In Iran, restorer brings famed Cadillac Sevilles back to life
TEHRAN — The sleek, polished dark blue 1978 Cadillac Seville eased slowly out of a showroom near Iran’s capital, its driver carefully inserting the eight-track tape that came with it to blast the sounds of a time long since past.
The Sevilles, once assembled in Iran, represented the height of luxury in the country just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. General Motors had partnered with an Iranian firm to build the sedans, selling them there for two-and-a-half times the price of those sold in America at the zenith of Iran’s oil wealth.
Today, Khosro Dahaghin’s passion for restoring the cars means he carefully examines each frame, component, and stitch of the Sevilles in Iran, a challenge that’s only grown as parts become scarce, the vehicles get older, and as the country faces US sanctions over its nuclear program.
“The most luxurious and the most special car that was assembled in Iran was Cadillac Iran,” he said. “The first time this car was assembled outside US soil was in Iran. At that time I can say no other brand could rival this car in any aspect imaginable.”
To the uninitiated, the Seville may seem like a strange pick for a sought-after antique car, with its almost boxy frame and woodaccented interior. However, it represented a sea change for Cadillac at a time when American buyers sought the smaller luxury cars coming from European manufacturers. Cadillac had been known for the massive cars of the past; the Seville’s fuel economy and handling caught the attention of drivers.
In the Seville, car buyers got a powerful V8 engine, a pillowy interior, power seats, and automatic door locks and windows. A base model Seville initially sold for $12,479 in 1975 when it entered the market — the equivalent today of over $70,000.
Back then, Iran had the only Cadillac production outside of the United States. General Motors created General Motors Iran Ltd., which produced the Seville and other vehicles from so-called knock-down kits from Detroit. The Seville represented the most luxurious vehicle on the road assembled in Iran, under the supervision of American engineers.
The Sevilles went for some $35,000 at the time — more than what American consumers paid, in part due to higher import duties.
“As soon as they have the money, they want a pair of Levi’s and a car,” a General Motors official said of Iranians, according to a New York Times story.
How many were built remains a question among Iran’s car aficionados.
Saeed Shobeiri, the editor in chief of Machine Magazine in Tehran, said estimates ranged as high as over 2,600. Michael T. Albano, a Cadillac spokesman in the United States, said he believed some 2,500 were built.
But the 1979 Islamic Revolution saw the overthrow of the American-backed shah and the installation of Iran’s theocratic government. Americans and GM left the country. Sevilles continued to be built from the remaining knock-down kits for several more years as Iran nationalized the GM Iran plant, creating the manufacturer Pars Khodro that stills exists today.
GM ultimately was awarded some $20 million from the IranUnited States Claims Tribunal, set up as part of the Algiers Accords that saw the captives taken at the US Embassy in Iran freed. Today, Shobeiri estimated as many as 60 Sevilles are streetworthy, with more than 100 others unable to be driven.
That’s where Dahaghin and his colleagues come in. Since 2013 after being inspired by the former MTV reality show “Pimp My Ride,” Dahaghin has restored Cadillac Sevilles at his garage in Roudehen, 30 miles east of downtown Tehran.
There, Seville frames sit outside a shop bearing the Cadillac crest. Inside, Dahaghin runs his hands over every line of a car body, those not yet worked-on bearing signs of rust and their age. One of the Seville’s big V8 engines sat alongside.
“Over time, these cars became broken and worn out as a result of poor usage and lack of proper maintenance,” Dahaghin said.
“Some of them were destroyed. Now we restore these cars after years and when they are back on streets they are both very beautiful and very special compared to other cars.”
But the restoration is not easy. Each vehicle can take up to a year and a half to finish to Dahaghin’s specifications. Finding components can be a challenge as well, with some occasionally being hand-carried back into Iran by those traveling abroad.
“I will not sell this piece of art to anyone who makes an offer,” Dahaghin said. “The buyer must appreciate the value of this artwork.”