Lawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with
CadillacCadillac 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 BodyFisher 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 MotorsGeneral 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. SloanAlfred 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 BodyFleetwood 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, PennsylvaniaFleetwood 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-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
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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.
From 1927 through 1934 all Cadillac series offered Fleetwood bodies as an option. Thereafter Cadillac became more selective in offering Fleetwood bodies on its series and by 1938 the only way to obtain a Fleetwood bodied car was by buying a
Cadillac Series 75The Series 70 was one of Cadillac's full-size V8-powered cars produced from the 1930s through 1970s. It replaced the 1935 355-D as the company's mainstream car just as the much less expensive Series 60 was introduced. The Series 67 was similar to the Series 75 but produced on a longer wheelbase ...
or
90, as even the
Cadillac Sixty SpecialThe 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...
had a Fisher body in its inaugural year. The Fleetwood script and crest would not appear on the exterior of any Cadillac until the 1947 model year when it appeared on the rear deck lid of the Sixty Special. By 1952 it also appeared on the rear deck lid of the Series 75. In 1963 the
Cadillac EldoradoThe 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...
joined the Sixty Special and the Series 75 as the only Cadillac models with Fleetwood bodies and immediately acquired Fleetwood crests on its rear quarters and Fleetwood rocker panel moldings. The 1963 Eldorado was also the first Fleetwood bodied convertible since the Cadillac Series 75 stopped offering 4-door and 2-door convertible body styles and production of the Cadillac Series 90 ceased in 1941.
In 1965 the Eldorado, Sixty Special and Series 75 models were designated as Fleetwood “subseries” but this would only last through the 1972 model year and during this period there never was a separate Fleetwood series per se. Fleetwood became a much more integral part of a Cadillac series name in 1977 with the introduction of the
Cadillac Fleetwood BroughamLawrence 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...
and the Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine, which replaced the Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham and the Fleetwood 75 respectively. In 1985 Fleetwood finally became a separate series in its own right.
1985–1992
A new front wheel drive
C-bodyThe General Motors C platform was an automobile platform designation used for full sized luxury cars until 2005.-Rear wheel drive:...
platform was introduced in 1985. The Fleetwood shared the same 110.8 inches (281.4 cm) wheelbase as the other C-body cars, the
de VilleThe de Ville was originally a trim level and later a model of General Motors' Cadillac marque. The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe de Ville, a prestige trim level of the Series 62 luxury coupe. The last model to be formally known as a de Ville was the 2005 Cadillac Deville, a...
,
Buick ElectraThe Buick Electra was a full-size premium automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. The Electra name was used by Buick between 1959 and 1990.- 1959–1960 :...
, and Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. The Fleetwood Brougham continued to use the RWD platform, (which was redesignated as "D-body" for 1985) through 1986.
There was little more than trim differenced between the Fleetwood and the
de VilleThe de Ville was originally a trim level and later a model of General Motors' Cadillac marque. The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe de Ville, a prestige trim level of the Series 62 luxury coupe. The last model to be formally known as a de Ville was the 2005 Cadillac Deville, a...
. And technically the 1986 Fleetwood was an option package of the de Ville so strictly speaking not a separate series. In 1987 the Fleetwood was restored to separate series status but was technically called Fleetwood D'Elegance through 1988.
The 1987 and 1988 Sixty Special used a stretched 115.8 inches (294.1 cm) version of the new C-body, while the 1985 through 1987 Series 75 used a 134.4 inches (341.4 cm) stretched version of the same basic platform.
The aluminum 4.1 L
HT-4100 V8A 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....
was replaced by the 4.5 L
HT-4500 for 1988. The engine was upped to 4.9 L for 1991's
HT-4900.
Starting in 1989 the Fleetwood
coupeA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
remained on the old 110.8 in (281.4 cm) wheelbase, while the sedan saw its wheelbase increased to 113.8 in (2891 mm). The US$30,000 sticker price was a bargain compared to the large German luxury cars of the time, but
Car and DriverCar and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
felt that there was no comparison. They felt that the ride was "harsh", surprising when combined with a "feeble" .67 g of cornering grip. And the 155 hp V8 could only manage 10.9 s to 60 mph (26.8 m/s) for the 3615 lb (1,639.7 kg) car.
Power jumped to 180 hp from the same 4.5 L engine for 1990 through the use of a
dual-stage intake manifoldIn internal combustion engines, a variable length intake manifold , or variable intake manifold is an automobile internal combustion engine manifold technology...
and other changes. It was replaced by the 200 hp 4.9 L
HT-4900 for 1991.
