Vast Velour: 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 38K Miles – SOLD!

March 13, 2023, Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we can now call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

February 20, 2023 Update – The seller replaced their expiring Craigslist ad containing a $10,900 price with a new ad featuring a higher $11,500 ask.  While not back to the original ask of $14,995 in the summer of 2022, we would like to know the rationale for increasing their ask when the low price did not seem to attract any buyers over the past month.  

January 31, 2023 Update – After sitting out most of January following the expiration of their last ad, the seller published a fresh Craigslist ad for their 38,000 survivor-quality 1984 Cadillac.  In their latest listing, the seller lowered their asking price to $10,900, a significant drop from the original ask of $14,995.

December 4, 2022, Update – We confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride is “Sold?” until we come across a replacement ad.

November 2, 2022 Update – The private seller replaced their fourth expiring listing with a new ad. In it, the description and pictures remain the same. However, they elected to lower the asking price slightly to $13,500.

October 8, 2022 Update – The seller replaced their expiring listing with a fresh Craigslist ad. While the pictures, description, and already lowered $13,700 price all remain the same.

October 3, 2022 Update – After nearly one month without a sale, we confirmed that the seller lowered their asking price from $14,500 to $13,700.

September 12, 2022 Update – The private seller just replaced their expiring second listing with their third Craigslist in as many months.  While the pictures and description remain the same, the seller lowered their asking price by $499 from $14,995 to $14,500.

August 12, 2022 Update – We just confirmed the private seller of this 1984 Cadillac just replaced their expired Craigslist ad with a fresh listing. In it, the pictures, description, and asking price of $14,999 all remain the same.

Call me old-fashioned, but no car is more comfortable cruising the U.S. Interstate Highway System than a full-size, body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive, full-size American sedan. This 37,969 original mile, 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, initially listed in July 2022 in Spring Hill, Florida (Fort Meyers), is a classic, if somewhat underpowered, example in a beautiful blue-on-blue color combination. Besides featuring cold A/C and a fresh set of tires, the seller hints their Cadillac has an interesting history, but you’ll have to interview them to find out the details.

Last offered for $11,500 (the original ask was $14,999), Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the ask is well above the one-year rolling average of this guide’s summary for similar Fleetwood Broughams produced between 1977 and 1986.  By clicking on the green dots in the graph below, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you evaluate the price of the car featured here:

As a second data point, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask lands above this guide’s #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $13,475.

In 1977, GM significantly downsized its full-sized cars. Both The DeVille and Fleetwood Brougham rode on the same 121.5-inch wheelbase and were powered by the 425 cubic inch V8. This engine was basically a de-bored version of the 472/500 cubic inch V8 of previous years. Compared with the 1976 Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham, the 1977 Fleetwood Brougham had a wheelbase nearly one foot shorter and weighed nearly 900 pounds less. The new Fleetwood Brougham, which had lost its exclusive longer wheelbase, was now virtually identical to the lesser Sedan DeVille. Other than the name, there were only subtle exterior differences between a Fleetwood Brougham and Sedan DeVille. The interior of the Fleetwood was plusher and offered more features as standard.

In 1980, GM gave all of the full-sized B and C-body lines new sheet metal to tidy up the styling and improve aerodynamics.  The 425 cubic inch V8 was further de-bored for 1980-81 to 368 cubic inches in order to comply with newly-enacted CAFE standards. For 1981, the 368 was provided with a modulated displacement system designed by Eaton Corporation, controlled by a digital computer, which locked off intake and exhaust valves to two or four of the eight cylinders, thus running effectively as a V6 or V4 under light load conditions when in third gear, and over 35 miles per hour. This engine, dubbed “V8-6-4”, proved to be unrefined for smooth operation and it was dropped from all models but limousines after 1981. For 1984, Cadillac fitted their new aluminum HT4100, 4.1L V8 into their entire lineup.  Rated at only 135 horsepower, power by this time could barely be described as adequate.

While this Manufacturer’s video is from 1981, it still provides perspective on how little Cadillac changed the traditional Fleetwood Brougham during the 1980s:

While this HT4100-powered 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham won’t win any stoplight Grands Prix, by 1984 GM had worked the bugs out of the all-aluminum motor. The pictures of the car seem to indicate the original lacquer finish may be cracking on the hood and trunk areas. It’s still very presentable, just something to be aware of.

If you’re looking for a very comfortable car to enjoy Antique Automobile Club of America (“AACA”) Touring events, this might be the car for you.

Here’s the seller’s description:

Show or go: What would you do with this survivor-quality 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham?  Please comment below and let us know!