This generation was pure class in American manufacturing and engineering. We even heard Wayne had some good to say about his boss. The world has changed. Maybe I'm just washed up and aging, but this country is a far cry from what it once was. I'm also about Adams age and have massive respect for Mr. Kady's generation.
@@1776-r4j Cadillac makes a 650+ horsepower 6 speed super sedan that trounces everything in it's class. I can't imagine how you can look at 80's car and current cars and somehow equate that we are a country in decline.. absolute madness.
@@danielarndt284The comment you replied to had nothing to do with Cadillac but that Wayne was a class act who respected his boss and team. Times have changed in how we speak to each other was the point.
Adam, you are to be commended for documenting this design history with Mr. Kady. Terrific interview and interesting insight into the process of tackling a difficult design brief. Keep it going!
My grandmother, who died this year at age 96, bought one of the earliiest 1979 models to leave the factory. In fact, my grandfather took a flight to Detroit to pick it up because the Cadillac dealer in our area didn't have any available. It was a beautiful car and she loved it. Seeing photos of this model makes me think of her.
To me, the 1979-85 Eldorado was a cleaner, more modern distillation of the 1967-70 design. Truly beautiful expressions of the Cadillac styling themes at their finest. The proportions on the 1979-85 are just perfect. And the 1984-85 convertibles are absolute home runs from a design perspective as well. Mr. Kady is brilliant. He created some of the most beautiful Cadillacs ever designed. And let's not forget the impact the 1976 Buick Regal coupe had when it debuted. That car was a reskin on a platform that had been around since 1973 and Mr. Kady's reskin absolutely transformed it and raised sales significantly.
It amazes me how much the side view of the top sketch inspires the 1992-2002 Eldorado. That rear sail panel looks almost identical. Edit: the sketch at the 9:50 mark.
It's a shame GM build quality on the 92+ Eldorado was so bad. Tyne newest one's have been junked for a decade or more. Lots of electrical and engine issues. But they are still lookers to this day
And expensive! I knew a guy that had the stainless steel top, and he got hail damage on it, and that piece cost $1500.00, in 1986. And his had the moonroof, which was less money, $2500.00 without the moonroof!
The 1979-85 Eldorado was a beautiful car and is one of my favorite Cadillac designs of all time. Not only was it easily recognizable as a Caddy, but it still had styling cues from previous gen Eldorados, making it easily recognizable as an Eldorado.
Mr. Kady has such a sharp, dry wit. I’ll be he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. It’s a treat to see all his sketches and hear him flesh out the details of the design process. Thanks, Adam!
As a kid, I LOVED the styling of this car. The chrome, grill, interior, etc. just said "class." What I didn't know, as a kid, was just how weak the drivetrains were. It is a wonderful design that is timeless. A beauty.
I wonder how the current prices of the '79-'81s, which had solid engines (if you disabled the shaky 6-cylinder mode of the '81) compare to the '82-'85s. The '85s might have had bearable reliability, with some of the bugs worked out of the 4100, but even those engines seem pretty dainty and slow.
Agreed drivetrains badly lacking but a 368 or even a 425/472/500 could work right? A good choice would be the 79 with an Olds 350 if you are not a purest and demand Cadillac power.
I'd go for a V8-6-4 for sure, remove the equipment, and possibly swap the fuel injection for a nice 4 barrel carburetor tuned for the Arizona environment. I'm sure there are a few mechanics out there who remember how to do this.
I had an 85 Eldo.4.1 l,blue with white leather interior and stainless steel roof. My daily driver for 10 years.I inherited it from my grandmother.Great car and cheers Adam.
I own a Cotillion White over Garnet 1988 Biarritz here in Arizona. It is a "baby" Eldorado that shares many of the designs of the other Eldos. I had it at a car show this last week and it drew a lot of nice comments. One guy told of owning an 84 Black over Red Eldorado that was destroyed in his driveway by a car that ran off the road and plowed into his dearly beloved ride. He was almost crying when he told the sad story. Thanks for you work on these beauties!
I was reading about the actual events that led to the film "Casino" in 1995. It's basically all a true story. And it is true that for just the 1981 model year they put a massive steel plate under the drivers seat to correct a balance issue and that's what saved the guys life.
Have dreamed of owning one of these absolutely beautifully designed cars since the first time I saw one in 1979. 45 years have slid past my eyes and finally in April 2024 I found and bought my dream. An absolutely pristine Canary yellow with light brown interior 1984 Eldorado Biarritz with 47,111 miles. At 77 years old I find myself filled with joy each time I look at and drive the car. No,, I don't want to put more miles on it BUT,, I want to experience the luxury of driving it, showing it off to anyone else who enjoys these classic cars. I intend keeping it until I and my Wife are gone from planet Earth so the kids will need to sell it if that's what they choose to do. Thank you for this most informative video and for introducing us to the Father of this wonderfully beautiful Cadillac body design.
