Unbelievable as it may seem, I’ve yet to see an Allante to shoot in these parts. But channaher at the Cohort left this single shot, and I can’t resist having a preview. It’s going to be a DIY sort of affair, as I’m scrambling to help my helpers get a new roof on my guestroom/remodel. This is what it looks like as of 11:30 AM; and it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. But what can I add anyway; everyone has a strong opinion on the car that was awarded the Flop Of The Year in 1987. My (lack of a) plan to tear apart my roof in February may well go down as the FOTY for 20102.
Are the “L’s” pronounced as “Y” or as “L”???
“uh-LON-tay”
Paul,
Hope you got that roof sheathed and tarpapered by the time you read this. I’ve gotta have my roof reshingled – part of a larger reno project taking place while we live here(!!) – can’t believe the increase in the price of shingles from just a year ago…38-45%!
Obbop, I’ve always heard it as “Ah-LANT-a”.
Thankfully there are decently-built B-bodies, trucks and SUVs from this era. Otherwise GM’s stuff often served as the last American car one would buy before going Toyondissan. It was like a half-baked cake with no Gordon Ramsay at the pass screaming “It’s RAW!!!” and sending it back.
Of course, that “we’re a bank that just happens to make cars” attitude of Roger Smith’s GM really shone thru in just about everything they built.
Aaron Severson has his usual outstanding and quite readable account of this debasement of Cadillac’s name (along with the intertwined development of the Buick Reatta) over on Ate Up With Motor…
http://ateupwithmotor.com/sports-cars-and-muscle-cars/261-buick-reatta-history.html
Guess we’ve established that I didn’t care too much for Allante… 🙂
Did it. Put down the last strip of felt at 6:20, in the very last bit of daylight. And now the weather forecast is not for rain.
Is Oldsmobile the only GM car division of the last 20 years that did not try a 2 seater?
Hmmm Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice, Cadillac Allante, Chevrolet Corvette, Buick Reatta, so no GMC and no Oldsmobile models with 2 seats… Oh wait when was the last Caballero officially built? It was sort of a two seater.
Caballeros went off into the sunset with the ElCamino in 1987, but the Caballero was a GMC, not an Oldsmobile.
Which is why I mentioned GMC and Oldsmobile, I was trying to remeber if GMC AND Oldsmobile were the only two. I was trying to answer JPC’s question. I was trying to remember all of GM’s Brands.
There almost was an Oldsmobile “Reatta” but someone came to their senses.
1992 was the last year of the Trofeo Olds, a fine car
Ah another GM product crying out for an engine swap depending on what year it was built. (Hmmmmmmmm no 1987s or 88s cause of the 4.1V8, no 1993 and ups because of the Northstar. Great job GM.)
Don’t forget that this car had the “longest production line in the world.” Bodies going from Italy to the US.
So the Allante kept the 4.1, even though all the other FWD Cadillacs got the 4.5 in 1988? Brilliant.
I like most of the Cadillacs from the early ’80s to the late ’90s, but it seems like most came with engines that were ticking time bombs – the HT4100 (may I suggest an Electra or Ninety Eight instead, sir?) and the 4.6 ‘hope you’re not keeping the car past the warranty’ Northstar. Give me one with the 4.5 or 4.9 V8s, please. Or even better, a ’90-’92 Brougham d’Elegance with the 5.7!
Check Allante prices on eBay… (waiting) Are you back? Good.
The only models I’d consider are the 1989 to 1992 models which came with the 4.5V8. Those prices are only around $10,000 from most reasonable sellers I’ve heard that production most years was around 3,000. So you could have a car rarer than some more exotic makes for a low low price!
My dad has an 88 Eldo with the 4.5 that he got last year and it hasn’t given him any trouble so far.
Yeah the 4.5 is a good one. The 4.6 Northstar is the one to avoid.
I think we dodged a bullet! My mom owns a 79 Ford Fairmont Ghia with the split vinyl roof and I6 3spd auto and she says the caddy is like a rocket compared to the Ford.
No both the 4.1 and 4.5 were available, the Allante actually debuted in 1987 with its own unique version of the 4100 with rollers, high flow heads and special intake manifold, making 170hp compared to the 140 or so that that standard 4100 made, the Allante used this engine 87-88 and it got its own unique version high output version of the 4.5 litre V8 in 1989 making 200hp, this was the standard Allante engine until the Northstar arrived.
Carmine, I simply try to call a spade a spade. The 4.1 or 4100 in it’s many forms is not an engine worthy of a Cadillac. I will actually defend the V4-6-8 as a good idea that was ahead of its time. At least the deactivation system on those cars is easily defeated and you’re left with an engine that is actually worthy of a Cadillac.
