What a fantastic video! I'm old enough to remember when these were new to the market, and what a sensation they made. If I may relate a short story, my grandmother bought an Imperial every year through 1975. When they were discontinued, she bought Chrysler New Yorkers, which were really the same as the Imperial. 1979 brought a major restyled of the New Yorker which didn't sit well with her. Imagine my surprise when she showed up in a 1979 Cadillac Seville with the Gucci package. Way over top, but hey, it was the last gasp of the disco era.

@thataustriancarguy

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your fascinating story! It's incredible to hear about your grandmother's car journey through the years. The transition from Imperials to New Yorkers, and then to a 1979 Cadillac Seville, especially the one with the Gucci package (only 300 were produced!) sounds like quite the adventure! I think Imperials are truly beautiful cars, same with the New Yorkers, and I can absolutely relate to her decision of switching the brand! It's amazing how cars can be a reflection of the times they were a part of. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your memories!

It's interesting to see a European appreciate this car since even Americans have long since been convinced that this was the era that Mercedes and BMW began to eclipse Cadillac and Lincoln. And that they've been the best ever since. You don't really see these a lot in America really either anymore. The basic sheer look styling spread to GM's entire lineup over the next decade so its unique look got watered down (although its by far the best looking example of it). So I think it went under appreciated for a long time until now. The next two Sevilles weren't as elegant but I love the 1992 to 2004 models.

@thataustriancarguy

Ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment and insight. I thought you would see a lot more of them in the USA! I agree with you about the unique look being watered down. As I've been delving into the Seville's history, I can only imagine the impact its radical styling must have had back then. As for the different generations, I share your sentiment completely! I don't like the 2nd & 3rd generations look at all, 4th & 5th are beautiful.

@rambleon2838

Ай бұрын

Traditional Cadillac buyers were not sold on the downsized models yet which was based on the Chevy Nova platform and used Oldsmobile engines. What I always like on this cars is they had rear disc brakes and fuel injection which was an option on the last big Eldorados in 77-78. The rare models are the 2dr convertible San Remo Edition and Opera Coupe. I agree, GM cars looked good for years to come, where sized just right but built quality was bad all around. I wish the fwd Sevilles would have been still build on a rear wheel chassis, though.

5:29 The '78 (and presumably '79) Elegante edition had REAL wire wheels imported from England!! I've always wondered how they compared with steel and allow rims; did you have to adjust them every now and then the way bicycle owners did?

@thataustriancarguy

Ай бұрын

Absolutely, thanks for bringing that up! I've been thinking about the adjustment myself lately :) I couldn't find honest reviews about it yet, but I'm determined to keep digging until I find the answers we're looking for! Thanks for taking the time commenting, I really appreciate it!

My favorite was the Elegante option with four bucket seats (front and rear) top grade perforated leather d, and REAL wood on the dash front and rear consoles! They were well made and had very few raw plastic parts like so many cars of today. They tried to cover most plastic with cloth or vinyl. Beautiful die cast chrome molding front to rear.

@thataustriancarguy

13 күн бұрын

As mentioned in a previous reply to one of your awesome insights, I really appreciate you sharing every little detail you know! I didn't know, that the Elegante had 4 bucket seats and that real wood was used. With "Beautiful die cast chrome molding front to rear", do you mean, that even the headlight bezels and the grill were die cast chrome molding too?

@MrThomas2587

13 күн бұрын

@@thataustriancarguy The die-cast molding ran the length of the car several inches above the door handles the headlights and grill were still plastic same as the regular Seville The rear console was discontinued after the 1978-year run It could also get REAL wire wheels as an option! The car looked with the real wire wheels and the two-tone paint option and with no vinyl top( Elegante)- google 79 Cadillac Elegante.

Note that the standard manual passenger's seat recliner was mentioned, but for the driver's side, the only option mentioned was a power recliner. I believe that reflects GM's hostility to manual driver's seat recliners in general, probably rooted in fear that some drivers would pull the lever, fall into the back seat, and drive through the front of a store before regaining control. Of course, they could have used those annoying knob-type recliners found on some Fords and VWs, but that wouldn't have fit Cadillac's luxury image. By 1978, GM was offering manual driver's recliners on the Chevette, but only on the Chevette, perhaps figuring that small-car buyers would have a better idea of what to do with them.

@thataustriancarguy

Ай бұрын

Wow, that's a fascinating insight, thank you so much for sharing it! I really appreciate hearing your perspective. The mention of the Chevette drivers is both funny and a bit sad if true 😂

I love your channel! I had a 1978 and a 1979 Cadillac Seville and loved them. I think I remember that the Seville had 11 shock absorbers. 4 for the bumpers, one at each wheel, one associated with the steering and two with front sub suspension. Am I correct?

@thataustriancarguy

13 күн бұрын

Thank you so much, that really means a lot to me! You are correct, but the front shock absorbers between the front subframe and body were abandoned from the '77 model onward. I have a video coming up this Tuesday, covering all the differences between the model years.

I wonder if you could combine the performance axle with the diesel option? 😊

@thataustriancarguy

23 күн бұрын

Some joke that the 0-60mph sprint of the diesel version was timed with a calendar, not a stopwatch. Perhaps that's why you might need it ;) But I'm not sure, if this option combination was possible.

A common misconception regarding the engine is calling it an "Oldsmobile" engine. That is only marginally true. The only component of the engine which was "Oldsmobile" was only the base engine block. Cadillac engineers designed and built the heads, valves, cylinders, intake manifold, and fuel injection system. All completely unique to the Cadillac Seville. By 1979, the entire, 5.7 litre engine was designed and built by Cadillac. However, the terrible and malfunction-prone, diesel, 5.7L was entirely built by Oldsmobile.

@thataustriancarguy

7 күн бұрын

Thank you so much for your insightful comment! I love learning every little detail of this car!

Wow. Not even going to watch. I realize we all get to like what we want but those were a pain in my backside. I hated working on them, they were a huge POS.

@thataustriancarguy

Ай бұрын

I understand where you're coming from! Every car has its own set of challenges, but I'm curious about the specific issues you encountered with these cars. Thanks for sharing your experience, even if it wasn't the most positive. It's valuable to hear different perspectives.

@JeffKing310

Ай бұрын

@carlbeaver7112 You sound like a lot of fun