Here is the back story. I am a 34 old guy from the rusty Northeastern US. Massachusetts to be exact. I have always wanted one of these cars since 1987 when I was a youngster and my Grandfather bought one new as a retirement present to himself. His was dark blue almost black and had the dark blue velour interior. He would take me golfing with him every Sunday in it and it was quite the car at the golf course.
He drove less and less as the years past and it would sit in the garage. One day, I went over for our golf outing and he backed over his mailbox at the end of the drive. Now mind you, he was over 80 and lived in that same house for 50+ years. He stated, “those kids must have moved my mailbox again”. Come to find out, he had did that 3 times prior. Shortly after he stopped driving at my mother’s request. This was in 1997 he was 84. He died the next year and the car went to my uncle. It only had 33,000 miles. My uncle went through a rough patch and sold the car in 2000 for $1200.00. It still had less than 40,000 miles. I was upset over that but as a senior in high school, I did not have the funds to buy and store it. That brings me to my very unofficial search for my first curbside classic spotting and first article.
I stared searching unofficially last April. I was trying to pay extra attention to the streets, used car lots, and internet sites. My criteria was, 1986-1989 and blue interior. It took a while to spot my first one and it was trashed. I must have looked at 20 different vehicles. Some exteriors were white, grey, blue, and an odd red one. That was very strange indeed with a blue interior. I figured the owner must have been patriotic. I saw some when you shifted it was like an earthquake. When you tried the windows, they would barely move. When you tried to start it, it just would not no matter what I did. The owner would always say it used to start right up. There were some so rotted I saw the road through the floorpan as I drove. I started to despair. None of these could be made into a curbside classic article let alone a solid driver for less than many thousands.
I went to retrieve some items from my storage unit in August. There I saw her! She was perfect a 1987 Cadillac Brougham. She is a light blue with matching metallic top and dark blue velour interior
I met a jovial older fellow and asked to take pictures for my article. His name was Edgar and he stated the car was for sale! It was too big for him and his wife to manage. He then took me to the storage unit to show me the car. When he open the door, I was floored. The paint is perfect. In the picture there is a layer of dust on it too. Imagine when she is clean.
I wanted a blue interior and I got one. Her velour is perfect. There are no signs of wear anywhere on her interior. The back seats still had their plastic covers on the seat belt buckles/latches. All floor mats are perfect and original. She has 85,000 one owner miles.
Come to find out from Edgar, it was his recently deceased fathers car. He was 93 when he died and bought the car new in 1987 and get this, it was his retirement gift! He bought it from King Cadillac Olds in Putnam Connecticut. I know this as he kept the window sticker from 1987. It has the 307 Y Code Olds engine. It states it is Gossamer Blue, with a light metallic blue top, and Federal Blue Prima Vera Cloth. Interestingly the only options were the wire wheel covers and the level ride suspension. He did not even get cruise control, twilight sentinel, or vanity mirrors. I have never seen one without at least cruise control or a vanity mirror. I guess this is what a stripper Cadillac looked like. Notice the bare chrome lever to the left of the steering wheel? This is a turn signal without any cruise control. It is so solid feeling being just a hunk of chrome. The other lever is the standard tilt wheel control.
The sticker was $24,155.47. He also had all the keys in a strange leather envelope with the dealers name on it. I guess that is how they used to come. It also had all service records starting in 1989. I guess he had a 1973 Eldorado he preferred which is why he did not use this car much over the long time he drove it.
I offered him the amount he was asking on the spot. I had never seen anything even half this good. He asked what my plans were with her before he said yes. I told him to keep her an original nice weather cruiser. He asked if I was going to lower her, paint her, or junk her. I said no way. He stated that his dad would have been dismayed had that happened to her. I reassured him again and showed him pictures of the garage where she will be kept and the picture of my Grandpa and me in his Cadillac. At that he said yes and she became mine!
I have since driven her 200 flawless miles and love driving it. The seats are as comfy as a couch and it glides over the rutted streets in the suburbs of Boston. The performance is not barn busintg. It can be tricky merging into freeway traffic but I love every white knuckled moment. Around town the engine just has a sound about it. It is a gurgling sound and hard to put into words. It just sounds different than the modern cars out there. I scored free valet paking in Boston, a rare occurance indeed. The valet was so happy to get to park it, he did not charge me and he parked it right out front too! It beat out a new Jaguar for that spot. I bet he likes looking over the long peaked hood gleaming with chrome and guiding her down the road using the proud wreath and crest as a way point.
She needed very little mechanically apart from a steering belt that was dry rotted. She is at the body shop now getting a polishing compound, clay bar, and cleaning wax. As well as a full shampoo of the interior. Her chrome is getting polished too. When done, I think she will look as new. I intend to cruise around Boston and bring her to the car shows.
For all the Euro- and Japanese- and even Korea-worship (what’s next, Sino-?) among so many trendy young (and wannabe-, or think they’re still- young) car buffs, this is very reassuring. It is a car I wish I’d found.
May you and your Caddy have a long and happy life together.
And keep her out of the salt!
Regarding your comment, drive what you like. I do not see the value in criticizing those “younguns and their furrin cars”.
What if I own both an Olds Custom Cruiser and a Mercedes 300SD?
Myopia is such an unfortunate condition.
My first Cadillac was an ’87 Brougham, too. I hope you enjoy driving it for many years. They were good looking cars.
Another CC writer with an odd car obsession, I dig it! I loved this generation of Caddy, and with unlimited space I’d really love to have one. Something about them.. they just have a presence that’s totally missing anymore. I’d love to have one of this generation of Brougham and a same gen Town Car. That’d be sweet!
Keep rolling in it, what a find!
