Alright then… Audience participation is mandatory this time… When thinking of the worst Cadillac ever produced, does the name Cimarron come to mind? If you answered yes, let me tell you why you are wrong. The Cimarron really wasn’t a Cadillac at all, nor was the Catera that followed, nor was the Europe only BLS. These were cars produced at desperate times from other, more pedestrian models to fill a need within the Cadillac Division. They were not any worse than their contemporaries, just a bad marketing decision. My take is that the real damage to Cadillac was Cadillac only engineering that almost doomed the mark, from the horrible V8-6-4, to the 4100 V8, and the forgettable styling during the 1980s. The Cimarron was actually a very good Cavalier, especially when equipped with the 2800 V6. So let’s take a look at two Cavalier er Cimarron Sedans to see if they have any redeeming value.
I have read a great deal of articles within the Automotive Blogosphere, and when it comes to the Cadillac Cimarron, most writers simply use the same old, tired, and rehashed fluff counter-culture statements that the Cimarron was a failure, that it was laughable as a Cadillac, and it always finds a spot on any of the “worst” lists that seem to be a staple on the web. Mark my words… These will become Collectible Curiosities in a few short years. Why do I say this? Because so many of them have already been recycled into Chinese Refrigerators or Micro-Wave ovens, and there are very few left in any relevant condition. Well, there are at least two fairly nice survivors for sale right now…
The seller states that this is a 1986 Cimarron, but curiously it looks to have a 1985 front end (Separate Headlamps instead of single composites on true 1986 models), and this one is dressed with all the overwrought details almost every mid 80s Cadillac seemed to be dressed in. According to the listing:
These are great cars. You get the best of both worlds with these cars. You get the luxury of a Cadillac but you also get the size and fuel economy of smaller compact car. This car has the 2.8L V6 engine which makes this car plenty powerful but also allows the car to get over 30MPG’s. This car is a 1 Owner that only has 70K Original Miles on it. That is super low on a car like this. This car fires right up and runs, drives, and shifts great. It just cruises down the road very nice and rides like a Cadillac. Under the hood and undercarriage are clean and dry as can be. Make sure to watch the video I do a complete walk around of the car inside and out and even take it on a test drive.
The exterior of this car is very nice but not perfect. It is a metallic bluish silver in color and has red pin striping and a very nice darker vogue top. The paint is nice and has a nice shine to it. The top surfaces do show some signs of fading. Other then a dent on the back passenger side this car is straight and clean. All of the chrome and trim on the car is nice and the chrome just shines in the sun. It has the chrome racks on the trunk lid which I think look cool and it has a full vogue top. This really is a nice looking car. The factory wire wheel covers are in very good condition and show very little road wear and look great on the car.
With over eight days to go for this auction, the Buy-It-Now price is $3,650. It really is a cartoon character of what a real, full-sized Cadillac should be, from the Wire Wheel Covers, Whitewall Tires, and Carriage Roof, but that’s what makes this car so interesting. The V6 and Automatic are proven to be quite dependable, and it would make a great fashion accessory if you’re a young retrospective urban hipster with a sense of humor. See the listing here: [sc:ebay itemid=”310710471967″ linktext=”1986 Cadillac Cimarron Sedan” ]
This is a 1986 Cadillac Cimarron D’Oro, which was a very poor attempt at an upscale Gold Package. It was marketed as a higher trim package to the standard Cimarron, and was first introduced for the 1983 model year, still two years before a proper V6 would be offered. The D’Oro package did away with your typical Cadillac Filigree, and was equipped with Gold and Silver Alloys, a toned down exterior, and a muted color pallet of either Black, White, or Silver. No White Wall Tires, No Wire Wheel Covers, and unless the dealer installed one, no Carriage Roof. According to the listing:
You get the best of both worlds with these. You get the convenience of driving a smaller compact car that gets really good gas mileage but you also get a fully loaded luxury Cadillac. This is a very nice car that hardly has any miles on it. It is a 1 Owner Car that only has 38K Original Miles on it. That is hardly broke in on a car like this. The gauge cluster didn’t always work so we replaced the dash cluster and it now works perfectly and the miles show about 1,400 miles less then the car actually has. It reads 37,080 now and the actual miles are 38,500 miles. It has the 2.8L V6 engine which gives this car plenty of power and still gets over 30MPG. This car fires right up and runs, drives, and shifts great. It just cruises down the road nicely and everything on the car feels tight. Someone definitely took care of this car over the years and kept it maintained. Under the hood and undercarriage are clean and dry as can be. Make sure to watch the video I do a complete walk around of the car inside and out and even take it for a test drive.
The exterior of this car is beautiful. It is white in color with the gold package. The paint is in very good shape and has a very nice shine to it. The car looks like it was parked in a garage most of the time. These are very nice looking cars. This Cimarron is straight as can be. All of the trim and mouldings are in very good condition and and dry and look great. The factory wheels are in very good condition and don’t show a lot of road wear. The car has a mismatch set of tires, the backs are different from the fronts. The tires are very nice and have I would say about 85% tread left.
With over eight days to go for this auction, the Buy-It-Now price is $5,200. Not quite as cartoonish as the other Cimarron, this still has a unique air of desperation, but i think this is a very unique vehicle. See the listing here: [sc:ebay itemid=”310710472284″ linktext=”1986 Cadillac Cimarron D’Oro” ]
Driving a Cimarron is like driving an Edsel or a DeSoto during the 60s… Everyone knew they were automotive failures, yet they were still a serviceable Chrysler or Ford under the unique styling, and there are certain individuals that get off on being noticeable. Look, there isn’t a chance in hell that there are other V6 equipped GM J cars that are as nice as these two, and the only thing that comes close to being automotive “Conversation Starters” would be something a little more exotic. So, what do you think of these “Not Real” Cadillac Models now?
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