Vehicle Description
We know the "compact" Cadillacs are a love-it-or-hate it
proposition, the debate rages on every time a smaller car like the
Cimarron or Catera is introduced by GM flagship make, but that's
also why we'd put cars like this beautifully preserved 1989
Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan (STS) on our list of future
collectables. Offered as a Limited Edition car with only 1,893 STS
cars built in '89, the design has actually aged pretty well over
the years and finding a low-mile example like this is not so easy
(it's estimated that only 60 of these cars remain today), making
them an affordable way to own something both rare and
collectable.
There's no doubt that the 97,786 miles shown on the odometer of
this elegant STS are authentic and the condition really bears this
out. That's original White Diamond paint (one of only 4 colors
available for the STS, and it's arguably the best-looking) on the
bodywork and while it's showing a few very minor signs of age,
along with a couple small areas that look to have been
professionally re-touched to a very high standard, it shows
incredibly well in person with a depth and luster that really pops
thanks to pearlescence and metallic flake buried underneath the
thick clearcoat. Lighter colors like this work particularly well on
the Seville's redesigned rounded edges and aerodynamic aesthetic,
giving it a luxurious, yet much more subdued look that certainly
suits its upscale mission. STS exclusive features include a
dramatically designed front fascia punctuated by a specialized
grille with the iconic wreath-and-crest Cadillac badge integrated
in the center, a color-matched lower air dam, side moldings, and
side mirrors, a matte black export license plate surround, and a
special cloisonne trunk lock cover that matches the badge up front.
Up front you get matte black impact pads integrated into the front
bumper, with similar vertical guard inserts found in the rear
bumper, and the chrome trim that wraps around those bumpers is in
really great shape, with the parking lights and directional signals
flush-mounted up front, and red reflectors incorporated in the
rear. Euro-style headlights were very popular in the late-'80s and
early-'90s and they suit this sporty 4-door perfectly, while the
three-color Euro lenses out back are the perfect endcap. The result
is a unique car unlike anything that Cadillac had ever built and
even though the design didn't last long, it still looks timeless
today. And thanks to excellent build quality and conscientious
ownership throughout the years, this STS still looks fantastic
today.
Matching Beechwood leather works beautifully on a car that lets the
sheetmetal styling speak for itself. Many Cadillacs from this era
had such gaudy colors that it was hard to take them seriously, but
for a collector, a timeless combination like this is what you want.
The ultra-soft leather seats are in excellent shape with
appropriate signs of use and age (mostly just light wrinkles in the
front seats) but certainly no damage or any evidence of neglect,
and the front buckets are 12-way power actuated with manual
articulating headrests. The same great condition goes for the
Beechwood Thaxton carpets and floor mats, the elegant door panels,
center console, and the rear bucket seats that look almost
completely unused. There's a lot of high-gloss elm burled wood trim
inside this Cadillac, and it actually looks great against the light
tan upholstery, with a high-class look you'd expect in a Rolls
Royce. The industry's fascination with digital instrumentation hit
its peak in 1989, but all the gauges here are fully functional and
light up bright green when you turn the key, just ahead of that
beautiful leather-rimmed steering wheel that is also accented in
woodgrain. And everything was standard, including automatic climate
control, power windows, locks, mirrors, and seats, a tilt column,
cruise control, and a great-sounding Delco/Bose AM/FM/Cassette
stereo. Even the trunk was finished nicely with matching Beechwood
tara upholstery, and there's enough storage space to account for
any long-distance trip.
Cadillac's sturdy 4.5 liter V8 lives under the hood, and while it
won't win any drag races, the numbers-matching drivetrain has
proven to be reliable over the years and is as smooth as anything
else you'll ever drive. The 3rd generation Seville's featured the
world's first computerized engine management system, and because
that ECU paired with electronic dashboard so seamlessly and
accurately, the innovation was copied by other car makers for
years. The engine bay is quite original and in excellent shape with
plenty of evidence of proper maintenance over the years. It starts
easily with a muted V8 burble from the single exhaust pipe and the
4-speed automatic overdrive transmission turning the front wheels
makes for effortless highway drives. The STS' biggest claim to fame
was how well it performed on the road with its Euro-inspired FE2
touring suspension underneath, which had been further refined in
1989 for precise power steering, firmer control of the road, and
excellent stopping performance thanks to the power 4-disc anti-lock
brakes. 15-inch cast aluminum wheels are part of the package and
come wrapped in 215/60/16 blackwall radials.
Offered with several original manuals, this low-production, limited
edition 'modern classic' might be the coolest Cadillac you've never
heard of. But drive it once and you'll never forget it. Call
today!
