(first posted 1/24/2017) Last fall, I was on the hunt for a coffee table to replace one I had owned since my college years roughly twenty years ago. Eventually, one comes to the realization that as one of the grown folks, one needs grown-up things. My old, pressed-fiberboard table found at the Wagon Wheel flea market for ten dollars around the turn of the millennium, though it still (wobbily) stood on its own, held things and didn’t have any cigarette burns or other major flaws, needed replacement. It was on this mission that I had spotted our featured car in traffic a few blocks from my house.
One of the things I love about living in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago is being close to Loyola University’s North Shore campus, with all of its contagious, youthful energy and optimism permeating these blocks. The college students who live here add some welcome, extra spice to the stew of diversity in this area. In the ten-plus years that I’ve been a resident here, I’ve been witness to a constant, revolving-door cast of Curbside Classics as varied as the people who call these parts home. It’s always a joy to witness a car that I consider to be a classic being enjoyed by a member of a generation younger than my own.
As this stately D-Body passed the Broadway Antique Market, I wondered to myself what is it about classic cars and vintage coffee tables that seems to provide me with a sense of calm and contentment. These are just things, but maybe I find them soothing because they provide a sense of continuity with a familiar, comfortable past. In the case of both old cars and furniture, their surfaces, textures, sounds, and fonts can help us recall a time in our own, personal histories that made us smile.
I don’t think what I’m describing is necessarily the same thing as “living in the past”. I’m talking about mentally referencing and bringing into one’s present consciousness old touchstones that bring you joy just with the feelings they elicit inside you. Judging by the attire of the classy, young lady piloting this car, she clearly owns that she is traveling in style, in what would appear to be a non-ironic way. Maybe it was a gift from her grandparents. Best of all, it’s a Cadillac. My hat is off to her. And just think about it – if the driver was in your circle of college friends headed out for the day (or night), would you prefer to ride in another friend’s beater Corolla or in this Cadillac? The added cost of chipping in for gas be darned, you wouldn’t have to ask me twice.
Buyers of new Cadillacs liked these chariots in ’87, with the Brougham being outsold in the Cadillac line by only the smaller, FWD Sedan DeVille, by about 2:1 (65,500 vs. 129,000 units). By ’87, the standard engine in these cars was a 140-horse Olds 307, having replaced the 135-hp Cadillac HT-4100 V8 a couple of years prior. With a starting weight of almost exactly two tons, this Cadsmobile would do 0-60 in just around 13 seconds. Prices started at about $22,600, which equates to about $48,000 in present day, thirty years later.
Though I’m sure Cadillac was aware that this car’s popularity skewed toward the mature end of the spectrum, I also think the brand would have been thrilled with a more youthful image that buyers the age of this car’s driver would have helped project. However, I realize that a youthful image was probably the least-important consideration of this model’s buying demographic. This car was all about riding in a Dark Chestnut Metallic cloud on button-tufted, leather sumptuousness.
As with any vintage style, different people rock things their own way – which is the beautiful thing about freedom of choice. For me, the factory-stock look of this luxury sedan enabled me to pretend, for about thirteen seconds, that it actually was 1987 (or even 1980), and that the driver was a thirty-something, well-to-do resident of Wilmette, Evanston, or another one of the wealthy North Shore communities off Lake Michigan. As with people and Cadillacs, it takes all kinds to make a world – and in ours of today, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a show of a little extra class.
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois.
Saturday, October 8, 2016.
Related reading from:
- JP Cavanaugh: Classic Curbside Classic: 1987 Cadillac Brougham – The Elder Statesman; and
- CadillacPhillip: COAL: 1987 Cadillac Brougham – From A Curbside Classic To My Curbside Classic.
Joseph writes: ” In the case of both old cars and furniture, their surfaces, textures, sounds, and fonts can help us recall a time in our own, personal histories that made us smile”.
I agree. Those of us with fond and happy memories (I wish everyone in the world could be so lucky) find that these memories gives life a sense of depth and value, passing time, and even growth. Memory triggers, such as smells, seasonal changes, music, and certainly cars, provide almost instant recall of times past, and even if the remembered times were not always good, they are now valuable and enjoyable.
But memories are not always logical. The shot of that Caddy passing the parked Prius is great. That little hybrid jelly bean does just about everything better than the Cadillac and it’s probably just as fast to boot. But I do fondly remember driving old Cadillacs (62, 69, 78) and thinking “this is really nice”. Like I said, memories are not always logical, but they are enjoyable.
Thank you Joseph.
Brilliantly said.
Rlplaut, thank you for that. I also find it incredible how the human mind is capable of filtering out a lot of the bad stuff over time. Not everything (as I know you know, from having read your COAL series), but a lot of it.
Sometimes, I actually am glad when something sensory triggers a bad memory – if only to remind myself of how I moved past it.
Part of what I love about living in the Midwest is that the seasons make it easier to mark time, versus, say, when I lived in the southeast.
At the young and naïve age of 20, I sold a practically brand new Chrysler LHS (because I was young and realized I wasn’t going to be able to afford the monthly payments on such a luxury ride). In the process, I was able to have just enough funds to purchase a gently used 1987 Cadillac Brougham as my only means of transportation thereafter. It was a beautiful Cotillion white with a blue vinyl top and blue leather interior. And although it had 136k miles, it looked showroom new. A lover of big luxo-barges that I am, I knew this was the one. Driving home, I knew I would be arriving in “Cadillac Style”. But, as days and weeks passed, and finding myself at the gas pump VERY often, I began to rethink my decision of this purchase. It was nice, and had all the bells and whistles, which all functioned (except HVAC blower – common problem). But it couldn’t get out of its own way to save its life. The running joke used to be 0-60 in 10 minutes. This was my DD for about 4 months until I sold it for only a little less than I paid and “upgraded” to a 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis LS – at the time it was 7 years old with 88k miles. That proved to be a very good and reliable car, but started having tranny issues after 115k miles. But, that’s another story…..
