User:Sable232/Cadillac DeVille

The Cadillac DeVille is a full-size luxury car built by General Motors from 1949 to 2005. Prior to 1994, coupe and sedan models were known as Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville. From the beginning, and for many years, de Ville was an option package on the basic car (called Series 62, later Calais).

1949–1953
The Coupe de Ville was introduced by Cadillac late in the 1949 model year. Part of the Cadillac Series 62 line, it was a closed, two-door coupé, Cadillac's first pillarless hardtop. It, along with the Buick Roadmaster Riviera and Oldsmobile Futuramic 98 Holiday, was the first use of this body style. Intended as a prestige model, at $3,497 it was one of the most expensive models of the Series 62 line. It was luxuriously trimmed, with leather upholstery and chrome 'bows' in the headliner to simulate the ribs of a convertible top.

The first-year Coupe de Ville sold 2,150 units, but 1950 sales were more than double, and 1951 more than doubled those of the previous year. By 1961 it was one of the company's most popular models, with annual sales above 20,000. 

1954–1956
The Cadillac line was revamped for 1954. The Coupe de Ville featured a lower, sleeker body, a new grille and bumpers with dagmar guards, and a wraparound windshield and rear window. 

1965–1970
The de Ville was redesigned for 1965 but rode on the same 129.5 in wheelbase. The elevated tailfins were removed, with fins planed flat, and sharp, distinct body lines replaced the rounded look. Also new were a straight rear bumper and vertical lamp clusters. The headlight pairs switched from horizontal to vertical, thus permitting a wider grille.

Curved side windows appeared, and pillared sedans returned in the Calais and Sedan de Ville. Sixty Specials likewise gained roof pillars, while six-window hardtop sedans were dropped. The Special also reverted to its exclusive 133-inch wheelbase after riding the standard 129.5-inch chassis for 1959-64.

Although sales on the restyled 1965 Coupe de Ville set a record for this popular body style, it took second place to the companion four-door hardtop Sedan de Ville. 43,345 Coupe de Ville hardtops and 19,200 Coupe de Ville convertibles were sold during the 1965 model year.

The engine size had grown to 429 cu in (7.0 L) with 340 horsepower. All four de Ville models had small script nameplates on the ends of their rear fenders just above the chrome side molding.

In 1966 the body-style remained unchanged, with only cosmetic styling changes from the previous year. It carried Tiffany-like scripts above the rear tip of the horizontal body rub moldings. Standard equipment additions followed the pattern of previous years. Cadillac crests and V-shaped moldings, front and rear, were identifiers.

Coupe de Ville sales passed the 50,000 mark during the 1966 model year for the first time, but continued to trail those of the four-door Hardtop Sedan de Ville. de Ville closed models had chrome trim in the concave reveal around the side window openings, including the window sills. Automatic level control was available. A new engine mounting system and patented quiet exhaust were used.

The 1967 Coupe de Villes were extensively restyled. Prominent styling features were given a powerful frontal appearance with forward-leaning front end, long sculptured body lines, and redefined rear fenders that had more than just a hint of tail fins in them. The full-width forward-thrusted "eggcrate" grille was flanked by dual stacked headlights for the third consecutive year. Rectangular parking lamps were built into the outer edges of the grille.

Minor trim variations and slightly richer interiors separated de Ville from Calais. Tiffany style chrome signature scripts were again found above the body side molding on the rear fenders. Coupe de Ville and Calais got a new roofline, inspired by the Florentine show car created for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

As on that show car, the quarter window glass retracted rearward into a sail panel.

1971–1976
As with all GM fullsize lines, the de Ville was redesigned for 1971. The standard engine remained the 472, still rated at 375 SAE gross horsepower and 365 lbft of torque. The car was still essentially a Calais with more options and different exterior trim.

In November 1971, a showroom-stock 1971 Coupe de Ville placed third in the annual coast-to-coast Cannonball Run, posting the highest average speed of the event, 84.6 mi/h (excluding stops) and averaging 8.9 mpgus.

