The Saratoga Automobile Museum is one of New York State’s best-kept automotive secrets. A collection of some of the Empire State’s finest classic cars from an eclectic variety of origins. But of all the American cars for sale at auction in their collection, this 1979 Cadillac Seville with a coach-built body by Grandeur Motor Company of Florida might command the most attention.
Grandeur hasn’t sold a coach-built Cadillac body since 1989. But the design cues they imparted onto this Cadillac Seville with a 5.7-liter small block V8 under the hood still speak volumes. A full-sized spare wire wheel-and-dire covers on both sides of the car? That’s a bold move by anyone’s standards. Though some subjective tastes may find it’s a design cue that should have stayed in the 1930s, something is endearing about a zero-you-know-whats-given attitude to what’s supposed to be an eye-catcher of a custom car.
With the aforementioned small block V8 under the hood paired with a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic gearbox, this is a car that doesn’t bother with downshift highway pulls in the same way most enthusiastic driving style appreciators are used to. It’s meant to get up to a speed of no more than 70 miles per hour (112.65 kph) and then stay there all day long while lounging in supple Baby Blue leather so plush and supple it makes your couch at home feel like a ripoff.
Both front power seats work, as do all the power doors, the central locking, and the radio all work as they did in 1979. You’ll no doubt notice at this juncture that there’s what looks like three feet of bodywork separating the engine bay and the front grille, which in itself, you could fit a reasonably sized flat-screen TV inside. It’s as fitting of an ambassador to the stereotype of Floridians in the late 70s and early 80s as Miami Vice and Grand Theft Auto Vice City. Speaking of which, this car would fit into the GTA universe beautifully.