This could be a trend. I bought a ’93 Grand Marquis LS last year to replace my DeVille. You’re right, the Marquis is a great luxoboat alternative. Quiet, solid, reliable and well equipped. Cheap too, no one wants them these days.
The old saying used to be, “If you have to worry about the gas mileage then you shouldn’t be buying Cadillac.”
That’s a takeoff from the condescending response from a Pierce-Arrow salesman to a potential customer asking the price…”My dear sir, if you need ask the price I am certain you can’t AFFORD one.”
Yep, but still true…
Ladcox80, what a beautiful car. Thanks for sharing that pic.
My grandparents were also fond of the Grand Marquis, having owned three in a row before they both passed away. My fave of the three was probably their ’90 (or so) LS in beige with leather. That was a sharp car that always oozed class, especially with those turbine-fin wheels it sat on.
Ladcox80 I learned that these 307s tend to run cool when they get older. There are passages in the manifold to heat up the carb a little and those tend to get plugged with coke, too. The net effect is that sometimes the engine doesn’t get hot enough to open the choke which over time causes the catalytic converter to clog. More likely to happen if the trips are short and/or you live in a cold climate area. The symptoms are terrible MPG and no power like you had. Usually a new cat and some manifold/carb work brings it back to new condition. Still not very fast but will get out of its own way. While I think the CCC carb does a nice job for drivability I agree with Someoneinthewildwest that fuel injection would have been better, simply for the reliability reasons. No choke to stick closed and fewer vacuum lines to maintain.
That was a really nice looking Brougham you had!
There is NO WAY a 307 powered Cadillac Brougham did 0-60 in just under 10 seconds.
It would have been in the high 15 second range.
Even the 1977 425 powered ones were in the 12 second range.
A 460 powered Lincoln from 77′ was even slower at around 14 seconds.
My grandma had a 77′ LTD with a 460 4bbl and what i later found out was a 2.26 rear axle ratio and it did 0-60 in about a month.
Great bulletproof car though.
I suspect the 0 to 60 is a typo. Chances are the author meant 0 to 50 mph. That spec was advertised a lot in the 1980’s, 55 mph America.
A 10 sec 0 to 50 time seems more plausible.
OntarioMike, thanks for the attempt at “saving” me on this one… but I failed, not in my typing, but in my research. 🙂 (I hate it when that happens… hahaha.) I hit several sources when I was putting this together, and what I think is that maybe the sites I researched used info from perhaps the same, inaccurate source.
So, 2packs4sure, you’re 100% correct – my cited 0-60 time was wack, and I’ll fix it.
Calibrick, and SomeoneInTheWildWest, thanks also for corroborating the figures I’ll use to amend the text.
They weren’t 10 second cars nor were they “in the high 15 second range.” Mine does 60mph in 12-13 seconds. Folks love dumping on the 307 for reasons I’ve never understood. These same people heap praise on the Chevy engines that followed, the 350 in 1990 and the 305 in 1991. They say these are the best Broughams to get and yet the market suggests otherwise. The 90-92s are easier to find and cost less than the 307 model Broughams because those in the know are aware of the 307’s superiorities which include smoothness, quietness, economy and acceleration around town. The 90-92s also have that odd looking facelift with the wrap-around front bumper and a raised ride height which hurts the cloud-like ride.
Love the color on the feature car Joseph. it’s my favorite on these old Broughams and very, very hard to find. No wonder the young lady looks so happy!
The Automobile Catalog estimates the 0-60 for the base setup (without trailering package) at about 13 seconds with the 2.73:1 axle ratio and 4 speed automatic. The trailering package gets you the 400 series turbohydramatic with a 3.73:1 axle ratio which get the 0-0 time down below 11 seconds (10.5).
I don’t think any of the engines are great (or bad) until the 1994 tuned port 350 V8. What I don’t see is why the 307 did not get throttle body fuel injection (although tuned port would have been even better).
Although my post above describes the 307 in the Cadillac I owned as sluggish at best, I am a big fan of the Olds 307. It was just a much too small engine for such a large car. I’ve also owned 2 B-body Buick LeSabres (1982 and 1984), both with the 307, that I thought were excellent in every way – reliable, great pep, and average MPG for car that size)! So, 307 was a great engine – just poorly matched with the behemoth that was the late 80’s Cadillac Brougham.
Calibrick, this color is great, isn’t it? The day I got these pictures, this car looked like it had recently been detailed in the past week or so, so the paint just shimmered.
I’d have been smiling behind the wheel, too, except when I was in college, I was too busy being “ironic” and counterculture while growing into myself. There’s no way I would have let on in those days that a car like this appealed to me in any way.
I think my ’89 could do it…in Neutral….. off a crane… But on 1980s Pittsburgh roads going 60 was a miracle anyway! At least the a Brougham isolated you from all that and still looks good now.
True. My 1990 Brougham with 72k miles that I had back in 2012 was the proverbial 15 second 0-60 wonder until I got under the hood and started cleaning up several issues.
For one the vacuum operated heat control valve was stuck in the closed position in the exhaust somewhat restricting it. Some PB blaster took care of that.
I checked the ERG passages but they were surprisingly unrestricted. The valve itself did work.
We re-built the Quadrajet because the car was now 22 years old and the air-horn seal was leaking a bit. The choke pull-off was not working which caused two problems. The car always stumbled when first started and the top end was really weak. The choke pull-off controls the secondaries. A new pull-off drastically improved cold start and noticeably increased highway power with the tell tale moan when your foot went to the floor.