This is very very similar to mine – and your dads one sounds identical in colour to mine, that dark dark blue, so dark that people confuse it for black in poor light. Mine’s an 80 (possibly an 81 as that is when it was first registered, but it was a CKD kit assembled up in Hong Kong so suspect its an 80). Mine has the leather interior – I actually would have preferred velour, but didnt have the choice at the time
I do hear a little bit about CKD kits Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Lincoln and Chrysler assembled in some Asian countries and sometimes even in RHD, but I never saw one in person. I really want to know how it worked out back then, and I imagine it would be something superior to Rolls Royce because of more refined and detailed designs at least in Hong Kong. ( hidden wipers at least )
Yes, mine is RHD! Conversion was done during assembly, and was of fairly good standard, only flaw being that some of the warning lights on the top of the dash were not moved across. It is otherwise nearly identical to a US assembled one, but funnily enough mine does have hidden or at least semi hidden wipers – were these not standard on the US ones, all of the few I have sighted out here have them from memory.
I should do a COAL on mine
Regards
Peter
Interesting. Back when GM was exporting enough RHD B/C-bodies, mainly CKD, to make factory RHD components all the divisions used the Chevy dash from the first model year of a full redesign until the next full redesign. That was over by the end of the ’60s, but it would be cool to see an ’80s Caddy with a right-hand-drive ’77 Caprice dash!
That is a gorgeous ride, Philip! You were definitely in the right place at the right time to score such a beauty. Congrats.
Somewhat related- this past summer a good friend of mine scored a 1983 Chevy Caprice Classic for $300. The reason it’s so cheap is because the freeze plugs in the engine rusted through. The rest of the car is straight and rust-free. It was originally from Texas.
Beautiful period piece. I drove a 1990 silver with light gray velour and Vogue tires on wire wheel covers for several months, while trying to sell it for my then-wife’s grandfather. Great highway car. The ’90 had the 5.7L engine, which gave it a little more pep, but it was not a Corvette by any strecth of the imagination.
Great back-story on your grandfather’s car and the one your purchased. GM used such nice velour in Cadillacs in that era…makes you wonder why anyone would choose leather.
Fantastic story about a fantastic car, well done! I know that gurgling sound you speak of and yes it’s hard to put into words but wonderful. A Chevy V8 wouldn’t sound like that. I’ve never seen one of these without cruise or the lighted vanity mirrors. I wonder if the first owner custom-ordered it that way. I bought mine from a 90 year old guy who ordered it without rear window defroster because he lived in Scottsdale.
You have a great looking car and congrats on the score. 86-89 are my favorite years too.
Nice ride, drive it in good health.
A generation X’er at 43, I’m probably towards the end of people who grew up with and learned to drive in traditional American cars like this. When I was growing up you either had “old” parents born in the depression or “young” baby boomer parents born after the war. In addition to very different approaches to child rearing, the older ones still drove and aspired to cars like these. I’m curious what younger folks think about driving cars very unlike what they’ve ever known.
The continuing popularity of both lowriders and the “donk” scene have caused many Gen Y-ers, milennials, and even Gen Z-ers to embrace malaise-era domestic luxury machines.
As much as I dislike donks, that whole movement has probably saved countless GM B and C-bodies from an early death in the jaws of the crusher.
Grand cars like a Fleetwood Brougham don’t deserve such gauche treatment. I’d rather see them all in the crusher than having to put up with such indignities.
Most donk mods are reversible. The crusher is permanent. You would really rather have them destroyed so no one can enjoy them than have somebody mod them the way they like, and then the next owner can change it back?
If its all changed beyond reasonable hope of restoration, yes.
If its just big stupid clown shoes with no major suspension or frame mods, no.
However, what I said was a literary flourish, i.e. not to be taken absolutely literally…
To translate, I think donks or swangers or candy paint or advertising random crap on the side of your car, etc. etc. etc. is gawdawful to a point in which I would want it done away and would accept some fairly hefty sacrifices to see that sweet, sweet glorious day in which extreme automotive tackiness is banished to the history books.
My in-laws had an identical ’89 Brougham. They bought it used in 1994, kept it for 5 years and really enjoyed it. I drove it a few times and it was quite a pleasant experience. I generally prefer smaller cars that you can have a little more fun with, but driving such a car gives you a sense of serenity that you just don’t get from a smaller ride. Considering that it was driven year-round in Ontario, the paint and body were still in excellent shape when they traded it back in 1999. I was sad to see it go, especially considering they traded it for a new Ford Taurus. Not a bad car and much better on gas, but it just didn’t have the presence and character of the Cadillac. My mother-in-law still misses it.
Congrats on fulfilling your childhood dream! I still see these occasionally here in southeastern MA, in varying conditions, but it’s nice to know that one of the good ones is in such good hands. I’ll keep an eye out for yours. Haven’t seen many in this color so maybe I’ll spot it sometime.
That is awesome….I was in high school in 1987 and really admired these when new. You could find lots of affordable early 70’s Cadillac “retirement gift to myself” cars at that time, as their owners were dying off. They were just too big for a new teen driver to handle and gas was $1.70 in 1986 when I turned 16 ($3.65 in 2015 dollars). If they still made something like this it would be what I would want to drive now! I hope you enjoy it. Great find! The lack of “options” makes it all the more interesting too.
Re: GM early ’80s ‘C’-bodies(Fleetwood, Brougham, 98 Regency, Electra) –
What was the platform for these full(er!)-sized GMs derived from?
Did they just stretch the 1977-91 B-body platform a few inches
in length & width, or was the C- a platform unto itself?
Both the C and B body platforms while similar are separate platforms. Both were around since the early days of the 20th century. The B body started in the 1920’s and the C body in 1931.
What alot of folks forget or don’t realize is that the 85-92 Brougham was actually the 77-84 Sedan Deville with a few tweaks. Hence the “old” Caddy of yore never went away when the Deville was downsized and made FWD.