And I would infact seriously consider buying an Allante just not one with the 4.1 or the 4.6 Northstar.
I will take a swipe at any company that deserves it. Ford kept the lo-po 302 for far too long in the “non-Mustang” cars and seldom differentiated Mercury enough to justify the brands existance, Chrysler held onto 3 speed automatics for far too long and killed Plymouth forcing Dodge and Chrysler downmarket… ect… ect… and I can name numerous examples for every car company and brand
my son has a 94 Fleetwood with the LT1 and it SCOOTS!
The Allante Air Bridge, thats what they called it, the bodies were flown in from Italy to Detroit on special converted Aitallia Boeing 747’s where they were then trucked to GM’s Hammtramck assembly plant where they would join their modified E-body platform.
I recall that the design process of the Allanted had internal strife since GM Design also designed an Allante, which acording to some insiders, was much better looking than the Pinninfarina Allante, but Cadilac upper management wanted the prestige of the Pinninfarina designed Allante.
FWIW, that airbridge went both ways: the platform/inner body structure was shipped on the same planes to Pininfarina,who then built the outer body, etc..before the return trip. Seems a bit ridiculous. But I guess they had the costs figured out Or not, as the Allante’s price was a real factor, and many had to be discounted to move them at all. Sales were way below production and expectations.
The Allante Air Bridge certainly doesn’t fit in well with “lean” principles, as practised by Toyota and others.
One of the 7 types of waste that a “lean” manufacturer should seek to minimize is excess transportation. There are a couple of problems with excess transportation: it adds cost without increasing customer value, there’s always a chance that material will be damaged in transit, and perhaps most importantly, it can be difficult to quickly correct defects if they are not detected until after shipping – so large batches of defective products are more likely.
Despite all of its shortcomings, this car has a nice clean looking design that has aged well. It was a bit optimistic of GM to expect this thing to compete directly with the Mercedes SL, but if they had priced it realistically (instead of wasting money on an “airbridge”) and slowly worked at improving it and getting the bugs out, it probably wouldn’t have been such a flop…
The 4.1 liter engine was absolutely hilarious. It made what, 135 horsepower in the mid 1980s? GM’s port injected 2.8 liter V6 as used in the Chevy Celebrity and the rest of its A-car cousins made the same amount of power, without the reliability issues of the HT4100.
In the movies-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EBb1Dcd0GM
On TV-
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_276500-Cadillac-Allante-1990.html
Paul, you live in a place that abounds with old Toyota and Nissan trucks and Subarus and such. I have no idea why you’d ever expect to see something like an Allante, which must surely be one of the most useless vehicles ever built. Maybe, just maybe, on a trip to Portland….
I own a 1987 Allante that I got new on Friday 7/17/1987 with a factory cell phone. It is gold with a black interior and soft top. It has no hard top. I bought it at Potamkin Cadillac in Manhattan. I lived in Brooklyn with a garage. I was 22 years old. It was paid in full. I traded in my 1982 Coupe de Ville for it.
That car is amazing. It guaranteed me and a selected girlfriend free no-line entry into any nightclub around among many other benefits. I took off that Friday and picked it up in the morning. I picked up my girlfriend of 2 weeks at 55 Water St. in Lower Manhattan at 2PM. Crowds were gathering. Everyone thought I was royalty or very rich. Nobody ever saw a car like that. We drove out to CPI’s Club in Hampton Bays and I parked right up front. They sent a bouncer to stand guard over that car all night (after a $20 tip). Hundreds of clubgoers were ogling that car and though I was a celebrity. We stayed until closing which is 4 in the morning in NY.
I was sober. I drove that car to the ocean (10 minutes away) and stayed there until sunrise. Then we became beachgoers with a beach blanket, umbrella and a cooler (naturally). I slept that day on the beach but I did get some swimming in.
Fast forward 24.5 years + 1 day. I still have the Allante, the GF is now my wife, 4 kids, and we each gained 50 pounds.
That Caddy took a very likable and employed B – lister like myself into the A – list with an A – list GF to boot. Thanks Allante……worth every penny.
Good story, I always liked the Allante, its kinda got a star crossed reputation. Do you still drive Cadillacs? How many miles on the Allante?
314K miles. Original transmission. Engine rebuild at 190K. A/C compressor twice. Fuel pump and master cylinder once.
Wow Steve!
