Cadillac · 1959–present

Cadillac de Ville series

The Cadillac DeVille is a model name used by Cadillac over eight generations, originally to designate a trim level of the 1949 Cadillac Series 62 and later for a standalone model in the brand range. The last model marketed specifically as a DeVille was the 2005 full-size sedan, at the time, Cadillac's largest model. For 2006, the DeVille nameplate was retired, when the model line was carried forward (with minor revisions) as the Cadillac DTS, (DeVille Touring Sedan) using a nomenclature adopted by the Cadillac STS (Seville Touring Sedan) and CTS (Catera Touring Sedan).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Cadillac Series 62 · Successor: Cadillac DTS

All Cadillac de Ville series data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Early history

The name "DeVille" is derived from the French de la ville or de ville meaning "of the town". In French coach building parlance, a coupé de ville, from the French couper (to cut), i.e., shorten or reduce, was a short four-wheeled closed carriage with an inside seat for two and an outside seat for the driver, and this smaller vehicle was intended for use in the town or city (de ville). An (unshortened) limousine or (in the United States) town car has a division between the passenger and driver compartments and, if the driver's seat is outside, it may be called a sedanca de ville or town car. The first Cadillac "Coupe de Ville" was shown during the 1949 Motorama. It was built on a Cadillac Sixty Special chassis and featured a dummy air-scoop, chrome trim around front wheel openings, and a one-piece windshield and rear glass. The interior was black and trimmed in gray leather, including the headliner, to match the roof color. It was equipped with a telephone in the glove compartment, a vanity case and a secretarial pad in the rear armrest, power windows and highly decorative chrome interior trim. The prototype "Coupe de Ville" was used by GM President Charles E. Wilson until 1957 when he gave it to his secretary. At some time during this period, it acquired a dark Vicodec roof. The prototype "Coupe de Ville" was found and restored in the 2010s; it was in a private collection in London, Ontario, Canada as of 2017. The Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville was introduced late in the 1949 model year. Along with the Buick Roadmaster Riviera, and the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, it was among the first pillarless hardtop coupes ever produced. At US$3,496 ($47,306 in 2025 dollars ) it was only a dollar less than the Series 62 convertible, and like the convertible, it came with power wind

First generation (1959–1960)

The 1959 Cadillac is remembered for its huge, sharp tailfins with dual bullet taillights, two distinctive rooflines and roof pillar configurations, new jewel-like grille patterns, and matching deck lid beauty panels. In 1959, the Series 62 were moved from the Series 62 to their own series, the Series 6200. De Villes and 2-door Eldorados became the Series 6300 and Series 6400 respectively, though they all, including the 4-door Eldorado Brougham (which was moved from the Series 70 to Series 6900), shared the same 130 in (3,302 mm) wheelbase. Engine output was an even 325 hp (242 kW) from the 390 cu in (6.4 L) engine. The DeVille Series had script nameplates on the rear fenders. Standard equipment included power brakes with 15-inch wheels, power steering, automatic transmission, back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows and two-way power seats. Plain fender skirts covered the rear wheels, and 4-doors were available in either four-window or six-window hardtop configurations. Over 53,000 DeVilles were sold in their first year as a separate series, accounting for roughly 37% of all Cadillacs sold. The 1960 Cadillacs had smoother, more restrained styling. General changes included a full-width grille, the elimination of pointed front bumper guards, more restrained use of chrome trim, lower tailfins with oval-shaped nacelles, and front fender-mounted directional indicator lamps. De Villes were distinguished by special script nameplates on the rear fenders. Four-window and six-window hardtop sedans were offered again. Four-window sedans featured a one-piece wraparound backlight and flat-top roof. Six-window sedans had a sloping rear window and roofline. Standard equipment included power brak

Second generation (1961–1964)

Cadillac was restyled and re-engineered for 1961. The new grille slanted back towards both the bumper and the hood lip, along the horizontal plane, and sat between dual headlamps. New forward slanting front pillars with non-wraparound windshield glass were seen. The revised backlight treatment had crisp angular lines with thin pillars on some models and heavier semi-blind quarter roof posts on others. De Ville models featured front series designation scripts and lower body "skeg fins" trimmed with a thin, three-quarter-length spear molding running from behind the front wheel opening to the rear of the car. Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, dual backup lights, windshield washer, dual speed wipers, wheel discs, plain fender skirts, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows and 2-way power seats. Rubberized front and rear coil springs replaced the trouble prone air suspension system. Four-barrel induction systems were now the sole power choice and dual exhausts were no longer available. A new 7 in (18 cm) shorter rear-decked four-door Town Sedan hardtop appeared mid-season. A mild facelift characterized Cadillac styling trends for 1962. A flatter grille with a thicker horizontal center bar and more delicate cross-hatched insert appeared. Ribbed chrome trim panel, seen ahead of the front wheel housings in 1961, were now replaced with cornering lamps and front fender model and series identification badges were eliminated. More massive front bumper end pieces appeared and housed rectangular parking lamps. At the rear, tail lamps were now housed in vertical nacelles designed with an angled peak at the center. A vertically ribbed rear beauty panel appeared on the deck lid latch panel. Cadillac script also a