I believe that GM began using the letter designations in 1936, although it may be possible to trace the various bodies back further as Leon suggests. I think it would be fair to say that the B and C were always closely related, with their level of similarity varying between different generations. I don’t know the specifics of how the post-1977 versions differed; maybe someone else is able to comment on that. “When is one GM design different enough from another to merit a different letter designation?” wasn’t always a question with a clear answer. In the case of the B and C, I suspect that the tradition of using separate designations meant that they were always going to have them, whether they really deserved them or not.
In addition to the B and C, there were once also related A- and D-bodies. The A was used by Pontiac and Chevrolet until 1958, and IINM also on some low-end Olds models in the ’30 and ’40s. Over the course of the ’50s, lower-priced full-size cars grew so much larger that GM felt it was no longer necessary to have separate A and B-bodies, so the A was merged into the B starting in 1959. The A-body designation was later revived for GM’s intermediates, because they held a similar position to the original A-bodies in the GM size hierarchy. But the intermediate A-body was obviously a completely distinct design from the B-body and other full-size cars.
The D-body designation was used for extra-long-wheelbase cars sold by Cadillac, and at times (prior to the 1950s) Buick. It was last used for this purpose in 1984. When the bulk of Cadillac’s full-size lineup converted to FWD for 1985, the existing RWD D-bodies were discontinued, and the new FWD lineup did not include a distinct body type for this purpose.
Meanwhile, the new FWD replacements for the RWD C-body took on the C-body name. This meant that the remnants of the old RWD D-body that were still in production needed a new name, so they took on the D-body designation. The end result was a bit confusing: the 1984 D-body and 1985 D-body were related, but not the same; the 1985 version was actually the 1984 C-body under a different name. Shortly after this, GM apparently decided to discontinue the practice of always giving a new design the same letter designation as the design it was replacing, even if some models from the old design were remaining in production and would therefore have to change letters (this had also happened when the FWD A-bodies were introduced in 1982). The FWD replacement for the B-body that arrived in 1986 got a new letter (H-body), and those RWD B-bodies that stayed in production kept the B-body designation.
An uncle had two of these. One was a 1980 black, red leather, V8-6-4 engine. Car was extremely comfortable but the engine was herky jerky as it changed number of operating cylinders strangely. One was a 1990 in the dark blue color mentioned with dark blue leather. Also extremely luxurious. I drove a couple of times and really did not care for it as I felt so isolated.
When the first President Bush (41) left office in 1992 and returned to Houston he also had a dark blue Fleetwood Brogham. He drove himself after who knows how many years of having a driver. We would see him and Barbara in it once in a while.
Thanks everyone for your well-wishes and congratulations! As a youngish guy, my biggest personal car was a 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. While nice, it was no where near as big as the Caddy. I had no experience driving such a large car and still find myself learning as I go. I have yet to parallel park. It just seems enormous to me still, but, I love every mile!
I just got it back from the auto restoration shop. Boy, it looks almost new! I should upload an after picture. The velour pile was lifted and the few brown stains are gone. The paint gleams as well as the chrome. I had the 2 small dings done and the few scratches blended in, The part that came out best was the vinyl roof. It was cleaned with Lexol. It is the same color as the body but it is pearlized! I did not see that before it was brought back to life. I love that effect.
Brendan, we do live geographically close. I’m in Natick, MA. Perhaps you will see us drive by. She is quite hard to miss.
G. Poon. Thanks! Not to worry, she is in a heated garage with a dust cover all winter, In the summer, she is never outside overnight. A bit OCD perhaps on my part.
Ben Dinger, I’m so glad I am not alone! My friends all hated it until they drove it. They now get it, I’m converting them one at a time.
Peter, That was the color!!! Thanks for bringing back some memories.
Christopher O. Thanks! I think so too. The Caprice was a bargain.
CincyDavid, I agree on the velour. That is what I would have chosen if it was not 3 when this was purchased. Leather cracks too. My velour is perfect.
Calibrick, my old time mechanic called it the Oldsmobile sound. Does anyone know why he stated this? Imagine, a stripper Cadillac. I guess he must have been too frugal to splurge on all the options. I do have a rear defroster though being sold new in CT. Thanks for taking the time to post.
haroldingpatrick, Thanks for your well-wishes. I was too young to remember any of the really big 70’s cars when they were newer. They were all wrecks by the late 80’s. I fondly remember my parents bigger 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix. I think it was a G body. They traded that in for a new station wagon in 1990. A Chevy Celebrity. It lasted us until the SUV craze of the early 2000’s when my parents bought a new Chevy Blazer in 2001. They preferred the Celebrity over the new Blazer though. Now my widowed mom drives a 2014 Buick Lacrosse. It is that pretty copper color with the matching leather. Just for my sake, she test drove an XTS! It was too flashy for a widow she said.
You get used to the size. The big old boats tend to be very predictable once you get used to them, and determining the exact location of each corner and edge of the hood is easier than in newer, more aerodynamic cars. The hood ornaments make a big difference. Driving a pickup, a 90s GM boat like the Caprice, Roadmaster, or even park Avenue, or a newer Panther platform can get you used to it in a vehicle that’s easier to patch up. Mmmm…Roadmaster…
Definitely add newer pics – we’d love to see them. Congratulations on your purchase and may she last at least another three decades!
Ah, the Oldsmobile sound. Hard to describe, but it is unique. I first paid attention to it when I had a ’65 Dynamic 88 while in high school in the late 1970’s. The 425 with a 2-barrel was fairly snappy notwithstanding it was the econo version of the big block.
It all came back to me just this weekend. My wife and I were up in Santa Fe. Whilst walking around the plaza I noticed one of the art vendors had packed her wares into her ’74 or ’75 Delta 88 coupe. When she fired it up and pulled away it had that familiar, burbly sound, which brought back many memories.
I think I know the sound you’re referring to. We had an ’86 Parisienne with the Olds 307 for a number of years, and it did have a sound that wasn’t like the Chevy V8 also in the family.
Actually saw a Parisienne Safari of the same generation on the road this morning, but didn’t get close enough to hear the exhaust note.