The base timing on all 307 engines is 20 degrees. Surprise! Mine was incorrectly set at only 12. I quickly adjusted that and also in the process gave her a complete tune-up. The difference was dramatic. 0-60 times dropped to under 12 seconds usually 11.8. It was still slow but now at least kept up with traffic and could pass on a two lane road.
Note that for 1988-90 the 307 equipped Brougham came with a 2.93 rear gear instead of the lazier 2.73 which helped off the line power some. My car was a fully trimmed De-Elegance sedan at 4300 LBS so I was fairly happy with that considering what it was.
Gas mileage went from 12-14 to 16-17 combined from these changes and I saw up to 23 on the highway going a steady 70 MPH on many trips after the changes. Not bad for such a heavy car with such a low power to weight ratio.
If I were GM at the time I would have done one of two things with the 1986-90 versions of this car. Instead of using the 140 Hp version of the 307 I would have at the very least gone with the 170 HP vin “9” motor as std fare. Option 2 would have been to use a throttle body injection system on the “Y” motor with at least 150-160 horses and even better drive-ability. Putting a carburetor on a car that had fuel injection as far back as 1974 seemed rather counter productive in 1986.
With that said the now properly running 307 was a really nice running mill with near flawless starting and running behavior and it was perfectly mated to the 200R-4 transmission. It was just a bit short on HP for a car this large.
You are truly the “307 whisperer” Joe. If CC had a sticky section I would nominate your post for a spot, under the heading “307 myths debunked” 🙂
I agree on the antique furniture, which is something I enjoy as much as cars. Quality antiques have a style and construction of another era, where honesty , appeal and craftsmanship meant so much more. They give us a connection to the past and the people, long gone now, who made it their life’s work to make something beautiful that will last a lifetime.
Please tell me you’ll rescue a classic solid walnut or cherry vintage table and not buy something new and fake.
As for that Olds 307, it definitely was a step in the right direction after the aluminum engines. GM spent a bit of money to make it quiet (roller lifters) and fuel efficient (unique heads). The cast iron construction gave it a long life. Yes, they were slow, but by the 80’s slowness was a Cadillac feature, unfortunately. GM made a 180 hp varient that would have done better.
It seems to me that the furniture industry is going through its own Malaise Era about now. I’ve bought several pieces of new furniture that have been complete junk — and these things weren’t cheap, either. It’s gotten bad enough, that whenever I need a new piece of furniture, I look for vintage examples at thrift stores, estate sales, etc. before trying to seek out anything new. It’s just that the materials and craftsmanship of new stuff has gotten that bad.
Regarding the Caddy, this is another great piece, Joseph. Several times recently, I’ve seen younger people driving older cars, and can’t help but admire their choice in transportation and wonder what the backstory could be.
Agreed on furniture. Our dining room set was inherited from my wife’s aunt. It was built in the late 1950s or early 1960s and is nearly flawless. As is the matching china cabinet.
Old couches and sitting chairs is where I would have to draw the line on getting vintage furniture!
Mostly agreed…we did buy a mid-late fifties armchair recently, but it was a unique color/pattern, the bottom cushion had new foam, and it will see *very* occasional use. The couch we bought around the same time has distinctly MCM lines but was brand new, as it gets daily use.
For wooden/non-cushioned furniture, vintage is definitely the way to go, and can be quite cost-effective at times as a bonus. Last year I bought a massive, solid wood 1940’s office desk for $125, and with a good polish and some paint on the drawer pulls it looks quite presentable!
Eric703, what you say about the quality of some modern furniture is completely true.
About 8 years ago, I spent a bunch of money on a new, “leather” convertible sofa, club chair, and ottoman, knowing I needed a hide-a-bed for additional sleeping capacity for visitors. The bonded leather on that sofa was peeling off within four years, and it made me furious. I replaced it last year with a nice, new tweed sofa with vintage lines.
Thanks, also, regarding the piece, and I, too, would love to know the story here.
I was taught that the most expensive furniture was cheap furniture, But now the high priced stuff is crap too. Most of my “good” stuff Is inherited, and mostly dates from 1957-65. It’s traditional/colonial so it remained “normal ” looking thru many style movements. OTOH it’ll never have the collector values that more contemporary “mid century modern ‘ would.
There is a big reason why older furniture from the 40’s through 60’s is so
sought after and worth so much today. The crap they make now is deplorable and just doesn’t last unless you spend a fortune of course.
An excellent retrospective, Joe. It is so true that certain things evoke feelings and memories of times and events long past.
A car like this, of course, does so for me due to my having owned one very much like it four four years during the “growing family” stage of life. I was a rock star among my kids’ friends, because everyone in their circle loved “The Cadillac”. It was certainly unique among a sea of minivans and Suburbans that everyone else was driving then.
I would bet that someone’s grandparents took really good care of this until recently, given those very nice plastic extensions between the fenders and back bumpers. Mine were the same way, still nice and pliable – which is what life in a garage will do for them.
Thanks, JP! I, too, was taken aback by all of the bumper fillers being present, accounted for, and in decent shape. This car really is in beautiful condition.
I was fortunate enough about a year and a half ago to inherit a set of mid-century end tables with matching coffee table and HUGE ceramic table lamps with their original shades, circa mid ’50’s. They’d been used since new as the “Good Furniture” in a formal living room by their original owner since the year she purchased them for the first home she owned with her husband. As her home was being emptied in preparation for her move to assisted living several people commented that of all things I’d have an interest in “Those Old Things”. I came away from that liquidation with these items as well as many drinking glasses, serving pieces and accessory decorative items all of the same vintage. They have become some of my most treasured and prized possessions, as they give me a sense of comfort and solidity in a world that is hectic and ever-changing.