The front end was redesigned with the newly-approved quad rectangular headlamps for 1975. The 210 hp 500 V8 replaced the 472 as the standard engine. 1974 saw the introduction of the optional "Air Cushion Restraint System". Known today as airbags, this option provided protection for front seat occupants in the case of a frontal collision. One bag was located in the steering wheel, the other in the dashboard in front of the front seat passenger. The glove box was replaced with a lockable storage compartment under the dashboard. After the 1976 model year it was not offered.

The de Ville "d'Elegance" Package- In 1974, the De Ville series was available with the optional "d'Elegance" package. Similar to the Fleetwood Brougham's package of the same name, it offered a velour seating fabric, upgraded carpeting, and exterior badging. The package was available on both coupe and sedan models. The "d'Elegance" name remained with the de Ville series as a package through 1984. In 1997 it became a separate model designation for the sedan.

1977–1984
1977 was Cadillac's 75th anniversary, and saw the introduction of the downsized de Ville coupes and sedans. These cars featured a better use of space and engineering, resulting in a vehicle that was nearly a foot shorter and a half-ton lighter, but with a larger trunk and a roomier interior. These were also the first de Ville models since its introduction in 1949 without fender skirts over the rear wheels. The 500 cu in V8 was replaced by a 180 hp 425 cuin V8 engine of similar design. An optional electronic fuel-injected version was available, adding 15 hp.

For 1977, the line-up included the two-door Coupe de Ville and four-door Sedan de Ville. The d'Elegance package, carried over from the previous generation, continued for both models. 3-sided, wrap-around tail lamps were a 1977-only feature.

In addition to a redesigned grille and hood ornament, 1978 saw slim, vertical tail lamps inset into chrome bumper end caps with built-in side marker lamps. New for 1978, a "Phaeton" package was optional for de Ville. Available on both body styles, the Phaeton package featured a simulated convertible top, special pin striping, wire wheel discs, and "Phaeton" name plates in place of the usual "Coupe de Ville" or "Sedan de Ville" ornament on the rear fenders. Inside were leather upholstered seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel matching the exterior color.

The 1979 models saw few alterations, one of which was a new grille design. The d'Elegance package was back, which included Venetian velour upholstery with a 50/50 split front bench seat, overhead assist handles, Tangier carpeting, door pull handles, and "d'Elegance" emblems among other niceties. In addition to the fuel injection option, there was also the choice of a 350 cu in diesel V8 (built by Oldsmobile).

1980 saw a significant refresh, with a lower, more aerodynamic nose, higher tail end, and a heavier, more substantial appearance. The Phaeton option was discontinued, but the d'Elegance package remained. The Coupe de Ville now wore full, bright side window surround moldings, whereas the sedan had body-color door frames with a thin chrome bead around the window opening as before. Both body styles adopted a more formal roofline. The chromed-plastic grille held a very diplomatic, Rolls-Royce inspired design, with thick vertical bars. Late in the 1980 model year, V6 power (in the form of a 4-bbl 252 cu in engine manufactured by Buick) was offered as a credit option. This was the first time since 1914 that Cadillac had offered an engine with fewer than eight cylinders. The standard engine for 1980 was a new 368 cu in (6.0 L) V8.

1981's biggest news was the introduction of Cadillac's modulated-displacement 368 cu in V8-6-4 engine. Developed by the Eaton Corporation, it allowed various engine computers to decide how many cylinders were needed to power the car for optimal fuel economy. The intent was to use eight cylinders from a complete stop, six cylinders during usual driving, and four cylinders at cruising speed. The changes in cylinder operation were seamless, and most drivers did not detect any difference in operation. However, in some cases, reliability and component failure led to customer complaints. Cadillac defended the powerplant, and even offered special extended warranties to customers. Also available was Oldsmobile's 5.7 liter V8 diesel engine. The 125 hp Buick V6, teamed with an automatic transmission, returned for '81 after a short initial offering in the spring of 1980.