I purchased a very similar Brougham, also a 1987, here in Phoenix in January of 2015. I have 3 other older vintage Cadillacs and this year was not one that I would have ever sought out – but the price was right.
dman63, I now know that feeling. It is hard to go back to my 2006 Corolla at the start of the work week.
NC Class of 1998, Thanks! I wonder how many are equipped like mine? In all the ads online, you only see the 3rd box on the left of the steering wheel which is the twilight sentinel and the plastic stalk turn signal lever which is the cruise control. It is funny about the vanity mirror. There is a Velcro one on the passenger side, It had a mascara tube behind it. I wonder if the wife of the owner who’s name was Rose, regretted that her husband did not spring for a vanity mirror.
YourSoundMan, I wish I could help. I am not sure.
Former Saturn Owner, those are awesome memoires of 2 awesome sounding cars. Thanks for sharing.
I’m only thirty and I love these big cruisers too! My fiance and I just bought a 1978 Grand Marquis from a second owner. Despite this being the land of rust (we have a local variant of rocky road called the Pittsburgh Pothole), it’s in great shape. Once we get it up to aesthetic speed, I’d love to submit an article on it. The 460 V8 pulls like nobody’s business and, despite the malaise-era stigma, it goes like a bat out of hell when you are willing to feed dollar bills directly into the engine. It handles bumps far better than any car I’ve ever been in, including my grandparents’ beloved mint showroom 1988 Town Car (which is for sale if you’re willing to shell out a ridiculous amount). No modern car can hold a candle to the Marquis’s smooth braking, enormous torque, couch-like comfort, flawlessly accurate steering, or sheer size.
For those wondering, yes I wanted to buy my grandmother’s Lincoln but she feels a landyacht is unbecoming for “a young girl that isn’t even married yet”. The joke is on her – this beauty is even nicer than her burgundy panther.
Rainasaur,
back when I was about your age I was in the Navy and stationed in Japan. Soon after I arrived I met my new co-worker, a young lady from Pittsburgh, who, when we got to talking about cars told me how heartbroken/upset she was to be in Japan while her Lincoln was left behind in the U.S.A. Her “new” car was a gently used 5 year old Corolla.
So tell your Gran there are others like you in the world…. some even in Pittsburgh.
She wouldn’t believe it. She also doesn’t believe that gays or Asians really exist either. Besides, I should be driving a little Fiesta. It’s only proper.
(facedesk)
I bet she would be very surprised if knowing some gay Asians driving older Lincolns 😛
Mark VIII, very nice!! And yeah, she probably thinks gay guys drive either really girly little cars or pedo vans.
Really funny about the pedo vans…
But as I know, there are quite numbers of gay persons driving Lincolns ( or past ) and that’s more than those drive Cadillac and Chrysler I know. I drive a Lincoln, Buick and Plymouth so that’s a fair share.
Dove Grey all the things!
Beautiful Grand Marquis! We’d love to see an article on it, and it’s always refreshing to see another member of the younger generation who likes the big cruisers. I’m 35 but I can’t quite wrap my mind around the fact that I’m no longer part of that younger generation. 🙂
Beautiful car, I’m a bit envious.
This car demonstrates what I’ll never understand about car companies….in the late 80s Cadillac/GM STILL made it’s customers pay extra to get something like cruise control. What kind of “luxury car”…..standard of the world, are you building when cruise control isn’t standard on your top models?
I also was surprised to read that this Cadillac had no cruise control in 1987.
I concur with your statement about car companies. I see dozens of new C-Class Mercedes-Benzes in my area that are missing a rear view camera and parking sensors – an outrageous omission in a luxury car (and no longer the entry level luxury car at M-B) that should at a minimum include what we now view as basic safety features.
The lack of those features is probably how Mercedes can afford to offer the lease deals that attract people who could not otherwise afford to drive one of their vehicles.
emulating early Roll’s Royce’s or Mercedes? – its amusing to see some of the big Mercedes with manual windows
To me that would not have been an issue then or now as i never use. But that is what got GM into trouble; its ala carte set up with the options. To get this, this and this then you have to get option group 5 that also requires that, that and that.
A truly ala carte options would be great because then they aren’t packaged with other crap you don’t want. Most car companies these days make it so that if you want something like backup and forward sensors (for instance) you have to get the trim level with the new whizbang head lights and adaptive cruise and backseat infotainment etc. So, to get the one thing you want, you need to up it a few thousand dollars for all the other things you don’t really care about.
I would just think that a car company that presumes to call its vehicles “luxury” would just put certain things in as a matter of course. I can see offering “base model” luxury cars for funeral and livery service but even those should have a certain level of standard items that set them apart as luxury cars as a matter of course. Why luxury car companies want strippers running around diluting the marque is beyond me.
That’s something that is, I think, one of the lousy things about buying a car in this country. I once idly wanted to “build” a Volvo S60 wagon on the web, and was amazed at how many options could be had individually rather than as part of some huge “package” or “group”. Then I realized I was not on the USA site, even though it was in English. Found the “correct” one for this country, no more a la carte options. Sad trombone.
Philip, congratulations of finding the car of your dreams. May you have many happy years and miles together. I love to see cars like yours at shows.
Nice car, theres a very similar one for sale on a NZ classic car site on facebook but they are asking close to the US showroom price for it, parked in a shed when its elderly owners stopped driving some years ago.
@CadillacPhil, great story, really resonates with so many car enthusiasts, young like you, older like me. I posted a link on my Facebook page this morning.
Do you have a photo of your Grandfather with his car that you can post? I can easily imagine a story on your car, your relationship with your grandfather and your acquisition of your car appearing in a major magazine.
I’m sure that your grandfather and Edgar’s father are in Full-Size Cadillac Heaven and both are proud of you.
