Cadillac has had a century to affix itself firmly to the fabric of American luxury. From its inception in 1902, it has stood at the forefront of automotive excellence, always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in automotive design and engineering.
Consequently, America’s automotive history is littered with groundbreaking Cadillacs that defined their era with groundbreaking features and powerful engines. The brand is just as synonymous with luxury as it is with robust engines, particularly the V8 mills of the 1950s. We celebrate 13 of the best, most historic Cadillacs ever made.
1959 Cadillac Eldorado
- Highlights: Towering Tailfins, Chrome Accents, V8 Engine
This Eldorado epitomized the extravagance and luxury of 1950s American automotive design. The car’s towering tailfins not only became a hallmark of Cadillac’s styling but also set the tone for the late 1950s automotive design. They were the largest ever produced, giving the car an unmistakable, commanding presence on the road.
You could say the ‘59 Eldorado was born an instant classic. Features like power windows, power brakes, and power windows are basic convenience features today but rare luxuries in the early 1960s, and the Eldorado had them – power seats and all.
1941 Cadillac Series 62
- Highlights: First modern OHV V8
This pre-WWII Cadillac set the brand’s design language for the next two decades, with sleek lines that deviated from the boxier pre-war styles and modern engineering.
More importantly, though, the 1941 Cadillac Series 62 was the first production car to feature the modern V8 engine – a pioneering 346 cu-in overhead-valve (OHV) V8 that produced a then-impressive 150 hp.
The Series 62 was also among the pioneers of the revolutionary “Hydra-Matic” automatic transmission, designed to make driving easier and supposedly more fun.
1967 Cadillac Eldorado
- Highlights: Cadillac’s First Foray Into Front-Wheel Drive Configuration, 7.0-liter V8
This is the first Cadillac bold enough to adopt an FWD (front-wheel-drive) layout instead of the dominant RWD (rear-wheel drive) drivetrains of that era. It was as bold a revolutionary engineering decision at the time as Chevrolet moving the Corvette to a mid-engine design in 2020.
As the mid-engined Corvette gained performance enhancements, the FWD Cadillac Eldorado gained expanded interior space, improved weight distribution, and better handling characteristics. Cadillac based the Eldorado’s FWD system on the Oldsmobile Toronado’s FWD platform, which it refined to achieve impressive road manners for such a large luxury car.
The heart was a burly 429 cu-in (7.0-liter) V8 producing 340 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, assuring effortless acceleration when called upon. This Cadillac flaunted hidden headlights tucked behind the front grille and had an overall more angular profile compared to the earlier models’ more baroque styling.
1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham
- Highlights: Hand-Built Luxury, Air Suspension, Memory Seats, Iconic Stainless-Steel Roof
The Brougham is one of the finest Cadillacs ever made, thanks to its spectacular showcase of hand-built ultra-luxury, technological innovations, and exclusivity. It was Cadillac’s overall finest at the time and one of the most expensive cars money could buy in America.
Boasting a starting price of $13,074 (like handing over $145,000 in 1957) made it even more expensive than a Rolls-Royce in the late 1950s. Cadillac built just 400 examples, each by hand, so the car was just as rare then as it is now.
That money paid for futuristic features that made the Brougham a technological marvel, including an air ride suspension system, memory power seats, a power-operated trunk, automatic door locks, an exclusive stainless steel roof, and a vanity set with magnetic whisky tumblers that could stick to the glove compartment lid to avoid spills.
2009 Cadillac CTS-V
- Highlights: Supercharged Power, Performance-Tuned Suspension
This one was born to rubbish the notion Cadillac is an “old man’s car that couldn’t sit in the same room with the likes of BMW and Mercedes AMG. It successfully redefined Cadillac as a performance brand, armed with supercharged power in one hand and a 6-speed manual shifter on the other.
The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V’s 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V8 (borrowed from the Corvette ZR1) propelled it to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds, an extraordinary feat for a 4-door sedan even for the late 2000s.
The V8 produced 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque, ultimately making it one of the fastest sedans comparable to the M5 and E63 AMG. We know this because it became the first production sedan to break the 8-minute barrier on the famous Green Hell when it set a Nürburgring lap time of 7:59. A performance monster that didn’t sacrifice luxury – that’s the CTS-V.
1930 Cadillac V16
- Highlights: The First V16, Silent Power, Hand-Crafted Interiors
This is the one that established Cadillac as a leader in luxury engineering during the Great Depression, and that’s not just because it was the first production car to field a V16 engine. The 7.4-liter (452 cu-in) unit produced a then-astonishing 165 hp, featuring overhead valves and twin carburetors.
While the V16 lived through the Great Depression, it was introduced just before the onset, a symbol of pre-Depression era prosperity or what historians call “the excesses of the roaring 1920s.” Cadillac spared no expense in the car’s design and execution.
Even the V16 engine was as pleasing to the eyes as it was technologically advanced. The engine’s precision engineering allowed it to deliver a quiet operation with minimal noise and vibration. The Cadillac V16 flaunted more than 70 different body styles with handcrafted interiors, allowing for a high degree of customization such that no two Cadillac V16s were alike.
1975 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
- Highlights: Burly V8, Plush Interior, Iconic Long, Low-Slung Body, First Cadillac Catalytic Converter
The 1975 Cadillac Coupe DeVille symbolized the finest in Cadillac luxury during the mid-70s. You’d be politically correct to describe the Coupe DeVille as synonymous with peak comfort at a time when American cars were known for their size and excess. You couldn’t do better than the DeVille in this aspect, not with its massive dimensions, oversized V8 engine, and opulent interior.
