Comments: 1-15, 16-18
Small oil leak.
This car is timeless. The body designed and built by Pinafarina in Italy is an art form in itself. The engine (Northstar) is the best engine ever made. The car handles like a true sports car with power to spare and handling as good as any European sports car on the road.
As a collector I'm finding that it's hard to keep the miles off this vehicle. It seems to be my car of choice on a warm sunny day. I get thumbs up no matter where I drive it.
There are a few things I would have liked to see changed, one to mention is the turn signal arm, looks like Cadillac got them from Fiat. Every other appointment on the car is first class.
I have a 1989 Pearl White Allante'. I am a previous owner of a Red Ferrari 308 GT4 and a Black Corvette. She can give them both a run for their money. This car has given me more pleasure and turns more heads than the two put together. So, far, I have replaced the speakers and drivers side window switch. It has 116000 miles and I expect to go another 100000 miles before I get tired of it and get a 1993 with a Northstar engine.
I have a '93 teal Allante, and tend to leave it in the garage too much. I guess that's because it is the first really fine car I have owned.
About that turn signal handle. I had the same one on a Trans-Am in the 70s, and have a ready replacement in my '84 GMC Astro (not a collectable, a $25.00 savings every time I go to Home Depot).
At 90K miles, I've replaced the AC compressor and am experiencing the oil leak you mentioned. I believe this is the finest American car since World War II.
The Cadillac Division ALLANTE was an effort by General Motors to enter the 'MB SL' product slot. It was a colossal failure. The vehicle is impossible to maintain, is a powerful, electronically elaborate product with minimum corporate field support. If you really want one of these quixotic roadsters, be prepared to endure inexplicable mechanical failure, dealer service bafflement and, generally, a dedication to infinite patience. This car brings back the ineffable mysteries of the early days of motoring when EVERY owner had to be his/her own expert mechanic. Unfortunately, this car is ELECTRONICALLY enabled. When stuff goes wrong, consult your nearest mystical guru. have your check book ready and enjoy. The ALLANTE is a vehicular DISASTER.
As an owner of a 1992 Cadillac Allante and therefore necessarily somewhat of an amateur scholar of the breed, I must object to the preceding owner's sweeping criticism of the car, while admitting many of the faults he mentions.
GM replaced the Bosch ABS braking system with its own version in the 1993 model, correcting the worst defect in the earlier Allantes. Actually if they had the brains to advise buyers, as M-B does, that the brake fluid should be replaced regularly, the Allante would not have developed its reputation for $3,000 brake jobs (actually nearer $4,000: I had one done.)
GM's engineers loaded thousands of dollars in undeveloped electronic junk on board the Allante, all of which carried Murphy's Curse.
If GM had exercised any control over their dealers, or cared about their customers, they would have issued bulletins on the car's engineering failings and policed them. However, in American automobiling, the dealer wags the manufacturer and not the other way 'round; 99 out of 100 Cadillac dealers had no interest in selling a high-priced two-seater, and treated Allante buyers accordingly, both before and after the purchase. The "new" Allante (XLS) will get the same treatment.
This said, the Allante was still one of the greatest road cars ever produced in the US, with one of the most beautiful auto bodies produced anywhere since WW II. The handling was excellent in relation to the ride (always the tradeoff) and the Northstar was right up there with M-B or better for smoothness, power and durability. Car magazine road tests
by drivers and publications whose results were not for sale showed the Allante regularly beating the M-B around difficult road courses.
I will buy the next clean 1993 Allante I can afford, and not complain about the maintenance cost. I've owned several Jaguars, MGs, M-Bs, as well as Itallian cars, and nothing is free: the question is whether it's worth the price. An Allante is, for me.
GM wanted to build a world-beating two-seater without paying the price in dealer and factory support. The Allante's faults were in the American auto sales system, not in the car's basic design and engineering. Granted, that the average Cadillac owner had no idea how good a car he had bought, so I would not recommend an Allante to the average Cadillac owner. But I wouldn't let him design a car for me, either. Most Cadillac drivers want a Toyota Camry that looks like a Rolls-Royce. I don't.
