible version.. just as big... If I had it all I can see is the back seat full of women .. more like a full cheer leading squad