Good morning! On today’s thrilling episode, we’re chasing away the Mondays with a couple of V8-powered, fuel-injected, mid-sized luxury rides, from Cadillac and Lincoln. Which one will you cruise off in? I guess we’ll wait and see.
On Friday, we aimed the wayback machine back almost a hundred years, and not all of you were thrilled with the choices. Several commenters said they had “no interest” in cars that old. I can’t say I understand that sentiment; even if they’re not something you would want to buy or drive, they’re at least interesting to read about, no? Oh well; can’t please everyone all the time, I guess, and I do try to mix it up as much as I can.
For those who were interested, the Dodge was the runaway winner, despite being more expensive and probably harder to find parts for. I’m not sure practicality enters the discussion with cars this old anyway; you pick the one that speaks to you, not the one that makes the most “sense.” And the inside of that Dodge is too pretty to pass up.
Now then: The so-called “malaise era” was the product of a one-two punch to American automakers in the form of two oil crises in a row, and draconian but necessary new governmental regulations on emissions and safety. Detroit was caught largely flat-footed, and as a result, many cars from the era were borderline undrivable even when brand-new. American automakers did get a few things right during this era, though, and the advancements made set the stage for some really cool cars a decade later. Today we’re going to look at a state-of-the-art luxury car from the early malaise days, and a later model that represents the light at the end of the tunnel.
1976 Cadillac Seville – $4,500
Engine/drivetrain: 350 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Detroit, MI
Odometer reading: 60,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Luxury automakers like Cadillac were worst positioned to enter the new reality of the late 1970s. All its existing models were huge, old-fashioned, and being pushed out of the market by pressure from European imports that were more efficient, better built, and just plain nicer. A new, smaller Cadillac was needed. Taking the best bits of engineering from elsewhere in the company – Oldsmobile’s “Rocket” V8, the intermediate rear-wheel-drive X platform, and the fantastic Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission – and combining them with traditional Cadillac luxury features, the Seville was a good way of getting a smaller, more efficient Cadillac in showrooms on the cheap.
The Oldsmobile engine in the Seville was equipped with electronic fuel injection, a novelty in 1976. The system had some teething problems, but drivability, performance, and economy were all miles ahead of carbureted cars of the day. A diesel version of the Olds V8 became available a couple years after this, but the less said about that boat anchor, the better. This one runs and drives just fine, with only 60,000 miles on its odometer.
Inside, it’s pure ’70s Cadillac, with deep carpet, soft leather, fake wood and chrome, and lots of power gadgets. No word on whether the requisite Delfonics cassette is included, though. It’s all in fine condition, except for some discoloration on the steering wheel and shift knob.
The outside is clean, and relatively shiny, but this is a Detroit car, so it’s bound to be a little crusty around the edges. The seller says the floors are solid, however, and the door sills and rocker panels look fine in the photos, so maybe this old Caddy has been spared the worst of Detroit’s infamous corrosion problem.
1987 Lincoln Mark VII – $4,900
Engine/drivetrain: 302 cubic inch overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Boise, ID
Odometer reading: 73,000 miles
Operational status: “Runs like a champ”
Ford’s Fox platform was nobody’s idea of a luxury car when it debuted in 1978 as the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr. It was, however, a very clever bit of engineering, and quickly took over the middle of Ford’s lineup, including the Lincoln Continental range. Lincoln had previously attempted to compete with Cadillac’s Seville with the Versailles, a Ford Granada in a really embarrassing leisure suit. It wasn’t until the early ’80s that the Fox-platform Continental arrived to really pose a threat, by which time the Seville was a bustle-backed caricature of itself. Originally offered as a four-door sedan, the Fox-platform Continental also became available as a coupe starting in 1984, with the introduction of the Mark VII.
By the time this car rolled out of the factory, the “Continental” name was gone again, and it was known only as the Lincoln Mark VII. It’s powered by a fuel-injected version of Ford’s 302 V8, but it’s the tamer version from the Panther-series sedans, not the fabled “five-point-oh” from the Mustang. That boost in horsepower wouldn’t arrive until the 1988 model year. And of course, no stickshift option was ever offered in the Lincoln. This car has only 73,000 miles on it, and the seller says it runs and drives very well.
This is the luxury-oriented Bill Blass Edition Mark VII, not the sportier LSC. As such, it has softer seats and suspension, taller-profile tires, and an all-digital dash. Amazingly for a car its age, the seller says everything inside this car works, though the driver’s side power window can be a little sticky. It’s in nice shape, showing only a little wear here and there.