The Sedan de Ville now had the unique option of an available automatic seat belt system - the first offered on a GM vehicle. With the automatic shoulder/lap belt system (only for the outboard front seat passengers), the shoulder point was moved from the upper B-pillar to the upper door glass frame, and the belt reel was moved from the floor onto the door itself, installed in the lower corner. With this, you could theoretically leave the seat belt latched at all times, and simply get in and out of the vehicle without having to unfasten the belt. It was available only on V6-powered Sedan de Villes.

A new grille design was made up of small squares, similar to the pattern from 1979. A new Electronic Climate Control panel did away with the slide lever and thumb wheel in favor of a digital display which allowed the driver to set the interior temperature to a single degree - from 65 to 85 (or "max" settings at 60 and 90 degrees).

Changes for 1982 were kept to a minimum, but still included a new grille design (which was used through 1986), revamped parking lamp / tail lamp ornamentation, and a new standard wheel cover design. Cadillac introduced a new aluminum-block 249 cu in (4.1 liter) V8 engine to replace the V8-6-4. The new engine featured a closed-loop digital fuel injection system, free-standing cast-iron cylinders within a cast-aluminum block, and was coupled with a 4-speed automatic-overdrive transmission. Other engine options included the Buick V6 or Oldsmobile's diesel V8. Inside, the Electronic Climate Control had an updated fascia that now included an "Outside Temperature" button. Previously, the outside temperature was available through an illuminated thermometer mounted to the driver's outside mirror.

For 1983, slight reworkings under the hood added 10 horsepower (now rated at 135) to the standard 4.1 liter powerplant. Meanwhile, the Buick V6 was dropped. The biggest visible change was hardly noticeable - while the grille design was a carry-over from the previous year (and would be through 1986), the Cadillac script moved from the chrome header onto the grille itself. 1983 was supposed to be the last year for the rear-drive De Ville, as new front-drive models would take over for 1984. However, numerous developmental delays caused De Ville to stay in rear-drive form for another year.

Because of a delay in production of the new front-drive De Villes (which were now going to be 1985 models), 1984 models were mostly unchanged. Visible changes included body-color side moldings, and gold-tone winged crests on the parking lamps up front and tail lights in back. Hidden changes included a revised exhaust system with a revamped catalytic converter. The diesel V8 was now available at no additional charge.

1984 would be the last time De Ville used the "V" emblem below the Cadillac crest, as 1985 and on would use the crest and wreath emblem - formerly a Fleetwood exclusive.

1985–1988
In 1985, the de Ville was completely redesigned, downsized, and switched to front-wheel drive. The new car was smaller externally yet kept almost identical interior dimensions as its predecessor. Cadillac's HT-4100 V8 remained the only engine, mounted transversely and coupled with a 440-T4 Automatic transmission. A V6 version of the Oldsmobile diesel was available as a no-cost option.

The 1985 de Ville was still available in sedan or coupe form. The d'Elegance package was no longer available, now reserved solely for the Fleetwood sedan.

Lower gas prices pushed luxury car buyers towards larger vehicles, and as a result, the mildly-restyled 1985 Lincoln Town Car (introduced in then-current form in 1980) was soon out-selling de Ville, despite Cadillac's front-wheel drive, newer technology, and contemporary design.

For 1986 there were few changes. An anti-lock braking system, developed by Teves, became available. The standard space-saver spare tire now sat horizontally in the trunk, doing away with the small covered storage cubby in the spare tire well from last year. The optional aluminum wheels had new flush-fitting center caps (last year's design featured exposed capped lugs), and bumper rub strips changed from black to gray. Borrowed from the front-wheel drive Fleetwood, the narrow lower body side molding was replaced with a wider one, and the rear window trim surround gave the appearance of a smaller window opening. Inside, a more tailored look was applied to the seat trim. The 4.1 L V8 continued from the previous year, but with 5 more horsepower. The diesel V6 was dropped.

