He flew all the way to Chicago to buy a 33-year-old Cadillac Brougham D’Elegance, which he plans to road-trip back home. Will he make it? He’s got more than 1,000 miles to drive. Anthony dragged his father on the trip to make sure that he does.
The Caddy was too precious to him. However, if he doesn’t drive it, he can’t see the point in keeping it. The car looks like it has never been used, let alone abused! It stands as proof of care.
The 1991 Cadillac Brougham D’Elegance is painted in Cotillion White, with a full vinyl roof, which the owner replaced at some point after it was caught by a hail storm. Considering how much the seller pampered and TLC-ed this car, the dents must have been a tragedy. However, he managed to do a complete PDR (Paintless Dent Repair), so the paint is still original.
Photo: Specialty Motor Cars | YouTube
The Cadillac features contrasting red pinstriping, with the white and red combo matching the interior. The dashboard and floor are covered in Carmine Red. Wood inserts are present in the dashboard and doors, while button-tufted sew-style leather covers the seats.
The original window sticker shows that the first owner paid $5,582 on options in 1991, bringing the final price of the vehicle to $36,387. It comes with an Astroroof, which was a $1,000 option and rides on wire wheels. The only one showing the normal signs of wear and tear for a car that is 33 years old is the central armrest. Anthony already has a replacement for it.
The Cadillac is powered by a 305-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) LV2 V8 engine, which generates 173 horsepower (175 metric horsepower) and 255 pound-feet (346 Newton meters) of torque. The V8 is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. It takes forever to reach 60 mph from a standstill: 11.4 seconds. Top speed is rated at 118 mph (190 kph).
Anthony is completely head over heels with the Caddy, but he already has four Broughams at home. He bought it but has no idea what he will do with it. All he knows is that he has no more space for any more vehicles.
Photo: Specialty Motor Cars | YouTube
On the way home, he will make a stop in Pontiac, Michigan. He got a call from a friend who invited him to see another Brougham D’Elegance that was last parked 18 years ago.
“Rusty and dusty” are the first words Anthony uses when he sees the car. Still under the impression of the car that he is road-tripping home, he isn’t really impressed by this one, so he decides to drive off and leave it there.
After 437 miles, Anthony pulls over for a night at a hotel in Oregano, Ohio. Besides, the Caddy needs some rest, too. The air conditioning doesn’t work properly, so he will need to find a solution for that once he gets home, which is still 11 hours away.
Before starting off, Anthony realizes that the rear badge is about to drop from the trunk lid, so he decides to remove it to avoid losing it along the way. He will glue it back on when he starts working on the Brougham.
Photo: Specialty Motor Cars | YouTube
1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) after they started on the road trip, they made it home. The 33-year-old Caddy upheld its reputation, taking them home in comfort, with not a single hiccup on the way, rolling at 75 (121), even 80 mph (129 kph).
All he needed to do was clean the wheels and the seatbelts and come up with new fillers around the rear license plate. Other than that, the armrest, and the AC not pumping enough cold air into the cabin, there is really nothing wrong with this time capsule.
Anthony finally discloses the mileage: it has an impressive 167,629 miles (269,772 kilometers) on the clock, with the numbers proving that it has never been a garage queen, even though it looks every inch like a very low-mileage car. He promised to sell it to someone who would love it as much as the one he bought it from.
