Last week, CC saw a drive story piece from CAR from August 1977 which took the Jaguar XJ5.3C from London to Budapest. Aside from a mechanical failure in a bought in sub-system (the GM gearbox), all went well, and the magazine clearly impressed.
So impressed, that the next month, they seemingly put their new candidate up against the Rolls-Royce Siver Shadow, the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 and the 1977 Cadillac Seville. All cars that would have considered themselves in some markets or aspects, as being the best in the world. But what did CAR think, expect and find?
The cover gives the answer, and on the British newsstand in 1977 against a background (and indeed contemporary newspaper headlines) of BL strife and failure, product wise, business wise and of hope, such a headline may be excusable.
In its favour, the Jaguar (actually a top spec Daimler Double Six version) led on refinement, comfort and ride quality, edging the Rolls-Royce, whilst also beating the Mercedes as a driver’s car.
The Mercedes was considered to a superb sports saloon, not a luxury limousine. Understood that way, it makes great sense; otherwise, it looks fast but sparsely trimmed and equipped, if superbly built.
The Cadillac gets a better report than perhaps the stereotypes might have predicted. Refined, quiet, better than the Rolls-Royce in some ways. Maybe not of universal appeal or taste, but a lot better and better suited to Europe than might have been expected.
And the Rolls-Royce? Perhaps the big loser in this test – beyond the craftsmanship and image, the car proves to lagging in key areas – quietness, ride, steering, brakes, engine.
I read this at a formative age; the impression has endured.
I remember this as well. For a short period, Car considered Cadillac as a serious competitor, especially as downsizing had finished off the giants. Indeed, I remember French newspapers worrying about US imports! As for the poor Jag, even in Mark 3 restyle it had become close to unsellable. There was even talk of getting the Rover V8. It’s never really recovered.
No, the Cadillac Seville was never intended to be chauffeur-driven. For their conceit they’d have been better off testing the Fleetwood Brougham or even the “base model” Sedan de Ville (leaving aside the Series 75 limo since the Jaguar/Daimler equivalent of it was the DS420).
Never intended from its Detroit creators, but evidently there were folks in Britain who did just that. Below is a 1978 UK classified ad for a used “chauffeur driven” Seville.
Of course, the car was only a year old at the time, so on the other hand, maybe it didn’t work out so well…
Ridiculous. A Daimler Double Six will only run between two breakdowns. Mercedes did eat the competition any time. Nonetheless Caddy Seville is interesting here. It was a very nice little gem – glowing in the darkest days of malaise.
That was predicable. I was always amazed at the difference in the outcomes of comparison reviews between the Brit rags and the German auto, motor und sport. Same cars; different rankings.
Huge price differences. The Mercedes and Rolls were £24K while he Cadillac and Jaguar were £15K. In today’s money, £152K vs. £95K. Converting that £15K to US$ at today’s exchange rate yields $125K, which seems awfully expensive for a Cadillac Seville but as the chart shows that price included car tax and VAT.
Good old Car Magazine, always up for a ‘different’ take. I have this copy somewhere in my old mags stash. For a laugh I’d often read aloud to anyone present from the Good, Bad and the Ugly on sale section. They could be so caustic its a wonder anyone lent them cars at all. Comments for Fiat Uno: millions of Italians can be wrong.
CAR was indeed quite caustic, especially towards the Japanese brands that for a few DECADES they were never given a Toyota or Nissan to test. The magazine has always had a ” soft spot ” for Suzuki, tho, so they were always able to test the latest models if they were going to be sold in the U.K.
I never knew Cadillac Sevilles of that vintage were offered in right hand drive. You learn new things all the time here! I wonder if it was built at the factory with RHD or converted to RHD by a third party shop, like they often did to left hand drive American cars exported to Australia.
Not factory but converted in the UK. I looked at one that had a cleaver ” cut n shut dash change over that looked factory but the steering wheel to box connection was by chain!.
Importer Lendham and Hartman sold more than you would think and the car was popular with young Arabs in West London, i read at the time I wished I had the cash for the famous British Bomb shell film star Diana Doors Seville when it was listed on Ebay.