Introduced in 1986, Cadillac's Touring Sedan and Touring Coupe were based on the standard de Ville but included extras such as a subtle rear deck lid spoiler, body-color tail lamp bezels, front air dam with fog lamps, rear seat headrests, leather upholstery, and a performance enhancement package among other features. In addition, the Touring Coupe had removable decorative louvers on the rear edge of the side opera windows.

1987 saw a new front-end design. One-piece composite headlamps flanked a trapezoidal grille with an egg-crate texture. Elongated fender caps were added in back - increasing the overall length by an inch and a half, but much more dramatic in appearance with new wrap-around tail lamps. This new 3-sided tail lamp style was inspired by a design used on the 1977 de Ville. Unlike the new one-piece headlamps, the changes to the rear-end in 1987 had little to do with engineering, but rather, feedback from Cadillac's customer base who felt the 1985 car looked too short. Although the '87 revamp was still quite similar to the 1986 model (so much in fact that it still used the previous year's deck lid), the design was more in-tune with the look that traditional Cadillac buyers were used to.

In 1988, Lincoln's Town Car sold about 212,000 units (in just one 4-door body style), versus Cadillac's sales of 152,513 (with five different full-size models - Coupe de Ville, Sedan de Ville, Fleetwood d'Elegance, Fleetwood Sixty Special, and Brougham). Cadillac's decision to enlarge de Ville/Fleetwood for '89 (to be closer in dimension to Town Car) meant that cosmetic changes would be kept to a minimum for 1988. Under the hood was a new 155 hp 4.5 L V8 and heavy-duty battery.

1989–1993
1989 brought an extensive exterior redesign which included a longer 113.7" wheelbase for sedans. The 155 hp 4.5 liter V8, dashboard, and front doors (on both the coupe and sedan) were the only items that carried over - even the luggage compartment was over 2 cuft larger than last year. The Coupe de Ville retained the previous year's interior, wheelbase, and doors. Of special note were the composite (plastic) front fenders that resisted parking-lot dings and dents, and weighed less than their steel counterparts. Previously optional equipment that was made standard for '89 included electrically-powered outside mirrors and the AM/FM/cassette player stereo. New options introduced this year included the electrochromic inside rear-view mirror, a driver's side airbag, the Bose compact disc player, an electrically-heated windshield, and a set of four reversible carpeted floor mats.

For 1990, the de Ville lost its telescopic steering column in exchange for an airbag mounted onto the newly standard leather-trimmed steering wheel. Engine output was up an additional 25 hp, thanks to sequential-port fuel injection. 1990 models also received GM's PASS Key theft-deterrent system which used a coded electronic pellet embedded into the ignition key. Other new features for 1990 included a non-illuminated vanity mirror on the driver's visor (a passenger side visor mirror had been standard equipment for decades), door edge guards (previously optonal), "clam shell" front center armrest with storage, and manual seatback recliners for driver and passenger.

In 1991, a 200 hp 4.9 liter V8 became the new standard powerplant. Also new was a grille of an inverted trapezoid design (almost upside-down from 1990's egg-crate keystone design), and revised bumper and body-side moldings. The new grille held the familiar shape of the Cadillac crest itself - a styling cue that continues on to this day. The grille was now attached to the forward edge of the hood, and lifted up along with the hood when raised (similar to Mercedes-Benz). The secondary hood release latch was at the bottom of the grille instead of its previous location above the passenger side headlight. In addition to the new engine and minor front-end restyling, several previously-optional features became standard this year, including the anti-lock braking system, accent striping, automatic door locks, twilight sentinel headlamp control, electrochromic inside rear-view mirror, and electric rear window and side mirror defogger. New standard features included rear-seat air conditioning vents, central door unlocking from the driver's door and luggage compartment, sun visors with shaded slide-out extensions, rear window lock-out switch, brake / transmission interlock safety switch, and an oil life indicator through the fuel data center. Other new features included the available remote keyless entry system, and the optional illuminated mirrors now featured a slide switch that offered variable intensity lighting.