I was lucky, two years ago, to find a 42,000-mile 1990 Continental Mark VII Bill Blass edition, picked it up for $1500. All it needed was a passenger-side air ride airbag and a pound of R-12 refrigerant in the A/C system to bring it up to snuff. In two years I’ve had it I have put about 12,000 miles on it with the only problem is that there’s a gremlin in the display as my odometer now shows error. On the highway it delivers 26mpg and around 17mpg when driven just around town, numbers a lot of contemporary full-size cars fail to deliver.
These late eighties and early nineties cars, some now 25 years old, represent great entry-level classic collector cars, especially for younger enthusiasts like yourself.
Stories like this is why I read every entry on CurbSideclassic.com and link to many on my Facebook page.
Your car is really beautiful. Usually in California, a lot of nice older cars can be picked up at a really cheap price without any rust, something unimaginable in rust belt. VII here in Michigan is becoming unaffordable, and I drive a Mark VIII for daily use in summer ( and the car is extremely rust-prone ) and I put almost 40k miles in two years, but I did have a lot more troubles than you do though.
She is a beauty! Enjoy her and take good care, many happy and safe miles for the both of you.
What a wonderful story of how you came by your car. The previous owner must have been so pleased to know it was going to a new home.
And isn’t it great when you get to know your new purchase and find some odd options – or odd things that weren’t optioned? It’s hard to imagine a Cadillac without cruise control.
And please show us a pic of her all cleaned up.
Philip, very, very nice car. I ordinarily do not care for velour interiors but this one is really attractive. You were indeed fortunate to find your dream car in such exceptional condition. May you enjoy driving it for many years to come.
Philip: Thank you for this CC. Your love for your Grandfather and his Cadillac is oozing out of the article and the pictures.
This car has presence. It will get even better with time as cars with presence get ever more rare.
Perfectly stated, Wolfgang.
Philip, thank you for this great post. Your car is beautiful, and the care you’ve already lavished on it is inspiring.
If I owned that car the 1st I’d do is yank that 307 & swap in a 403 (with early 70s 350 heads to bump the compression up).
Nice car, lovely velour interior, looks so comfy. My uncle had a ’79 or ’80 Buick Park Avenue, a first-cousin to the Caddy. Different colour, but had the same interior features and design touches, even the same velour type seats. Was really nice to ride in (I never drove it) I think cloudlike would be a good desc.
This wasn’t the first Caddy to be de-contented. I believe the early-mid ’70s Calais models has very little in the way of Cadillac luxury or prestige, and were discontinued after ’76 due to lack of interest.
it’s called karma… god bless!
What can I say about all the great comments besides thank you all! Since you were all so kind in leaving me your thoughts, I owe it to you to respond as best I can.
Nice car. I agree about the allure of the Cadillac. Those 77-92 Deville/Brougham cars were very comfy to rid in. I myself never thought of myself as a Caddy man until I came across a 1995 Deville for $1000 and figured I could buy it and flip it if I did not like it. Well after dumping the factory cassette radio and adding a bluetooth USB radio (I will not be stuck in traffic and have to listen to the drone of the idiot on the radio when I want to hear music playing.) I love the car. It was due to be the winter driver to protect my Firebird, but I wound up selling the firebird and buying a beater 1992 Lebaron sedan for beater duties.
Enjoy your car. I would have loved to have cloth seats.
CadillacPhilip, thank you for a great COAL. I really enjoyed your contribution and it appeals to me on so many levels. It is so refreshing to read a contribution from someone who loves their car and isn’t shy about expressing their enthusiasm. The back story is heart warming and your whole article brings me back to the basics of why I and so many others enjoy old cars and how we became car guys. The type cars we enjoy are as varied as can be, but the pleasure we derive from our cars is a shared experience.
I am quite familiar with this generation Cadillac as, until recently, I owned a 1989 Cadillac Brougham. These are really fine automobiles, a pleasure to drive and a guaranteed conversation starter every place you go. For those of us that appreciate American luxury cars of the era, this car represents the type car GM excelled at designing and building. These cars are dignified, tasteful, and to several generations of people, they say “Cadillac”. It was in many ways GM’s finest hour. For many original owners, this car was the reward for a lifetime of hard work, and for many like your grandfather, it was the last car they owned.
I’m happy to see young people like you taking an interest in older cars, especially sedans. This is the only way the old car hobby will survive and prosper. I sold my Brougham as part of my downsizing as I prepared to retire, and it went to a younger Cadillac fan who appreciates the heritage and tradition of Cadillac. I miss the car but it went to a good home. Reading your article today brings back fond memories, and I’m sure that I will reread it often in the future.
Congratulations on finding such a fine car, one that has special meaning to you and a car that comes with a wonderful history. I hope you enjoy many years and many miles of happy motoring and I hope you will keep us posted on the Brougham. Sir, you have a beautiful car.
Best of all, it’s a Cadillac.
Rainasaur, what a beautiful car! Enjoy it. My grandfather’s sister had an 87 Grand Marquis. Not quite as big as yours but very nice.
JohnnyB, it’s amazing how sounds can bring back memories. I’ll keep her making that Oldsmobile gurgle for a long time to come.
Howard Kerr, thanks! The car is a study in contrasts. Amazingly thick carpet, velour. But then exposed screw heads on the a pillars. I still love her anyway.
CA Guy, thanks! A bit of a confession. I failed to notice the lack of cruise control until I used the turn signal for the first time! Talk about a surprised moment. I kind of like that fact now. In the 20 cars I looked at, this was the only one missing it.
Ohwonestan, thanks and the same right back.
Kiwibryce, thanks. I don’t want to break you heart but I only paid $2,000.00 for her. That seemed like a bargain.
Rich Truesdell, wow! Your car is gorgeous. I do have a picture of Grandpa Ernest with his car, at the golf course no less. I’ll dig it out. Its a Polaroid! I agree with a good starting point car. All in I’m less than $4,000.00. It sure looks like more than that. No one believes that’s all I’m in for.
Orangechallenger, beautiful car there! Thanks for commenting! Drive it well.