John Cooke Dowd, Boston.
I recently purchased a 1988 Black Allante. Love it! I do not worry all that much about the electronics because I have been a GM technician for years. I was stuck with the digital dashes in the S-10s and Trans Am's. I have had Corvettes and found them not to be much of a car. Will let all know in the future how our Allante turns out.
I am currently on my 5th Allante. I have had an 88 Pearl White, a Red 89, a Red 90 1/2, a Green 92, and now enjoy a Pearl Flax 93. These were some of the finest cars that GM ever made. Each car got better as the years progressed, and when they finally got it right in 93, they stopped making them (I have seen pictures of a 94 model -- Neat). The do have their quirks though. I have found that they no not like to sit. They like to be driven. If you leave the car in the garage it will become a maintenance nightmare! To all of the Allante owners - Enjoy your car.
My Allante is a 1990, Gold with Natural Interior and only 24,000 miles. Actually the exterior is Beige Metallic, but "gold is easier to visualize. The car is a hangar queen, my fault not the car's. My desire is to keep the miles off of it, but DARN it is so great to drive. I wish I had garage space for a second one. I have only owned the Allante for 11 months and have had no significant problems.
Bud - Jacksonville, FL.
I have a question and a statement: I have owned several Cadillacs over the years and always found them to be classy cars, and yes, I've had a few problems, but nothing that would ever keep me from buying a new one.
Next, was the Cadillac Allante body really made in Italy?
Finally, was 1993 the first and only year for the Northstar system being put in the Allante?
Thank you, and have a great day.
The previous owner of my Allante also owned a Rolls-Royce. He mainly drove the Allante. I think that speaks volumes.
To the March 5th poster.
Yes, the big deal about the Allante was that the bodies were made in Italy and shipped to America on 747's. This was supposed to make the cars more exclusive, which the marketplace totally ignored.
As far as the Rolls Royce comment, the Allante is a more practical car for every day use so it's not surprising he would drive it more.
I have owned 5 Allantes. I now own a very late production 93 Montana Blue. This is about as good as the Allante gets, but still have problems folding the top in the well. Overall I still enjoy the car, and I like the 93 for the less problematic brakes. I wish the car had half or one third of the electronics that GM felt the need to load on this car. As far as driving the car it is WONDERFUL. And for a 2 seater it is almost practical with the large trunk, and the pass thru trunk. The looks are still very good. Performance is excellent.
I own a 1993 Teal Allante with 52k miles and original chrome wheels. With the Northstar engine, and 295hp, it has power to spare, and handles much like my old vet did.
A few minor challenges consist of air vents that need to be replaced, as well as the tape deck and CD player; the latter did not work when I acquired the car last year, however the radio is fine.
The Allante seems to generate interest with people asking if it is a new model? Beside the handling, it is a good looking car with a body style that is one of a kind, and even more fun to drive.
We won a 1987 Allante by entering a sweepstakes from Kodak by just filling in 5 (free) ballots!! It was a DREAM car and I hated to sell it. But, we had to because our two kids and us could not fit into it. Also, in Calgary, these Canadian winters last 9 months - not conducive to owning a gorgeous convertible! I was sad to part with it, but on the other hand, we invested the money and quadrupled it. So, maybe, we will get a 1993 model one of these days. It simply made heads turn - you would have thought the onlookers had swivel heads!!! The car is long gone but my heart will always be pining for one of these beauties.
I've owned my 93 Allante now for almost one year.. The car drives great.. parts are always hard to locate, but contacting the local Allante clubs was the ticket.. two issues for me are the conv. top.. I can't believe its not a one button automatic top, although it stays down most of the time... The other is just personal.. A body built in Italy should not resemble a 93 Honda...
Hello all, the bodies were made in Italy by Pininfarina.
The body was designed and built on a frame and trucked to the airport where GM had a 747 jet, 56 Allantes were flown back to the USA and the body was mated to the chassis at the Hantramck, Michigan assembly plant.
One other note, only 21,430 Allantes were built, and 1993 was the Allante's last year, enjoy.