152 GM 20.10.2026

📘 Think you know your car? Check the VIN first. Full decoding guide for Classic Cars → https://classiccarshistory.com/ In 1975, Cadillac’s smallest car was also one of its most expensive. The new Seville cost $12,479, more than every Cadillac except the Series 75 sedan and limousine, yet it was built on a heavily reworked version of the Chevrolet Nova’s X-body. Two years later, Lincoln tried the same trick with the 1977 Lincoln Versailles, a small luxury car built on the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch and priced above even the Continental Mark V. One car became a hit. The other became one of Lincoln’s most famous flops. In this video, we look at how Cadillac turned an economy compact into a prestige car. That meant a stretched wheelbase, unique rear doors, the new K-body designation, a fuel-injected Oldsmobile 350 V8, extensive sound and vibration isolation, and deliberate premium pricing aimed at the Mercedes-Benz 450SE. We then put the Lincoln Versailles side by side with the Granada and Monarch to show what Ford kept: the same 109.9-inch wheelbase, doors, glass and, at first, the same roof. Finally, we follow the lesson through the 1977 Cadillac DeVille downsizing, the 1980 bustleback Seville and the 1982 Cimarron, when Cadillac made Lincoln’s mistake all over again. Topics covered include the 1973 oil crisis, the rise of Mercedes-Benz in America, the Opel Diplomat plan Cadillac abandoned, the LaSalle name Cadillac refused to use, period road tests from Motor Trend and Car and Driver, and Seville and Versailles production numbers. The scoreboard is clear: Lincoln built 50,156 Versailles in four years, while Cadillac built more than 155,000 Sevilles from 1977 to 1979 alone. If you enjoy American automotive history, classic luxury cars, and the stories behind Detroit’s biggest wins and mistakes, subscribe for more. #CadillacSeville #LincolnVersailles #ClassicCars #CarHistory #Cadillac #Lincoln #CadillacCimarron #MalaiseEra #AmericanCars #1970sCars #Detroit #AutomotiveHistory #ClassicCadillac #FordGranada #ChevyNova #LuxuryCars #CarDocumentary Sources Aaron Severson, “The Perilous Success of the 1976 Cadillac Seville,” Ate Up With Motor Aaron Severson, “1977–1980 Lincoln Versailles: Slow-Selling, Cynical, But Very Profitable,” Curbside Classic Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976–1986, Krause Publications Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for ‘fair use’ for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. I do not own some or all of the video materials used in this video. In the case of copyright issues, please contact me at historymediachannel1@gmail.com for credit or removal.