As someone who’s never had strong attachments to “Things”, these items are now in storage awaiting my next geographical move, and storage is far from free, but parting with these items will never become an option for me. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s just a changing view of the world, maybe it’s grasping for some sense of permanence at a time in my life when people and places seem to be changing faster than I’m prepared for, but whatever the reason I can certainly relate to the sentiments expressed in this piece.
This is also why I continue to drive the ’99 300M that was my grandfather’s last car. It still works, it’s still a beautiful car, it still performs its intended function, and even though it’s a bit of work and sometimes a bit of a test of my patience and pocketbook to keep it in daily service, it still gives me a sense that I’m honoring its history by keeping it in my life. I’m a fairly practical guy, for the most part, but I was very close to my grandfather, and I’d like to think he’d get a smile out of knowing that I still feel a connection when I’m washing and waxing “Big Red”, and that I still give a thought to what he’d think I should do when “Big Red” costs me an arm and a leg to keep her going. In truth I’d love to part with the Chrysler in favor of a more practical (or even less practical), more economical replacement, but the ’08 Honda Civic that I’d likely be driving in that alternate universe will never measure up to “Big Red” on an emotional level.
So kudos to this girl. Whatever the provenance of that Caddy may be, whether it was Grandma’s or whatever, I’d like to think she’s getting a little karmic jolt by gliding along in style and comfort.
MTN, you (and XR7Matt, below) totally get what I’m trying to say.
It’s not all about “regression” in uncertain times, but why not have those things that provide some continuity and comfort from the past? I hope that stuff in storage eventually gets some good use. I still have a few of my grandparents’ old things. The lived through the WWII days, knew the value of a dollar, and took care of their things. (Grandma also never threw anything away.).
What’s funny is that I seem to recall Grandpa not being super-impressed with the leather in their newer cars.
IMHO, this is the last of the classic Cadillacs. It’s also the last of the good looking Cadillacs to be produced, at least until the Catera.
Great nostalgic write-up, Joseph. It is refreshing to see an older Caddy in nice condition being used as a daily driver, at least being enjoyed by someone and not “donked” or demo-derbied.
Nice car and nice write up Joseph as always.
I think the featured car had the cloth seat package. If you look at the passenger side door you see it has a cloth door panel. This was only offered with cloth seats. That makes this a great car for winter and summer as there is not leather to freeze your butt off or burn it.
This morning on my way to work I was behind a Studebaker. It looks like it is a daily driver and has regular MD tags so it is not a historic registered car. You never know what you are going to see on a morning commute.
Seeing that would certainly jolt you wide awake!
Thanks, Leon! And that old Stude is pretty rad. I’d have been that guy rolling down his window at a stoplight and leaning out trying to get a clear picture, at the risk of looking like a lunatic. LOL. Some people think that, anyway! Thanks also for posting that pic.
I don’t think what I’m describing is necessarily the same thing as “living in the past”. I’m talking about mentally referencing and bringing into one’s present consciousness old touchstones that bring you joy just with the feelings they elicit inside you.
100% agree. I personally don’t believe living in the past is even attainable when it comes to material things, they’re not memories or anecdotes that have morphed and changed shape from years upon years of trying to relive or recapture, no, they’re right there, only thing you can do is make all new memories with them as part of your current life if you let them, just as this girl is doing in her Caddy.
This brings back so many memories….both the car, the table, and the young person driving an older luxury car. Growing up in a retirement mecca, you used to wait for spring to come to snag a new – albeit older, lovingly used- car. Often, the retiree couple would suffer the passing of the elderly gent, and the missus never drove. The kids and grandkids wanted nothing to do with a 10-15 year old beast, and god forbid they drive down to pick it up. As such, one could score a low mileage used car with all the bells and whistles, for a song. My favorite was Buttercup, the yellow 1976 LTD coupe, broughamed to the max, with 10K on the clock. It drank gas like a fish, but with no car payments, great insurance rates, and few repairs, it hauled me and as many as 5 others in style. It is a shame that many kids will never know the joy of piloting a luxobarge….
It was about 14 seconds 0-60 in my Cotillion white on white leather with red accents ’87 Brougham. Smooth, but could not keep up with traffic on hills or on-ramps.
Love all the old boats, including my Olds, but I still miss looking out over that sculpted peaked hood. Glad to see someone enjoying it and not messing it up…whitewall, no lifts, no funny business. I hope she enjoys it for many years.
Great shots, observations, and article.
It truly warms my heart to see a young lady driving an old Caddy.
Me, too, David. She looked proud of it.
+1!
Oh man, another young person enjoying a Cadillac.
I guess it comes as no surprise that I was looking at these Broughams before the Eldorado came into possession. I probably might’ve wanted more power if I were to ever drive one, but having a sedan would’ve been beneficial some days.
When you drive a Cadillac as a young person, it generates some interesting reactions. Most of my coworkers and random people have commented on it being a nice car, not even taking my age into consideration. (Though, the fact that I look older than I do probably helps.) In my circle of friends, all seven or so of them, I definitely have the cool car. In fact, when my best friend had to replace his wrecked 05 Saturn Ion and his parents got him a 2014 Ford Focus, I commented on how surprisingly smooth the ride was. His only response was “Not as smooth as your Cadillac.”
Also, you can theoretically daily drive this, if the circumstances worked in your favor. For example, I still live at home, so my dad pays for the insurance and gas and the occasional major repair. But, I tend to not drive much, save for work and the occasional trip to a store or hanging out with friends. I calculated that considering I only work three days a week normally, and my workplace is a ten minute drive from my house, I only drive about 30 miles or so every week. In fact, I figured out that I drive so little, I could theoretically drive a car that can qualify for classic plates, get classic plates for said car, and still manage to keep those plates while having it be a daily driver.
