Every Monday we’re serving you up a delicious slice of pure postulation. That’s right, once a week we’re using our expertise and passion for the subject to predict what motors are destined for classic car stardom. This week, Parkers finance editor and former Classic Car Weekly news editor, Murray Scullion proposes the Cadillac Seville STS. 

American cars in Blighty are usually the reserve of classic car enthusiasts, members of the American forces stationed over here, and maybe the odd limo-driver. However, there are a few cars that don’t quite fit the mould. The Cadillac Seville STS is one of these cars.

Cadillac Seville STS: History

The Seville STS is an important car in Cadillac’s history. When it hit the UK shores in 1998, it was the first Cadillac made in right-hand drive for 94 years. Why the sudden change of tack? Cadillac was trying to reinvent itself. Research at the time pegged the average Cadillac driver as late-1960s, which isn’t brilliant for obvious reasons.

The STS (Seville Touring Sedan not Stetson Texas Spitoon), was the smallest Cadillac of the time. European models were a full five inches shorter than the full-fat American cars. Despite this, it was still BMW 5 Series size. The year 2000 saw minor changes to the Cadillac’s iconic V8 engine, plus, additional safety features like ‘Active steering effort compensation’ were added.  While post-2001 cars received xenon headlights, rain sensing wipers and a Bose stereo.

Period road testers poked fun at the car for numerous reasons. Chief of which were the looks. Or lack of looks. Back in the 1990s, it seemed to many like it was bereft of any character or features at all. But in 2020 we can’t help but feel that the design has matured. In a time of increasingly gaping grilles, the STS is square-jawed and methodical. 

UK imports ended in 2002. Mk2 models were never formally for sale in the UK, but was available in most of Europe - which explains why there are some left-hand drive versions out there.

Cadillac Seville STS: rarity

Ah yes. Rarity. We bet you’re sat here thinking this is as rare as rocking horse dung, and you’re wrong, because it’s even rarer.

Cadillac belonged to General Motors, and instead of setting up individual Cadillac dealerships, you had to buy STS models through Vauxhall dealers. This must’ve been quite a surreal experience, spending £40,000 on a V8 American luxury saloon while sat directly opposite a Corsa.

Sales were small. Only 649 cars were sold in the whole of Europe by 2001. According to howmanyleft, there are only 78 of them licensed on UK roads right now. To give that a little context, there are around 500 Chrysler Neons (another oddball American saloon) registered in the UK now.

Why should you care?

When the car was released, it was the most powerful front-wheel drive production car for sale. Its 4.6-litre V8 pumped out 300bhp and it could crack the 0-60mph sprint in less than seven seconds. It could even reach 150mph. Plus, the V8 under the bonnet holds true to two hallmarks of American engineering - sound, and reliability.

It sounds deep and throaty, and requires little to no tickling to get that lovely V8 reverb through the rear of the car. Aftermarket exhausts, which are readily available, help free things up even better. The Northstar V8 was designed to run without oil or water in extreme circumstances thanks to clever cylinder de-activation technology. Plus, it can go 100,000 miles without needing a service. Of course, these engines are around 20 years old now, so we don’t recommend doing this. But still, nice to know isn’t it?

If you’re expecting anything above 30mpg you’re an idiot, and driveline vibrations were a fault above 80mph reported at the time. Very minor inconveniences we think you’ll agree. Other reasons to buy a STS are fairly obvious. They’re big, cheap, and packed to the rafters with toys.

The highest praise we can heap on the STS is that we reckon it’s a cut-price Oldsmobile Toronado. Big? Check. V8? Check. Front-wheel drive for some reason? Check. 

The CCfS Classic Car Prediction

It’s a pretty tough guess with the STS. To the uninitiated, it seems like a crap-tastic and plastic American saloon from the late nineties, which was hardly a vintage time for American cars. The better educated will be able to recognise the car’s rarity and impressive engineering. Which is why we reckon it will only take 10 years for the STS to fully achieve classic car status.

By this, we mean most mainstream classic car shows in the UK will start accepting these in ten years time.

American-themed shows might even start displaying them in less than five years. While poncier shows bereft of American metal listed below £100,000 will take another 20 or so years to wake up to the little Caddy’s charms.