Hooniverse Fastback Friday – A 1985 Cadillac Seville Eleganté with 9,000 Original Miles

Geschrieben von: Jim Brennan am 21.10.11 » Partner- und Mitglieder-Blogs - hooniverse.com

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Welcome to another rather controversial Hooniverse Fastback Friday feature. Discussing what a Fastback is and isn’t has been a regular discussion point since I debuted this category over a year ago, and it never seems to be settled. Well, here is another vehicle that will be a great topic to discuss. This is the much Maligned “Bustleback” Seville from 1980 through 1985 which was the follow-up to the very successful, and quite beautiful first generation international sized Cadillac Seville. There was a lot to dislike about the second generation Seville, from the drive wheels (it is FWD afterall) to the series of wretched power-plants found under the hood. But the styling was both contemporary and traditional, and there was no mistaking it for something else. Both Ford and Chrysler thought it was the next evolutionary step in the Luxury Car Market because they each introduced a version of their own in the form of the 2-Door Chrysler Imperial from 1981-1983, and the Lincoln Continental from 1982-87. So Jim, do you really thing this generation of the Cadillac Seville is really a Fastback? Why yes, yes I do, and I’ll explain after the jump…

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Why do I think the 1980 to 1985 Cadillac Seville should be classified as a Fastback? One only has to look at the rear. The rear window has a very steep rake, perfect for a fastback profile. If you notice that character line that forms from the edge of the roof down to the bumper? That’s a fastback profile. The trunk area is simply an afterthought, mimicking cars from the mid to late 30′s in which there was a separate trunk the was attached to the rear of the car. Why do you think the luggage compartments in modern sedans are called trunks here in the states? (On another note, why the hell do the British call them the boot?)

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So, that’s my stand… A Second Generation Seville is a Fastback. That settles that, so let’s move onto the car featured. This is a last year version of the second generation Seville, and it’s a beauty. This car has virtually every option that was available for the Seville including:
- Eleganté option
- Factory Astroroof
- Factory Security System
- Factory Spoke Wheel Option (Rare)
- Memory Seat
- Power Recliner DRIVER and Passenger
- Factory Garage Remote Control & Case
- Touring Suspension
- Auto Dimming
- CB/Symphony Sound
- Medium Gray Metallic (paint code 15) over Black (code 19) with red stripe (code 75)
- Locking Fuel Door
- Power and Heated outside rear view mirrors

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This is like a time stamp for how Cadillac used to make Luxury Cars, and to see just how far they have come today. Cadillac offered both the Elegante option package and the Touring Suspension Package, which I would have thought would be contradictions. By the way, did you know this was Billy Mitchell’s Swan Song for GM?

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This car is also equipped with the Snooze-O-Matic 4.1L Fuel Injected V-8 under the hood, which is slow but at least more dependable than the early V-8-6-4, or the Blowsmobile Diesel V-8 that permanently made the Diesel distasteful here in the States. Asking price for this Eleganté is $26,500. I’m not sure if its worth that price, but I want to see what you think. Is this a Fastback, and is any second generation Seville remotely collectible or desirable? You can see the eBay listing here.