A supersized V8 bargain
Our man on the market’s smartest deals. This week, a Cadillac that sold for a full grand below estimate CAR 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood DeVille SOLD £6784 ORIGINAL ESTIMATE £8-10k, Anglia Car Auctions, 25 January
It was good, but not exceptional.
ACA’s DeVille was imported in 1992 and has had four owners since. It was in good order – not stunning, but very presentable. The paint was slightly patchy in a few places but overall it was good, as was the chrome, and it had all its badging and correct hubcaps. The vast doors hung well, opening on to a clean, well-presented interior. US car interiors don’t always last well, so this was a nice surprise.
They’re easier to live with than many classic fans think...
There are several US car specialists who can supply parts or carry out servicing and repairs. Such is these cars’ simplicity that any decent independent garage should be able to tackle regular servicing work without much difficulty.
...and it should prove to be a reliable companion.
These cars were built to cross the USA without a hitch and would be expected to rack up of thousands of miles without complaint. This example was fitted with a 7.7-litre V8 that was unique to Cadillac; parent company General Motors never used it in its Buick or Oldsmobile marques, for some reason. The catalogue said that it was driving well and had recently enjoyed a transmission overhaul.
It’s undervalued for what it offers.
At this price, yes, absolutely. Consider the fact that it’s a rapid, comfortable, spacious and pretty refined coupé with almost all of the attributes of (whisper it) a Rolls-Royce Corniche fixed-head, but without – bar fuel economy – that car’s running costs. Undercutting the lower estimate by more than a grand, it was, no pun intended, one of the biggest bargains of the day.