Sadly, the Coupe DeVille was also one of the last of its kind, thanks to the 1970s fuel crisis, which ultimately quenched consumer tastes in favor of smaller, more fuel-efficient brands. While the romance lasted, the 1975 Coupe DeVille flaunted a body nearly 20 feet long, emphasizing interior space, comfort, and opulence.
The crème de la crème who craved traveling in utmost luxury couldn’t do better than this car. It sat six passengers in plush bench seats, mesmerizing them in the cabin’s wood-grain accents, thick carpeting, and high-quality vinyl or leather upholstery. The heart was a burly 8.2-liter (500 cu-in) V8 producing 190 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque. It was less output than before, but enough.
2004 Cadillac XLR
- Highlights: 4.6-liter Northstar V8, Advanced Technology, Retractable Hardtop
The 2004 Cadillac XLR was a luxury roadster conceived to marry performance and Cadillac’s hallmark luxury. It would compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz SL and Jaguar XK. General Motors built it on the Corvette C6’s platform and even built it alongside the Corvette at the marque’s Bowling Green plant.
Unfortunately, the XLR couldn’t play both sides at the same time without deal-breaking sacrifices. The long list of convenience and tech features that were the hallmarks of a Cadillac ultimately made the car too heavy to compete with the LS V8-powered Corvette.
The XLR is nonetheless one of the most iconic Cadillacs ever made, even if it failed in its mission to become a luxury alternative to the Corvette. Its 4.6-liter Northstar V8 engine produced 320 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, allowing acceleration to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds.
1953 Cadillac Eldorado
- Highlights: The First of its Name, Hand-Built Luxury, Convertible, V8 Engine
All hail the 1953 Cadillac Eldorado, first of its name, King of the seven kingdoms of Luxuria. 1953 was the original debut year of the Eldorado nameplate, roughly four years before the Brougham was born.
The Eldorado was born an instant status symbol for the rich and very rich, a car that most people only got to see in Presidential parades. Cadillac built just 532 examples for that year, each by hand.
Of course, the Eldorado nameplate went on as Cadillac’s flagship for decades, representing perhaps the most prestigious and longest-running line in the brand’s history. The heart was a 210-hp 331 cu-in V8 mated to a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission to ensure an easy, relaxed driving experience.
2016 Cadillac ATS-V
- Highlights: Cadillac’s Answer to the BMW M3, 3.6-Liter Twin-Turbo V6, Agile Handling, Aggressive Design
Models like the CTS-V and ATS-V prove Cadillac’s finest do not all live in the distant past. The ATS-V was Cadillac’s resounding response to the Bimmer’s M3, which is saying something considering the M3’s decades-long tradition of intoxicating performance.
It pursued this goal with a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine mated to an optional 6-speed manual shifter or the standard 8-speed automatic. With 464 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque on tap, the ATS-V could square off with the best sports sedans in its class.
You could trace the car’s sharp handling and agile dynamics to its lightweight Alpha platform shared with the Chevrolet Camaro. Its Magnetic Ride Control system certainly helped as well. The ATS-V’s aggressive cosmetic elements were functional, from its distinctive front fascia to the large air intakes and sporty rear spoiler.
1992 Cadillac Seville STS
- Highlights: Modern Luxury, 4.6-liter Northstar V8, Fully Independent Suspension
The 1992 Cadillac Seville STS not only showcased Cadillac’s modern interpretation of luxury but also set a new benchmark for technology and performance in the 90s. Short for “Seville Touring Sedan,” the STS featured the marque’s Northstar 4.6-liter V8 engine, producing 300 hp.
The modern interpretation of Cadillac luxury was represented in cutting-edge tech features like traction control, an innovative air suspension system, and an advanced anti-lock braking (ABS) system.
Naturally, the interior boasted high-quality materials and comfort-oriented features, including leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and a premium sound system. The attention to detail is evident in the interior craftsmanship.
Ultimately, the 1992 Seville STS helped Cadillac reinvent itself for future generations. It successfully marked a turning point for an automaker working to shed its old image in favor of a more performance-oriented and technologically advanced brand in the early 1990s.
1965 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
- Highlights: Classic American Convertible, 429 Cu-In V8
This convertible is about a decade older than the Coupe DeVille and is a fast explanation of where the latter got its luxury heritage. Historians say the 1965 Cadillac DeVille Convertible quickly became the epitome of the 1960s automotive luxury, thanks to its epic combination of smooth power and unrivaled cruising comfort.
What more can Americans possibly ask for? Its heart was a 340-hp 7.0-liter (429 cu-in) V8 mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. The interior showcased the premium materials Cadillac was known for, and it was marked by a roomy cabin with leather upholstery, wood trim, plush power seats, power windows, and a modern audio system.
2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
- Highlights: Rare High-Performance Wagon, Supercharged V8, Manual Transmission
The 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon brought supercar-level power to the Cadillac lineup, effectively blending this performance with the level of practicality you can only expect from an estate. Hide the “V” from its name, and you have yourself a bonafide sleeper car motivated by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
It produced 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to race from zero to 60 mph in a brisk 4.7 seconds in a real-world testing by Edmunds. Some would consider the power transmission the best part of the CTS-V Wagon’s story.
It came standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox, while a 6-speed automatic came as a no-cost option. The 0-60 acceleration produced the same result with the manual and automatic, according to Edmunds.