Another very interesting interview with Mr. Kady. The 1979-85 Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado were all great looking cars. Far superior than the earlier models IMO. One of the cost cutting features I didn’t care for were the inoperable rear quarter windows.
We had a 74 Olds Tornado, I think that was the last year the rear windows went down. I've always loved the Cadillac coupes. I've had two Eldorado, 94 and 98, and now have an 14 ELR that I found when looking for a CTS coupe. My first love for Cadillac would probably be the 78 Coupe DeVille. My friend's mother had one and I drove it on occasion when I was 16, I loved those big doors, and big body on that car. I think it was a 425 V8 under the hood which had a good amount of torque. I've probably had more Cadillacs than anything other brand in my around 30 vehicle ownership lifetime. In retirement a few years from now I'm hoping to put a 09, or possibly 07-08 XLR in my garage to take the place of my Corvette that I just can't work the clutch in anymore.
These are some of my favorite video subjects. The designers' interviews with all the wonderful information they bring to us. I would like to see a collection of their drawings, stories and history, maybe a big coffee table book filled with original sketches, drawings and photographs. As a kid growing up in the 60s & 70s, I had hundreds of models and hundreds of drawings of cars and ones I styled myself. Thought I would design cars one day. I joined the navy in 76 and when I came home my mother had put all my drawings into two large Samsonite suitcases. They got misplaced and I never saw them again. So sad.
My stepfather had the exact same car in the pictures. That black with the red leather and the stainless steel roof was a perfect combination. His had the Goodyear Double Eagle tires which looked great on that car. Thanks for that video!
Another great GM conversation with Wayne and Adam. In addition to being a gifted designer, it’s clear from his sketches that Wayne is a talented artist. I’d love to hear about some of Wayne’s later Buick design efforts as well. I would’ve loved the bustle back Eldorado!
Awesome cars especially with the aluminium roof super classy...never was a big fan of the Touring package but can appreciate what they were going after. God bless Wayne, hes as cool as the other side of the pillow!
I had an '81 Eldo for a demonstrator with the 864 and loved it - I cannot sufficiently praise the torsion bar front suspension - the HT-4100 was the death knell for Cadillac it was just one in a series of bad engines.
My first Cadillac was a 1985 Eldorado. I bought it new in Bayside, NY. It was black with a tan cloth interior and no vinyl roof. I ordered it with the wire wheel covers and a few other options and out the door was $23,500. With the 4.1 engine, it was no stoplight racer but would do 90 on the highway all day. What a great riding car. I kept it for two years and sold it to a friend and bought a 1987 Mustang GT with a 5 speed and T-Tops.
Thanks once again Adam for bringing a very insightful interview with Mr Kady! One day we will look back at these interviews and be grateful for the effort you put in to make this happen. I take my hat off to Mr Kady for the amazing work he has done over the years and for creating some of my most loved designs. I always loved these cars as a youngster growing up. They came out when I was in sixth grade and I always admired them, never thinking I would be lucky enough to own one, let alone two of his design inspirations. I owned a Twilight blue 1980 Eldorado with a 368 V8. Sadly I sold that car about 10 years ago with 40k miles. I still own my 1981 Seville Elegante with 22,000 miles. It has a Superior blue upper body and Twilight blue lower body. It is absolutely exquisite, definitely a keeper. Here’s to many more interviews. Thank you
I was 13 years old when these came out in 1979 and I thought these were some of the best looking American cars ever, and the best looking Cadillac ever. The interesting part is that this used the original longitudinal FWD drive train that dated back to the '66 Olds Toronado, a very classy touch. Great video!
@@marko7843 YES Marko that is true. I think that Cadillac should have kept this drivetrain for their cars and let the other divisions have the transverse layout with the transmission behind the engine. It just looks "right" for a Cadillac to have the valve covers north and south versus east and west....
Facsinating sketches! I definitely see the 92 in those first sketches. Wayne was right about the 74 Riv, it wasn't nearly as nice stylistically as the boattail, looked like a gussied up LeSabre, and it got even worse in the next generation. Never cared for the 71-78 Eldo's. it seems like they really lost their way. Loved the 79-85's but bought a Mark 6 instead. as it seemed to overall be a more solid and well built car, but I preferred the style of the Eldo. Very interesting to hear Wayne's take on it all, especially his explanation of how corporate politics and economics played a role! Yes, all the 71-78 Rivs, Toros, and Eldos would have looked so much better had they been built on the Grand Prix/Monte Carlo scale. They were so bloated looking and it wasn't corrected until the excellent 79 redesign. Good episode!
Just spent last week with my dad, David North another GM Chief Designer like Wayne, it is amazing the great insight these gentlemen can share, thanks for posting.
That lower sketch at 12:54 is remarkably prescient of the 1992 Eldorado in proportion and detail. The nose treatment looks almost identical to the 1988 Cadillac Voyage concept. The date on the lower right corner is 1976-a decade and a half and two design generations before the 1992 model debuted. Wayne and the other designers you feature are so talented with their ability to sketch up new concepts, I wonder if any of them still sketch cars today. It would be interesting to know what they would design.
