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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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....
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Thank you, Adam, for recording these videos with some of the great automotive giants who are part of our history. Their stories need to be told, heard, and archived.
It's such pleasure listening to these gentlemen talking about their craft and their experiences within that realm. And to see these sketches from such classic automobile eras is the icing on the cake. One can almost imagine being a "fly on the wall", watching these fellas at work, and their designs eventually reaching an endpoint, and subsequently turning out spectacular vehicles that have been enjoyed by so many, including myself. Thanks so much Wayne and Adam for taking some time to share with us.
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.
Great interview with Wayne, he is a real treasure! The styling of that downsized El Dorado was beautiful! To bad the bean counters had their way with those down-sized El Dorados, when they used the same automatic transmission in it, that GM used in their cheapest car, the Chevy Chevette. I still have pics of a couple that parked their El Dorado right in front of a prestigious Cadillac dealership just outside of Beverly Hills to complain that the auto trans kept breaking, and GM would not replace it, but just rebuild it over, and over again. They (the couple) were dressed in yellow, and paraded up and down the sidewalk in front of the dealer's main street entrance with yellow placards reading, "Honk for Lemonade", and "Honor thy Lemon".
@@anthonym.cardali1875Never heard of that movie before! I guess I need to look it up and see it, thanks so much for your 'inspiration". I will probably laugh my head off, since Robin Williams is a leading actor in it!
This was quite nice to see Mr. Kady again. I like the fact he confirmed what I had suspected with the parts sharing with the Oldsmobile Toronado. One of the sketches front end proposal looked like 1979-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was the one with "Eldorado" across the front. He pointed out the sharing that took place with the E Cars . Adam you are correct when you said some of the proposals look like the 1992 Eldorado. They really do. The interesting part is they were from 1976. That is indeed "forward thinking" . I enjoyed the sketches/proposals and Mr. Kady's visit again. I liked hearing about how the Seville and seeing came put of the design proposal. Thank for the video Adam and the effort in the video.
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.
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.
Another fascinating interview with retired one of the GM design directors. I think the real tribute to Mr. Kady's designs is that they actually look best in "base" trim; aluminum wheels, not wire hubcaps, steel tops not half-vinyl roofs. His basic shapes were so great in the proportions (as he discussed) that they survived all the gingerbread (as Lee Iacocca called it) and still looked good. The "standard" Seville and Eldorado models look great with their simpler interiors. I'd love to have either. -RDM
I have always liked the GM e nody coupes 1979 to 1985. Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado, and Olds Toronado. I would have approved the bustle back Eldo. Great work Mr Kady!
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 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.
I fell in love with a customer's 2-tone '79 as a kid, in copper & chocolate brown, and I swear I would still be driving my '81 if the (cast iron!) engine hadn't self destructed... Alas, it happened AFTER I had made my own "Touring Coupe" with the factory mags, new rear glass and trim pieces, and removing the padded landau when I repainted it & replaced the headliner. I agree with Adam, in fact the sketch at 9:00 looks even more like the '92 Eldo - and I think there was a Chrysler spy in the room at 1:51... I see the 1981 Imperial!
Yes that bustle back design that was not chosen for the 1975 Seville and kept creeping in by designers who weren’t aware of the need for a classic instead of a fad design on high end cars…..had that 1980 Seville been more of a 4-foot Eldorado Cadillac perhaps might have not lost as many buyers…..maybe
I hope the GM Heritage center is watching these. These interviews should be preserved.
Thank you Mr.Wayne
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
These were an excellently styled car. Well done Wayne.
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
I always thought that this generation Eldorado looked very classy, especially the Biarritz!! 👍👍🙂
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.
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.
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! 👍👍
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.
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.
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!
Fantastic the Cadillac and the GM of the first 80s years
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
Great channel. Thank you.
Another great interview!! Thank you..
What s nice and talented guy!!!!
A very rare example of an early 80s CLASSIC.
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
Welcome back Wayne! 😁
All 3 versions of those E body cars just amazing looking!
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.
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.
9:45 one of the best looking Caddies ever made.
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
Great interview again, Adam👍🏻👍🏻😀
1979-1981.....BEST YEARS
1979-1980
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.
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.
Well done, Adam. Thoroughly enjoyable and educational video. Thanks to Mr. Kady for sharing his experience and expertise.
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.
i like 1979-1985 Eldorados. my other favourite is 1971-1972 generation too.
Thanks Mr. Kady
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.
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 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-
The bustleback proposal for the Eldorado looks really nice. It looks better as a coupe compared to the Seville.
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.
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.
Very interesting to get a face behind the designs of these beauties.
Thank You so much for the vudeos
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.
This body style of the Cadillac Eldorado and the Buick Rivera of this same design are my favorites.
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.
An amazing and beautiful car. Wish they made cars like that today.
Excellent content Adam , thank you for bringing Wayne aboard - this is truly appreciated !
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.
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!
would love to see your take on a future classic.the XLR
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!
Nice video Adam! These were all my favorite models back in the day.
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.
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.
Fine looking car
My favorite El Dorado thanks to Mr Kady. Where are the martinis? Love that touch in the interview
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.
Adam - please reveal the name of the book or magazine you are showing in this video! Thanks.
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
Always love the interviews with Wayne!