I love seeing these old barges in the hands of kids in my generation. Other people of the same age group may make fun of them as being the gas guzzling, mothball scented, boats they are. But that’s because they haven’t ridden in the passenger seat, once they do, I bet you anything they’d rather ride in the barge than anything else.
Joseph, thank you for this. I think that perhaps, similar to your situation where you put limited weekly miles on your Eldorado, this might also be the case for a college student. This area does not lack for public transit to get downtown, Lincoln Park, etc. Perhaps if this car is used primarily on weekends and for the occasional errand, it wouldn’t bankrupt someone on a student’s budget.
I doubt the young woman driving an 87 Brougham is doing so by choice. As the author states it was likely a gift from a grandparent and to her it’s just cheap wheels. So often due to lack of funds or a lack of interest cars like this are neglected and abused until they break and are then discarded. As for 0-60 times, where I live there are roads with 100kph (62mph) speed limits and intersections with traffic lights. When I time the drivers in front of me they usually take more than 13 seconds to accelerate to 100kph because for them fuel consumption is more important than arriving at the next traffic light 5 seconds faster.
I’m sure they exist somewhere, but I’ve known very few young people to whom a Cadillac in this decent shape would be thought of as “just cheap wheels” even if it weren’t their personal first choice as a car. A beater Caprice, yeah. Even a same year FWD Sedan DeVille or Eldo. But when I had one from 2004-2010 in college and law school, I never had anyone speak of it with contempt they usually did for “cheap wheels”. They always thought it was a cool car, not just an old grandpa car, and people of all genders used to say things like ‘wow, I feel important’ or ‘I kind of don’t want to get out and re-enter the real world’ when they’d ride in mine back in law school. These really stood out even 10 years ago, and do even more so today. They’re incredibly distinctive these days, even if they were thought to be tacky, old fashioned, and/or underpowered by trendy yuppies during the Gordon Gekko era. Even compared to one of the last Town Cars it’s a very different aesthetic, baroque and unique in ways that aren’t replicated at all today. They always seemed to inspire interest even in people who generally took no interest at all in cars. Some such people viewed it as campy, but it was with affection, not disdain. I think that’s unique to this specific model.
Yep. This. I agree. It’s a shame it ever, at any time, became uncool to like nice things.
I think you guys and Joseph are all correct. Could have very easily been a gift from a grandparent, that’s how I got my first car a 1970 Cadillac Sedan deVille. It was about ten years old at the time which meant two things, a very high gas bill (this was around 1980) and too new to be cool. This young woman’s Brougham is 30 years old, big difference. To Orrin’s point definitely old enough to be desirable. In 1980 that would have meant a 1950 Cadillac for me which would have been plenty cool but lousy to drive every day even if gas was cheap and it wasn’t in ’80.
This ’87 Brougham is old enough to be cool, exists during a time of low gas prices and is way, way nicer to drive than a ’70 or yikes ’50 model. Much more maneuverable than the ’70 and probably just as quick, real world. Great point T Type about most people not using all of the available power to reach 60mph, to save fuel. That’s how I drive even with my 307 and keep up with traffic just fine.
If the car has been reliable, my guess is that she loves her classic Caddy even if it was a gift. If she has to deal with tight parking spaces that might be getting old but for sure she will miss the comments and admiring glances when she moves on.
Cali- I don’t think they’re as quick as 70s cars, even the detuned ones, from my experience with a ’75, ’77 and this ’87 C/D body. And properly maintained both 70s and 80s are pretty maneuverable for their size. But these 80s versions are much more practical with 25+ mpg possible on the highway, as long as that eQjet is working. Solidly built and these days, an undeniable classic.
At some point it stops being an old beater and starts being unique and these have reached that stage.
“I doubt the young woman driving an 87 Brougham is doing so by choice…it was likely a gift from a grandparent and to her it’s just cheap wheels.”
I think anyone’s grandparents who drove this car have been dead for 25 years, sorry. I think she’s the happy owner–how many other young gals wear a red hat like that? I think she’s just a cool young woman with class. Look how clean the car is–she cares.
I hope she stumbles across this page!
P.S. Thanks to the author for doing this car right (no snarky, derogatory words, etc.). There were several moments where I internalized “Yes!…Yes!”. I read it this morning–maybe tomorrow morning I’ll have time to make highlights, so to speak 🙂
Agreed. Old cars like are cool, and young women do buy them for that reason. I’ve met several young woman owners of CCs over the years, and if I saw this Caddy come by with that woman driving it, I would absolutely assume she owns it on purpose.
David B. – there was one older lady in my hometown who I saw driving a ’90-’92 model two or three years ago, but otherwise, agreed, the last “grandparenty” person I saw driving one who fit the “I bought this new and I’m never buying a new car” mold was probably around 2002-3. And I am sure she was in her late seventies at least.
The people I see with them now are middle aged men who keep them up, or kids.
It’s still weird to me to place 1987and “vintage” together as I’m sure I have stuff in my house I haven’t touched since about 1990! I just replaced my bedroom TV. I bought it in 1982 at Zayre in East Hills shopping center (Pittsburgh,PA) Both the store and shopping center are long gone, I still remember it being my first credit card purchase. How can anything I bought new be “vintage” LOL! GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!
Here’s one I got today. Pretty close to same color.
