Cadillac Deville

See also Cadillac Coupe de Ville

The Deville (also De Ville and de Ville) name has been used on many of Cadillacs luxury car models. After the Fleetwood was dropped from the Cadillac line-up the DeVille became the Cadillac flagship sedan until it was replaced by the DTS for the 2006 model year.

History

The first Cadillac to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe Deville, with a sedan version appearing in 1954. Beginning in 1965, Deville denoted Cadillac's mainstream model, falling between the Calais and the Fleetwood.

In 1977, the first generation of down-sized Cadillacs included mechanically similar Devilles and Fleetwoods, with the latter still occupying the top of the lineup. The models were almost identical from 1977 through 1984.

In 1985, the second generation of down-sized Devilles and Fleetwoods (other than the Brougham) would see a switch to front wheel drive. This downsizing was drastic did not prove popular with consumers and soon Lincoln was outselling Cadillac.

From 1986 through 1992, Fleetwood became an option package on the Deville. The Coupe de Ville was dropped in 1994.

The sedan version lasted through one more redesign in 2000 before being replaced by the DTS (stands for DeVille Touring Sedan) for 2006.

1994

For 1994, the Deville was redesigned to share the K-body platform with the Seville. The body was redesigned and the wheelbase grew to 113.8in rather than the 111in used on the Seville.

The Deville Concours was available with the new 270hp (201kW) LD8 Northstar V8, while lesser models retained the HT-4900 until 1996. That year, the base model took on the lower-output Northstar while the Concours moved up to the high-output L37 Northstar.

The Deville received a minor redeign for the 1997 model year. New headlights and a new grille were added. The interior remained largely unchanged with front side-airbags and Onstar system being the only significant additions.

2000

The 2000 model year saw the first major redisgn since 1997 and the introduction of the last generation of the Deville. The exterior was completely redesigned featuring a sportier and more aerodynamic design. The revamped interior featured completely new door panels and seats, while the dashboard and radioface only received minor facelifts.