BF Auction: 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance
In a world where the pace of life seems to be increasing unrelentingly, many people find the idea of a relaxed escape impossible to resist. For some, that escape is into the experience offered by a classic car. A high-performance model may seem the obvious choice, but the lure of a luxurious survivor like this 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance is a tempting alternative. It presents superbly, which is understandable considering it shows a genuine 7,075 miles on its odometer. If you longed to park one in your garage in 1985 but missed the opportunity, now is your chance to right that wrong, with this Cadillac offered exclusively here at Barn Finds Auctions.
The seller is this classic’s second owner after he purchased it from an estate in 2021. Its overall condition reflects a life where it was treated with care and respect. Its presentation is perfect, courtesy of a recent repaint in its striking original shade of Medium Blue Firemist. The paint shines beautifully, with no flaws or defects. A matching vinyl top complements it, and once again, its condition is faultless. The panels are laser straight, with gaps that are tight and consistent. The Cadillac has spent its life stored indoors when not gracing our roads, meaning it remains rust-free. The glass is crystal clear, and the trim is immaculate. The gold badges and original wire wheel covers add to the impression of luxury and exclusivity.
Opening the doors and slipping into a Cadillac involves entering a world of unparalleled luxury. Such is the case with this Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance. The seats feature deeply-buttoned pillow leather upholstery that looks soft and inviting. The same shade graces the remaining trimmed surfaces, carpet, floormats, and plastic, while lashings of woodgrain enhance the elegant impression. As with the exterior, the interior is faultless. There is no wear, physical damage, or evidence of UV exposure. Its unmolested state and overall condition suggest its original owner took great pride in treating their beloved classic with total respect. The car’s luxury leanings are enhanced by climate-control air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power seats, cruise control, an AM/FM radio/tape player, courtesy lights, backseat reading lamps, and a tilt wheel. Everything works as it should, reinforcing this Brougham’s as-new condition.
Powering the Cadillac is the company’s groundbreaking HT-4100 V8 engine. This 4.1-liter powerplant sends 135hp to the road via a four-speed automatic transmission. Considering the car’s luxury leanings, power assistance for the steering and brakes is unsurprising. Potential buyers can rest assured that the trend of good news continues when we examine this Cadillac’s mechanical condition. When the owner purchased the Brougham, its odometer showed 4,950 genuine miles. It now reads 7,075 miles, which would be among the lowest you will find on a classic of this type and age. It is in excellent health, with the owner stating it will cruise comfortably all day at 85mph. It tracks straight and true, there is no smoke or odd noises, and you barely hear its V8 running at idle or in traffic. The owner has traveled approximately 2,150 miles since purchasing the car in November 2021, and it has performed faultlessly. For a buyer seeking a turnkey option, this Brougham is a good one.
For those who prefer their classic to possess luxury leanings, this 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance is a tempting proposition. Determining its most outstanding attribute is virtually impossible because it ticks all the boxes a buyer could want. It presents superbly, guaranteeing it draws crowds and favorable comments wherever it goes. It is in excellent mechanical health, meaning the new owner can immediately hit the road for some relaxed classic motoring. Last but by no means least, its odometer reading is one of the lowest you are likely to find in a Cadillac of this vintage. If a new Caddy is out of your price range, bidding on this one could be a better alternative.
- Location: Highland Park, Illinois
- Mileage: 7,075
- Engine: 4.1-Liter V8
- Transmission: Automatic
- VIN: 1G6DW6983F9751032
- Title Status: Clean
Bid On This Auction
John Paul bid $9,000.00 2023-03-20 10:07:57
MarkE bid $8,750.00 2023-03-15 14:57:43
bartaldn bid $8,500.00 2023-03-12 14:47:04
Kevin813 bid $7,500.00 2023-03-12 07:37:12
Pikll bid $5,500.00 2023-03-11 20:51:48- MarkE bid $5,000.00 2023-03-11 14:35:57
AUTOMANRUSS bid $4,500.00 2023-03-11 10:09:45
Tommyrocks bid $3,250.00 2023-03-10 17:10:22
Bigdaddy bid $2,750.00 2023-03-10 10:16:24- Tommyrocks bid $1,200.00 2023-03-10 09:46:12
ET bid $101.89 2023-03-10 09:43:34
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Comments
Real nice car.Ashame it has the terrible imo 4.1.I was hoping it had the 307 Olds.Buddy of mine about 30 years ago had a red one like this and put a 400 SBC in it.
Hate to be the Debbie Downer on such a nicely kept classic, but with all that rust under the hood, even the hinges, I would want a thorough look underneath.
Be nice to know what the reserve price is see if i can hit ththe price rather than waste my time tossing out bids
I wish they would just start the bidding at the reserve price, there’s no sense in wasting bids below that anyway! If somebody wants it they will bid the reserve price or higher.
That’s not how reserve auctions work.
