Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
Encyclopedia
Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac
in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body
Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry (as people knew him) was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General Motors
umbrella in 1919. In May, 1925 Alfred P. Sloan
, then the head of General Motors, appointed Fisher as Cadillac General Manager, an office he retained through 1934. Fisher immediately went to work adding exclusive, custom bodies to the Cadillac range. Thus he oversaw the purchase of the Fleetwood Metal Body
Company by the Fisher Body Corporation in September, 1925.
The Fleetwood Body Company of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
, was founded by Harry Urich in the nineteenth century. It began as a small community of craftsmen founded by Henry Fleetwood, Esq. of Penwortham
, near Lancaster, England (the Fleetwood family flourished in England in the 17th and 18th centuries). The rich traditions of 300 years of coach-building that the Fleetwood Body Company applied to its work on cars secured for it a high reputation in automobile circles worldwide by the 1920s. Coachwork was built by Fleetwood for a variety of luxury makes through 1924. However, after the Fisher Body Corporation purchased the Fleetwood Body Company in 1925, Fleetwood bodies were reserved exclusively for Cadillac. By 1929 GM had purchased the remaining stock holdings of the Fisher Body Corporation and thus became sole owner of both the Fisher and Fleetwood companies.
Originally an enclosed carriage, drawn by a single horse, for 2-4 persons, “Brougham
” owes its name to a British statesman, Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
, whose second claim to fame is having given to the sea-front drive, in Nice, in the South of France
, the nick-name of Promenade des Anglais
(the "promenade where the English stroll"). Cadillac first used the name in 1916 to designate an enclosed 5-7 passenger sedan body style. In the thirties, the name was given to a formal body style with open chauffeur compartment and enclosed rear quarters, metal roof and often "razor-edged" styling. When Cadillac started offering Fleetwood bodies on some of its cars in 1925, the Brougham body style was Fleetwood bodied every year with the exception of 1926. After 1937 the Brougham name was not applied to any Cadillac for the remainder of the pre-WW II period. The Brougham name would eventually reappear on the 1955 Cadillac Eldorado
Brougham show car which preceded the 4-door Eldorado Brougham hardtops of the 1957 to 1960 model years.
After a five year absence the Brougham name once again reappeared as an option package on the 1965 Cadillac Sixty Special
. This also marked the first time in 28 years that a Fleetwood bodied car was paired with the Brougham name. The following year the Brougham moved up to becoming a subseries of the Fleetwood Sixty Special. This continued through 1970. Starting in 1971 the Sixty Special was only available as the well equipped Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham.
When the Sixty Special Series was retired in 1977, the Fleetwood Brougham took its place as Cadillac's most luxurious owner-driven large sedan model through 1986.
significantly down-sized their full sized cars. The Sedan deVille
, Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood Brougham all rode on the same 121.5" wheelbase and were all powered by the 425 cubic inch (7.0L) V8. This engine was basically a de bored version of the 472/500 (7.9 L/8.2 L) V8 of previous years. Compared with the 1976 Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham, the Fleetwood Brougham had a wheelbase 11.5" shorter and weighed about 750 lb (340 kg) less.
Size comparison between 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham and 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
The Fleetwood Brougham was considered the top of the line Cadillac but was virtually identical to the lesser Sedan de Ville. Other than the name, the only exterior differences between a Fleetwood Brougham and Sedan de Ville were the hubcaps and the hood ornament, (the Fleetwood had a wreath and crest, the de Ville had just a crest), and the extension of the vinyl roof through the "b-pillar" giving a more formal look. The interior of the Fleetwood was more plush and offered more features as standard.
In 1980 the Sedan deVille, Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood Brougham were given a new body style with a squarer look and more formal roof line. The basic dashboard design was retained. Also new for 1980 was a two-door Fleetwood Brougham, which was based upon the Coupe de Ville but featured an exclusive formal landau vinyl roof.
The 425 cu in (7.0 L) engine, a reduced bore 472, was further debored for 1980-1981 to 368 cubic inches or 6.0 liters. 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 where in third gear, and over 35 mph (15.6 m/s). This engine was called the "V8-6-4", and its electronics and sensors proved troublesome and, except for limousines, this engine was dropped after 1981. The engine's controls and sensors were a stretch for the computer power of the era.
Both the 425 and 368 are small-bore versions of the durable 472 (which was introduced in late 1967 for the '68 model year). The larger 500 had the 472's bore but a longer stroke. This engine family was the last Cadillac cast-iron engine, and the last 'big-block'.