Pete, thanks for your kind words!
Old Pete, he was thrilled I bought her. I showed him the car all cleaned up last weekend. He gave me a picture of his parents in it. I’ll display that in tribute at the car shows. I’ll name her Rosie. His mother’s name. Seems fitting really. I’ll post those pictures.
Wolfgang, thanks. Grandpa Ernest and I spent many hours golfing and driving together. He’d tell me all about his time in WW2 and his many memories of all the cars he owned. I feel special driving it. I can’t tell you how many thumbs up, whistles, stares I get.
Bob, even though more power might be handy, she seems to want to be driven in a slow dignified way. It just seems to fit.
Frank Bray, nothing wrong with a big Buick! Sounds lovely. It is so comfy. Despite the lack of any lateral support or effective seatbelts.
CadillacPhilip – That’s a beautiful car you got. I hope you enjoy it for many years. I’m sure your grandfather is looking down at you and so proud of you.
Back in the fall of 1991, my wife’s grandfather brought his lifelong dream car. A brand new Cadillac Brougham. It was the same blue as your car, but with leather interior. It was also loaded with every option. BTW, the cruise control also had a master switch on the dashboard, left of the steering wheel, under the head light switch.
I’ll never forget the day he asked me to take him to pick up the Caddy. Once he took delivery of the beautiful land yacht, I followed him back to his home in Leisure Village, a retirement community in Lakewood New Jersey. As we drove through the guard house, his first stop was to the club house so all the old ladies that swooned after him, could see him in his brand new Caddy. Grandpa was a “prime meat” in that development. And that car helped him to score his “lady friend”.
The next week, he had to “senior citizen” the car. So he asked me to go with him to Pep Boys, and there we picked up curb feelers, a fake leather steering wheel cover, deer sensors for the front bumper, a wide view rear view mirror, a plug in the lighter map light, clear plastic floor mats, mud guards, and several air fresheners. I tried to talk him out of most of those things, but he insisted to get it all. Well since he was like 75 years old at the time, I did humor him, and spent the rest of the day installing the stuff on the car.
Grandpa loved that car so much. He washed it by hand several times a week, only drove it in good weather, and meticulously maintained it.
He kept it for about 10 years, and then decided to downsize and without telling anyone, took the Brougham to the same Caddy dealer he brought it from (with only about 50K miles on it), and traded it for a used 1998 Sedan de Ville, complete with a faux convertible roof. It was an “OK” car, but just couldn’t compare to the 91 Brougham, in style and substance.
When grandpa made it up to the big Caddy wreath and crest in the sky, his son (my wife’s uncle) decided to keep the Sedan de Ville. Till today, he continues to keep that car in mint condition, and I’m sure Grandpa is smiling down from heaven wishing he could be driving it.
R.I.P Grandpa! You were a true Caddy man, and I miss our times in your Caddy’s
What a lovely motor. So happy for you and to the seller, who now knows that the Caddy will be loved and appreciated and will continue to provide years of dignified service to its proud owner. I’m looking forward to seeing the photos of the newly-beautified car.
Look at that Cadillac, look at that
Look at that Cadillac, look at that
I’m gonna get me a Cadillac too
If it’s the last thing I do…
Beautiful car! When you’ve finally found a keeper, you just know it. And your story reminds me of my search for the perfect ’79 Monte Carlo, which for my own nostalgic reasons absolutely had to be yellow with a black cloth interior. I’m in your area, maybe I’ll run into you at one of the local shows…
What a great find and a great car. These are now modern classics. Finding one in such great condition is the best way- Trying to bring back a beater to this type of condition is almost impossible. From now on preservation is the key. Enjoy!
Very nice COAL, and an even nicer car. This looks like the near twin of the one I wrote up early in my CC days that I found in downtown Indianapolis, right down to the velour.
This car may be my favorite color combo for one of these, I like it much better than the copper-ish 89 that I had. And wow, I have never seen one of these without cruise!
I know firsthand that this will take good care of you. Enjoy!
Leon, I agree that this model of Cadillac is alluring. Apart from the fond memories I have of my grandpa, I associate this car with traditional american car manufacturing. I am proud to say that my car was built in Detriot.
JBrougham, Thank you for your very kind comments. It hit home on so many levels. I am glad that your car went to someone who will appreciate it as much as you have over the years. I suddenly feel more sophisticated, debonair, and timeless when I am driving it. In fact, last night my 2 guy friends and I took her to a classy bar on the waterfront in Boston. One has a nearly new BMW 435i coupe and the other a Subaru WRX STI. They asked if I could drive!!!! I was happy to oblige. The back seats of their very expensive cars are terrible. My backseat is as nice as a couch. I think I am slowly converting them both.
SeetheUSAinaChevrolet, Thanks!!! Your Grandpa sounded like quite the catch and a true lover of his Cadillacs. I am sure he is proud to know that his last Cadillac lives on in such great shape and under careful watch. I had a great aunt who’s last car was a 1994 Sedan De Ville. She was my Grandpa’s sister Olive. That was a beautiful car in Polo Green with green leather. She drove it well into her 90’s and was healthy as a horse until 97! As you can tell, we are a GM loyal family.
MichaelW, thanks! The photos are coming as soon as I can take them somewhere prettier than my storage facility!
Big Beat, and I though a powder blue Cadillac stood out! I suppose your hard to miss 🙂 I look forward to that day if it comes.
Jose Delgadillo, Thanks for calling my car a modern classic. Some only see scrap metal. I agree about the restoration game. Even in as nice a shape as she was in, I am still in nearly a $1,000.00 in restoration work. Granted, she is now nearly perfect.
jpcavanaugh, Thanks for your kind sentiments about your previous Brougham and compliments on my new Brougham. I read your articles about these cars and they were a delight. I thought your car was beautiful. Especially the slight color shift in different lighting. It is eerily close to your Elder Stateman post. I am glad that I do not have that rust spot on the door though. I can’t imagine how much that would cost to make right. I guess I have a rare bird not having cruise. Interesting…
Wow, what a find Philip! Isn’t it strange how when you are looking for something you can’t seem to find it, yet when you aren’t looking it shows up!
