By Jeff Stork

It was 35 years ago
this month that the Cadillac Seville made its
debut. The smallest Cadillac since the 1920’s also debuted with the
highest price tag in the Cadillac line up — the base price of $12,479 was the
highest of any American made passenger car. This was a deliberate
marketing move by Cadillac, which knew that in order for the car to
succeed, it had to break through the “bigger is better” mentality that
had permeated the domestic industry up to that point.

And succeed it did: with its simple yet elegant styling, rich interior
detail, high level of equipment, and outstanding workmanship, the
Seville was a stunning success. Derived from the basic platform of the
Chevrolet Nova, the Seville featured isolated subframes front and rear,
a fuel-injected 350 V8 engine, totally unique interior and exterior
styling, and unmatched quiet and isolation. It was built on its own
special line at Cadillac’s Clark Avenue plant, and in order to ensure
the highest level of build quality, the line speed was only fourteen
cars per hour, versus an industry standard of 60 cars per hour. The
launch was even special, with the first 2,000 Sevilles produced in the
same color: triple Sterling Silver, which coincidentally matched the
launch brochure and advertising photos.

The car became the darling of Hollywood. Among the many celebrities who
owned Sevilles were Fred Astaire, Isabel “Weezy” Sanford, and Betty
White. Even Elvis got into the act — he bought one for girlfriend Linda
Thompson. The design was so successful that imitators rushed to market: The Lincoln Versailles, Chrysler’s Le Baron and even GM’s own
Oldsmobile Cutlass and Buick Century borrowed from Seville’s rich
styling, although not its level of luxury. It’s a style that still
looks crisp and elegant today, 35 years later.