Vinyl roof and bumper filler really shows it’s in Texas
I’m thinking if it’s my turn to post a selfie in my car. Well, at least I need to wait until spring or summer though.
hmmmm… introduce me
Lovely car and write up. Our house is full of old furniture. Stephanie would find nice old comfy chairs and have them recovered. And the chair I’m sitting (and have been using in front of my PC for some 20 years) is a 1940s welded aluminum office chair with armrests. The minimal padding is getting a bit thin, but it’s built like a Sherman tank and has an essentially unlimited lifespan. I just need to figure out hoe to put a bit of padding back under the perforated fake leather seat. I bought it for $5 at a garage sale. It’s a keeper…
Thanks, Paul. I have two living room chairs that are probably as old as the flea market coffee table in this article that I got rid of, and I can’t figure out if I should have them recovered or just get a pair of different vintage chairs. I think I’ll hang onto these, as they are still sturdy, look good, and darn it, I’ve had them for so long… the next person probably wouldn’t appreciate them as much as I do.
I have to say, an adjusted price of $48,000 does not seem bad for a rolling opera room such as that Cadillac. Not too much effort is required on the option sheet of an ATS (Cadillac’s current least expensive vehicle) to reach $48,000.
Today’s Cadillac CT6 is probably the the equivalent of this car, and the price tag of the loaded version is $85,000. Adjusted prices are at best ball park estimates and don’t really mean that the same thing could be built and sold at that price today.
Just to be clear I was citing the base MSRP – before options, destination charge, etc. Even though these cars came well-equipped, the out-the-door price from the dealership was very likely much more than the 2017 equivalent of $50K, unless deeply discounted for some reason, say, at year’s end.
I do understand what you did: you used the overall consumer price index to adjust the price of the car. However, the CPI does not apply to automobiles, but rather a basket of goods (including a car). In particular, the average car that consumers bought in the 1950’s were “full sized”. By the 1980’s the average car is not “full sized”, or “full sized” is now something completely different.
What you should use to adjust is the automobile inflation index (but I don’t think it is available or is hard to find). There are inflation index’s for different parts of the country and some items (like housing?).
The CPI is good for adjusting today’s median income (in the low $50,000’s – $52,000+?) to some distant past time (like the mid 80’s). Median income in 1987 was just under $25,000. Todays Cadillac’s are priced (base prices) under the median for some models (CTS, ATS), but nicely equipped are way more (my CTS was close to $70,000 but at the end of the year there were very good incentives and the dealer wanted to sell – the car was already a year old).
I see what your saying about the “automobile inflation index” – just found this link from the Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpifacnv.htm, which seems to back up what you’re saying. So thanks for pointing that out.
And yes, not available or hard to find would apply here, so I’ll just continue to do the best I can with the regular overall consumer price index and let more economics-minded interpolate for more accuracy if needed. Again, thanks for the input.
Those indexes mean nothing to me. All I know is I was able to afford new cars in the 80’s and early 90’s. Now I cannot, although I make more money, prices have outstripped my ability to pay. But to be fair, I also have more expenses now then I did then. But still, things seemed to be more affordable to me then than now. Say what you want but my 87 F150 ($9999) and 92 Ranger ($14245) were way more affordable to me than a $45,000 truck is now.
It’s difficult comparing adjusted prices apples-to-apples to cars from the past. For instance: most new Cadillacs are now unique to that brand; the ’87 Brougham was very little different under the skin to its other C and B Body stablemates. It even used an Olds engine, etc.. It really wasn’t very exclusive.
And there has been a huge change in what equipment is standard, and not. Cadillacs in the 60s had crank windows, no A/C, etc.. A nicely equipped Caddy back then cost some 25-35% more than the base MSRP.
And then nowadays, so many cars are very heavily incentivized, which makes a big difference. And they also last a lot longer. One would really have to compare total cost of ownership per mile over several years to compare, because there’s a lot more to the cost of owning a car than its MSRP.
I took a stab at this a while back, which suggests it’s 25% cheaper to own a car today than in 1968: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/operating-costs/the-cost-to-own-and-operate-a-car-has-fallen-25-since-1968/
I think perhaps it is more useful to either point out the inflation factor, without doing the calculation, or perhaps point out the cost of other, more basic choices. A basic Chevrolet around 1987 would have cost about $6000, the Caprice is about half the price of the Cadillac. Now, a basic Chevrolet is $13,000.
The 1935 Chevrolet’s cost about $500 plus or minus. A V16 Cadillac was about $7500 (plus or minus). The CPI puts the V16 somewhere near $120,000 in todays devalued dollars. I don’t see Cadillac trying to put something in the $200,000 price range into production though.
Over the long run, incomes seem to keep up with inflation (or maybe inflation keeps up with incomes), but over shorter periods there is some variation.
My grandfather always wanted a Cadillac before he died. In 1988 traded his ’81 Bonneville Brougham in on a year-old used 1987 Brougham much like the one in the story. Only his was bright red metallic with a white vinyl roof.
My grandmother was appalled and hated the car. Aside from being vulgar and ostentatious, she claimed it was too big, although it was almost the same length as her ’74 Caprice Classic and definitely narrower. Sometimes some of the other church ladies would call and ask if she could drive them to various events in that pretty Cadillac though and she would humor them by driving them in it it.
My grandmother had become increasingly concerned about driving in winter weather and she said that what she really wanted was an AMC Eagle, which they’d just stopped making. My grandfather ended up buying her a 2-door S-15 Jimmy, since she hated the Cadillac. She really liked the Jimmy.
Anyway the 307 V-8 was really strained when driving with a full-load of passengers and luggage down the Interstate. When I was chauffeuring my family in the car, my grandfather was always telling me to drive faster, and it seemed like it was always downshifting.
I sort of think that Grandpa only bought the car to annoy my grandmother. He sold the Cadillac after she died and replaced it with a bright red S-10 Blazer which he still owned when he finally passed away.