I remember when these Eldorados were new and how popular they were. They definitely had a presence. So much was lost in the 1986 redesign, unfortunately. For multiple carlines, it seemed like 1985 was the end of the good, traditional styling, and 1986 was the beginning of styling that was supposed to be more modern but was just all around so much worse and less attractive. The Eldorado, Toronado, and Riviera in these years really looked classy. I remember driving one in the mid 90s. I don't know how you have access to the designers of some of these cars, and the original sketches, but it's very good information - no one else is going to know as much about certain cars as the designers and how the cars started out. It's also quite some time ago now since they were in the design stage; it's good these guys are still alive and are willing to share their stories. That part about the 76/77 Buick Regal tail lights was really interesting. I always wondered why they did that. They separated the coupe styling from the sedan styling in 1976. The 73 - 75 Regal tail lights were like those on the sedan. Then in 76 they totally changed the front, the rear, and also removed the swoop spear on the Regal (and Century) coupes, but the sedans were much less changed. My friend's mom drove a gold 1977 Buick Regal coupe that I remember riding around in. Interesting to hear from the man who was responsible for the tail light design of that car and how that came to be.
Thanks for capturing this part of the vehicle history for us. We are fortunate to have Wayne and others like him around to talk about the behind-the-scenes process. I had a '85 Eldorado Biarritz and it was a beautiful gutless wonder.
I have enjoyed all of your guest interviews, but the ones with Wayne are always my favorite. Not only is Wayne still sharp, he was a part of such an interesting period of Cadillac, and played an important part in creating several of my favorite cars. The 79 wasn't just a good design- it was a good example of how GM could share some body elements with sister cars, but retain a unique brand look and identity. Compare an eldo to a Riviera or a toro and they're all rather distinct. Too bad Cadillac didn't share in the one big advantage the other two had... an olds 307! I agree with you Adam, I was seeing some elements of the 92 Eldorado in a few of the sketches.
IMHO< this was the 2nd best Eldorado, the first being the '67-'68 version. And it's always a pleasure to hear Wayne tell the design story of a car he was involved in.
Love these videos with Wayne, remiiscing about the days when GM still was what it was originally intended to be. Each division had its own look, themes, and concepts about what they wanted the cars to be. Differentiation between divisions that disappeared in the 80s. Back when the important decisions about individual models were made by the division general managers instead of corporate. Back when Fisher Body was still badically the manufacturing division, lending thoughts to how stylistic elements would be executed. The '79-'85 Eldorado were truly one of the last great Cadillacs. Into the 90s and to present day, Cadillac has abandoned their traditional identity and are always chasing the Eurpeans, and often being a step or two behind as a result.
He was correct in bringing up Jack Humbert’s name, who was the king of 60s-70s Pontiac. Jack gave us the beautiful GTO, Grand Prix and Firebird models that we love so much today.
I was a valet in the summers during college in the mid 80's and got to drive just about everything at some point. I used to love these Caddys, nice and smooth.
Priceless interview and sketches. Even though American "boats" are not a passion of mine, the relaxed conversation highlighting design mentally and Cadillac history was entrancing. Thanks so much.
I grew up riding around in a 1981 Eldorado. Had the pre DX block that was eventually swapped. Fondest memory was when the passenger side window got out of track and broke when my brother closed the door (due to the frameless design). This was the car the finally caused my father to go to Mercedes and he is still driving them.
Mr. Kady is such a gentleman indeed. These Eldorados were beautiful cars indeed. One of my friend's parents had a Biarritz, another buddy's parents had a Riviera of this vintage. A home run indeed, thankyou to the great team involved and Mr. Kady.
I am so glad Mr. Kady is still alive and doing well and that he does these interviews with you.Where else in the WORLD could you get 1st hand information from they guy who did it.Awesome. Cheers
I appreciate the humility and insight. He must be in his 80s if he was working in gm design 55-60 years ago. These ppl will sadly not be around forever. I'd love to hear from other American designers from AMC and the big 3 if you can swing it.
One of my favourite Cadillacs, certainly among the top 5 anyway, particularly the Touring Coupe. Just a beautiful design from all angles. I would love to own one, one day. I can't remember when I last saw one on the street, although there is an early 9th (1971-1978) generation Eldorado just down the street from us. I really enjoy these episodes with the designers, you are so fortunate to have them join you. Its remarkable how much the first couple sketches you show resemble the 12th (1991-2003) final generation Eldorado.