All subsequent engines were from Buick (the short-lived 252 cu in / 4.1 liter V6), Oldsmobile (the 350 diesel and 307 gasoline V8), and of course Cadillac itself, with its troublesome "HT-4100" small block V8, an alloy unit with cast iron cylinder liners.
In 1985 Cadillac introduced brand new, front-wheel drive platform. This is where the Cadillac Fleetwood
was split from the Fleetwood Brougham. Cadillac put the Sedan de Ville, Coupe de Ville, and Fleetwood (two and four door) on this platform. This car featured two "firsts"; It had the first transverse mounted V8 ever (the HT4100) and it was the first car to have a high mounted stop-lamp that was mandated for the 1986 model year. You can read more about this completely different car on the Cadillac Fleetwood
page.
The full size 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham continued on nearly unchanged from the 1984 model. 1985 was the final model year for the Fleetwood Brougham coupe. In 1986 the HT-4100 V8 was replaced with an Oldsmobile sourced 307 cubic inch (5.0 L) V8.
In 1987 the Fleetwood Brougham was renamed Cadillac Brougham
, and in 1990 was given its first noticeable facelift since 1980. It featured composite headlights, wrap around front bumper, rocker panel cladding and clear/white tail lamps. It was available with a Chevrolet sourced 350 cubic inch (5.7 L) L05 V8. The last Brougham rolled off the production line in Arlington, Texas in August 1992.
In 1993 the Cadillac Fleetwood
took over the 121.5-inch D-body platform
that the Cadillac Brougham had used from 1987-1992 and the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham had used from 1977-1986.
The Brougham option package included a full vinyl top, sail panel badging, specific seat design with six-way driver's seat memory and heated and three-position lumbar front seats, instrument panel badging and rear seat storage armrest.
The 1994 -1996 Fleetwood was powered by the new 260 hp 330 lbft LT1 Chevrolet 350 V8
, which was derived from the Chevrolet Corvette
and shared with the Chevrolet Impala SS, Chevrolet Caprice
(optional engine), and Buick Roadmaster
. The performance increase provided an obvious advancement in power over early models.
The Cadillac Fleetwood, along with its B-Body stablemates, was retired by General Motors in August 1996 to make way for Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe production.
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body
Fisher Body
Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry (as people knew him) was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
umbrella in 1919. In May, 1925 Alfred P. Sloan
Alfred P. Sloan
Alfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr. was an American business executive in the automotive industry. He was a long-time president, chairman, and CEO of General Motors Corporation...
, then the head of General Motors, appointed Fisher as Cadillac General Manager, an office he retained through 1934. Fisher immediately went to work adding exclusive, custom bodies to the Cadillac range. Thus he oversaw the purchase of the Fleetwood Metal Body
Fleetwood Metal Body
Fleetwood Metal Body was an automobile coachbuilder. The name derives from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, home of the company at the start, and lived on for decades in the form of the Cadillac Fleetwood and various Fleetwood trim lines on Cadillac cars....
Company by the Fisher Body Corporation in September, 1925.
The Fleetwood Body Company of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
Fleetwood is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,085 at the 2010 census. It was home to the Fleetwood Metal Body company, an automobile coachbuilder purchased by Fisher Body and integrated into General Motors in 1931...
, was founded by Harry Urich in the nineteenth century. It began as a small community of craftsmen founded by Henry Fleetwood, Esq. of Penwortham
Penwortham
-Landmarks:Penwortham Priory was built for the Rawsthorne family and redesigned by the Cumbrian architect George Webster. The priory was demolished due to the rapid expansion of the area and the need for new housing...
, near Lancaster, England (the Fleetwood family flourished in England in the 17th and 18th centuries). The rich traditions of 300 years of coach-building that the Fleetwood Body Company applied to its work on cars secured for it a high reputation in automobile circles worldwide by the 1920s. Coachwork was built by Fleetwood for a variety of luxury makes through 1924. However, after the Fisher Body Corporation purchased the Fleetwood Body Company in 1925, Fleetwood bodies were reserved exclusively for Cadillac. By 1929 GM had purchased the remaining stock holdings of the Fisher Body Corporation and thus became sole owner of both the Fisher and Fleetwood companies.
Originally an enclosed carriage, drawn by a single horse, for 2-4 persons, “Brougham
Brougham (carriage)
A brougham was a light, four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage built in the 19th century. It was either invented for Scottish jurist Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, or simply made fashionable by his example...
” owes its name to a British statesman, Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux was a British statesman who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.As a young lawyer in Scotland Brougham helped to found the Edinburgh Review in 1802 and contributed many articles to it. He went to London, and was called to the English bar in...
