Factory Special! 1983 Cadillac Coupe De Ville 4×4
When I first spotted this 1983 Cadillac Coupe De Ville 4×4, I thought that some enthusiast had created a crazy custom. The truth is that it is a unique vehicle created by the factory for the gentleman who was General Motors’ Vice President at that time. That also means that the engineering that has gone into this creation is a level above what you might expect from most customs because it utilized the company’s design and engineering facilities in its creation. The current owner has decided to part with this fantastic vehicle, so he has listed it for sale here at Hemmings. The Cadillac is located in Tempe, Arizona, and the owner has set the sale price at $37,900. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Boot for referring this amazing creation to us.
It is pretty common for manufacturers to create bespoke vehicles for those individuals who have reached the upper echelons of management. However, the modifications usually revolve around unique trim, paint color, or optional equipment combinations. From that perspective, there is actually nothing special about this Cadillac. It is finished in Cotillion White, which was one of the more popular colors from the 1983 Cadillac color palette. The paint is in excellent order, with no chips or other notable defects. The panels are laser straight, while the exterior trim is spotlessly clean. Cadillac built the Coupe with tinted glass, and this is also in excellent order. So far then, it all appears to be standard Cadillac fare, albeit nicely preserved for its age. However, the huge wheels, jacked suspension, and the steel protection plates on the front and rear of the vehicle suggest that this is anything but your standard 1983 Cadillac.
Lifting the hood of the Cadillac starts to reveal the true story behind this car. It seems that the Vice President liked his luxury cars, but he was also pretty keen on the concept of finding his way into the more inaccessible locations that Mother Nature had on offer. What to do? The answer was to enlist the help of the company’s Engineering Department to graft the Coupe De Ville body onto the frame of the then-current K10 Pickup. These changes provided a significant increase in ground clearance and brought with it the drivetrain from the K10. The drivetrain includes the legendary 350ci small-block V8, producing 175 hp and 275 ft/lbs of torque. Those ponies are fed to the road via a 4-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. That should mean that the Cadillac possesses all of the K10’s off-road ability but in a luxurious package designed and built by the good people at General Motors. The De Ville only received limited use before it was removed from active service and placed for sale on consignment in a casino in Bullhead City, Arizona. It failed to sell there, and this is why it is now being offered for sale by the owners through Hemmings.
When you venture inside the Cadillac, this is the only indication that this car is anything other than a production vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with Chevrolet’s “shift on the fly” 4-wheel-drive system, which should endow it with impressive off-road abilities. It isn’t clear whether the Cadillac has been returned to a roadworthy state since its extended period on display in the casino. However, with all of the running gear being standard K10 components, sourcing any required parts should be pretty straightforward.
Once you move beyond the 4WD selector, the rest of the interior is all that you might expect in a Cadillac. This includes soft and inviting velour upholstery, plush carpet on the floors, and enough gadgets to make life pleasant on the move. Luxury equipment consists of air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a premium stereo, cruise, remote mirrors, and a tilt wheel. The condition of the interior is first-rate, with no issues or problems to report. There is no wear on any of the upholstered surfaces and no stains or fading on the carpet. The Vice President might have wanted to go off-road, but it doesn’t look like he tracked much mud or other icky substances into this Coupe De Ville.
This 1983 Cadillac is such a cool car, and it is proof of what a manufacturer’s Design and Engineering Departments can achieve if given free rein. It is a unique classic, and there’s no doubt that it would garner plenty of attention at a Cars & Coffee. So, if you want to head out into the wilds in complete luxury, maybe the perfect vehicle has just emerged for you. Do you find this one intriguing enough to be tempted to pursue it further?
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Comments
I get it…it’s the “Anti-Donk” Off Road Special, LOL!! Very unusual and unique. You certainly WON’T see another like this at Coffee & Chrome! I’m not sure who’d want it, but GLWTS!! :-)
What an ugly piece of Cadillac! I’ve owned 4 Cadillacs in my life, and each one of them had a beauty all its own. This thing is absolutely hideous! I wouldn’t take a second look at this thing!
Eric…..
At the current price of $37,900.00 , it’s a bargain!
How can you not resist…..
Another group of rednecks with too many beers and too much time on their hands.
I’m surprised how many people skipped the article and went straight to the comments.
I’m NOT surprised.
No, the builders built it on the clock with approval from upper management.
While these conversations are not uncommon by the backyard mechanic and thrill seeker, I was unaware that GM actually ventured to make this. A nice story to share. Thanks
What does a company executive do when he likes to take the young assistant for a lunch time romp but he’s to cheap to get a room? 4X4 Caddy baby! Head to the woods.
I think it’s great. Plus 350, not a 305.
Wow, it’s good to have the connections to pull something like this off, but it’s not really going off road with such a departure angle!
BTW, Adam, no Casino’s in Bullhead City AZ, they are across the Colorado river in Laughlin Nevada…
I was thinking the same thing. I hope the rest of the ad is more accurate.
“The De Ville only received limited use before it was removed from active service and placed for sale on consignment in a casino in Bullhead City, Arizona. It failed to sell there, and this is why it is now being offered for sale by the owners through Hemmings.”
Hmmmm- there are about 35 years unaccounted for in this explanation….
sitting on that velour is as sticky as corduroy so no slippin around (I can’t even get in’n out of those) so no cross harness needed !
So much over hang on frnt / rear I don’t think it very off rd capable…in white like that … I think I’d take it ‘muddin” !
“It is a unique vehicle created by the factory for the gentleman who was General Motors’ Vice President” Say WHAT?
I am trying (he he) not to laugh (ho ho) while I comment on this monstrosity (AHAHAHAHA!). Sorry, I can’t help it.