Awesome car. My Uncle Bob had several of these – he started with a 1979 Sedan deVille, then a 1986 Fleetwood d’Elegance, and then a 1990 Fleetwood d’Elegance. He loved those cars and regretted selling his last one.
Yours is probably somewhat rare equipped the way it is, with no cruise control or vanity mirrors. I like it like that – makes it a little “special”! I am envious – but in a very good way! Enjoy your new ride – it is so refreshing to hear that you are keeping it original and taking such good care of it. Bravo!
I just bought one of these but it’s an 86 year model, original owner were friends of my dad & uncle. He bought it new in 86, the car now has 64k miles on it. The owners wife was unable to drive due to illness & the car sat for 12 years. They had a carport so I’ll have to paint it but the inside looks brand new. I just installed a new radiator and drove it, awesome ride & it floats over bumps, it still has gas in it from last time owner filled it up & im gonna put gas treatment in it. I love already & can’t wait till start driving it regularly. I also have a 76 Coupde Deville to play with.
Nice clean Brougham you have there. A house a few blocks from mine has a semi-regular visitor that drives one in the same color but with a white top. It certainly has “presence.”
I’m not sure that these cars really have the Oldsmobile exhaust note that used to be so distinctive. Growing up, I lived on a fairly steep hill, and cars would seem to hit the gas at mid hill in front of our house. It was always easiest to pick out the Oldsmobiles. But, I’m inclined to think this mostly applied to Olds cars from the late ’60s and early ’70s.
I had an Olds 307 in my 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham and it seemed to sound like just about any small bock GM V-8 from the era.
I’ll respectfully disagree. My Olds 307 powered ’87 Brougham had an exhaust note fairly similar to the Olds 455 in my ’75 Ninety Eight. Sure, a bit more muted, but if you get on it, similar sound, also, cruising about 10-15 mph in low gear. Sounds a bit like a cabin cruiser.
The Chevy 350 I had in my ’93 Fleetwood sounded raspier and less throaty. Conversely, the Buick 350 in my ’77 Electra is quieter than either of the other two whether at idle or speed.
Congratulations to you for realizing your dream – and to the car for being sold to someone who will truly appreciate and preserve it!
These Cadillacs are starting to show up at various local car shows around here. Fortunately, many of them are well-preserved, as they have a history similar to that of your car. Namely, they were bought by a person as either a reward for years of toil, or as a last car. As a result, a fair number of them are in good shape. They just need to find good owners who will appreciate them.
Tom C, thanks. Your Uncle Bob has great taste. Edgar asked me point blank if I was going to paint the car purple, lower her, or put on larger wheels. It seems he was contacted by people with this intent. Not that its a bad thing per se. Just not my thing.
Ricky Frazier, That is awesome. I looked at a few 86’s and the only differences I could tell were the seat patten, and grille. Perhaps the taillight lenses too. What color combination is it. There were so many choices! I did not look at 2 cars that had the same color combination. Enjoy both cars!
Dave B, A white top. That is neat. I had looked at another in this color but the top was a dark blue. I appreciate your insight about the Oldsmobile Sound. I can’t say if I have ever heard it as the only Olds I ever owned was an A body.
Geeber, thanks for your reassuring me about the car shows. I was uncertain if it was “nice” enough to enter.
CadillacPhilip, you’re welcome. The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) allows cars 25 years and older to be shown at its events.
There is also a class for unrestored cars at AACA shows – Historic Preservation of Original Features (HPOF). While owners of cars in this class do clean and detail their cars, they don’t completely restore them. The point is to show old cars in unrestored (although still drivable) condition.
What’s amazing is how the 77’s were called ‘small’ when introduced!
I believe 1987 was the last year the big RWD Cadillac was built at the old Cadillac Clark Street assembly plant in Detroit. It was closed at the end of the 1987 model year. From 1988-1996, the big RWD Cadillac Fleetwood/Brougham was built at the Arlington Texas plant. It was discontinued because the plant was converted to produce SUV’s (Tahoe/ Yukon/ Suburban).
The poster “mikey” or “CraigInNC” could probably confirm this, but I believe you are correct…I think the run also included a few early ’88s before the move to Austin.
I know that a 9 somewhere in the VIN indicated Detroit on my car. Beyond that basic knowledge, I’m afraid I know not more.
An eighties-era, Roger Smith GM crapmobile is not for me. With that said, this is too nice an example to be driven into the ground and it’s really great someone got it who can take care of and enjoy it properly, i.e., maintain it as it left the factory.
I think I had an uncle who had one of these. He had driven Fords/Lincolns all of his business career and it was to be his retirement car. Unfortunately, it was a POS and he ended up trading for a Chrysler Town&Country minivan, mostly to be able to haul his grandkids and wife’s electric scooter.
Gorgeous car and great story! Congrats on this. My gramps had a 1968 Cutlass Supreme 4-door hardtop; I begged my dad not to sell it when he passed in 1988. It’s super-rare to see any 4-doors of that era anymore and I go on jags (no pun intended) looking for one often. I hope I have a story like yours one day, Philip!
A few years ago I had a 1990 dark gray Brougham with the “Y” 307 Olds motor and really enjoyed that boat of a car. I bought it for $900 bucks and sold it for $2000 with the only real upgrades being 4 tires and original wire wheels from a junk yard donor car for a mere 60 bucks, a 20 dollar water pump and front brake pads. When I got it the hub caps were missing and the headliner was starting to sag in spots. The 307 was extremely reliable and had that nice Olds V8 burble. I also saw up to 24 MPG on the open road with her several times which I consider remarkable for such a heavy car with a low power to weight ratio.