That’s a great story…
I, like so many others, am admittedly just sour on most GM offerings from this era (except as mentioned above, B & G bodies and the trucks/SUVs). And I’ve been a GM guy since I was old enough to drive, back in the ’70’s.
Nice to read something positive instead.
Heck, that’s a far better track record for 314K miles than my wife’s meticulously-maintained ’05 Outback with just 135K, which just had the obligatory head gasket repair.
I’m coming to this a bit late, but thanks for the awesome story. It’s what makes CC, and it’s also a reminder that every car’s story is not just a singular one. There’s many sides to every car.
So, I have to ask … did you buy this with money made during the stock bubble of 1987? If so, is pretty cool that you were smart enough to pull it out and pay cash for your cool new toy. I remember a friend of the family who went from average means to quick stock market wealth at that time. He bought some huge Sea Ray (50+ feet) on credit. It was gone by 1988 …
On another note, your story should be part of a Cadillac commercial of some sort. 314,000 miles in an Allante should be a world record as well.
Kudos on a life well lived
1987 Allante Commercial:
The 1989 Commercial is good too:
Great story. Seems to me you had more fun in that day than I had my whole life. I’ve driven Cadillacs since 1980. (age 28) Looked at new Coupes, a special edition was advertised in my area for $ 11,000 something. The one I tested had a cloth interior and cheap looking hubcaps. All in all, a great car.
A couple days later, I ran into a mint 66 Deville convertible. I decided to buy it, rather than the new car. I, too, took off the day. After the paperwork, and contacting the insurance company, I spent the rest of the day driving about with the roof down. I didn’t have a girl then, so later that evening, a buddy and I drove to a night club. I really worried about leaving the car parked outside, (no parking attendant) but we listened to music, he drank, I had coffee. (do not use alcohol.)
That day, as I drove, I could literally see the gas gauge going down. It got about 8 MPG. Small stuff kept going wrong with the car in the 5 years I owned it. Got mad one day and sold it. I bought a nice 75 Eldo Coupe after that. Really a much better and reliable car than the 66. I’ve driven new and used Cadillacs since.
I still wish I had the 66. The wife and I have gained a great deal of weight also. Cheers!
Great story, I was glad to read it.
I do like the looks of the Allante, even today it looks modern. I’d take an ’89-’92 in black with red leather. I think the primary issue with these at the time was the pricing. In 1987 it went for about $56,000. That was a big number, even for a Cadillac. For that money, you would think you’d get a power top, but you didn’t. I remember road testers at the time commenting on the pricing and that it was about the same as a Mercedes 560 SL. There was also the question of whether a two-seat Cadillac would turn off most Cadillac buyers. The ‘longest assembly line’ had to be a huge factor in the cost of manufacturing these cars, though.
There is a very good writeup of the Allante in Collectible Automobile. It said that if the Allante had continued for ’94, it would have finally gotten a power top.
The styling of the Allante interestingly does sort of predict the 1992 Seville and Eldorado a bit. True that it should have had a power top standard from the get go, the question wasn’t that $56K was to much for a Cadillac, but was it too much for a FWD Cadillac that shared so much with its $27K counter parts.
The Allantes did have a very cool LCD gauge cluster with a 150mph speedometer and a neat trip computer that greeted you when you started the car.
Yeah the LCD cluster is cool and from what I’ve seen of the ones for sale that cluster must be durable because I’m not seeing burned out ones. One benefit of the manual top now would be that you don’t have to worry that it is going to stop working on you like I would worry about on any other 20+ year old convertible.
They benchmarked it against the SL, which didn’t have a power top, but the SL was designed in 1971.
One day a coworker was telling me about his dad’s Allante, and how one day he was wrestling to put the top up in a sudden downpour. I said, “No power top? My 1966 Chrysler convertible has a power top as standard equipment.” He replied, “Yeah, but this is a Cadillac” as if non-power tops were better _because_ that’s what the Cadillac had. I was dumbfounded.
I Likened This to a 2 seater Cutlass Supreme Convertible, Its SQuared off like that. I considered Buying a Rare Dark Maroon red/Brown(Burgundy?)88 0r 89…funny how even in 95 or so, the 93s with the northstars were the one to get…
The Allante is one of the few cars of its era that I like, style-wise at least. Anything this small should have RWD and a manual transmission though. The Chrysler/Maserati TC, which was supposed to compete with the Allante, doesn’t impress me at all.
One weird thing is that every Allante I’ve ever seen has been in pretty good condition.
I wonder where all the clapped-out ones end up.
The Allante is the “ultimate” automobile if you’re a 55+ year old gay guy living on a fixed income.