These Fleetwoods had a very subtle throwback to the ’38-’41 Sixty Special. There is no drip rail at the B-pillar; the standard vinyl roof flows uninterrupted from the roof to the base of the B-pillar. This was supposed to recall the distinctive roof treatment of the original Sixty Special.
Very nice Fleetwood. All it needs to be perfect is an Astroroof and a set of Cadillac’s OEM wire wheels.
God never meant there to be a hole in a horizontal panel.
Perfect candidate for an LS & 4L80E swap. Get rid of the HT(hook& tow)4100.
Gutless and problem prone no matter what year. (Take it from experience). Great riding and handling cruiser. All it needs is a reliable powertrain.
A brand-new GM Performance ‘connect and cruise’ LS3 and 6L80E would be perfect in this car.
https://www.chevrolet.com/performance-parts/transmissions/supermatic-6l80-e
That’d be my plan. Big inch LS. Nothing wild. Add some bigger brakes and Schwartz suspension parts. Then it’d be perfect.
I had an 83 4100 de Elegance, terrific car. I knew the 4100 was garbage but honestly it really never gave me any trouble for the couple years I had it (with 100k on it.) Car was worthy of the Cadillac name.
I had a 1982 when it was 18 months old. In a year and a half after I got it, it got intake gaskets, then a cam and lifters, then a complete engine. Before I traded it in on a Riviera, it started using coolant again. It was serviced by a GOOD Cadillac dealer only. I knew the Service Manager and a couple of his techs, personally. There was nothing that was the dealer’s fault or mine. That 4100 engine was an utter disappointment.
When I traded it in, it had 18,000 miles on it.
I had one at our shop back in the early 90’s that had the camshaft broken in 1/2 and it was a maintained vehicle. Junk engine.
It ain’t no classic.
Why not? It’s almost 40 years old.
Sorry, but I’m an old timer, I just don’t look at anything from the 80s as being “classic”
Well, as time goes on the cutoff date shifts. In many States, you can register a 90’s car as a classic.
The HT-4100 was not a terrible engine, it just wasn’t a great engine. I had an’83 Coupe de Ville in 1992 -93 and it was fabulous to drive. No problems at all with the engine, just not a “lot” of power. But it cruised the highway with elegance and got 24-25 mpg, regularly. Cadillac “doubled “ the fuel economy from 1976-1986. Cadillac, in 1985, gave people what they wanted- a big RWD car that got good gas mileage. They did it. Nice article, I really enjoyed it! Good luck to everyone.
My mom bought herself one when she was promoted to manager at IBM. It was red with a white interior. It was a beautiful cruiser. Two things puzzle me about this sale. First, why did it need to be repainted? Those engine photos make it look like it has more miles than the odometer shows. And number two, look at how the trunk lid lines up with the body. That can’t be right. Before I went over 10K for this car, I would want to see it in person.
https://barnfinds.com/bf-auction-1985-cadillac-fleetwood-brougham-delegance/1985-cadillac-fleetwood-93/
I’m also disappointed it doesn’t have the 425 CID engine as my Grand parents car had but that must have been a earlier car & I definitely love the looks of this car but the mini mouse motor detracts from a car at that time was just losing the reins of being The Standard of The World but love that interior !
I think best engine it could come with was a 350 then maybe 305 then that 4100, then the worst I believe the 4-6-8 engine
” wahoooooo Werewolves of London ”
Paul Newman through the tunnel.
🎱
As Mr, Bad Example, all I can say is you’d better dress like Liberace to drive this Caddie.
How does a 7000 mile car end up with an engine compartment so rusty? Very odd–and with no photos of the underside also very suspect. We have an 88 Brougham with 61,000 miles on it and you could eat off the engine!
It all depends on the climate in which it’s stored. Some areas have higher humidity than others.
Power to weight ratio doesn’t work for me. I realize Cadillac was going for better mileage so I understand why such a small engine. Looks super comfy!
I have owned some 7 of this body style Cadillac. Love the looks but the engines are self destructive. I now have 6 Lincoln Town cars and Mark VI 4 doors.
Pictures of the undercarriage please.
Who would have ever thought that those classic late 1900s/early 2000s de Villes would be replaced in less than 20 years by SUVs and crossovers?
Awesome to see a mid 80’s luxury car with beautiful leather and not red velour! Rustiness under the hood is concerning though.
This thing is in Illinois, the heart of the rust belt. The rustiness you are concerned about is standard equipment, there, in the first six months of when purchased new, regardless of where stored.
If this thing’s a classic then anything can be. Freshly retired mechanic/shop owner and actually owned a couple of 4100s.(what can I say I use to like Cadillacs) there is literally not a worse engine GM ever built and I’ll include the Vega and Olds Diesel. At 7k this thing probably already has cam lobe problems and the crank/mains are probably clunking. Nice old car, LS it.