£15 k .Ouch!. That would have brought you 3 Ford Granada 3.0 Ghia . Was the Seville 3 times the car?.
There was an engineering company in Melbourne that converted American cars for the Aus market, I visited their showroom years ago. Mostly big luxury sedans like Cadillacs and Buicks. Not may of them sold but they were relatively popular with the Jewish community.
…and probably with these taillights:
Now there’s something to find for your Seville project. A simple wiring job, no CANBUS crap here.
The fifth-generation Seville (1998–2004) was Cadillac’s first RHD vehicle to be built in the US for the export. Previously, Cadillacs were exported as CKD to be assembled in other countries or as LHD to be converted to RHD by the conversion specialists.
CKD,.. Just the ones in Iran. wear they were sold right untill 1985!. No smog gear so more horses that would have pleased Car .
Interesting to note then there’s also an auto magazine named Car in South Africa but I don’t think they’re related with the British magazine. Here one cover I saw by luck when I explored DuckDuckGo.com
When the Jaguar XJ40 was launched Car magazine also declared “The best luxury sedan in the world is British!” or some such nonsense in their comparison test with a Mercedes S class and BMW 7 series.
I’d forgotten what a good read those old issues of Car were. Wish I still had mine.
Quite aside from their findings, consider their use of the English language. So entertaining, especially Steady Barker’s counterpoints! Such a difference from the boring recital of facts that so often passes for journalism these days. Magazines today would probably chop this down by a third to cram more ads in. Couldn’t help noticing the typos though: transposed letters (“raod”), one half of parentheses without the other – ex-Leyland typesetters maybe? Rather jarring when you’re reading about the best cars in the world.
And how interesting to have a professional chauffeur’s impressions.
It’s an entertaining review, but the author was apparently stricken with a brief attack of incoherence in one of the Mercedes sidebars: “Badge tells the story, cruise control governs it, ducts heat doors, roof is standard.” I assume it’s a complicated way of saying the car comes with side window defoggers and cruise standard, but what does he mean about the roof?
Likely meant sunroof. You have to read CAR’s sidebars like an old newspaper classified ad…
The doors could in fact be heated via a duct, I’m not sure. (Some) current Mercedes’ have an option for heated armrests and interior side panels, though nowadays it’s electric, not ducted air.
See also: 1958-1963 Lincolns.
Late 50’s Cadillacs had heat running through the front doors to the back seat.
I think a ’77 Sedan de Ville would have out-accelerated the Seville, and it was certainly roomier. I can’t remember if it offered a lower axle ratio or firmer suspension, but there must have been a towing package option.
Car magazine had a thing for Jags, that’s for sure. If Jaguar could combine their classic ambiance and roadability with Cadillac like (pre ’81) reliability, they would have been world beaters. They almost did it with the post ’95 XJ series, but it took Lexus to really seal the deal.
I think we tend to forget that they were testing news cars, assessed on their merits, and not the cars history proved them each to be.
Thus they say of the Jag that it has a messy dash, some chintzy trim bits and average assembly quality, none of which applies to the Benz. But their conclusion favouring the Brit, in an enthusiast’s publication, is carefully justified. Just as fast while being smoother, much quieter in ride, yet to their own surprise, able to out-corner the German. They make quite clear the Merc is a sportier car, and an excellent one, but as a car to equal that ability in ultimate terms AND float in silence as needed, the Jag must win.
Mercedes seats of that era were indeed awful, despite claims of orthopaedic involvement (presumably using only large Teutons with lots of inbuilt nature’s padding) and the road noise control was poor: a relatively cheap Peugeot 504 was much superior in that last regard, let alone the more expensive Jag.
I don’t think this one’s especially parochial. After all, they are rather critical of the English Rolls, and quite kind about the effectiveness of the US one that is pretty basic in specifications.
We may have hadthe best car in the world, but we also had Noel Edmonds. We don’t boast about him.
No, and a wise idea too. I’d rather watch a dead XJ-12 myself.
Always liked Ol Noel. He had a Ford GT40 so he aint all bad!.