The 1985 Cadillac line-up featured for the first time ever all front wheel drive vehicles. This was a milestone for Cadillac, since early times, the De Ville and Fleetwood had chosen to remain the only Cadillac’s with rear wheel drive. Many Cadillac enthusiasts worried that this new front wheel drive would affect the smooth and easy ride of these Cadillac favorites.
All Cadillac’s for this year were also featuring the fuel injected 4.1 liter
V-8; all except the Cimarron, which sported a 4 cylinder engine; luckily the
long awaited V-6 option was finally available on these smaller compact cars.
Unfortunately, the optional V-6 did little to boost overall sales for the
smaller Caddy; engineers did update the look somewhat, though.
The front end grew nearly five inches, making this look more like a true
Cadillac and not an expensive Cavalier. A new crosshatch grille was also
prominent on the 1985 Cadillac Cimarron. For younger buyers, the Cimarron still
offered the optional D’Oro, as well for the first time ever, the smaller and
less expensive Cimarron could also be dressed up with optional aluminum wheels.
Not many changes were made to the Seville or the Eldorado that year. There were a few options offered for the first time, but little was done to the overall engine or outer appearance of these Cadillac’s. However, this can’t be said for the 1985 DeVille; not only did this old favorite become a front wheel drive, it also lost a total of 2 feet off it’s overall length. As well, a few pounds were shed, 600 to be exact.
The sales for the 1985 Cadillac models were staying at steady levels, this partly due to the late arrival of the front wheel drive DeVille’s and Fleetwood’s. However, total US sales were reported at a little over 300,000.
