1991 Cadillac Brougham

Cadillac first used the Brougham name in 1916 for its enclosed 5-7 passenger sedan body style. The name was for a British statesman named Henry Brougham who later became Lord High Chancellor and was a prominent individual in passing the 1832 Reford Act and 1833 Slavery Abolition Act. During the 1930s, Cadillac used the Brougham name for a formal body style with enclosed rear quarters and an open chauffeur compartment. During the mid-1950s, Cadillac introduced the Eldorado Brougham show car which preceded the four-door Eldorado Brougham hardtops of the 1957 to 1960 model years. In the mid-1960s, it was an option package on the Cadillac Sixty Special, and a year later it became a subseries of the Fleetwood Sixty Special. Beginning in 1971, the Sixty Special was only available as the Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham. In the late 1970s, the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham became the company's largest owner-drive sedan model through 1986.

The Brougham became a Cadillac model in 1987 (dropping the 'Fleetwood' portion) and continued through 1992 with over 233,600 examples built during that time. The inaugural year was the highest year of production with 65,504 units built, followed by 53,130 the following year and 40,264 in 1989. The decline in popularity continued as the years progressed, with 13,761 built-in its final year.

The Brougham rested on a 121.5-inch wheelbase, had a length of 221 inches, a width of 76.5 inches, and a height of 56.7 inches. Power was from an overhead valve V8 engine with a cast-iron block and cylinder heads, hydraulic valve lifters, a four-barrel Rochester Quadrajet Electronic carburetor, an 8.0:1 compression ratio, and delivering 140 bhp at 3,200 RPM and 346 lb-ft of torque. The engine was backed by a THM 200-4R TCC four-speed automatic transmission with an overdrive and a torque converter clutch. Stopping power was by power disc brakes in the front and rear.

All Cadillac vehicles received anti-lock brakes for 1991 as standard equipment, and the previous 4.5-liter V8 engine powering most Cadillacs was replaced by a larger and more powerful 4.9-liter V8 with port fuel injection. A 4T60-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive was paired with this engine. The 5.0-liter V8 engine in the rear-wheel-drive Brougham gained fuel injection resulting in a boost of power by 21 percent to 170 bhp over the prior carbureted unit.

The 1991 Cadillac Brougham sedan was priced at $30,225 putting it in similar pricing territory to the 'entry-level' DeVille, priced from $30,200 to $33,455. The Fleetwood was priced in the mid-$34,000 range, the Fleetwood Sixty Special was $38,320, and the Eldorado Coupe was $31,245. The Seville was priced at $34,000 for the sedan and $37,130 for the touring sedan. The range-topping Allante with coachwork by Pininfarina had pricing that began at $55,250.

The 305 cubic-inch (5.0-liter) V8 engine powering the Brougham had overhead valves, Roller hydraulic valve lifters, Throttle body fuel injection, a 9.3:1 compression ratio, and delivering 170 bhp at 4,200 RPM, and 255 lb-ft of torque. The optional 5.7-liter V8 produced 185 bhp and 300 lb-ft of torque. The engines were backed by a THM 4L60 four-speed automatic transmission with an overdrive and torque converter clutch. Power-assisted front disc brakes and rear drums with Bosch III anti-lock braking system provided the stopping power.

The rear sail panel reading lamps, which had previously been optional, were now standard affair, along with the leather-trimmed steering wheel, and passenger seat power recliner with a six-way power seat adjuster. The electronic variable orifice steering system was also a new standard amenity, which reduced steering effort during low-speed driving and increased it during higher speeds. Clearcoat paint was also part of the standard feature list, with Victorian Red and Dark Antelope colors added to the list of exterior colors.

The options list gained a central door unlocking system with an automatic door lock system, and a trailer towing package. The d'Elegance package added three overhead assist handles, illuminated driver and passenger vanity mirrors, Twilight Sentinel, unique interior and exterior ornamentation, a power trunk pulldown, and a unique trim design with multi-button tufted seats. Additional packages included the Funeral Coach package (option code B9Q), trailer towing, Coachbuilder, and Armoring options. With the Funeral Coach Package, intended for funeral service, only the 5.0-liter V8 engine was offered.

The combined production of the Brougham and Brougham d'Elegance for 1991 was 27,231 units.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2021