1995 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. Daily Driver
In 1993, GM decided to update the styling of its full sized cars, which despite facelifts, could be easily traced back to 1977. The Fleetwood for was the sole full sized rear-wheel-drive offering from Cadillac in 1993, when it made its debut. The styling was a combination of modern aero touches and retro Cadillac cues from the 70's. These cars are well loved by their owners, who rightly see them as one of the best cars to ever come out of GM, not to mention the last of the great ones.
I purchased mine from a man who moved from North Carolina to Connecticut and brought the car with him. It had 66,000 miles and was in excellent condition. Now, five years later, it has 120,000 miles and is still running as strong and looking good. It saddens me to use such a car in the bad weather, but I treat it carefully and life is too short for crummy and/or foreign cars.
Looking good in Calypso Green, a 95-96 exclusive color.
This story starts with the release of two special concept cars, the Voyage in 1988 and the Solitaire in 89.These concepts represented the latest in advanced luxury car design and many of their cues ended up on the 93-96 Fleetwood, not to mention the Caprice and Roadmaster. The Voyage, a black sedan, was designed by Jerry Brochstein. If you love these concepts like I do, watch Demolition Man. In addition to being an exellent Stallone/Sandra Bullock movie about the evils of political corectness, you get to see a portrayal of the future with these cars on the road.
Photo Essay: Fleetwood Brougham and its influences:
Above, Solitaire and Fleetwood, side by side. Notice the proportions and use of chrome on the lower body. On the Fleetwood, the plating was a chip and corrosion-resistant combination of nickel and chrome. Fleetwood used a cast aluminum wheel, available in chrome, that followed the look of the Solitaire.
Above, Voyage and Fleetwood, front views. While the Voyage Concept had a 4.4 liter engine with 200hp, the Fleetwood was powered by the terrific 5.7 LT-1, connected to the equally proficient 4L60-E transmission. This powertrain was the best of GM in the 90's.
Above: The Fleetwood interior, outfitted in Supersoft leather, brought to mind the lush surroundings of the 1974 Fleetwood Talisman. Unfortunately for owners of the 93-96, Supersoft leather was not as durable as the Sierra-Grain leather of the 70's and 80's.
