Cadillac Allanté 1987-1993

[Matt]

Cadillac Allante

[Matt]

Cadillac Allante #2

[Revo]

Cadillac Allante #3

It is a very, very beautifully propotioned car, shame about the absolutely hideous interior

[Matt]

Cadillac Allante #3

It is a very, very beautifully propotioned car, shame about the absolutely hideous interior

and all the engineering and electrical problems...

[my porsche]

did i just see cadilac and beautiful in the saem sentence...?

[Matt]

did i just see cadilac and beautiful in the saem sentence...?

There have been many beautiful Cadillacs. Don't forget that at one time Cadillac was considered to the pinnacle of style and technology in the automotive world.

[Gt1Street]

There have been many beautiful Cadillacs. Don't forget that at one time Cadillac was considered to the pinnacle of style and technology in the automotive world.

in who's world ??? the fat american world ???
i know i sound just mean, but almost no one but the americans can understand the Caddilac Idea

[d-quik]

no appreciation for history clearly

[Revo]

in who's world ??? the fat american world ???
i know i sound just mean, but almost no one but the americans can understand the Caddilac Idea

I've never been in America. I'll never fully unterstand American way of thinking e.g. "bigger is better" or "more bling-bling". I am not particularly fond of American cars. Still, there are some Cadillacs that just take my breath way. Hence there must be (or was) something behind the Cadillac Idea that is universal.

[Matt]

in who's world ??? the fat american world ???
i know i sound just mean, but almost no one but the americans can understand the Caddilac Idea

Back in the 30s and 40s, such cars as the Cadillac V16 Phaeton were considered to be the ultimate cars. Uncomparable power, styling and strength.

[michmobi]

Hey, what year are those Allante's you have pictured? I'm looking for one with a retractable hard top which never made it into production but was a show car in the late 80's or early 90's at the Detroit auto show. Any tips?

[Guara0007]

A real nice car, but no wonder, it has a Pininfarina body.

[mister_playboy]

A fantastic exterior shape. I'd love to have a '93 with the Northstar engine.

[Duell]

Only one picture, it's a shame

[Ferrer]

The Allanté was a two-door, two-seater roadster manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1987 until 1993, with roughly 21,000 copies built over its 7-year production run. The Allanté's production had been planned at 6,000 units per year.

Development and production

Originally designed under the code name "Callisto", the Allanté competed with the Mercedes-Benz SL and Jaguar XJS. Allanté's 4.1 liter V8 was a slightly modified variant of the same engine used across Cadillac's model lineup. The body of the Allanté was designed and built in Italy by Pininfarina. The completed bodies were shipped 4,600 miles (7,400 km) from Italy in specially equipped Boeing 747s, 56 at a time, to Cadillac's Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant. The bodies were then mated to the chassis.

1987

The 1987 the Allanté featured a removable aluminum hardtop, the industry's first power retractable AM/FM/Cellular Telephone antenna and a multi-port fuel injected variant of GM's aluminum 4.1 L HT-Cadillac 4100 V8, along with roller valve lifters, high-flow cylinder heads, and a tuned intake manifold. The roadster featured an independent strut-based suspension system front and rear, Bosch ABS III four-wheel disc brakes and a complex lamp-out module that substituted a burned-out bulb in the exterior lighting system with an adjacent lamp until correction of the problem. The Delco-GM/Bose Symphony Sound System – a $905 option on other Cadillacs – was standard on Allanté. The only option was a cellular telephone, installed in a lockable center console.

1988

For 1988 the Allanté featured revised front seat head rests, and a power decklid pulldown as standard equipment. Analog instruments, in place of the standard digital dash cluster, were also now available as a no-charge option. The base price was raised to $56,533, with the cellular telephone still being the only extra-cost option.

1989

In 1989, the price rose to $57,183. Allanté's engine, the new 4.5 L V8, produced 200 horsepower, and with 270 lb·ft (366 N·m), it provided the most torque from any front-wheel-drive automobile in the world. Unlocking the trunk also unlocked the side doors – similar to Mercedes-Benz and BMW. As a theft-deterrent, Allanté added GM's Pass Key (Personal Automotive Security System), utilizing a resistor pellet within the ignition key that has the ability to render the fuel system and starter inoperative if an incorrect ignition key is used. Allanté also received a new speed-sensitive damper system called Speed Dependent Damping Control, or SD²C. This system firmed up the suspension at 25 mph (40 km/h) and again at 60 mph (97 km/h). The firmest setting was also used when starting from a standstill until 5 mph (8 km/h). Another change was a variable-assist steering system.

1990

In 1990 Cadillac offered a lower-priced ($53,050) companion model with a cloth convertible roof and without the removable aluminum hardtop — and a model including the hardtop at $58,638. By midyear, prices were dropped to $57,813 for the hardtop/convertible and $51,500 for the convertible — which included a $650 Gas Guzzler Tax along with $550 destination charge. The fully integrated cellular telephone, which was equipped from the factory on just 36 cars this year, was available for an additional $1,195. Allanté's bumper-to-bumper new car warranty, 7 years and 100,000 miles (160,000 km), was three years longer than other Cadillacs, and an additional 50,000 miles (80,000 km) of coverage. Allanté owners also received a special toll-free number to call for service or concerns. Headlamp washers and dual 10-way Recaro seating remained standard, among other niceties. A driver's side airbag was added to the leather-wrapped steering wheel, eliminating the telescoping steering wheel — which retained its tilt feature. The analog instrument cluster – introduced the previous year – was standard on the convertible (available at no extra cost on the hardtop/convertible), however, only 358 cars were equipped with the analog cluster. Technological news was the addition of traction control – the first front-wheel drive automobile in the world to be equipped as such. The elaborate system was able to cut fuel to up to four cylinders to reduce power and optimize traction. The electronically controlled shock absorbers were retuned to remain in "soft" mode for up to 40 mph (64 km/h). Previously, they entered "normal" mode after just 25 mph (40 km/h). A revised audio system allowed a compact disc player to be added as standard equipment, along with the cassette player. Of the 2,523 built for 1990, only five were exported – four to Canada and one to Germany. Allanté was available in eight colors this year, the most popular was Euro Red, found on 1,012 cars, while the least chosen was Gray Metallic, with only 28 made. Interior color choices (and production figures) were Charcoal Gray (1,343), Natural Beige (767), and Maroon (413).