I’m still looking for a 1986-1990 Brougham equipped with the ultra rare vin “9” 307 HO motor but have yet to locate one anywhere. Going to look at a 1987 gray Brougham today from the same guy that sold me the 1990. Maybe by some miracle it has the 9 motor or maybe even the trailer towing 3.23 rear gears but I highly doubt it.
Philip, congratulations on an incredibly beautiful car, and also thank you for the well-written story accompanying it. It pleasantly reminded me of my own golf outings with my grandfather, though the driver/passenger roles were reversed as I was my late teens and he was no longer driving. I also found it fitting that we would go in my ’79 Malibu which he had originally purchased new. He gave it to my Mom, who gave it to me. I still have it, though it needs restoration as it hasn’t been driveable in years.
Those Broughams were always favorites of mine, a car that still said that you had Made It. That quality was lost with the downsized models, but these big RWD cars were throwbacks to an era when Standard of the World still meant something. And the condition is fantastic! Such originals are so hard to find now–I’m heartened to hear that the car has found someone who will care for it the way it deserves. To many happy miles!
Joseph Dennis, Thank for your kind words about my car and the care I am taking to preserve her. Depsite my grandfathers choice of car, we were very modest in means. He owned a paiting company from 1936 to 1987 and worked hard to save for retirement. My uncles now own the company, thought they are in their 70’s. I have a few cousins who work for it so I am hoping it continues on. It is nice to still see his name on the trucks.
Rudiger, it is awesome that there is a car for everyone. Thanks for your compliment about the shape she is in. It is hard to argue with the inherent practicalility of the minivan.
Mya Byrne, Thanks and I wish you much success in your car hunt!
Joe Yoman, Good luck with finding your elusive car! I am glad that you “get it”. driving one of these is like nothing I have ever done before.
Chris M. Thanks for sharing your Grandpa golfing memories! They were great times! Good luck on the Malibu. Think of the memories the first time you drive it again. I agree about this car. I picture myself in 1987 being successful and thinking this was the only way to go. There are subtle details that remind you of the quality. The chrome garment hooks and visor mounts are amazing feeling. The carpet is lush and must have been amazing feeling when new. The quality of the cigar lighters with a cadillac crest on each one. There are 4 lighters and 4 ashtrays by the way. It was quite a shock to my 10 year old nephew who has rarely seen even one in a car today.
Back in 85-87, I used to get occasional lifts from the gentleman (a Knight of the Realm no less) whose company I worked for, in his 83 (?) Fleetwood Brougham.
The owner was then over 80 and still worked a 7 day/ 60+ hour week and drove the car around the factory and the airfield it was builtaround. At one time, I had the job of getting it washed and filled every Friday morning.
Riding in it (I never drove it) was quite an experince, to say the least. I can certianly understand why you wanted one. Enjoy!
Very nice story, thanks for sharing. It was a pleasure to read! The family connection makes it even better. I would encourage you to join The Brougham Society, a Facebook group Richard Bennett and myself run. It is all about classic domestic luxury cars, and your Cadillac would fit right in!
Roger Carr, Thanks for sharing your memories of the ride. It is something quite extrordinary. I have a gas station story. I am not sure if all old cars are like this but the first time I flled it up with gas, apart from bending over almost to the ground as I am 6 foot 2, it kept going and going. I figured it would stop when it was full. All of a sudden some gas came shooting out of the filler neck. It did not stop. So now I know, that it is a 20 gallon tank and only fill it to 75% full just to be sure.
Tom Klockau, Thanks for your kind compliments. I am glad you enjoyed it. I have requested to join your facebook group at your kind invitiation. Happy driving in your beautiful ride as well.
Well, I actually have two Town Cars now. Just got this 2004 Town Car Ultimate. One owner, and only 53,000 miles.
And I see Richard has already added you. Welcome!
Beautiful exterior / interior color combination, congratulations !
The garage seems to be a bit too small though.
Beautiful indeed! Looks like another keeper…definitely a striking color.
It is a two-Town Car household now–traded in the V50.
Nice fleet you have Tom! How would you compare the ride quality of the 2000 Cartier and 2004 Ultimate? Is there much difference in the steering and handling? A lot of Lincoholics say the 2003+ ride a lot stiffer than the 98-02 and that those ride stiffer than the 90-97.
I HAVE A 89 CADILLAC BROUGHAM ONE OWNER THAT I PURCHASE IN 98 AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I JUST HAD THE 307 5.0L ENGINE OVERHAUL AND THE BLOCK WAS BORED OUT TO A 5.4L. I’M LOVING THE NEW POWER. YOU CANT BEAT THE D-BODY STYLE CADDY.
I purchased a new brougham identical to this one in 1987 ,I put 175,00 miles on it . It was like a new car when I traded it in on a 1991red brougham. I was 25 years old and all of my peers thought it was the greatest car a young man could own. I wish I still had that car as it was one of my favorites. I have driven Cadillacs and Lincolns ever since. I currently have a 2011 DTS that I did not trade in on my current XTS . The big Cadillacs are sadly gone now.
Fantastic! I’ve been looking for this interior color code for years. I once saw a 5.7 Brougham in black with this exact interior and less than 30.000 miles on it. I couldn’t afford it back then and living in Sweden, Broughams are about as rare as Bentleys in Boston. Never ever saw the car again, let alone an interior like that. Absolutely love it. At least now I know it’s Federal Blue Prima Vera Cloth. I’ll probably end up importing one from the US if I can find a nice one. A sunday car.
My ’87 Brougham – not a Cadillac I would ever go looking for – but one owned by an elderly gentleman friend of a friend. I paid $3,000 in 2015. I rarely drive it as I have a ’75 Coupe deVille; ’69 DeVille convertible and my daily driver, ’98 DeVille Concours.
Issues: Leaky transmission, Problems with electronic climate control. Rotting window frame gaskets. Driver’s window fell into frame and I had to have it manually pulled up. Can’t lower it now.