Wow look at the response on this beauty. Some say this was the final last “TRUE” Cadillac,
I may have to agree…
Yes, IMHO this generation (1980-1992 RWD BOF C/D bodies.) were the last real Cadillacs. I know the 1993-96 is mechanically similar,but just didn’t have the same “vibe”.
“TRUE” Cadillac? One might argue that the pre World War Two Cadillac, which are completely different cars from the post WW2 cars, are really the last of the “GREAT” Cadillacs.
I really think that the best RWD Body on Frame Cadillac’s were made in the 1960’s.
Of course, these are opinions. Yes the pre WW2 cars were indeed a world apart. (Though a ’92 Brougham is more in line with a ’42 Series 62 than a 2012 Cadillac L.S.MFT or whatever they’re called now…) I assume that the vast majority of CC readers are “boomers” and younger and the postwar cars are what “we” remember. And also it may be said that the early/mid 60’s Cadillacs were the best of the postwar era, “best’ and “last” don’t necessarily have to mean the same thing.
“Best” and “last” don’t necessarily have to mean the same thing.
Thank you. Spot on.
I agree with your assessment of these. They are the “last” traditional Cadillacs not because they’re the “best”–clearly there are other years that would offer more legroom, more power, better fuel economy, more safety, more collectability, or more prestige.
But these are the last of the truly traditional ones, and not just because theres an obvious kinship if you put a ’27, ’47, ’67, and this car next to one another, but also because this is the last model that actually has (visible, anyway) parts that were on Cadillacs from the past.
The push button chrome door handles GM used only on its luxury cars and only on Cadillacs after 1976. The chrome trimmed Gas and brake pedals that date from the 1965 model year at least. The unique column shifter dating from 1974. The peaked hood. The BIG wreath and crest. The chromed taillight bezels. The tuck and roll door panels. The bakelite steering wheel. The chrome “Cadillac” script side mirrors. The door locks and the GM-unique noise they make. The wire wheels, wire wheel covers, and dog dish covers. The block font/typeface, also dating from the mid-60s, used on: idiot lights, power window and door lock buttons, climate control, radio, etc. The chrome coat hooks.
Having owned an ’87 and a ’93, the ’93 had the same body underneath, but up above was so different, much cheaper carpet, much less metal, much less continuity with the past. Still a cool car, and one I hope people will save, but just not as distinctive other than in sheer size. The ’87 got a lot more attention.
Don’t forget the warning chime Orrin or did the 93-96 Brougham have that too?
The one that would also sound a continuous tone if you left your lights on? Present on the ’87. On my ’93 it was gone. Replaced by a tinny little ding-ding-ding. Other cheapouts included the interior A pillar covers, which were these fabriced over clip in things that would occasionally fall out. The exposed screws might have looked less fancy but they held up better. The simulated woodgrain on the door pulls would come unglued in your hand. The entire fixture once tried to come out on the passenger side of the ’93, it was snap tabbed into the door unlike the ’87 that was clearly screwed in. Passenger Window went off track, cheap plastic guides. Keys had chips in them for KeyPass (TM) which would sometimes prevent you from starting the car if you’d been outside because it couldn’t read the chip. You can’t fault the newer model on quiet, ride, room, and amazing fuel economy (never got less than 19 mpg, consistent 24-26 highway and 500+ cruising range) but in terms of quality assembly and hardware it was only worth the 1993 base price of $36K (let alone the tricked out FWB model) underneath. Upstairs was junk city. It was the closest the old-school Caddy ever got to becoming a modern appliance car. Great for a fairly efficient and comfortable cross country cruise, otherwise, the ’80-’92, and all that came before, are nicer.
The one that would also sound a continuous tone if you left your lights on?
Oh no not that one, I mean the one like in the YouTube video below. My understanding is that there was an actual, tiny bell and striker in the black box that made the sound. That’s about as analog as it gets. The fast ding-ding-ding that you mention on the ’93 must have been the computer generated replacement that I remember hearing on so many GM products from the 90s. Only the Cadillacs had the chime like in the video. My ’86 Brougham has it, the dings are about 1.5 seconds apart. There is no hurry like with the later chime.
Yes, Those little details meant something ,the power window controls for example in my ’89 were strikingly similar to my 63 DeVille, and 70 Fleetwood. (Sure, They were there on Buick Electras and Oldsmobile 98s too, But then a “C” body meant YOU ARRIVED!)
Tiny bits like “Body by Fisher, Interior by Fleetwood” tags said something that (to me) BMW or MB can’t. The “old time” push button door handles meant “old money” the way a 1980s Rolls-Royce was so 1960. It’s an intangible thing, Small,yet big. One gets it, or doesn’t. The ’80-92 Brougham may HAVE been a “glorified” Chevy,but they still had “it”. and “it” is in the details…. No one sweats the details like GM (sorry for the 80s reference ?) LOL. P.S. I also miss details like 5 button AM radios that had B U I C K for the buttons. That, they couldn’t “badge engineer”?
Nice capture, Joseph, and I’d also like to think that the young lady driver is quite intentional in her ownership of this car. She may or may not have picked it out–could have easily belonged to an older relative–but someone just looking for “cheap wheels” is not going to put up with the expenses, gas costs, and even parking challenges (this *is* Chicago after all) of a 30 year old Caddy. Even if it was inherited or passed down, driving a car like this is a deliberate choice and not a default. Besides, just look at her hat–she has a style all her own and I applaud that.
Did you end up finding a coffee table? I’ve been keeping an eye out for one to replace the hand-me-down early 80’s model we have in our basement family room and have seen a couple of truly gorgeous 60’s tables for sale from a local outfit that specializes in mid-century items. Just haven’t been able to bring myself to pull the trigger yet as both have been rather pricey and it’s a “want” rather than “need” item.
