1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

As most people know, this car represents the last year of the full size GM Body on Frame car.  A car that is certain never to be built again in light of the higher profit margin unibody cars now made.  This is also car that will outlast time. You see so many old cadillacs built on the chassis still going strong 40+ years later and still original.  Most of these cars were labeled as old designs, aging platform, low technology, etc.  They did not cater to the younger and hipper crowds.  Yes, they are old designs, one that dates back 50 years.. BUT looking at the big picture, is anything designed today actually better?  I have to say some things are, but putting a new "high tech" car to the test of time, I say no way.  It wont make it like one of these.

  GM has nothing today that will do what this car will other than going into a commercial truck.  Because of that, these cars have become strong collectors.   Look at it this way..... Tomorrow's cars like Corvettes will be faster and better than the top model they build today.  That you can guarantee. Even if its powered by electric power... It will be faster that the one made today!  You will never have the best one unless you trade it every year.  You will lose HUGE money doing that.  Its what the car makers want you to do!   Tomorrow's Cadillacs will be better than the models made today too BUT will they be as well made as the body on frame cars made from the 50s-90s?    Hard to say, but one thing is certain.... You CANNOT buy a car like this today new and it will probably never be done again.... when it does... it will be well over 100K to do it too as unibody has set the expected profit levels on the manufactures and price points on cars today.  Do you think they are going to give you more car for less in the future as they did on these models when they were made????  Right!

That is kind of my philosophy as to why these old cadillacs have actually started to achieve an appreciation that is growing as strong as Corvettes, muscle cars, exotics and more.  Its simply a car that will never come again.   Its the last of the dinosaur, if you want to put it that way.   The B and D body cars of this vintage were built here in Arlington Texas and this style ran from 93-96.  Things are bigger in Texas and we were proud these cars were build here from 88-96.  The Escalade is now built in Arlington. The D body is the Brougham, it is actually a longer car than the B body Caprice/Roadmaster/Impala, thus it has its own chassis, but as a whole 99% the same things using the LT1 Engine, the 4L60 Trans and the large 8.5 Diff.  94-96 have the LT1 power plant and are the ones to have of this body style, 93 carried over the 92 5.7TBI engine.  A good motor, but when you have the LT1, that TBI motor is overshadowed.  Too bad they did not have the LT1 in the 90-92 cars... You would have probably the best of all there.  The LT1 is great and powerful engine that puts these cars in a performance category most people did not know they were actually capable of.  It came with a high quality stainless steel dual exhaust system, optional oil cooling systems and many things that were carried from the 9C1 police platform. These items helped extended the service life beyond what any Cadillac past these have done.  Time has proven that the iron head motors used in these cars are better than the alloy head corvette LT1s too.

 Everyone has heard of the Impala SS, a modern collectible that did run pretty good for a large car.  The Impala is the same platform also built here in Texas.  Well the Brougham, Roadmaster and Caprice can do the same things as the Impala, some properly optioned ones actually better too!   Here is another interesting fact..... The Impala SS is considered by many as a very collectible car.  So much that if you wanted one brand new today, pick up the phone, pick one of the 3 colors they were made in, and you can get it....  They are out there saved in very high numbers.  That is not always a good thing for value as they are so plentiful.   Now try that with a Fleetwood........  Then try that with a 3X black Fleetwood Brougham.... The total production # for the Fleetwood was 12,596.  The Impala SS was 41,941.  Almost 4X!  The Fleetwood Brougham was also over $10K more new!   This was GM's King car and not a whole lot were saved... and FEW were optioned like this one!

As with many of my low mile cars, people always ask "is it for sale"  if so "how much".  Everything has a price of course and I am realistic when a good offer is presented, but on this one I am going to be rather proud of it for the obvious reasons.  To obtain this car, I paid a price that most people would come back and say "right", but it is what it is, I had to own it, it is probably the star car in my collection in terms of rare.   Not even my GT500KR, not even my 65 Riv, not even my 60 Eldo are as rare as this car.... They are only new once, and this is it.  No excuses, no ands, buts or or's.    It will be a price that will certainly make any interested party think twice as to ever put this car on a road.  It was bought as a collector, and that it will remain on my watch.  I always hate to make random claims on any car, but as a whole package, this is certainly the finest and lowest mile last year brougham on the planet.  Finding another like this is probably not possible, especially one that was bought new and saved specifically as a collector car.... but I have been known to be wrong too.  I always love to be proven wrong with the surface of an even better example!

Below, A tribute artistic photo to the last of the neat fiber optic indicators on the Cadillac.  This went out with the last Brougham here.