1975 Cadillac Seville Development

[Bruce Nunnally]

Testing the lab, on the road, winter driving, suspension tests and with customers. The Seville became the smallest and most expensive model in the lineup, turning Cadillac's traditional marketing and pricing strategy upside down.

Initially based on the rear-wheel drive X-body platform that underpinned the Chevrolet Nova (a unibody with a bolt-on subframe, common to both GM X and F bodies), the Seville's unibody and chassis were extensively re-engineered and upgraded from that humble origin and it was awarded the unique designation "K-body" (rather than "X-special" following the format of the A-special Chevrolet Monte Carlo/Pontiac Grand Prix and B-special Buick Riviera). Cadillac stylists added a crisp, angular body that set the tone for GM styling for the next decade, along with a wide-track stance giving car a substantial, premium appearance. A wide chrome grille flanked by quadruple rectangular headlamps with narrow parking and signal lamps just below filled the header panel, while small wrap-around rectangular tail lamps placed at the outermost corners of the rear gave the appearance of a lower, leaner, and wider car. The wrap-around taillights might have come from a design sketch of a rejected Coupe DeVille concept.

Seville engineers chose the X-body platform instead of the German Opel Diplomat in response to GM's budget restrictions—GM executives felt re-engineering an Opel would be more costly than the corporate X-car

Volume is a bit low on the video.

[Cadillac Jim]

IMHO, the X-car was an underrated platform. I drove a Citation shortly after they came out and was amazed at the handling, and the ride and quietness were quite good. I looked at the wheels and tires, and they were amazingly tiny and unremarkable. With chassis upgrades and mods for quietness and ride, a platform derived from the X-platform could serve for some Cadillacs.

Of course, beginning with the requirements for a Cadillac and a clean sheet of paper is best to ensure that only Cadillac is involved with the trade-offs and compromises as the concept is reduced to a production specification.

[waterzap]

Very nice. Thank you. I have a 76, but looking at the VIN, was built in 75. I have had to do a lot on the car, and there are a few cosmetic things left. Car runs great though. Zippy, quick off the line. Drives much more like a modern car than the 70s boats.

Starts up first time, every time. Had to do a lot of work on the FI system, but runs like a champ now. Had on the highway this weekend.