1998 Cadillac DeVille

The 1998 Cadillac lineup consisted of the Catera, DeVille, Eldorado, and Seville. All had four-door body styles except for the Eldora which came as a two-door coupe. Total production reached 162,715 which was an increase of nearly 3,000 vehicles over the previous year. In comparison to the 1997 models, the 1998 models received only minor changes. The big news was the all-new Seville which was intended to be produced in both left- and right-hand drive for export to global markets.

The DeVille series consisted of the base 4-door sedan, d'Elegance Sedan, and the Concours sedan. Prices ranged from $37,700 to $42,300 and a total of 111,030 examples were built. The DeVille and d'Elegance were powered by the dual overhead cam Northstar V8 which had a 279 cubic-inch displacement and offered 275 horsepower. The Concours had a 300-horsepower version of the Northstar engine. The transmission was a 4T80-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic and braking was handled by power-assisted disc brakes with a Bosch anti-lock system.

The Northstar engine was a high-performance 90-degree powerplant that was produced by General Motors between 1993 and 2011. It was created by the Oldsmobile Research & Development department and used double overhead camshafts, an aluminum block, an aluminum head, and four valves per cylinder. It was produced from 1991 through 2011. The 1998 DeVille used the LD8 version which had been introduced in 1994. In comparison to the high-revving L37, the LD8 offered more torque. In 1998 revisions were made to the LD8, including hydraulic engine mounts, which made it quieter than the previous Northstar engine. A tuned intake system helps the engine realize better performance.

In prior years, the Concours trim level was equipped standard with the StabiliTrak stability control system; it is now offered on the other two trim levels as part of an options package that also included an audible theft deterrent system, programmable garage door opener, and an electronic compass mirror.

As stated before, the changes were minor; the Deville received four new exterior colors, a mute button and Theftlock were added to the radio, and the radio data system (RDS) and weather band were part of the optional Active Audio sound system. There were two new locking models to the personalization feature (now totaling five). The remote keyless fob was given a new feature of the horn beeping when the lock button was pressed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019