Third generation (1965–1970)

As it had been since De Ville became a separate series, De Ville denoted Cadillac's mainstream model, falling between the Calais (which had replaced the Series 62) and the Sixty Special and Eldorado. The De Ville was redesigned for 1965 but rode on the same 129.5-inch (3,290 mm) wheelbase. Tailfins were canted slightly downward, and sharp, distinct body lines replaced the rounded look. Also new were a straight rear bumper and vertical lamp clusters. The headlight pairs switched from horizontal to vertical, thus permitting a wider grille. Curved, frameless side windows appeared, and convertibles acquired tempered-glass backlights. New standard features included lamps for luggage, glove, and rear passenger compartments, as well as front and rear safety belts. Power was still supplied by the 340 horsepower 429 cu in (7,030 cc) V8, which would be replaced by the 472 cu in (7,730 cc) for 1968. Cadillac dropped the X-frame and used a new perimeter frame. Pillared sedans appeared on the De Ville series for the first time, while six-window hardtop sedans were dropped. A padded vinyl roof was a $121 extra-cost option on the hardtop model. All four DeVille models had small "Tiffany-like" script nameplates on the ends of their rear fenders just above the chrome side molding. In 1966, changes included a somewhat coarser mesh for the radiator grille insert, which was now divided by a thick, bright metal horizontal center bar housing rectangular parking lamps at the outer ends. Separate rectangular cornering lamps replaced the integral grille extension designs. There was generally less chrome on all Cadillac models this year. De Ville scripts were still above the rear tip of the horizontal body rub moldings. Cadillac crests and V-shaped moldings at the front and rear were identifiers

Fourth generation (1971–1976)

As with all GM full-size lines, the De Ville was completely redesigned for 1971. The new GM full-size bodies, at 64.3 inches (1,630 mm) front shoulder room (62.1 inches [1,580 mm] on Cadillac) and 63.4 inches (1,610 mm) rear shoulder room (64.0 inches [1,630 mm] on Cadillac) set a record for interior width that would not be matched by any car until the full-size GM rear-wheel-drive models of the early to mid-1990s. Pairs of individually housed squared-off headlamps were set wider apart. The V-shaped grille had an eggcrate style insert and was protected by massive vertical guards framing a rectangular license plate indentation. A wide hood with full-length windsplints, a prominent center crease and hidden windshield wipers was seen. A Cadillac crest decorated the nose and new indicator lamps appeared atop each front fender. Horizontal beltline molding ran from behind the front wheel housing, almost to the rear, stopping where an elliptical bulge in the body came to a point and where thin rectangular side markers were placed above and below the chrome strip. The rear wheel openings were again housed in fender skirts. Tail lamps were of the same type as before but were no longer divided by a chrome bar. Long horizontal back-up lamps were set in the bumper, on either side of a deeply recessed license plate housing. DeVilles were set apart visually by thin bright metal rocker panel steps and signature script on the front fenders bearing the series name. The bottoms of the rear fenders were decorated with a bright metal beauty panel that was wider than the rocker panel strips and blended into the molding running along the bottom of the fender skirt. The standard engine remained the 472, however, in line with GMs edict for all engines to run on unleaded fuel, the compression r

Fifth generation (1977–1984)

1977 was Cadillac's 75th anniversary, and saw the introduction of the downsized DeVille coupes and sedans. These new cars featured a higher roofline, resulting in a vehicle that was over 9 inches (230 mm) shorter, 4 inches (100 mm) narrower, and 1/2 ton lighter than the previous year, but with a larger trunk and more headroom and legroom. These were also the first DeVilles ever to be marketed without fender skirts over the rear wheels. The old door pull straps returned for 1977-80. The 500 in3 V8 (which produced 190 horsepower) was replaced for 1977 by a 180-horsepower 425 in3 V8 variant of similar design. The reduction in size and weight was implemented to improve fuel economy and emissions in response to the United States Federal Government's passage of Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations. For 1977, the lineup included the two-door Coupe de Ville for US$9,654 ($51,292 in 2025 dollars ) and four-door Sedan de Ville for US$9,864 ($52,408 in 2025 dollars ). The $650 d'Elegance package, an interior dress-up option carried over from the previous generation of De Villes, continued for both models. 3-sided, wrap-around tail lamps were a 1977 feature only. Coupe de Ville's popular "Cabriolet" option, priced at $348, included a rear-half padded vinyl roof covering and opera lamps. An optional electronic fuel-injected version of the standard 7.0-liter powerplant, adding 15 horsepower (11 kW), was available for an additional $647. Sales figures were 138,750 Coupe de Villes and 95,421 Sedan de Villes for an all-time sales record of 234,171 De Villes sold. In addition to a redesigned grille and hood ornament, 1978 saw slim, vertical tail lamps inset into chrome bumper end caps with built-in side marker lamps (Cadillac would retain this "vertical tail lamp inset" design fea

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Cadillac DeVille
Manufacturer: Cadillac
Production: 1958–2005
Model years: 1959–2005
Class: Full-size luxury car
Layout: FR layout (1959–1984), Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive (1985–2005)
Predecessor: Cadillac Series 62
Successor: Cadillac DTS