, whose second claim to fame is having given to the sea-front drive, in Nice, in the South of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the nick-name of Promenade des Anglais
Promenade des Anglais
The Promenade des Anglais is a celebrated promenade along the Mediterranean at Nice, France.-History:Before Nice was urbanized, the coast at Nice was just bordered by a deserted band of beach...
(the "promenade where the English stroll"). Cadillac first used the name in 1916 to designate an enclosed 5-7 passenger sedan body style. In the thirties, the name was given to a formal body style with open chauffeur compartment and enclosed rear quarters, metal roof and often "razor-edged" styling. When Cadillac started offering Fleetwood bodies on some of its cars in 1925, the Brougham body style was Fleetwood bodied every year with the exception of 1926. After 1937 the Brougham name was not applied to any Cadillac for the remainder of the pre-WW II period. The Brougham name would eventually reappear on the 1955 Cadillac Eldorado
Cadillac Eldorado
The 1953 Eldorado was a special-bodied, low-production convertible . It was the production version of the 1952 El Dorado "Golden Anniversary" concept car, and borrowed bumper bullets from the 1951 GM Le Sabre show car...
Brougham show car which preceded the 4-door Eldorado Brougham hardtops of the 1957 to 1960 model years.
After a five year absence the Brougham name once again reappeared as an option package on the 1965 Cadillac Sixty Special
Cadillac Sixty Special
The Sixty Special name has been used at Cadillac to denote a special model since the 1938 Bill Mitchell-designed Series 60 derivative. Although the 1938 model began in Cadillac's lowest price range, soon the Sixty Special name would be synonymous for some of Cadillac's most luxurious...
. This also marked the first time in 28 years that a Fleetwood bodied car was paired with the Brougham name. The following year the Brougham moved up to becoming a subseries of the Fleetwood Sixty Special. This continued through 1970. Starting in 1971 the Sixty Special was only available as the well equipped Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham.
When the Sixty Special Series was retired in 1977, the Fleetwood Brougham took its place as Cadillac's most luxurious owner-driven large sedan model through 1986.
Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (1977–1986)
In 1977 GMGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
significantly down-sized their full sized cars. The Sedan deVille
Deville
Deville, DeVille, De Ville, or de Vil may refer to:Automobiles* Cadillac DeVille, a model of automobile produced between 1949 and 2005 in the United States by General Motors....
, Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood Brougham all rode on the same 121.5" wheelbase and were all powered by the 425 cubic inch (7.0L) V8. This engine was basically a de bored version of the 472/500 (7.9 L/8.2 L) V8 of previous years. Compared with the 1976 Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham, the Fleetwood Brougham had a wheelbase 11.5" shorter and weighed about 750 lb (340 kg) less.
Size comparison between 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham and 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
| 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Brougham | 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 133 in (3,378 mm) | 121.5 in (3,086 mm) |
| Overall Length | 233.7 in (5,936 mm) | 221.2 in (5,618 mm) |
| Width | 79.8 in (2,027 mm) | 75.3 in (1,913 mm) |
| Height | 55.3 in (1,405 mm) | 57.2 in (1,453 mm) |
| Front Headroom | 39.3 in (998 mm) | 39 in (991 mm) |
| Front Legroom | 41.9 in (1,064 mm) | 42 in (1,067 mm) |
| Front Hip Room | 57.8 in (1,468 mm) | 55 in (1,397 mm) |
| Front Shoulder Room | 62.1 in (1,577 mm) | 59.4 in (1,509 mm) |
| Rear Headroom | 38.3 in (973 mm) | 38.1 in (968 mm) |
| Rear Legroom–ins. | 44.6 in (1,133 mm) | 41.2 in (1,046 mm) |
| Rear Hip Room | 58 in (1,473 mm) | 55.7 in (1,415 mm) |
| Rear Shoulder Room | 64 in (1,626 mm) | 59.4 in (1,509 mm) |
| Luggage Capacity | 15.9 cu ft (450 l) | 19.5 cu ft (552 l) |
The Fleetwood Brougham was considered the top of the line Cadillac but was virtually identical to the lesser Sedan de Ville. Other than the name, the only exterior differences between a Fleetwood Brougham and Sedan de Ville were the hubcaps and the hood ornament, (the Fleetwood had a wreath and crest, the de Ville had just a crest), and the extension of the vinyl roof through the "b-pillar" giving a more formal look. The interior of the Fleetwood was more plush and offered more features as standard.
In 1980 the Sedan deVille, Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood Brougham were given a new body style with a squarer look and more formal roof line. The basic dashboard design was retained. Also new for 1980 was a two-door Fleetwood Brougham, which was based upon the Coupe de Ville but featured an exclusive formal landau vinyl roof.
