The 1981 experiment with improving the fuel mileage of the old 6.0L Cadillac V-8 via the means of selective cylinder deactivation had been a debacle.
It had also been something of a stopgap because the 1982 model year saw the introduction of the HT4100 V-8, the first all-new Cadillac engine since the Sixties. The HT4100 had been slated for an '83 rollout, but the V4-6-8 fiasco caused it to be rushed to market.
The "HT" stood for High Technology, and by Caddy standards of the day I guess a throttle body fuel injected 4.1L pushrod V-8 with an aluminum block and cast iron heads was sorta high tech. The little 249 cubic inch motor sent 125 SAE net horsepower to the front wheels through a four-speed automatic. This small herd of ponies was tasked with towing over 3,700 pounds of luxury coupe down the road.
Car and Driver tested one in Touring Coupe trim and recorded a dismal 15.2 second slog to sixty. It needed 20.2 seconds to complete a standing quarter mile, staggering through the traps at 68 miles per hour. Top speed was only 92.
Base price for an '82 Eldo was $18,716, or about sixty-two grand in current dollars.
Cadillac was not officially back in the convertible business yet in 1982, but aftermarket conversions by companies like Hess & Eisenhardt or ASC are not uncommon. The convertible top on this Sable Black Eldorado had not held up well. The mildew smell was noticeable from thirty feet away and was strong enough that it probably prevented tailgating.
It was photographed in September of 2016 using a Nikon Coolpix P7000.
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