The Fleetwood departed the front-drive line-up for 1993 (as the Fleetwood name went on the new rear-drive replacement for the 1992 Brougham). Sixty Special continued in its front-wheel drive form, as it had since it was re-introduced in 1987, but this would be the last year. To visually differentiate the 1989–1993 De Ville from the upper-rung Fleetwood and Sixty-Special models, the front-drive Fleetwoods and Sixty Specials use fender-mounted "spats" or skirts over the rear wheels, while De Ville had full rear-wheel openings. For its final-year, there were 5,292 Sixty Specials built in 1993, including 688 with the optional "Ultra" Package that featured 22-way adjustable front seats, designed in Italy by Giorgio Guigiaro. This distinctive seating package had been standard on the Sixty Special since 1989, but in 1993, it became a $3,550.00 option. While it was based upon the deVille, the Sixty Special included eleven items as standard equipment, while those eleven items were optional at extra cost on deVilles, and in addition there were options for the Sixty Special, that were
not available on the deVille, such as "Memory Seat" for driver with 2 recall settings, an "Exit" button" when pushed automatically powered the driver seat all the way rearward, and dual front seat power recliners. On the exterior the rear wheels were partially covered with the fender skirts, giving the car a longer and more "formal" look than the deVille.
Both the Fleetwood and Deville were coded as C-bodies in the fourth digit of the
VINVin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
. The fifth digit coded the Deville as "D" (with the later Touring Sedan becoming "T"), the Fleetwood as "B", and the Fleetwood Sixty Special as "S". The Sixty Special became the "G" code for 1991, and switched back to "B" for its 1993 run.
Transmissions:
- 1985–1986 THM440 T4
- 1987–1989 4T60
- 1990–1992 4T60E
Engines
| Displacement |
Power |
Torque |
263 cu in (4.3 l) LS2 V6A 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...
|
85 hp |
|
250 cu in (4.1 l) HT-4100 V8A 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 |
273 cu in (4.5 l) HT-4500 V8A 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....
|
155 hp |
|
273 cu in (4.5 l) HT-4500 V8A 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 |
|
300 cu in (4.9 l) HT-4500 V8A 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....
|
200 hp |
275 lbft |
1993–1996
For 1993, the Fleetwood name was switched from the Deville's front wheel drive C-body to the newly revised rear wheel drive
D-bodyThe 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...
, being one of the first American front-wheel drive vehicles to be returned to rear-wheel drive. This new body was based on that of the
Chevrolet CapriceThe 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....
and
Buick RoadmasterThe 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...
. In the case of the Fleetwood, though, the chassis was stretched 5 inches (12.7 cm) for a 121.5 inches (3,086.1 mm) wheelbase. At 225 inches (5,715 mm) overall, the Fleetwood was the longest production car made in the United States until production ceased in 1996. All Fleetwoods had standard antilock brakes, traction control and dual front airbags.
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.
In 1994 the
CorvetteThe 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...
-derived
LT1The 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...
350 cu in (5.7 l) engine to make 260 hp along with the new 4L60E
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. Between 1993 and 1996, the Fleetwood Commercial chassis was used in lieu of the DeVille for funeral coaches and limousines. The DeVille was used again in 1997.
The 7000 lb (3,175.1 kg) trailer towing package was made available 1993, something not seen in a production sedan since the 1971-1976
Cadillac Sixty SpecialThe 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...
. The
RPOA Regular Production Option is a General Motors standard coding for vehicle configuration options. These codes are a combination of 3 alphanumeric characters and refer to a specific option or modification to the vehicle...
V4P package included heavy duty cooling (RPO V08, which consisted of a seven-blade mechanical fan and an extra capacity radiator), RPO FE2 Suspension System Ride Handling, HD 4L60 transmission, RPO KC4 Cooling System Engine Oil, RPO KD1 Cooling System Transmission Oil, RPO KG9 140 amp alternator, and RPO GT4 3.73 gears with an 8.5-inch ring gear. In 1994-1996, the V4P package was revised with RPO GU6 3.42 gears with the new more powerful RPO LT1 260 hp V8, and HD 4L60E transmission with unique accumulators to shift smoother with the shorter rear axle gearing.
Transmissions:
- 1993 4L60
- 1994–1996 4L60E
Engines
| Displacement |
Power |
Torque |
350 cu in (5.7 l) L05 V8A 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....
|
185 hp |
304 lbft |
350 cu in (5.7 l) LT1 V8A 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....
|
260 hp |
330 lbft |
Production Figures
| Year |
Units |
| 1993 |
31,773 |
| 1994 |
27,473 |
| 1995 |
16,180 |
| 1996 |
15,109 |
| Total Production = 90,535 |
1998-1999
The 1998/99 Cadillac Fleetwood Limited was built by the
Superior Coach CompanySuperior Coach was once a school bus body and professional car manufacturer, but today it focuses on building hearses and is located in Lima in Allen County, Ohio.-History:-Garford Motor Truck Company:...
(Accubuilt) in Lima, Ohio. Superior took a regular production 1998/99 Cadillac De Ville and stretched out one foot in length. Exactly 314 were produced in 1998 and 467 were produced in 1999 for a total of 781.