The parents of a buddy of mine in middle school had a 1982 Eldorado Biarritz. It was teal with white vinyl landau roof and white leather interior. It also had the wrap around “CE” grille which proudly boasted the Cadillac wreath & crest hood ornament. Absolutely gorgeous car. I cannot tell you how much I admired that car, and what a joy it was to ride in. After years of multiple breakdowns with the HT 4100 and the transmission it was mated with, electrical bugs, brake failures, and other quality issues, his dad deemed it a maintenance nightmare and traded it in for a Toyota Cressida. It was hard to believe such a showroom condition car could be Frankenstein’s monster. In the driveway, it looked like the pinnacle of success. On the road, it was a total bomb 😂. Nevertheless, I loved that car, and would do anything to have one.
My best friend had an Eldorado. Early 80's I think. Loved that car. So comfortable. And I don't know if it was the original engine or not. But it had a 350 that would melt the front tires off if you were so inclined. First time I ever saw a front wheel drive car smoke the tires. I miss being young and ignorant. And I really miss those old cars. Modern vehicles are disposable appliances without a soul. Garbage crossovers with their giant screens and other unnecessary technology. My 1996 Buick Roadmaster sedan is as new as I will ever buy. My next car will be something from the 60's to 80's
9:00 In these early sketches of Eldorado there is room in the front overhang to put a V-8 in longitudinal position with axle transaxle directly to the rear of the engine. Low hood ? ...a flat boxer 8 maybe . 12:00 lower one look like a Citroen Sm
One of the first Cadillacs i can recall as a kid. My aunt had a 84 Eldorado Biarritz in burgundy. It was beautiful and rode smooth. Remember us going to Milwaukee, Wi to see her sister.
I was given the opportunity to take ownership of my uncle's new Eldorado from dealership in 85. My uncle was out of town, so I was chosen to accept hisnew car. They did the Gold Key process for me as a 19 year old kid. Pretty interesting experience. Main take away was how floaty the front end was. Seemed like the shocks were worn out on a brand new car, but that's probably what people liked? My uncle sold it the next year and bought a Mercedes SL.
This generation is particularly my favourite of all Eldorado due to its perfect blend of style, proportion, luxury, and size. When my family and I holidayed in Europe in the very early 1980s, we were surprised to see so many Eldorado in the Switzerland as they were very popular there due to the manageable size. I love the export taillamps with amber turn signal indicators, which was tastefully done, on Eldorado.
I hope the GM Heritage center is watching these. These interviews should be preserved.
This generation was pure class in American manufacturing and engineering. We even heard Wayne had some good to say about his boss. The world has changed. Maybe I'm just washed up and aging, but this country is a far cry from what it once was. I'm also about Adams age and have massive respect for Mr. Kady's generation.
You're right, this is clearly a country in decline.
@@1776-r4j Cadillac makes a 650+ horsepower 6 speed super sedan that trounces everything in it's class. I can't imagine how you can look at 80's car and current cars and somehow equate that we are a country in decline.. absolute madness.
@@danielarndt284 I said the country was in decline, not the cars.
@@HelicopterDad-xk5sxhe is not talking just about the cars…
@@danielarndt284The comment you replied to had nothing to do with Cadillac but that Wayne was a class act who respected his boss and team. Times have changed in how we speak to each other was the point.
Adam, you are to be commended for documenting this design history with Mr. Kady. Terrific interview and interesting insight into the process of tackling a difficult design brief. Keep it going!
My grandmother, who died this year at age 96, bought one of the earliiest 1979 models to leave the factory. In fact, my grandfather took a flight to Detroit to pick it up because the Cadillac dealer in our area didn't have any available. It was a beautiful car and she loved it. Seeing photos of this model makes me think of her.
Great story!
Privilege.
If you squint you can see the 90’s Eldorado in the first drawing.
You sure can. The top sketch looks like a 92-02, and the bottom looks like an 88-91.
I always thought that this generation Eldorado looked very classy, especially the Biarritz!! 👍👍🙂
To me, the 1979-85 Eldorado was a cleaner, more modern distillation of the 1967-70 design. Truly beautiful expressions of the Cadillac styling themes at their finest. The proportions on the 1979-85 are just perfect. And the 1984-85 convertibles are absolute home runs from a design perspective as well. Mr. Kady is brilliant. He created some of the most beautiful Cadillacs ever designed. And let's not forget the impact the 1976 Buick Regal coupe had when it debuted. That car was a reskin on a platform that had been around since 1973 and Mr. Kady's reskin absolutely transformed it and raised sales significantly.
76/77 Regals with road wheels were a hot thing
It amazes me how much the side view of the top sketch inspires the 1992-2002 Eldorado. That rear sail panel looks almost identical.
Edit: the sketch at the 9:50 mark.
It's a shame GM build quality on the 92+ Eldorado was so bad. Tyne newest one's have been junked for a decade or more. Lots of electrical and engine issues. But they are still lookers to this day
1979-1981.....BEST YEARS
1979-1980
That stainless top on that caddy is ABSOLUTELY KILLER !
And expensive! I knew a guy that had the stainless steel top, and he got hail damage on it, and that piece cost $1500.00, in 1986. And his had the moonroof, which was less money, $2500.00 without the moonroof!