Old dude had some interesting insights and also his voice literally lulled me to sleep. Gonna add this vid to my ASMR collection.
A Very Innovative Car in its time, Wayne and Adam😊🤲
Fantastic to hear your friend, former colleague, talk about his experiences!
Thanks! Great subject, love these interviews with designers.
Thx very much!
Amazing ! Thanks for these interviews.
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.
Thank you, Adam, for recording these videos with some of the great automotive giants who are part of our history. Their stories need to be told, heard, and archived.
but where are the martini's?
We shall never see such handsome. finely trimmed, beautifully proportioned cars ever again.
It's such pleasure listening to these gentlemen talking about their craft and their experiences within that realm. And to see these sketches from such classic automobile eras is the icing on the cake. One can almost imagine being a "fly on the wall", watching these fellas at work, and their designs eventually reaching an endpoint, and subsequently turning out spectacular vehicles that have been enjoyed by so many, including myself. Thanks so much Wayne and Adam for taking some time to share with us.
Very nice. Love the exterior but the interior is absolutely gorgeous.
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.
Great interview with Wayne, he is a real treasure! The styling of that downsized El Dorado was beautiful! To bad the bean counters had their way with those down-sized El Dorados, when they used the same automatic transmission in it, that GM used in their cheapest car, the Chevy Chevette. I still have pics of a couple that parked their El Dorado right in front of a prestigious Cadillac dealership just outside of Beverly Hills to complain that the auto trans kept breaking, and GM would not replace it, but just rebuild it over, and over again. They (the couple) were dressed in yellow, and paraded up and down the sidewalk in front of the dealer's main street entrance with yellow placards reading, "Honk for Lemonade", and "Honor thy Lemon".
Sounds like the Robin Williams movie " Cadillac Man".
@@anthonym.cardali1875Never heard of that movie before! I guess I need to look it up and see it, thanks so much for your 'inspiration". I will probably laugh my head off, since Robin Williams is a leading actor in it!
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.
The last beautiful car they made
Thanks Adam for maintaining these relationships to share. Love the sketches, how you let your guest speak and walk through the history.
Wayne has designed some good looking cars for sure
Your interview videos are soooo good! Thanks for taking the time to educate us, fellas!!!
What is the name of the booklet/Pamphlet that contained all the photos of the Eldorado design & development?
This was quite nice to see Mr. Kady again. I like the fact he confirmed what I had suspected with the parts sharing with the Oldsmobile Toronado. One of the sketches front end proposal looked like 1979-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was the one with "Eldorado" across the front. He pointed out the sharing that took place with the E Cars . Adam you are correct when you said some of the proposals look like the 1992 Eldorado. They really do. The interesting part is they were from 1976. That is indeed "forward thinking" . I enjoyed the sketches/proposals and Mr. Kady's visit again. I liked hearing about how the Seville and seeing came put of the design proposal. Thank for the video Adam and the effort in the video.
What a great video. So much knowledge. Thanks as always!
Really love the "Inside Baseball" of these interviews. Mr. Kady is a true modest gentleman. Class act all the way.
An absolute joy to have Mr Kady back describing the evolution of my favorite automobiles; thank you gentlemen!
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.
The sketches in 1976 remind me of the Thunderbird.
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.
Another fascinating interview with retired one of the GM design directors. I think the real tribute to Mr. Kady's designs is that they actually look best in "base" trim; aluminum wheels, not wire hubcaps, steel tops not half-vinyl roofs. His basic shapes were so great in the proportions (as he discussed) that they survived all the gingerbread (as Lee Iacocca called it) and still looked good. The "standard" Seville and Eldorado models look great with their simpler interiors. I'd love to have either. -RDM
Absolutely. Those de-trimmed models are the best looking of the bunch. Shame the performance wasn't pepped up.
The Toronado looked nearly identical and sold well too. Both great looking cars.
The Toronado looked "The big Nothing" since 1971. Bland as hell.
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.
Thank you for these interviews. And I'm sure the designers and engineers you interview appreciate telling their stories as well.
It’s fascinating to have the inside look of the development of these cars.
Love the channel Adam!
Thanks, Adam. Seeing the evolution of Mr Kady’s work is fascinating.
Had a 82. Was a nice driving and riding car..very peppy engine..wouldn't mind having another one.
I have always liked the GM e nody coupes 1979 to 1985. Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado, and Olds Toronado. I would have approved the bustle back Eldo. Great work Mr Kady!
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 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.
I fell in love with a customer's 2-tone '79 as a kid, in copper & chocolate brown, and I swear I would still be driving my '81 if the (cast iron!) engine hadn't self destructed... Alas, it happened AFTER I had made my own "Touring Coupe" with the factory mags, new rear glass and trim pieces, and removing the padded landau when I repainted it & replaced the headliner.
I agree with Adam, in fact the sketch at 9:00 looks even more like the '92 Eldo - and I think there was a Chrysler spy in the room at 1:51... I see the 1981 Imperial!
Yes that bustle back design that was not chosen for the 1975 Seville and kept creeping in by designers who weren’t aware of the need for a classic instead of a fad design on high end cars…..had that 1980 Seville been more of a 4-foot Eldorado Cadillac perhaps might have not lost as many buyers…..maybe