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Did You Know The Cadillac Allanté Was A Pace Car? Neither Did We

The Cadillac Allanté is a peculiar footprint in the luxury brand’s history. Born in Detroit, partially built in Italy, the Allanté was to take on Europe’s finest luxury convertibles. As we all know, it failed to accomplish its mission.

But we have a very special Allanté here today. It’s a 1992 Cadillac Allanté pace car, which was present for the 1992 Indianapolis 500, for sale on Craigslist. The Allanté packed as much modern technology as it could into its convertible body with a 4.5-liter V8 engine under the hood. And all of that power found its way to the front wheels exclusively.

How much did this luxury set a buyer back in 1992? $58,470, or well over $120,000 in 2018 money. The Cadillac convertible proved a tough sell.

This example has 83,000 miles on the odometer and looks pretty darn clean from the photos provided. And for $7,000, you can ride in Cadillac’s cross between Detroit iron and Pininfarina design.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. Cadillac’s Allante is another reminder that Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen is out of touch by not developing a convertible version of Cadillac’s ATS; if Chevrolet could build a convertible version of the Camaro which shares the same chassis as Cadillac’s ATS then it should have been possible to build a convertible ATS coupe as well especially almost every major European luxury car company builds a convertible.

    Reply
    1. Yes that Convertible Allante really saved Cadillac. Buick has really taken off with theirs too LOL!

      Cadillac first needs to get the sedans to sell and then a coupe and then the Convertible is add on sales.

      You first need a model of car worthy of being made into a convertible.

      JDN needs to address the meat of the market not the fringe.

      To focus on niche products as your main Core products rot is just plain insanity.

      Reply
    2. I’m sorry, but how on Earth do you connect the two? That statement makes no sense.

      Reply
    3. Note too why would he make an ATS convertible since he will replace it with a new car.

      Your convertible could be there with the new model. He is not going to invest in the ATSas it is omits way out.

      I just don’t get the misplaced hate on a man we really have not seen his first work from yet.

      Hate him once you see his products so you at least appear legitimate.

      Reply
  2. I think you sell mundane sedans by having an appealing, alluring brand which is what Allante’ was all about. It created, although not entirely successfully, a halo for Cadillac. Its very presence made a Deville more desirable.

    The problem with what the current crew at Cadillachaus is doing is that they aren’t elevating the brand with any remotely interesting products. Rather with a small, low-priced Malibu-based CUV like the upcoming XT4, they are attempting to cash in on what little prestige is left in the Cadillac name. After the dull XT5, something head-turning would be nice. Alas, it doesn’t seem to be on the way. Instead another FWD box based on a GM corporate commodity car is coming to exploit the once-proud Cadillac name. I understand people are buying dull boxes now but if I were in the market for a dull box, I’d pick the one made by the same folks that also build i8’s, R8’s, or LC500’s. That’s exactly what Allante’ set out to do for Cadillac as the Reagan era was winding down. As is typical for GM, it was half-baked so it wasn’t entirely successful. Nonetheless, being an expensive two-seat convertible with an Italian body crafted by Pininfarina, and flown into Detroit by specially-outfitted 747 jets on the glamoursly christened Allante” Airbridge, it added an allure to the Cadillac brand that is missing today.

    Reply
    1. You have to earn respect before you sell a high end limited production car.

      If you do not do this you end up failing a number of times with cars that even if the are great cars they become cars that drop in value and in the long run hurt the image of the a Company.

      The Allanté failed and the XLR and XLRV failed. Even as good as the XLRV was in just a couple years you could buy one for $30k down from $100k and that only damaged the customer trust and Cadillac image.

      If you can not make the best in class cars in the core market then what right do you have to plunge a ton of money into a segment that people will say why should I buy your car when they became cars that could not even hold half their value.

      The whole Allanté program was a perfect reflection of poor management all the way around. The XLR was an example of Cadillac not holding enough image to earn the right to sell such a car and too many short cuts to making it world class.

      Finally Cadillac is a Sports car company? Never was. Their core and their history lies in world class touring cars. To day that will include world class CUV and SUV models.

      Reply
  3. Scott3,

    The XLR is a whole different story. It was, in my opinion, another of GM’s attempts to do a upscale product ‘on the cheap’. When it first came out, I was at the US Grand Prix where Cadillac proudly had the car on display and I overhead a passerby remark “Yeah, that’s nothing but a Corvette in drag right there”. I couldn’t help but laugh because that remark perfectly encapsulated what it was; a Corvette prettied up and acting like a Cadillac. I would argue XLR failed because it was inauthentic and everyone knew that. It was just another gussied-up Chevrolet even if it was at least based on their premier offering.

    Allante’ was a bit more special. It used the E-Body platform that underpinned the Eldkorodo and Seville and was not shared with any Chevrolet. Allante’ also used Cadillac exclusive engines rather than shared powertrains. The bodies were largely hand built in Italy and flown in on Alitalia jets where they were married to their platforms in Hamtramack. It’s shortcomings were in the top mechanism and being initially underpowered plus FWD was already being deemed an inappropriate layout for a luxury car. Despite the shortcomings, it was closer to ideal than XLR in my opinion. It had cachet, was unlike anything else in the GM portfolio and was a more genuine Cadillac.

    Reply
    1. You are part right but even done properly it would have failed.

      Expensive low volume cars do not save companies if everything else is Sh&t.

      Today the XT5 is a great little vehicle but it fails with an engine no different than my Acadia.

      You need to complete models and earn your way.

      Yes sports cars are fun but they are automotive meth that might get you all hyped up in the market but you fail to back it up and leaves you in some cases worst off as it focuses more on were you are failing and uses money you could be using to make the core better.

      Cadillac right now needs to address their cars to have Cadillac only engines even if they are tuned to their cars. No more engines from Silverados, Acadias or Cruise.

      Even if they had got the Allanté right they still would have had issues with the entire line of other cars. None of them were right or what they needed to be. They all were under funded and fell short of what they wanted.

      Independence and autonomy from GM and the GM board is what they need. The move to NYC. Was to provide this. Will see if it works soon.

      Reply

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