Full Size Luxury: 1974 Cadillac Sedan de Ville
Many auto buyers were changing their priorities quickly after the oil embargo in late 1973, with the popularity of more fuel-efficient offerings on the rise. However, Cadillac de Ville customers remained loyal, with over 60,000 sedans finding homes for the 1974 model. Coupe de Ville sales were even stronger, with more than twice that number rolling off the assembly line during the same year. This 1974 Sedan de Ville has only had two owners since new, and to be at the half-century mark, it’s still in excellent condition overall. Zappenduster spotted this one and brought it to our attention, and we’d like to thank him for the tip!
This is one fine-looking example, which the seller says he’s owned for five years now since the Caddy was acquired from the original family who bought it new. The body remains in very nice shape, with those hard-to-maintain plastic pieces surrounding the back bumper already replaced and color-matched with the rest of the car’s Pharoah Gold Firemist paint. The seller mentions that he has polished the exterior yet doesn’t confirm that the paint is original, but even if it’s gotten a respray at some point, the outside still presents beautifully.
Tipping the scale at over 5,000 pounds, the 1974 Sedan de Ville needed something large under the hood to move all that weight around, with a 472 cubic-inch V8 being the standard and only available powerplant. The seller says that during his ownership the car has been looked over and had maintenance performed by a certified mechanic, including new belts, A/C repair, and even a fresh transmission. With just 87,257 miles of travel, the owner believes this one’s still perfectly roadworthy and ready to handle a long trip.
Cadillac offered some chic upholstery choices in ’74, with catchy names such as Medici, Mimosa, and even Mardi Gras. This one’s equipped with the Maharaja threads, with the wear said to be restricted to the driver’s seat, and even that doesn’t appear to be an overly major issue. In addition to being nicely preserved for the most part, the interior looks luxurious, comfortable, and roomy.
It’s hard to argue that this 1974 Cadillac Sedan de Ville scores high in terms of condition, and the seller is hoping an appreciative buyer will agree it’s worth the asking price of $25,000. If you’re in the mood for some mid-seventies luxury, this one’s in Arvada, Colorado, not far from Denver, and can be found here on Craigslist. Is the asking price in the ballpark for what you’re getting here?
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Comments
Love the color, think the name was playing on the King Tut mania at the time?
Cloth OR Lthr.??
This needs to someone’s dream car to justify the asking price. There probably aren’t many of those people walking around willing or able to pay $25,000.
Steve R
The pool of potential buyers for this type of car is shrinking fast. Most are boomers (or their families), trying to sell, rather than buy. While this car is nice, there are plenty for sale in similar condition for much less. With winter coming, many will discount further. For a sale to happen, the buyer needs 3 things to line up:
1) Like Steve said, it has to be someones dream car.
2) Buyer has the money to buy, and if not local, pay transport fees too.
3) Buyer has somewhere to park/store it. These cars are huge and don’t fit in many home garages.
I was in the “picture car” business for over 20 years. We frequently bought cars similar for film/TV use, usually paying no more than $10K….often much less.
Twenty five is to much
It’s a good thing he’s “in no rush”, because he’s at least $10,000 too high. Nice car, though.
When a Cadillac was a CADILLAC, Standard of the WORLD! Love that classy cloth interior. Truly a beautiful example of an era never to be seen again. In comparison to today’s overpriced Cadillac glorified trucks masquerading as Luxury vehicles, this is a reasonable price. Unfortunately out of my reach 😕
A tip of the hat to the United Autoworkers members who put that behemoth together. That is some heavy lifting.
wonder if it still has the Ignition/Seatbelt Interlock, is it considered “Non-Original” if it’s been bypassed or removed?
On the rear shot, the LH side bumper and/or the plastic extension seemed misaligned (inconsistent gap) when compared to the RH side? Is that something to be concerned about? Maybe only a cosmetic issue…
I think the protruding tail lights enclosures both look a bit off. Look at side view. Most likely there was some impact to them 🤔. But I don’t believe it’s a significant issue. Not sure if or how easy it would be to make an adjustment. But IMO, I wouldn’t be concerned.
@Graham
I don’t think the rear bumper is misaligned, this car has the original flexible extentions and over time they do warp a little and I think that’s what you’re seeing.
On my 1976 Coupe de Ville the passenger side was pushed in about an inch and it kinda bothered me so I took it to the body shop that had an account at the bank I worked at and he pulled it out so everything was straight and even .
I wouldn’t refuse this one, although 1974 is not my favorite. With the round headlights and wide grill the front just looks huge. I prefer ’75 & ’76, but if it were a more reasonable price, like $10,000 tops, (more like $8000) this boomer would consider it.