Thanks, Chris – and I agree about the driver’s style… she rocked that hat.
I did find my mid-century table that day, a solid piece of furniture I picked up for $75 or so. The cool thing about this three-block stretch of N. Broadway is that there are *two* vintage stores, plus another resale shop that can sometimes have cool finds.
I know what you mean about prices of some of the better mid-century furnishings. The table I got was great, but not a “Lane” or another potentially pricy piece. I’m somewhat frugal, anyway, but sometimes I have to look away while my plastic is being swiped on the reader for larger purchases.
Thanks!
Hi everyone! I happen to be that girl driving the caddy! And yes it was absolutely by choice as it was my boyfriends car and I always begged him to let me drive it!!! Missing it dearly now 🙁
…that the driver was a thirty-something, well-to-do resident of Wilmette, Evanston, or another one of the wealthy North Shore communities off Lake Michigan…
Those cars weren’t driven by that demographic. Those snobs drove imported European cars that cost more than the Cadillac.
I too like to imagine the young lady is a person of taste who prefers not to be a carbon copy of the rest of her generation: X, Z or whatever is her cohort. Though the car is what I might call the last “Traditional” Cadillac, with perhaps the ’93 to ’96 Fleetwood a close facsimile of same, the last both “Real” and “Great” Cadillacs imho didn’t survive the ’70s.
Our neighbors on Piccadilly Road had ’59, ’64, ’65, and ’68 Cadillacs and I rode in all of them, and later year models owned by friends’ parents, and my own ’75 DeVille. The ’59 and ’64s were truly still in the Great category in construction and quality, the ’65 was very close, the ’68 slightly slipping with some plastic dash parts and the like, but still super solid, well built, and great performing. The Next Gen ’69/70s were a step down from that, losing some ineffable “class” and the heavily redesigned/reengineered ’71s to ’76, well, pretty abysmal, sadly for the Clark Rd contingent. The ’77 to ’79 down-sizers represent a temporary uptick, but after that, well, not so much with flawed drivetrains finally rectified by the Olds 307, and further slipping quality and materials, but they still looked like Cadillacs at least.
It’d be even nicer if the young lady in question could enjoy what it means to drive and own one of the truly Great Cadillacs of the Standard of the World years, but it’s satisfying to imagine, if not know, that she has her own unique take on automobility so different from her peers. Carry on Mi’lady!
beg pardon, on re-reading I believe the ’93 to ’96 car was actually entitled as “Brougham”, perhaps the last gasp of the concept?
re: vintage furniture, MCM is so expensive now that it’s been “trendy” for a while. Luckily we like maple furniture in a Colonial/Early American style, which is not very sought by “young’uns” (to me that’s anyone under 55 lol) thus we’ve been able to buy some really well-made furniture of ’40s and ’50s vintage for a song. It’s so much better built than all but the most expensive new stuff, with the bonus of reminding me of the decor found in all the homes of my parents and relatives as i grew up in that same era… so many positive vibes, and one of the great bargains still to be found.
I have to agree that vintage furniture is often a bargain for the quality of it’s construction. My Wife used to dabble in vintage shabby chic furniture, so I went to many antique fairs, thrift stores, fleas markets, and estate sales. My favorite is waterfall furniture from the 40’s. I love the lovely wood grain veneers that are bent into such interesting curvy shapes. Sometimes it hurt to see my Wife paint over that grain with matte white!
When I was furnishing my den I found some great vintage finds. An enormous brown leather club chair, and Old Empire leather padded wood chair. Even a Mission oak rocker, it may not be a real Stickley, but the couple that I bought it from had owned it for over fifty years, and I’ve had it for almost fifteen years myself! I found a ’40’s desk for 5.00 at the Salvation Army headquarters in Healdsburg. It was on death row as unsold furniture is destroyed after a couple of weeks, to make way for incoming items. I found a ’40’s secretary desk that I converted into a bar, an identical unit was in the background in a scene from the movie, Mullholland Falls. I restored a ’42 Silvertone console radio/phonograph. I have a fireplace surround from a Craftsman bungalow from San Francisco and I’ve got an old Craftsman built in cabinet that was torn out, and has been in my family for over 60 years. I was going for a late 40’s vibe where there are things from the 20’s to the 1940’s. Sorry, for running on, I get excited about vintage furnishings.
Jose, I also would have been thrilled with these finds. And what you say is so true – quality of construction of items up to a certain era was indisputable. I have a knockoff fiberglass Eames chair I purchased at a Florida flea market (I’m looking at it right now) that I’ve owned for more than 20 years, and it will probably last another 20 unless it goes with some unnecessary redecoration project. (Which it won’t – I’m far too sentimental.)
It’d be hard to say this wasn’t a down time for Cadillac, yet I have a lot of love for them. I recently painted this, for myself, because I like the look of the particular combination. It might be slow and born of a low point, but I love Coupes de Ville and Autumn Maple Firemist.
Wife and I love vintage furniture – and the 40’s style is my personal favorite, but we found a great mid century modern set for our bedroom that we use. It’s heavy, but almost indestructible.
Much like the featured cars – we have a 1988 & 1992 Brougham, and while neither are a lightweight, they make up for the gas mileage penalty with “Classic Cadillac” style and distinctiveness.
The 88 with the 307 Olds is no speed demon, but the motor itself is bulletproof – and with the EFI conversion, actually peppy. For 91 & 92, the base motor was the TBI 305 Chevy, which only feels slow when trying to pull a steep grade loaded with passengers and luggage. The general public liked the FWD deVille much better, but coachbuilders and the “traditional” Cadillac buyer kept purchasing these…at least until the Town Car revamp in 1990.
All of the local antique shops near us don’t help with my hoarding tendencies, but such is life….