Vehicle Description
When Cadillac unveiled the Allante, it was also an announcement
that they were once again serious about building high-end luxury
cars. With a body by Pininfarina and robust Cadillac mechanicals,
this 1992 Cadillac Allante was a beautifully built and stylish
machine. And it was priced accordingly, although GM probably lost
money on every single one, in large part thanks to the
custom-built, 747 airplane that had to haul 56 Allantes at a time
to- and-from Italy for finishing. Today, they represent a great
deal of luxury and performance for not much money.
This 1992 Cadillac Allante is an extremely clean specimen wrapped
in a highly desirable color scheme of bright red over black
leather. Euro White was almost the Allante's signature color, but
the factory Euro Red really brings out the chiseled good looks and
even driving them around today, you will find most people don't
realize it's 30 years old. As a hand-assembled car, panel gaps and
alignment are better than the rest of the Cadillac line up from the
era, and the beautifully preserved paint is truly worthy of a
$60,000 automobile. It's no longer perfect, but top driver quality
all the way, and much nicer than you'd expect from a 60K mile car
of this vintage. Details are clean and crisp, from the traditional
Cadillac grille up front to the slick clear taillights that
pre-dated the current trend by more than a decade. This baby comes
with both tops - a matching red removable hardtop and a black
canvas convertible top - and they're both in great condition, with
the canvas top folding neatly behind the seats where it is covered
by a hard shell.
Most Allantes were dressed with tan leather, but this one sports a
gorgeous black leather interior instead, and it's a spectacular
contrast to the paint. The Recaro leather seats are in great
original condition, and although they show some very minor comfort
marks and are a tad a bit stiffer than they were in 1992, they're
still all-day comfortable and look slick. Cadillac used the Allante
to explore new technology, and you'll find a set of digital gauges
(they're all fully operational and bright), as well as a computer
that will monitor things such as low fluids and even reminds you to
turn on your headlights. Automatic climate control was, of course,
part of the package, as well as a powerful Symphony Sound
AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo system that stills sounds great with the
top down. The seats have a comfortable, lived-in look, but no signs
of damage or neglect, the door panels are excellent, the carpets
are plush, and even the trunk compartment looks like new.
1992 was the final year of Cadillac's venerable 4.5 liter OHV V8,
which, in Allante trim, made 200 horsepower. Extremely reliable
(which can't be as confidently said about the Northstar motor that
would replace at the latter part of the year) and with enough power
to make the Allante a sprightly performer on the road, it's the
ideal traveling partner when the sun is shining and the top is
down. The engine is backed by a 4-speed automatic that delivers
crisp shifts and has quick reflexes for when you want to run fast,
something this car is more than capable of doing. Underneath, it's
very clean and shows no signs of rust or structural damage, owing
to careful ownership for the past 30 years. It fires up with a
subtle bark from the exhaust, which suggests power in a
sophisticated way, and pulls cleanly to speeds that'll get you jail
time in most states. Factory alloys are in excellent shape and
carry recent 16-inch Bridgestone radials.
A V8-powered, bright red 2-seater with every luxury feature
imaginable for under $20K? Nice! No, they didn't really unseat the
Mercedes SL as the convertible to own, but without the Allante,
it's doubtful that Cadillac would be enjoying their current
renaissance. Isn't it time to treat yourself to a luxury
convertible? Call today!