The 1979-85 Eldorado was a beautiful car and is one of my favorite Cadillac designs of all time. Not only was it easily recognizable as a Caddy, but it still had styling cues from previous gen Eldorados, making it easily recognizable as an Eldorado.
Wonderful downsizing work. Detroit was under so much pressure to change. The Eldorado team killled it!
The success of the downsizing shows just how piggish and excessive the previous Eldo was.
Mr. Kady has such a sharp, dry wit. I’ll be he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. It’s a treat to see all his sketches and hear him flesh out the details of the design process. Thanks, Adam!
As a kid, I LOVED the styling of this car. The chrome, grill, interior, etc. just said "class." What I didn't know, as a kid, was just how weak the drivetrains were.
It is a wonderful design that is timeless. A beauty.
I wonder how the current prices of the '79-'81s, which had solid engines (if you disabled the shaky 6-cylinder mode of the '81) compare to the '82-'85s. The '85s might have had bearable reliability, with some of the bugs worked out of the 4100, but even those engines seem pretty dainty and slow.
@@pcno2832 Of course, you can always swap the HT4100 engine for 368 engine.
Agreed drivetrains badly lacking but a 368 or even a 425/472/500 could work right? A good choice would be the 79 with an Olds 350 if you are not a purest and demand Cadillac power.
Good Choice...but even with the bad powerplant choices, those babies floated down the road@@howardfletcher7206
I'd go for a V8-6-4 for sure, remove the equipment, and possibly swap the fuel injection for a nice 4 barrel carburetor tuned for the Arizona environment. I'm sure there are a few mechanics out there who remember how to do this.
I had an 85 Eldo.4.1 l,blue with white leather interior and stainless steel roof. My daily driver for 10 years.I inherited it from my grandmother.Great car and cheers Adam.
What s nice and talented guy!!!!
I own a Cotillion White over Garnet 1988 Biarritz here in Arizona. It is a "baby" Eldorado that shares many of the designs of the other Eldos. I had it at a car show this last week and it drew a lot of nice comments. One guy told of owning an 84 Black over Red Eldorado that was destroyed in his driveway by a car that ran off the road and plowed into his dearly beloved ride. He was almost crying when he told the sad story. Thanks for you work on these beauties!
Great channel. Thank you.
Very nice video Adam. Mr. Kady made a huge contribution in a generation that really made an epic difference in automotive design. Kudos to him! 👍👍
Welcome back Wayne! 😁
I was reading about the actual events that led to the film "Casino" in 1995. It's basically all a true story. And it is true that for just the 1981 model year they put a massive steel plate under the drivers seat to correct a balance issue and that's what saved the guys life.
Have dreamed of owning one of these absolutely beautifully designed cars since the first time I saw one in 1979. 45 years have slid past my eyes and finally in April 2024 I found and bought my dream. An absolutely pristine Canary yellow with light brown interior 1984 Eldorado Biarritz with 47,111 miles. At 77 years old I find myself filled with joy each time I look at and drive the car. No,, I don't want to put more miles on it BUT,, I want to experience the luxury of driving it, showing it off to anyone else who enjoys these classic cars. I intend keeping it until I and my Wife are gone from planet Earth so the kids will need to sell it if that's what they choose to do. Thank you for this most informative video and for introducing us to the Father of this wonderfully beautiful Cadillac body design.
Another very interesting interview with Mr. Kady. The 1979-85 Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado were all great looking cars. Far superior than the earlier models IMO. One of the cost cutting features I didn’t care for were the inoperable rear quarter windows.
Enough drop top Riviera owners will tell you the quarter windows are a pain.
We had a 74 Olds Tornado, I think that was the last year the rear windows went down.
I've always loved the Cadillac coupes. I've had two Eldorado, 94 and 98, and now have an 14 ELR that I found when looking for a CTS coupe. My first love for Cadillac would probably be the 78 Coupe DeVille. My friend's mother had one and I drove it on occasion when I was 16, I loved those big doors, and big body on that car. I think it was a 425 V8 under the hood which had a good amount of torque.
I've probably had more Cadillacs than anything other brand in my around 30 vehicle ownership lifetime.
In retirement a few years from now I'm hoping to put a 09, or possibly 07-08 XLR in my garage to take the place of my Corvette that I just can't work the clutch in anymore.
Another great interview!! Thank you..
These are some of my favorite video subjects. The designers' interviews with all the wonderful information they bring to us.
I would like to see a collection of their drawings, stories and history, maybe a big coffee table book filled with original sketches, drawings and photographs.
As a kid growing up in the 60s & 70s, I had hundreds of models and hundreds of drawings of cars and ones I styled myself. Thought I would design cars one day.
I joined the navy in 76 and when I came home my mother had put all my drawings into two large Samsonite suitcases. They got misplaced and I never saw them again. So sad.
