Quintessential Cadillac - 1978 Cadillac Coupe de Ville

A car for every purse and purpose," was Alfred Sloan's vision for General Motors during his tenure with the company. Before it broke down thanks to too much badge engineering, the rigid divisional structure he created in the 1920s guided GM to be not only the world's largest automaker, but the world's largest corporation.

The shining jewel atop that hierarchy, of course, was Cadillac, the self-proclaimed "Standard of the World" to which all other automobiles were compared.

The crisis of American confidence that took hold in the 1970s would eventually lay waste to the Cadillac division, though many would argue it has risen to new heights today. Before that, however, the nameplate could be counted on to build models that conformed to styling and marketing trends with deep roots. Perhaps no car better symbolizes those old Cadillac philosophies than the final generation rear-wheel-drive de Ville.

The de Ville name comes from carriage manufacture and implies a handsome, luxurious conveyance for use in town. As a Cadillac appellation, it goes back to the 1949 Coupe de Ville, Cadillac's pillarless hardtop body style in the Series 62 model, itself named after a Motorama dream car based on the high-luxury Series 60 Special. The de Ville remained an upmarket variation on the pedestrian (for Cadillac) Series 62 until 1959 when the Coupe and Sedan de Ville obtained separate-model status.

From then until the 1980s, when Cadillac began to change its image in response to the inroads of European and Japanese luxury brands, the de Ville was something of a bellwether for the company. In 1978, Cadillac brochures identified Coupe de Ville as "America's favorite luxury car." When it shifted to front-wheel drive in 1985, leaving only the Fleetwood constructed in the old style, the old days were clearly gone at Cadillac.

Michael Signorile, of Staten Island, New York, got his taste for Cadillacs young, back when Cadillac was unabashedly a large, powerful, cushy American car--upstart Seville notwithstanding. At the tender age of eight, he took a ferry ride with his grandfather to Brooklyn. Disembarking in the Bensonhurst neighborhood, young Michael was struck by the concentration of GM's crown jewel.

"When we got off the train, Cadillacs were all around," he reminisces, "And that's how the love affair got started. From that point on, I always wanted a Coupe de Ville."

In particular, Michael notes, he wanted one built in the late 1970s. "The design and shape, to me, are perfectly proportioned. Not as big as the 1976 Cadillacs, the '77 to '79 models were downsized."

The new Cadillacs at that time were the fifth generation of the de Ville model, sharing the C-body platform with the Buick Electra and the Cadillac Fleetwood. The reduced size helped General Motors meet the upcoming Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, 18 mpg for 1978, as did the 425-cu.in. V-8, a reduced-bore version of the monstrous 472-cu.in. V-8 used in 1968-'74 de Villes.

The 425 V-8 was short-lived, replaced for 1980 by a further-necked-down 368-cu.in. V-8, which would find itself saddled with underdeveloped cylinder shutdown technology the next year. While the fifth-generation de Ville would continue in production through the 1984 model year, it was never really the same after the 1979 model year.

The 425 V-8, in carbureted form, was rated at 180 horsepower, only 10 fewer than the 500-cu.in. V-8 it replaced. The slight loss of power compared with the approximately half-ton reduction in weight made for little reduction in performance, but the consumer of Cadillac products in the late 1970s was not so much concerned with power as luxury.

The de Ville continued to deliver its traditional opulence in spades. Standard features for 1978 included the robust Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic transmission, automatic climate control, power windows, an AM/FM signal-seeking stereo ("with Scanner and Disappearing Antenna!"), six-way power seat and the classic Cadillac crest, standing proud out front.

All of that was what Michael was looking for when he decided, as a 40th birthday present to himself, to seek out his own Coupe de Ville. At first, none of his leads panned out, but on a Sunday morning in October 2015, this one practically found him. "My friend Joey said 'Hey Mike, did you see that Cadillac?'" The car, located only five miles from Michael's house, had just appeared "down the beach from where all the car guys meet in Staten Island," with a for-sale sign in the window. Its original, 83-year-old owner had finally decided to part with his Canyon Copper Firemist 1978 Coupe de Ville. The seller told Michael "he was happy it went to a true Cadillac enthusiast."

Michael's appreciation for the marque runs deep. Originally hoping to find a white de Ville, he's quickly come to appreciate the Canyon Copper color, thanks to its rarity. He also enthuses about the car's all-original condition.

"What I really love about this Cadillac is its originality. It was never really touched except for maintenance. Nobody ever cut the radio out as so many of these models were. It still has the original Delco eight-track tape deck and it still works."

The ride is also a time warp, both physically and psychologically. "When I get behind the wheel of this Coupe de Ville, it takes me back to a simpler time, and being surrounded by all that body makes me feel safe," Michael said. "It's so nice to get compliments from other people on the road--it reminds them of years ago."

"The car handles and steers like a typical Cadillac. You can turn the wheel with one finger, and the transmission shifts very smoothly. The front disc/rear drum brakes stop well, but I don't take any chances."

That cautious approach--to preserve and maintain the car's originality--also applies to how Michael cares for the Cadillac, treating it to a biannual oil change and protecting the original paint, Elk Grain vinyl roof and Antique Mulberry leather upholstery with Meguiar's and Mothers products. He is also planning to replace the rear body filler panels ahead of the bumper, along with the rear shocks and springs, soon.

This Cadillac is driven about 500 miles per year, on Sundays between April and October. It's a rolling piece of Cadillac history and Michael is striking a balance between experiencing--and enjoying--that history and preserving it for future generations. However, on the street may be the only place you'll get to see Michael's Coupe de Ville, as he says he hasn't entered it into any car shows.

"To me," he says, "the award is the car."