Outside it’s not quite as pretty, though it isn’t awful. It’s missing quite a lot of its clearcoat, as well as the center cap on one wheel, and there are some dings and dents here and there.
Things looked pretty grim for both Cadillac and Lincoln in the 1970s and 80s, and they both made plenty of mistakes. But I think these two cars hold up pretty well, and if they hadn’t been successful, we wouldn’t have the Navigators and Escalades we have today. Sure, they’re a far cry from the 1950s and 60s glory days, but they’re both still comfy, reliable, and not too expensive, considering. So what’ll it be – the fancy Chevy Nova, or the fancy Ford Fairmont?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
I have very negative associations with both of these cars, so I voted for the least ugly of the two, the Cadillac. It’s not better than the Lincoln, it just takes longer for the disgust to well up when I look at it.
“Let the disgust flow through you” Do you think Emperor Palpatine could have been talking about 70’s era malaise-mobiles?
No doubt, a long time ago, his youth was spent in a Galaxie far, far away from the Malaise Era cars.
It’s a bit concerning that the Seville “Runs and drives fine”, but there’s no wiring anywhere near that battery in the engine photo.
The Lincoln is a pretty good choice, not that the Cadillac isn’t. But if I were buying a ’70s Caddy, I’d want a bigger one.
Lincoln. It’s a Fox. Go nuts and have a sleeper. Just don’t drive your old man to drinkin’ hooning your hot rod Lincoln.
Caddy all the way. That first gen Seville was such a knockout design – the sizing and proportions are just right, and they managed to get an understated elegance but with enough of a flashy edge to take it to the Euros that were coming in hot.
I have less interest in the newer stuff I see on a regular basis, so joke’s on y’all!
Anyway, this is easy for me: Seville. Just loads more style, and that is CLEAN.
This is a tougher choice than I thought when I saw the title. I ended up choosing the Lincoln but it could have gone the other way. I think their both overpriced by a grand or two.
That Seville looks in way too good of condition and how is it still existing in Detroit. One or two winters should have finished it. But the Lincoln, clear coat demise and all, is still a pretty nice highway cruiser.
Now looking at the photos closer of the Caddy, esp. door sills, I think there is more rust in some critical areas as you would expect for a 48 year old Detroit car.
Seville: I always liked the lines.
This car did well for GM, but it was another example of right product for an unexpected demographic. The idea was younger buyers would snap it up. But being the highest priced model, the average age of the Seville buyer during this model run was 57 – older than the average for all Cadillac sales at the time.
It was superbly quiet, easier to park than the Gerald R. Ford carrier class of Cadillac models on offer and had understated styling in its favor. It couldn’t compete with the benchmark Mercedes for handling. But really, that was way down the list of why people bought a Cadillac in the first place.
I don’t see this as a cynical exercise from GM – they really did throw resources at the old X-body platform to make it work. It was built to a better standard than most new cars.
Still, it was damning of GM in the US that the Opel Diplomat’s precise tolerances made building it in the US impossible. It’s easy to spot sloppy assembly and uneven seams, drooping bumpers, and misfit taillights in promotional photos from this era.
Many new model Fords from this era arrived at the dealer with DORF or FOOD spelled out across the nose. Meanwhile in Chrysler-land, Aspen and Volare were the latest truly biodegradable cars built in the US, to the surprise and dismay of buyers. Enough said.
For cynical, the X-body Buick Apollo, Oldsmobile Omega, and Chevrolet Nova Concours were simply unabashed FUs to the buying public. Yet, they did sell. At least Cadillac did more than thinly disguise an aging platform.
X bodies like to dog-track when they age, and fuel injection was still a novelty when this Seville hit the market. It was birthed firmly in the Malaise era, so build quality vs an 80s built car is, shall we say, hahahahaha. So, I’d take the Mark with the proven EFI system on the Fox platform.
I’ve been having difficulty with this decision, but your reminder about the Opel Diplomat along with the Seville’s rust spots and the two-owner status of the Lincoln have convinced me.
I believe the real reason the Diplomat wasn’t built in the US was because it was cost prohibitive to make it compliant more than anything else.
I would say that the Lincoln would be an easy choice but it’s not an LSC.
