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2016 Shannons Melbourne Summer Classic Auction
Lot
20

1981 Cadillac Seville Sedan (RHD)

$8,500

Sold

Specifications

Engine V8, 368-cid
Gearbox 3-speed automatic
Body Work Sedan
Colour Metallic Sky Blue
Interior Blue
Trim Leather
Wheels Steel Disc
Brakes Discs

Description

This lot is no longer available

Previously used on the two-door hardtop version of the Eldorado between 1956-1960, Cadillac reintroduced the Seville name as a separate model line in 1975. The revived Seville was a compact luxury car designed to counter the growing popularity of imports like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, aimed at younger buyers for whom a full size car didn’t make sense. However Cadillac had no intention of making the Seville a cheaper line and, in a reversal of its previous marketing policy, the new model was loaded with luxury features and sold at a premium price, becoming the most expensive Cadillac on the market (aside from the big Fleetwood Limousine). In the face of sluggish sales, Cadillac went back to the drawing board for the second-generation Seville and came up with a far more radical approach, sharing GM’s new front-wheel drive E-body platform with Buick’s Riviera and Oldsmobile’s Toronado. The Neo Classic styling by Wayne Cady evoked Cadillacs of the 1930s, with a long bonnet and unique sloping rear deck, described by GM’s marketing gurus as “An automobile that blends the classic beauty of yesterday with the technology of tomorrow”. Disc brakes all round, fully independent suspension and a diesel engine as standard were certainly features found on few American cars of the day, while the long list of standard equipment included power windows, central locking, cruise control, tinted windows, tilt/telescoping steering wheel and an illuminated entry system. After the strong sales figures of 1980, Cadillac made few changes to the 1981 Seville; only side accent moldings, a revised front air dam and optional wire-spoked wheel covers (in place of the standard alloy rims) set the new model apart. Drivetrain options included petrol V6 or V8 engines and there was also a Touring Suspension package available for sharper handling, while the Elegante derivative featured exclusive ‘French Curve’ molding and two-tone paintwork. The second generation Seville remained in production until the end of 1985 and these highly distinctive luxury cars remain a rare sight on Australian roads today.