This is a documented build and was exhibited at the Museum in Don Laughlin’s Riverside Museum.
Yup, I’ve seen it there.
I thought it looked familiar whe and when I saw “casino in Bullhead City”, I immediately knew this was in Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort museum. Used to go there every year when I was there for the SCORE off road race in January. I’m thinking I’d love to know what GM exec wanted this too – seems like something more homebuilt.
Documented build dated April first.
The fact that they couldn’t unload this monstrosity at a casino in Bullhead City should speak volumes about the utter insanity of this exercise.
At least it’s interesting now.
I am a retired Cadillac Service Manager. I would love to see the parts “book” from 1983 on this vehicle.The leaf springs under the rear are interesting !!
I would love to have this Caddy in my driveway. Only way it could be cooler, would be if it was a “Flower Car” version of the Caddy that funeral homes used for services.
No Comment
Truly interesting. Museum piece for sure.
Yes. The Ripleys believe it or Not Museum !
This explains a lot. If this was the pipe-dream of the GM vice-president around 1983, it would explain plenty of other decisions that GM made around that time. No need for apologies, I am just not a fan of GM during that era. Nothing ill intended for those who might be. A casino is an appropriate place for it to rest it’s tires.
Any decision a GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc made on a dream car has always been awful! Purely conversation pieces and a waste of money.
The absolute worst decision ever IMO was to pull out the wankel motor from the 4 rotor concept corvette & put in a common pushrod 350 small block.
Followed by destroying most wild pushmobile(no drivetrain) dream cars in the ’80s – especially the three ’64 NY world’s fair futurama II cars, & the Ford FX Atmos. (Or were they secretly hid away?)
& yet the 3 totally fraudulent Dale “cars” survive today.
Wow, only 2,500 original miles.
Howie Mueler….
Hard to believe….
Never smoked in (but sat in a casino surrounded by a cloud of smoke for 20 years…).
Price out a new Escalade or any other full-size GM SUV, and this really doesn’t seem out of line! ;)
G.M. “factory” build? I think not. Someone that high up (V.P.) that could have had this built, it would have been “company” car and turned in after a year or so. Would GM would let this get out in the “wild”? If GM did go the extra mile to build it, why 2 different vin #s? Why not go the few yards more and vin the frame/drive line as Cad, or vin the body has a Chev. Someone said it was a “documented build”. Mfg Cert of Origin or other papers? A rolled truck and a Cad that got dropped off the truck or lift perhaps is the case. 2+2=1
Without documentation it’s just another tall tale, designed to suck money out of gullible buyers. If the dealer had actual paperwork proving it’s a “factory” built car for a VP, they would have included it in the ad.
Steve R
Same doors & windshield as on the ’79 2 door impala?
How about some pictures of any GM documentation.
How about pictures of how the Cadillac body mounts are adapted to the truck chassis locations. Must be some adapter brackets involved.
I don’t buy the story. Got a GM VP name?
Del Boca Vista baby!
I can totally see this at the local Publix or Country Kitchen.
Old people rule…
OMG! A redneck wet dream! Nocturnal Emission Control, we have liftoff!
I agree that documentation makes or breaks this car; without it it’s an unusually well-presented “4xfreak” build, by all appearances several cuts above the usual “hold my beer” level of such things, but not worth anywhere near new-car money.
Had this Caddy not been modded like it is,,,,tall tale are absolute truth, it would have winded up at the auto recycle center at some point, eventually sqashed into a small cube.
Or stollin thru Compton. Yeah, really.
There’s an overwhelming amount of car owner’s who are Not into cars at all outside of going from here to there get rid of it and buy another one. So this one’s been saved, not a great idea but here it is, still.
So, let me get this straight. An (unnamed, and one of many) executive VP’s at GM had fancied himself a Cadillac 4X4. So GM decided to interrupt the Cadillac and GM truck divisions to accommodate his whim to build and publicly release this aberration? Yeah, that’s the ticket.
There must be a typo in the asking price:$3790
Factory ‘Bama Crusier!
Well, if this reflects the tastes of a GM vice president, then that might explain why the company ended up where it did?
I bet she’ll climb a pretty good hill! Here! Hold my beer!
That settled it!! I’ve been having this bet with my brother in law for years saying that rednecks work for Chevrolet!! This definitely proves I was right!! Most valuable 100 dollars I’ve ever made!!!
All the GM factory info on the body indicated this was a standard Cadillac, nothing more. If this “Marriage” of a Chevy chassis and Cadillac body was done when both were new, it WAS NOT done under the auspices of either corporate GM authority, or the Cadillac division’s approval. GM would never have okayed the release of the vehicle with the tire rating decal not reflecting the K10’s tire size. If GM had sold this vehicle as it appears today, as required by law, the federal decals would match the chassis VIN and tire sizes.
If this had been done by GM corporate, or by Cadillac Division, the chassis would not have been built with a Chevy chassis number. I’m curious just when the Louisiana VIN was created. That’s likely when the car was legitimized as a 4X4 for the road.
As mentioned earlier here, if there was ANY SHRED of evidence this was a legitimate GM “COPO” style request, I cannot imagine the owner not making the info available showing proof-positive this is a genuine GM build.
Here is my suggestion as to the history surrounding this Cadillac; Someone who is very good at creating such a nice build, discovered a Cadillac that had been driven into a dry storage location shortly after it was built. The new owner realized the original drive train needed to be torn apart and rebuilt due to sitting for decades, so they looked around to see if any 4X4 trucks had a similar wheelbase. Chevy K10 to the rescue!
I’ll stake my reputation of 40+ years as a restoration shop owner, NADA board member, court recognized expert in transportation matters [and more], that this car had nothing special about it when new, and no GM VP had anything to do with it’s creation.