The 425 cu in (7.0 L) engine, a reduced bore 472, was further debored for 1980-1981 to 368 cubic inches or 6.0 liters. 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 where in third gear, and over 35 mph (15.6 m/s). This engine was called the "V8-6-4", and its electronics and sensors proved troublesome and, except for limousines, this engine was dropped after 1981. The engine's controls and sensors were a stretch for the computer power of the era.
Both the 425 and 368 are small-bore versions of the durable 472 (which was introduced in late 1967 for the '68 model year). The larger 500 had the 472's bore but a longer stroke. This engine family was the last Cadillac cast-iron engine, and the last 'big-block'.
All subsequent engines were from Buick (the short-lived 252 cu in / 4.1 liter V6), Oldsmobile (the 350 diesel and 307 gasoline V8), and of course Cadillac itself, with its troublesome "HT-4100" small block V8, an alloy unit with cast iron cylinder liners.
In 1985 Cadillac introduced brand new, front-wheel drive platform. This is where the Cadillac Fleetwood
Cadillac Fleetwood
Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General...
was split from the Fleetwood Brougham. Cadillac put the Sedan de Ville, Coupe de Ville, and Fleetwood (two and four door) on this platform. This car featured two "firsts"; It had the first transverse mounted V8 ever (the HT4100) and it was the first car to have a high mounted stop-lamp that was mandated for the 1986 model year. You can read more about this completely different car on the Cadillac Fleetwood
Cadillac Fleetwood
Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General...
page.
The full size 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham continued on nearly unchanged from the 1984 model. 1985 was the final model year for the Fleetwood Brougham coupe. In 1986 the HT-4100 V8 was replaced with an Oldsmobile sourced 307 cubic inch (5.0 L) V8.
In 1987 the Fleetwood Brougham was renamed Cadillac Brougham
Cadillac Brougham
Originally an enclosed carriage, drawn by a single horse, for 2-4 persons, “Brougham” owes its name to a British statesman, Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, whose second claim to fame is having given to the sea-front drive, in Nice in the South of France, the nick-name of Promenade des...
, and in 1990 was given its first noticeable facelift since 1980. It featured composite headlights, wrap around front bumper, rocker panel cladding and clear/white tail lamps. It was available with a Chevrolet sourced 350 cubic inch (5.7 L) L05 V8. The last Brougham rolled off the production line in Arlington, Texas in August 1992.
Engines
| Years | Displacement | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-1982 | 252 cu in (4.1 l) Buick V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft... |
125 hp | 205 lbft |
| 1982-1985 | 250 cu in (4.1 l) HT-4100 V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
135 hp | 190 lbft |
| 1986 | 307 cu in (5 l) Oldsmobile 307 V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
140 hp | 245 lbft |
| 1980-1985 | 350 cu in (5.7 l) LF9 Diesel Diesel engine A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
105 hp | 205 lbft |
| 1980-1981 | 368 cu in (6 l) L62 V8-6-4 V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
145 hp | 270 lbft |
| 1977-1979 | 425 cu in (7 l) L33 V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
180 hp | 320 lbft |
| 1977-1979 | 425 cu in (7 l) L35 V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
195 hp | 320 lbft |
1993–1996
Cadillac Fleetwood
Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General...
took over the 121.5-inch D-body platform
GM D platform
The D platform, or D-body was Cadillac's full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform designation, used until 1996. It was closely related to the GM B platform and C platform.All D-bodies were built in Arlington, Texas from 1988-1996 model years...
that the Cadillac Brougham had used from 1987-1992 and the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham had used from 1977-1986.
The Brougham option package included a full vinyl top, sail panel badging, specific seat design with six-way driver's seat memory and heated and three-position lumbar front seats, instrument panel badging and rear seat storage armrest.
The 1994 -1996 Fleetwood was powered by the new 260 hp 330 lbft LT1 Chevrolet 350 V8
GM LT engine
The LT6 and LT7 are not part of the LT V8 family. See Oldsmobile Diesel V6 engine.General Motors' Generation II LT is a small block V8 engine...
, which was derived from the Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
and shared with the Chevrolet Impala SS, Chevrolet Caprice
Chevrolet Caprice
The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors in North America for the 1965 through 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular American car in the sixties and early seventies....
(optional engine), and Buick Roadmaster
Buick Roadmaster
The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with senior Oldsmobiles. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster was Buick's top of the line...
. The performance increase provided an obvious advancement in power over early models.
The Cadillac Fleetwood, along with its B-Body stablemates, was retired by General Motors in August 1996 to make way for Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe production.