Poll: Which Cadillac? (2/1-2/2021)

I have minimal interest in this era of cars but of these two I would definitely go with the '76.  I never cared for the shrunk Caddy look.

Eisenhower stated "what is good for America is Good for General Motors and vice-versa" which marks the golden days that these Cadillacs descended from. As the article states, each were valuable contributions to their time, but let's be honest, ten years in that descent is a big fall!

The 1976 says Cadillac out loud and proud. 

Sadly by 1976, I'd pretty much lost interest in any car offered from the Big Three.  And certainly by 1986 I cared even less for the styling of any of them.  I live with my memories of the 40's through 60's when every car from every company was fun to look at, fun to drive, and fun to own.  

1976 was the last year for the full size Cadillac. For me, FOMOCO was the star of the show starting in 1986.

To me, the 1976 was the last of the Standard of the World Cadillacs.  I did come to later like the downsized '77 through '79, though, and would enjoy having one today.   I absolutely hated the shrunken '85 deVille and Fleetwood, plus the '86 Eldorado and the '86 Seville.  To me, this was the beginning of the end for Cadillac.  It was also when GM's cookie cutter styling took off.  Another problem for Cadillac in the 1980s was their problematic and anemic engines: the V8-6-4 (L62), the HT4100, and the 105 hp Olds diesel that they borrowed.  I almost bought a new triple-white 1985 Eldorado with the HT4100.  I wanted that car so bad.  It would have been my first Cadillac but it  was a few thousand over what I could afford at the time.  Thankfully, as it turned out. 

Sorry John, but for the first time I have not been able to choose either one. To me, they came at a time when I decided vehicles like this were too big outside, for the space that was inside them. I moved to a more compact preference, leaving Cadillacs to those who appreciated them.

@al_dorado, that 4100 was an absolute nightmare. No aftermarket warranty company would touch it regardless of how many miles the car had.  

Posted by: @jkuvakas

@al_dorado, that 4100 was an absolute nightmare. No aftermarket warranty company would touch it regardless of how many miles the car had.  

I remember those motors. Go figure, today cylinder deactivation is standard for performance cars like Camaro and Corvette.

1976... last of the boats.

I loved the '76 Cadillac then and still do, I was 15 when it came out and I thought Cadillac had just about issued perfection. I've driven one a few times that belonged to a friend, but never got around to owning one myself. It was not high performance in any way, but boy it rides the road like a dream. 

And now for the '86, I never cared for that style or the look, but my Aunt did. Aunt Do always drove the best cars my whole life. When I was about 6, she had a '66 Riviera and a '62 Impala 4dr Hardtop. Both wonderful, later her two '73 Rivieras were incredible. Anyway, she traded her '83 Toronado for a new '87 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, the Toro was a nicer car, but Aunt Do always wanted something different every couple of years. It was actually a very nice driving car., she liked it a lot and hung onto it until she traded for a '92 Couple de Ville. That was an even better driving car, it looked better to.  The '92 was her last car, she and I did test drive a '95 Riviera, but she said it just didn't hold a candle to the Cadillac, when she passed in 1997, the Cadillac was still in her garage. 

@jcarnutz

Love your story, John. Sounds like your Aunt Do was a true car person.