1989 Cadillac Brougham - One More "Daddy's Caddy"

 

1989 Cadillac Brougham 

You've got to hand it to Cadillac; in the last ten years and especially the last five, they've really bridged the gap between themselves and BMW and Mercedes. Lexus too, while we're at it, but GM likens Buick to being on the same deck with Toyota's luxury division.

This pristine 1989 Cadillac Brougham is a prime example of why Cadillac has had to play the catch up game in the first place.

 

 

                                                                                    1989 BMW 635 

 

Driven back to back with a BMW or Mercedes of the same vintage, I find it hard to believe anyone would pick the Cadillac. But folks did. In droves. GM kept building these cars as long as there was a market for them. Who were those people? My father, for one. He thought this car the epitome of class, the ultimate "you have arrived" car. "Look at me, I got a Caddy!"

Hmm, kay, Dad. He was a World War II veteran born in 1923. Cadillacs like this was his generation's prized automobile.

 

                                                                            
                                                                               1979 Cadillac deVille
 

Dad's "Look At Me" was a 1979 Sedan deVille (same car  as our white '89 here save for the engine, transmission and minor styling details). I loved the styling and the sheer size of it but found it sluggish, unresponsive and tiring to drive on long trips. 

 

Even as early as 1979, GM was losing luxury car shares to European makes. Lexus and Infiniti were still a decade off.

The leather interior cheapened by a forest of plastic wood trim. My mother would hear none of my hearsay when I'd tell her that it was nothing more than a "fancy" Chevy. Actually, I liked the Chevy better.  

 

 

I wouldn't mind spending an afternoon tooling around in this old faux limo. AC cranking, seats reclined in some ridiculous angle. Slamming the gas pedal to the floor at red lights and seeing the hood ornament nudge slowly upwards. A trip down memory lane. 

After a significant styling update and power train upgrade for 1993, GM finally signed off on the DNR for their big boat in 1996.