9:45 one of the best looking Caddies ever made.
i like 1979-1985 Eldorados. my other favourite is 1971-1972 generation too.
My stepfather had the exact same car in the pictures. That black with the red leather and the stainless steel roof was a perfect combination. His had the Goodyear Double Eagle tires which looked great on that car. Thanks for that video!
Another great GM conversation with Wayne and Adam. In addition to being a gifted designer, it’s clear from his sketches that Wayne is a talented artist. I’d love to hear about some of Wayne’s later Buick design efforts as well. I would’ve loved the bustle back Eldorado!
The last gen. Buick Roadmaster was under the direction of Mr. Kady.
Awesome cars especially with the aluminium roof super classy...never was a big fan of the Touring package but can appreciate what they were going after. God bless Wayne, hes as cool as the other side of the pillow!
The roof is not aluminum, it's stainless steel!
@@jeffmiller3150 okay Jeff "stainless steel !" ...
Edit: lol
All 3 versions of those E body cars just amazing looking!
I had an '81 Eldo for a demonstrator with the 864 and loved it - I cannot sufficiently praise the torsion bar front suspension - the HT-4100 was the death knell for Cadillac it was just one in a series of bad engines.
Fantastic the Cadillac and the GM of the first 80s years
My first Cadillac was a 1985 Eldorado. I bought it new in Bayside, NY. It was black with a tan cloth interior and no vinyl roof. I ordered it with the wire wheel covers and a few other options and out the door was $23,500. With the 4.1 engine, it was no stoplight racer but would do 90 on the highway all day. What a great riding car. I kept it for two years and sold it to a friend and bought a 1987 Mustang GT with a 5 speed and T-Tops.
Thanks once again Adam for bringing a very insightful interview with Mr Kady!
One day we will look back at these interviews and be grateful for the effort you put in to make this happen.
I take my hat off to Mr Kady for the amazing work he has done over the years and for creating some of my most loved designs.
I always loved these cars as a youngster growing up. They came out when I was in sixth grade and I always admired them, never thinking I would be lucky enough to own one, let alone two of his design inspirations.
I owned a Twilight blue 1980 Eldorado with a 368 V8. Sadly I sold that car about 10 years ago with 40k miles. I still own my 1981 Seville Elegante with 22,000 miles. It has a Superior blue upper body and Twilight blue lower body. It is absolutely exquisite, definitely a keeper.
Here’s to many more interviews. Thank you
A very rare example of an early 80s CLASSIC.
Thank you Mr.Wayne
Well done, Adam. Thoroughly enjoyable and educational video. Thanks to Mr. Kady for sharing his experience and expertise.
The bustleback proposal for the Eldorado looks really nice. It looks better as a coupe compared to the Seville.
I was 13 years old when these came out in 1979 and I thought these were some of the best looking American cars ever, and the best looking Cadillac ever. The interesting part is that this used the original longitudinal FWD drive train that dated back to the '66 Olds Toronado, a very classy touch.
Great video!
Longitudinal yes, original no... They had a smaller Turbo 325 trans instead of the 425.
@@marko7843 YES Marko that is true. I think that Cadillac should have kept this drivetrain for their cars and let the other divisions have the transverse layout with the transmission behind the engine. It just looks "right" for a Cadillac to have the valve covers north and south versus east and west....
I didn't reply for this video-
Great interview again, Adam👍🏻👍🏻😀
We shall never see such handsome. finely trimmed, beautifully proportioned cars ever again.
Really love the "Inside Baseball" of these interviews. Mr. Kady is a true modest gentleman. Class act all the way.
Facsinating sketches! I definitely see the 92 in those first sketches. Wayne was right about the 74 Riv, it wasn't nearly as nice stylistically as the boattail, looked like a gussied up LeSabre, and it got even worse in the next generation. Never cared for the 71-78 Eldo's. it seems like they really lost their way. Loved the 79-85's but bought a Mark 6 instead. as it seemed to overall be a more solid and well built car, but I preferred the style of the Eldo. Very interesting to hear Wayne's take on it all, especially his explanation of how corporate politics and economics played a role! Yes, all the 71-78 Rivs, Toros, and Eldos would have looked so much better had they been built on the Grand Prix/Monte Carlo scale. They were so bloated looking and it wasn't corrected until the excellent 79 redesign. Good episode!
The sketches in 1976 remind me of the Thunderbird.
Just spent last week with my dad, David North another GM Chief Designer like Wayne, it is amazing the great insight these gentlemen can share, thanks for posting.
You’re welcome. Your dad certainly made some great contributions.
That lower sketch at 12:54 is remarkably prescient of the 1992 Eldorado in proportion and detail. The nose treatment looks almost identical to the 1988 Cadillac Voyage concept. The date on the lower right corner is 1976-a decade and a half and two design generations before the 1992 model debuted.
Wayne and the other designers you feature are so talented with their ability to sketch up new concepts, I wonder if any of them still sketch cars today. It would be interesting to know what they would design.