For 1992, the Touring Sedan returned. Still based on the Sedan de Ville, this full-size sport sedan featured fold-in flag style side mirrors, body-color exterior door handles, body-color wheel-well reveal moldings, larger tires on 16" wheels, and quick-ratio power steering. Inside, it was equipped much like the Fleetwood models, with eight-way driver and passenger power reclining seats, standard digital instrumentation, and genuine walnut trim, but Touring Sedan held its own distinctive leather seating in one color, "Beechwood" (a chamois-shade of beige), and individual headrests for the outboard rear seat passengers. The distinctive steering wheel design with molded hand grips was borrowed from the Cadillac Allante. Outside, Touring Sedan had an exclusive hand-cast cloisonne deck lid emblem in back, and up front: a grill-mounted wreath and crest instead of the usual de Ville stand-up hood ornament. The black-out trim on the front grille was used for Touring Sedan only in 1992, but was adopted for all de Ville models in 1993. On Touring Sedan, like other de Ville models, the "Symphony Sound" stereo with cassette was standard, while the optional Delco/Bose music system was available with cassette or single-slot CD player. Introduced for 1992, speed-sensitive suspension and traction control (both standard on Touring Sedan) were available at extra cost on de Ville.

1993 saw few changes, as a brand-new replacement was coming for 1994. The previously-optional speed-sensitive suspension, "Computer Command Ride", introduced last year became standard equipment, and now included a new speed-sensitive steering system as well. Minor trim changes were made including black-out trim in the grille (used on the 1992 Touring Sedan), and removing the chrome strip from the glass divider on the sedan's rear doors. 1993 would be the last year for the Coupe de Ville. It had been declining in sales for several years, and as a result, the 1994 design went into production solely as a 4-door.

1994–1999


For 1994, the DeVille was redesigned to share the K-body platform with the Seville. The body was redesigned, although the wheelbase remained 113.8"—rather than the 111" used on the Seville. Production moved to Hamtramck, Michigan. The name was shortened from Sedan de Ville to DeVille.

The DeVille Concours was available with the new 270 hp (201 kW) LD8 Northstar V8, while lesser models retained the HT-4900 until 1996. That year, the base model took on the lower-output Northstar while the Concours moved up to the high-output L37 Northstar, with 300 hp. The de Ville Concours replaced the 1993-only Cadillac Sixty Special.

The DeVille received a minor redesign for the 1997 model year, and added the d'Elegance trim line to replace the Cadillac Fleetwood. New headlights and a new grille were added, the rear wheel skirts were removed, the interior door handles were redesigned, and the black/chrome trim was replaced by a double chrome trim in the base de Ville, chrome and gold trim in the d'Elegance, and chrome and body colored trim in the Concours. The interior gained a new dashboard design that hid the passenger airbag seams and new door panels with front side-airbags and the availability of OnStar system.

2000–2005
The 2000 model year saw the first major redesign since 1994 and the introduction of the last generation of the DeVille. The exterior was completely redesigned featuring a sportier, elegant and more aerodynamic design. The revamped interior featured completely new door panels and seats, while the dashboard and radio face only received minor facelifts. The 2000 DeVille also featured the first production LED tail lamps in automobiles, a feature now becoming increasingly commonplace on luxury and family cars. The d'Elegance designation was replaced with the de Ville DHS (DeVille High Luxury), which added several cabin comfort options to include power rear window sunshade and heated/massaging rear seats. The DeVille Concours was renamed the DeVille DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) and was available with stability control, active suspension, onboard navigation and magnetic variable assist steering.

2006
In 2006, the de Ville nameplate was replaced by Cadillac DTS, an initialism dating back to 1985, when a "de Ville Touring Sedan" package was available. The new name brought the de Ville into line with Cadillac's Art & Science-era nomenclature, which saw the Seville renamed to STS and the Catera replacement called the CTS. The last 2005 DeVille rolled off the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly line on June 23, 2005.