The name DeVille (also De Ville and de Ville) was used for many Cadillac luxury cars. After the Fleetwood model was discontinued, the Cadillac De Ville became the largest luxury sedan. The name De Ville has been replaced by the abbreviation DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) for the 2006 model year. The word “DeVille” in French means “city”. The car Cadillac DeVille was not just a vehicle, but also an attribute that demonstrated the position of the owner in society. The first model DeVille, released in 1949, was a two-seater coupe.
And in 1956, the Cadillac DeVille became a 4-door sedan. Both models were designed on the basis of the 62 series. Since 1965, the Cadillac DeVille has become the leading model among the Calais and Fleetwood models. It has been used for many years by various political figures, spiritual leaders, and it is not uncommon for him to be seen in movies. In 1968, the DeVille underwent a slight change in appearance, and the technical equipment was brought to new exhaust standards. In this regard, the car receives the V8 engine with a volume of 7.7 liters, the power of which was 375 hp.
In 1977, the first generation of the reduced Cadillac models with similar technical equipment for the Fleetwood and DeVille models was released. Models basically had minor differences in the interior trim and its level of equipment. The first models of the DeVille without skirts hanging on the rear wheels appeared in this generation. Also in 1977, the huge V8 engines with a volume of 8.2 liters replaced the V8 power units with a volume of 7.0 liters. And already in 1980, they were replaced by engines with disconnectable V8-6-4 cylinders with a volume of 6.0 liters and, as an option, diesel LF9 V8 Oldsmobile was offered with a volume of 5.7 liters.
But due to the unreliability of the electronic control of the V8-6-4 engine, its production lasted only until 1982. This year, two versions of the DeVille model were offered: a 2-door 2-seater coupe and a 4-door sedan. For them, an upgrade package d'Elegance was offered, which included the installation of chrome moldings and an exclusive salon. Also for the coupe model was offered a version with a hinged roof. In 1978, the car again underwent some external changes. Cars of this year have received a new grille, as well as parking lights built into the rear bumper. A special option package called “Phaeton” was also offered.
It was available for both the sedan and the coupe and included: an imitation of a folding roof, specially made for this model, tangent wheels (with steel wire knitting needles) and nameplates labeled “Phaeton”. The body colors for this package were the following: Cotillion White (with Dark Blue roof), Platinum Silver (with Black roof) and Arizona Beige (with Dark Brown roof). In 1979, the design of the grille is again updated. In 1980, the exterior design is completely changed.
The wheelbase and the interior of the car remain the same, but the steel body, he gets a completely new one. New trim side windows, new design of the grille. The sedan on the rack between the doors were installed small electroluminescent lamps. The chrome-plated plastic grille looked rather diplomatic and reminded Rolls-Royce style. The “Phaeton” option package was no longer offered for Cadillac DeVille models. As an option in 1980, a 4.2 liter V6 engine from Buick was offered. It was the first non-V8 engine from 1914 that Cadillac used in their cars.
The standard engine offered since 1980 was the V8 power unit with a volume of 6.0 liters. In 1982, the changes were minimal, namely the new grille. This option was later used until 1986. Also, the taillights received a new ornament, and as standard, new rims were installed.
But the main news from Cadillac was a new 4.1-liter V8 engine. The novelty was equipped with an electronic fuel injector, cast iron cylinders and aluminum block. This engine was paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission with an overdrive system. In 1985, the Cadillac DeVille was moved to a new C-platform with front-wheel drive from General Motors. The most remarkable thing is that the new versions retained the same spacious interior, as their rear-wheel predecessors, which were significantly larger. Under the hood was installed engine Cadillac HT4100 4.1-liter. The transversely located V8 was also still available in coupe and sedan versions.
In 1988, the main competitor to DeVille remained Lincoln, which, after the successful Town Car model, introduced the new front-wheel drive Continental to the market. In 1989, changes were made to the exterior of the DeVille and the cars (coupe and sedan) got a longer wheelbase (2,890 mm). In 1990, the telescopic property of the Cadillac DeVille steering column was removed (the possibility of changing the angle remained), but the airbag was installed. The engine was equipped with a new injection system with sequential injection. Such a system made it possible to increase the engine power of the HT4900 V8 with a volume of 4.9 liters per 25 hp.
Its power was 200 hp. An electronic chip (GM's PASS Key) was also installed in the ignition key, without which the engine could not be started. In 1991, the Cadillac DeVille new grille. In the standard, there were seats with memory.
By that time, Lincoln Continental was no longer a competitor to Cadillac DeVille. But there was also a new threat for Cadillac. This was due to the debuts in 1990 of two competitors: the car Lexus LS400 from Toyota and Infinity Q45 from Nissan. These were two excellent luxury sedans with an attractive appearance and the appropriate technical equipment. At the same time, Acura cars (a division of Honda for the production of luxury cars) became popular in the market. By 1994, sales of the 2-door version of the DeVille were greatly reduced, and its production was discontinued. The new version of the Cadillac DeVille was released only in the sedan.
This year, the sedan has been reworked in order to use the C-platform. On the same platform was produced Cadillac Seville. Unlike the Seville, the updated DeVille had a longer wheelbase (2891 mm). Production of the car was moved to Hamtramk, Michigan. It is worth noting that the market was offered 2 versions of the sedan, one of them was called the DeVille Concours, which, unlike the standard version, was equipped with a more powerful engine, namely the LD8 Northstar V8 with a volume of 4.6 liters, whose power was 270 hp.
used the old HT4900 engine up until 1996. And since 1996, the LD8 Northstar V8 was installed as standard, and the Cadillac DeVille Concours was equipped with an even more powerful powerplant L37 Northstar of 4.6 liters, whose power was 300 hp. In 1997, the Cadillac DeVille received minor changes. The salon has a new dashboard and OnStar satellite system, which includes the following useful features: GPS, cellular, emergency services call. Side airbags and a passenger airbag were also installed. Note that it was decided to remove the word Sedan from the name Sedan DeVille, since no other body variant was released.
In 2000, the first significant restyling was made since 1994. And this was the last generation Cadillac DeVille. The exterior of the 4-door sedan has been completely revised. The exterior has gained a new sporty, dynamic silhouette, and the aerodynamics of the car has been significantly improved. Inside, there are new seats and door panels. However, the dashboard has changed slightly. Also for the first time were used taillights based on LEDs, which are now widely used in luxury cars. Package options d'Elegance replaced the new package called Deville DHS (Deville High Luxury), which included options such as tinted rear window and rear seats with massage function and heated.
The DeVille Concours version was renamed to Deville DTS (Deville Touring Sedan) and was already equipped with such systems as stability control, active suspension, navigation system and steering with a variable gain level. Also in 2000, Cadillac introduced a new original night vision system for its cars, called DeVille's Raytheon. It was the first thermal night vision system offered by the automaker. Its popularity in the early years was high among Cadillac customers (sales were about 7,000 units per year), but by 2004 sales had fallen sharply (in 2004 only 600 systems were sold). In 2005, a total of 145 DeVille 'night vision systems were sold.
s Raytheon. This was due to the completion of the production of Cadillac DeVille. A series of cars called DeVille was completed in 2005. In 2006, it was replaced by the already renamed Cadillac DTS model (this abbreviation stands for DeVille Touring Sedan).
Together with the new name, the car received a new look.