I had one of this vintage. Suspension was so mushy it would oscillate up and down, side to side, and front to back, if you ran over a dime on the street. Needed Dramamine to pilot that thing.
I bought a 1981 Cadillac Sedan De Ville with the diesel engine. At this time I was traveling the Texas highways and traveling out of Houston and to Dallas, Abilene, Lubbock, Amarillo and even El Paso. I had 180,000 miles on this car when the engine was now loosing compression. I also was promoted and now in bumper to bumper traffic and the engine shaking and the belts getting loose and overheating. I had to switch to a 350 cast iron V * gas and drover another 130,00 miles. Remember the Firestone 721 tires that a lot of people had problems with? I managed to put 99,000 miles on a set of them with this Cadillac. With the diesel engine I needed to be on flat land and keeping the car at highway speeds.
Did you mean the Firestone 500 tires?
Can’t help it, all that blue leather is over the top cool. Bet those seats are better than any lazyboy! Crazy question for the caddy mechanics here… worst case scenario. You drive the 7000.mile engine until it starts giving grief and then you make it a deluxe sleeper… so what past Corvette engine would work here and still be a hywy cruiser with a lot of emergency zoom? Aldo. Would you then have to upgrade tranny or rear end? Watcha think?
Rear is the 8 1/2 inch corporate. Same as the Grand National. Trans in it is a 200-4R. It is an overdrive but it needs to be built if you want to put any serious power to it (again, same as Grand National). Better to use a derivative of a 4L60E or 4L80E. You could even go to a later 6 speed or more. Finally, engine. A mid 90’s LT1 will work but it’s a whole lot easier to use an LS variety – more choices for enhancement and easy replacement parts for years to come. The whole engine/trans combination from an Escalade or a Denali is perfect.
yep
I had a small garage pull the diesel engine and install a 350 V 8 out of an Oldsmobile and he did not have change anything but engine mounts. I would expect this to be the same going from a 4100 gas to a 350 V 8 out of any GM car
Yes, I did a lot of the diesel conversions, usually used an Olds 350 back then as they were plentiful and cheap. The Olds engine also was a better, smoother running engine. Even put some Olds 35Os in “square body” pickups. I also converted one diesel engine itself to gas. (One, I’m hard headed but do learn) I would not recommend the 350 swap at all for this car (even tho it would be an easy swap) as that would almost for sure mean switching to a carb. A 6,0 LS out of a truck or even a 5.3 with the corresponding trans. and computer would make it a nice old boat.
In my 1981 sedan de ville I would drive from Houston to Dallas, visit customers, drive on to Abilene, visit, then on to Lubbock for the night. Visit customers and would still have 1/4 of diesel fuel remaining. This was a perfect car when maintained a highway speeds but terrible when at low rpm’s, the engine would shake and the belts would work loose
I mean Firestone 721’s. These tires developed a bad reputation for some reason. However I had them on my Cadillac diesel and running the Texas highways. I had 99000 miles on them and had a trip where I had to cross a Mexican desert, so I went and bought new tires. I would see cattle skulls along side the highway down there. I would often have as many as 12 “touresta” stickers on the windshield. Mexico has 31 states, I had this car in 19 of them all on doing business
I can’t believe that cars like this are now considered classics, but the few that have survived do deserve that title. There are a few 80s Cadillacs here in town, but probably only one in it’s original configuration. This one would be a great addition to my taxi fleet, I’m sure that a lot of my customers would be proud to arrive in such a fine vehicle, as I would be proud to drive it. As my business has grown, I’ve started to toy with the idea of picking up a few 70s and 80s classic luxury cars for occasional use. My fleet currently consists of 2011 Lincoln Town Car Executive L cars, the extended wheelbase models. I’ve yet to meet a customer, even a disabled one with limited flexibility in their legs, that can’t easily get into the back seat in these huge Lincolns, plus the cavernous trunk can easily accommodate a wheelchair and groceries.
I have to admit, the car looks very handsome and present. Except
the appearance under the hood but okay, it lived in the rust belt.
This here could be transformed to a SLS STS engine – classic
car modern guts.
The only thing that bothers me are the less well made, let me
tell it decorations, inside like outside. I mean this plastic what
actually Metal or real wood should be.
But isnt that not a smart business idea to produce high
quality post -components to transform all of them from a
plastillac again to a real Cadillac?
Burlwood, Cedar, Mahogany, Walnut, and a few exotic.
I was a salesperson at a Lincoln store. I took in a `1984 Fleetwood 2 door with the DeElegance package. White with red top and red interior. It has about 30000 miles. I should have kept it but I l sold it after a neighbor pestered me so I sold it. Was a beautiful car and fantastic price. Used car manager called it a “lead sled”. I enjoyed selling cars and the customers but the employees I was working with were low class.. It had the 4100 engine but I never put many miles on the car and was not aware of how bad these 4100’s were bacvk then.