An amazing and beautiful car. Wish they made cars like that today.
This body style of the Cadillac Eldorado and the Buick Rivera of this same design are my favorites.
I remember when these Eldorados were new and how popular they were. They definitely had a presence. So much was lost in the 1986 redesign, unfortunately. For multiple carlines, it seemed like 1985 was the end of the good, traditional styling, and 1986 was the beginning of styling that was supposed to be more modern but was just all around so much worse and less attractive. The Eldorado, Toronado, and Riviera in these years really looked classy. I remember driving one in the mid 90s. I don't know how you have access to the designers of some of these cars, and the original sketches, but it's very good information - no one else is going to know as much about certain cars as the designers and how the cars started out. It's also quite some time ago now since they were in the design stage; it's good these guys are still alive and are willing to share their stories. That part about the 76/77 Buick Regal tail lights was really interesting. I always wondered why they did that. They separated the coupe styling from the sedan styling in 1976. The 73 - 75 Regal tail lights were like those on the sedan. Then in 76 they totally changed the front, the rear, and also removed the swoop spear on the Regal (and Century) coupes, but the sedans were much less changed. My friend's mom drove a gold 1977 Buick Regal coupe that I remember riding around in. Interesting to hear from the man who was responsible for the tail light design of that car and how that came to be.
Thanks for capturing this part of the vehicle history for us. We are fortunate to have Wayne and others like him around to talk about the behind-the-scenes process. I had a '85 Eldorado Biarritz and it was a beautiful gutless wonder.
I have enjoyed all of your guest interviews, but the ones with Wayne are always my favorite. Not only is Wayne still sharp, he was a part of such an interesting period of Cadillac, and played an important part in creating several of my favorite cars.
The 79 wasn't just a good design- it was a good example of how GM could share some body elements with sister cars, but retain a unique brand look and identity. Compare an eldo to a Riviera or a toro and they're all rather distinct. Too bad Cadillac didn't share in the one big advantage the other two had... an olds 307!
I agree with you Adam, I was seeing some elements of the 92 Eldorado in a few of the sketches.
would love to see your take on a future classic.the XLR
IMHO< this was the 2nd best Eldorado, the first being the '67-'68 version. And it's always a pleasure to hear Wayne tell the design story of a car he was involved in.
Boy. It sure is neat hearing him tell his stories and seeing those beautiful sketches. Thank you for bringing him to us Cadillac fans. Very cool Adam.
Thanks, Adam. Seeing the evolution of Mr Kady’s work is fascinating.
Excellent content Adam , thank you for bringing Wayne aboard - this is truly appreciated !
Love these videos with Wayne, remiiscing about the days when GM still was what it was originally intended to be. Each division had its own look, themes, and concepts about what they wanted the cars to be. Differentiation between divisions that disappeared in the 80s. Back when the important decisions about individual models were made by the division general managers instead of corporate. Back when Fisher Body was still badically the manufacturing division, lending thoughts to how stylistic elements would be executed. The '79-'85 Eldorado were truly one of the last great Cadillacs. Into the 90s and to present day, Cadillac has abandoned their traditional identity and are always chasing the Eurpeans, and often being a step or two behind as a result.
My favorite El Dorado thanks to Mr Kady. Where are the martinis? Love that touch in the interview
He was correct in bringing up Jack Humbert’s name, who was the king of 60s-70s Pontiac. Jack gave us the beautiful GTO, Grand Prix and Firebird models that we love so much today.
Those profile sketches of the 79 look like the profile of the 92!
Very interesting to get a face behind the designs of these beauties.
Thank You so much for the vudeos
This man helped design some of the most impressive-looking cars of all time. Glad to see for a man of his age he looks like he is doing very well.
Thanks! Great subject, love these interviews with designers.
Thx very much!
Thanks Mr. Kady
A Very Innovative Car in its time, Wayne and Adam😊🤲
I was a valet in the summers during college in the mid 80's and got to drive just about everything at some point. I used to love these Caddys, nice and smooth.
Fantastic to hear your friend, former colleague, talk about his experiences!
Priceless interview and sketches. Even though American "boats" are not a passion of mine, the relaxed conversation highlighting design mentally and Cadillac history was entrancing. Thanks so much.
I grew up riding around in a 1981 Eldorado. Had the pre DX block that was eventually swapped. Fondest memory was when the passenger side window got out of track and broke when my brother closed the door (due to the frameless design). This was the car the finally caused my father to go to Mercedes and he is still driving them.
The entire line of Riviera , Toro and Eldorado were handsome vehicles . Eldo had a distinct presence.
Mr. Kady is such a gentleman indeed. These Eldorados were beautiful cars indeed. One of my friend's parents had a Biarritz, another buddy's parents had a Riviera of this vintage. A home run indeed, thankyou to the great team involved and Mr. Kady.
For sure! Mr. Kady is just the type of man we all would like to work for/with.
