1972 Cadillac DeVille

When Cadillac first used the name 'De Ville' in 1949, it represented a trim level on the Series 62 and was initially available in a two-door 'Coupe de Ville' configuration. It was one of the earliest pillarless American coupes ever built. A four-door hardtop Sedan de Ville was added to the Series 62 range in 1956 and it was an immediate success, outselling the standard-trim sedan by such a large margin that the De Ville badge became its own series in 1959. The DeVille Series would enjoy a very lengthy lifespan, lasting through to 2005.

The fourth-generation DeVille styling arrived in 1971 (and would continue through 1976) and brought about increased interior space and an unmatched interior width that would go unmatched until the early 1990s. The early versions were equipped with the familiar 472 cubic-inch big-block engine paired with GM's TH-400 three-speed automatic transmission. An even larger 500 CID V8 was introduced in 1975.

The styling introduced in 1971 included a wide hood with full-length windsplints, a prominent center crease, a V-shaped grille with an egg-crate pattern, a Cadillac crest on the nose of the hood, wraparound front bumper, a horizontal beltline along the body side, and hidden windshield wipers. There were rocker panel moldings with a DeVille signature script affixed to the sides of the rear roof pillars. Body styles included a coupe and sedan, with the 1972 Coupe selling for $6,390 and the sedan at $6,170. The sedan was slightly more popular than the coupe in 1972, with 99,531 of the former and 95,280 of the latter. Power was from a 472 cubic-inch V8 with overhead valves, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, and delivered 345 (SAE) horsepower at 4,400 RPM.

All 1972 Cadillacs were fitted with the 472 cubic-inch V8 except for the Eldorado which employed a 500 CID V8 with 235 (SAE net) horsepower.

Cadillac built a total of 194,811 examples of the DeVille in 1972 representing approximately 73 percent of Cadillac's total production. This was a significant increase over the 135,426 examples built in 1971, yet lower than the 216,243 units built in 1973.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2022