1987 Cadillac DeVille

The big news for the Cadillac marque for 1987 was the addition of the luxurious Allante model that was built by coachbuilder Pininfarina in Turin, Italy. The finished coachwork was flown to General Motor's Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where it was joined by its powerplant, suspension, and remaining components. Priced at $54,700, the two-door convertible was among the most expensive vehicles on the market, far exceeding the second-highest priced Cadillac - the Fleetwood 75 formal limousine at $36,580.

The Cimarron sedan was Cadillac's entry-level model priced at $15,000 and resting on a 101.2-inch wheelbase and powered by an overhead valve V6 with a 173 cubic-inch displacement and delivering 125 horsepower. Between the Cimarron and Allante were the DeVille, Fleetwood D'Elegance, Fleetwood Sixty Special, Fleetwood 75, Brougham, Eldorado, and Seville.

All 1987 Cadillacs, except for the Cimarron, received a theft-deterrent system using the underhood horn as an alarm, and the front door lock cylinders and electric door locks to activate. The Brougham witnessed a thirty-percent increase in sales, thanks in part to improvements to its mechanical components, interior, and exterior. The Eldorado celebrated its 20th anniversary of production and the Fleetwood Seventy Five limousine received styling revisions to its front and rear. Cadillac became the first automobile manufacturer to incorporate multiplexed wiring on the Allante to control lighting on a production automobile.

Both the Fleetwood d'Elegance and the 1987 Cadillac DeVille rested on a 110.8-inch wheelbase while the Sixty Special was five inches larger. Most of the 1978 Cadillacs, including the Eldorado, Seville, DeVille, Sixty Special, and Fleetwood Seventy Five were equipped with a 249 cubic-inch V-8 engine with an aluminum block, cast-iron cylinder liners and cylinder heads, digital electronic fuel injection, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and 130 horsepower at 4,200 RPM. The standard transmission on the Seville, Eldorado, Fleetwood, and DeVille was the THM 440-T4 automatic four-speed with overdrive and viscous converter clutch. Disc brakes were in the front and drums at the rear, except for the Seville, Allante, and Eldorado which had four-wheel discs. The rear brake drums and master cylinder on the d'Elegance and DeVille were revised with less pedal travel and improved modulation.

The DeVille was the second most affordable Cadillac model for 1987 with a Coupe de Ville priced at $21,315 and the Sedan de Ville at $21,660. The Fleetwood d'Elegance was $26,100, and the new Fleetwood Sixty-Special was available for $34,850. The Touring option on the DeVille was priced at $2,880 and added aluminum wheels wrapped with 15-inch Goodyear Eagle GT tires, front fog lights, bodyside accent molding, decklid spoiler, handling package, a front air dam, leather seating areas, removable vertical louvers for the coupe quarter windows, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, specific rocker panel molding, and leather-wrapped lever knobs and gearshift lever. Due to a lack of popularity, the Touring option was discontinued at the end of the 1988 model year, although it would return on the four-door body style in 1992.

Styling updates for the 1987 DeVille were minimal as Cadillac had given the DeVille its sixth major styling update in 1985. The 1985 restyling had been extensive, moving the DeVille to GM's new front-wheel-drive C-body platform. Produced at the Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan, production of the new C-body DeVille began in December of 1983. Period advertising described the DeVille as the 'Cadillac of Tomorrow.'

By this point in history, nearly all Cadillac models used front-wheel-drive configuration, with only the Fleetwood Brougham being the sole rear-wheel-drive Cadillac.

The wheelbase of 110.8 inches was shorter than the previous 121.5-inch platform, yet the DeVille was able to retain nearly identical interior dimensions.

The 1987 DeVille received new taillamps, dual-stacked red appliques, a restyled trapezoid-shaped grille with an egg-crate texture, new hood header moldings, new one-piece composite headlamps, and a rear quarter and bumper extension. The HT-4100 V8 remained the standard engine, mounted transversely, and backed by a 440-T4 automatic transmission. The 4.3-liter diesel V6 engine remained optional.

The 'Sixth Generation' of styling, introduced in 1985, continued through 1993. The Seventh Generation used the K-body platform of the Seville, used a 113.8-inch wheelbase, and wore a redesigned body. The DeVille nameplate remained part of the Cadillac lineup through 2005.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2021