I am so glad Mr. Kady is still alive and doing well and that he does these interviews with you.Where else in the WORLD could you get 1st hand information from they guy who did it.Awesome. Cheers
The ‘75 Electra doesn’t get enough accolades. I had one and was a great looking and riding car IMO. Nicer looking than the ‘76.
Wayne has designed some good looking cars for sure
Always love the interviews with Wayne!
I appreciate the humility and insight. He must be in his 80s if he was working in gm design 55-60 years ago. These ppl will sadly not be around forever. I'd love to hear from other American designers from AMC and the big 3 if you can swing it.
Nice video Adam! These were all my favorite models back in the day.
He did an excellent job on the 1976 Regal styling and the back end which looked like a mini Coupe Deville.
Amazing ! Thanks for these interviews.
An absolute joy to have Mr Kady back describing the evolution of my favorite automobiles; thank you gentlemen!
The last beautiful car they made
One of my favourite Cadillacs, certainly among the top 5 anyway, particularly the Touring Coupe. Just a beautiful design from all angles. I would love to own one, one day. I can't remember when I last saw one on the street, although there is an early 9th (1971-1978) generation Eldorado just down the street from us. I really enjoy these episodes with the designers, you are so fortunate to have them join you. Its remarkable how much the first couple sketches you show resemble the 12th (1991-2003) final generation Eldorado.
Yes! They resemble cadillacs that wouldn't come out for 20 more years. Amazing talent
These were an excellently styled car. Well done Wayne.
The parents of a buddy of mine in middle school had a 1982 Eldorado Biarritz. It was teal with white vinyl landau roof and white leather interior. It also had the wrap around “CE” grille which proudly boasted the Cadillac wreath & crest hood ornament. Absolutely gorgeous car. I cannot tell you how much I admired that car, and what a joy it was to ride in.
After years of multiple breakdowns with the HT 4100 and the transmission it was mated with, electrical bugs, brake failures, and other quality issues, his dad deemed it a maintenance nightmare and traded it in for a Toyota Cressida. It was hard to believe such a showroom condition car could be Frankenstein’s monster. In the driveway, it looked like the pinnacle of success. On the road, it was a total bomb 😂. Nevertheless, I loved that car, and would do anything to have one.
True priceless history that I hope will not be lost to time...Thank you Mr. Kady for all your great designs as well as my most valued memories.
Always love these videos, I wasn't even born in the '70s yet but I love getting that piece of the puzzle of how we got to where we are today
My best friend had an Eldorado. Early 80's I think. Loved that car. So comfortable. And I don't know if it was the original engine or not. But it had a 350 that would melt the front tires off if you were so inclined. First time I ever saw a front wheel drive car smoke the tires. I miss being young and ignorant. And I really miss those old cars. Modern vehicles are disposable appliances without a soul. Garbage crossovers with their giant screens and other unnecessary technology. My 1996 Buick Roadmaster sedan is as new as I will ever buy. My next car will be something from the 60's to 80's
9:00 In these early sketches of Eldorado there is room in the front overhang to put a V-8 in longitudinal position with axle transaxle directly to the rear of the engine. Low hood ? ...a flat boxer 8 maybe . 12:00 lower one look like a Citroen Sm
This could be my favorite Cadillac
One of the first Cadillacs i can recall as a kid. My aunt had a 84 Eldorado Biarritz in burgundy. It was beautiful and rode smooth. Remember us going to Milwaukee, Wi to see her sister.
From the day that I picked it up in 1979 at a Caddy dealership in NJ this car was a thrill. Gorgeous, nimble and responsive it was a masterpiece
I was given the opportunity to take ownership of my uncle's new Eldorado from dealership in 85. My uncle was out of town, so I was chosen to accept hisnew car. They did the Gold Key process for me as a 19 year old kid. Pretty interesting experience. Main take away was how floaty the front end was. Seemed like the shocks were worn out on a brand new car, but that's probably what people liked? My uncle sold it the next year and bought a Mercedes SL.
This was a great beautiful car. It wasn’t a land yacht it was a very classy vehicle and look darn good.
What is the book with the Cadillac pictures, please? Many thanks for all your great videos.
The magazine is Collectible Automobile.
@@davidbolt5113 Thanks
Very nice. Love the exterior but the interior is absolutely gorgeous.
The Toronado looked nearly identical and sold well too. Both great looking cars.
The Toronado looked "The big Nothing" since 1971. Bland as hell.
Your interview videos are soooo good! Thanks for taking the time to educate us, fellas!!!
Had a 82. Was a nice driving and riding car..very peppy engine..wouldn't mind having another one.
This generation is particularly my favourite of all Eldorado due to its perfect blend of style, proportion, luxury, and size. When my family and I holidayed in Europe in the very early 1980s, we were surprised to see so many Eldorado in the Switzerland as they were very popular there due to the manageable size. I love the export taillamps with amber turn signal indicators, which was tastefully done, on Eldorado.