Times were changing and so were the Cadillac’s variable-displacement gasoline engine, this one of a kind engine could run the Cadillac’s engine on fluctuating V8, V6, and 4 cylinders, all depending upon driving conditions at any specific time.
The main idea behind the 8-6-4 engine was to conserve fuel, due to the rising costs of gasoline. This new automatic shifting in cylinders was a first for the Cadillac market and was standard on all 1981 Cadillac models except the Seville.
This new innovation allowed large luxury cars the ability to compete with smaller compact vehicles that offered the consumer fuel economy with little regard to comfort. Now, savings could be had with a large luxury vehicle. Not only could you save money on gasoline but you could do it in the comfort of a large vehicle that offered roominess and a smooth ride. Although the concept was innovative, the problems surrounding the new engine style was troublesome and proved to be rather costly for owners in the long run. As a result the 8-6-4 engine was discontinued after only one year of production.
Perhaps the biggest news for 1981 was the fact that Cadillac was underway
building a 1982 Cimarron. This new model would be Cadillac’s answer to the
compact vehicle. It would offer luxury car accents and flare with the fuel
economy and size of a more compact vehicle.
The thought of this new Cadillac intrigued engineers and consumers alike, in
fact, so much that during the year of 1981, approximately a little over eight
thousand of these 1982 models were already sold to Cadillac customers.
The total 1981 Cadillac sales were somewhat lower than the decade before,
approximately two hundred twenty-six thousand Cadillac’s were sold this year.
Although not an impressive year by any means, Cadillac was moving into a new
decade that meant changes all around.