Easy choice for me. I have always thought the first generation Seville is one of the more underrated Caddys. It is as roomy and comfortable as the land yacht Cadillacs, but it is much more manageably sized and gets double digit MPG. I also like the plain styling. I am not even that concerned about rust in this price range, assuming there are no structural issues.
Take the Linc, swap in a Coyote and a Tremec 6MT. Sleeper city in a hot-rod Lincoln.
I’ve got this weird itch to own a shitty malaise era Cadillac with way more power under the hood than it should have, so that’s where my vote went.
If the question is “a Nova cosplaying as a Cadillac, even if it wears it well” versus “a Mustang in a suit,” I’m taking the Mustang in a suit every time, thanks. The Lincoln for me.
My dad had a couple of the Mark VII LSCs, which were actually quite satisfying to drive. As this isn’t one of those, I’m going with the Caddy, and (and in my mind at least) will make it the base for my epic restomod project
Both are worth the price, but I’ll go Caddy. I could buy an old warehouse with a cargo elevator and drive my Seville right into my living room, just like Connor MacLeod.
Actually really like this era of Lincoln styling, dad had a ’90 Town car, dark blue over parchment leather that was really sharp. It’s a Fox-body – you can do ANYTHING you want to it and the MPFI 302 is solid. I never liked the style of this era Seville – I prefer the bustleback.
“Several commenters said they had “no interest” in cars that old. I can’t say I understand that sentiment; even if they’re not something you would want to buy or drive, they’re at least interesting to read about, no?”
Yeah, please don’t let that deter you, as those are indeed interesting to read about regardless of whether one wants to buy or drive such cars. That’s one of the things that make this website so worthwhile, the fact that the Autopian is so catholic (yes, with a lowercase “c”). If people don’t want to read about “cars that old” they can always head over to the likes of Motor Trend or Road & Track or they can just read other posts on this website. Variety is always good for SBSD so please continue doing that.
Please don’t let this deter you. The open field of options and possibilities is a draw. Besides, IT’S FAKE MONEY.
Hear! Hear! Despite what waaaaayyy too many people in this country think, diversity is a good thing.
Give us your tired interiors, your poor paint,
Your huddled masses of vacuum hoses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming roads.
There really is no wrong answer today.
I voted Seville before reading the ad, but now I’m regretting it. Michigan’s version of “Some rust” is probably a lot more than I want to deal with. I saw a couple of spots of discoloration, but it didn’t look too bad, so maybe my regret is unfounded.
Call me a tentative Seville voter.
Check out the insides of the open doors in the ad.Also the passenger side front wheel arch behind the bumper.
Yeah, I saw the sills, and now that you’ve pointed out that front fender, I’d like to change my vote.
I never aspired to be a Cadillac guy. I think that comes from my grandfather: “There’s just more fancy stuff to go wrong.” If I bought the Lincoln, I’d have to see if there are any drive-in theaters left in my area. Those seats look like a nice place to catch a movie from.
I’ll tell ya, Lincoln or not, look up the Drive-Ins! They absolutely rock
I used to—until 2020. Time to get back to them!
There’s a great one near me that does all 35mm older stuff on original 40s equipment. Just a great time
As much of a GM fan as I am, and particularly the X-body platform, I’ve never warmed up to those Sevilles. Their proportions just don’t work for me.
While I don’t especially love Mark VIIs either, at least we know being on the Fox body platform, they can be made to boogie. I like a sleeper, so I’ll have that one.
This is pretty much my take as well. The Seville just always looked…off. I can’t quite place what looks off, but as you say, the proportions just aren’t quite right.
I’ve almost purchased a Mark VII more than once, so I think that sort of makes this one my default choice.
Those Sevilles were the first Caddys ever built outside the US. “Where is that?”, you may be asking…it was Iran. Yep, Iran. In fact, The Shah had requested 50 of them built with all-gold trim everything, inside and out. Only two were ever made like that, but they made them.
They also built a ton of late-’70’s Mailbus.
Well, technically they built Opel Commodores, Buick Skylarks, and Chevy Novas as well.
Fun fact that some may not know is that GM also built Jeeps there.
I genuinely like both of these cars, but I’m going Lincoln here. The 5.0 is endlessly tuneable and you could turn this into a great fun driver for not that much money. I love this generation of Seville, but a closer look at those pics reveal a LOT more rust and dodgy repair work than a quick glance shows.
My papa said “son,you’re gonna drive me to drinkin if you don’t stop driving that
FOX.
BODY.
LINCOLN.”
OK; now I have my decision, and an ear worm.