1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible



Finished in Arctic Blue with White convertible top and white leather upholstery, our Cadillac is showing 94638 miles recorded and has had only 1 previous UK owner since 2007.

The Car
What can you say about the Cadillac DeVille? This was the very last word in luxury motoring and for us the 1968 model was by far and away the best looking, it was also the year that Cadillac introduced their new 472 CID V8 engine, that?s 7. 7 litres and was the biggest engine fitted to a production car at the time. You know what they say, there?s no replacement for displacement and once you have driven a late sixties Cadillac, you will know why.
The ?68 Cadillacs were also incredibly technologically advanced, featuring things like cruise control, climate control and optional ?Sentinal? automatic headlights, which ours has.

The History
We don?t have a lot history prior to 2000, apart from a receipt for an oil change done in Memphis in 1974! However in 2000, Mr J O?Connor of Kansas City became the proud owner of the Cadi. There is a huge file of receipts amounting to over $6000 that he spent on the Cadi during his ownership. He eventually sold it in 2003 to a Mr C Mills of Denver who had the seats re upholstered.
In 2007 the Cadi landed on our shores having been imported by a Mr Fittal who got straight into a major mechanical and cosmetic refurbishment, we have invoices for over £10000 of parts alone. We understand that he was also responsible for having the car repainted in 2010. He sold the car in 2011 to a Mr Shaw who then kept it for the next 12 years.

The Exterior
The paint work on our Cadi is 13 years old now but still has a lovely deep shine to it, there are some areas of blistering and a few chips when observed up close but overall it presents very well. The chrome and trim work again, is in very presentable condition with just a few pits here and there. The power hood is in superb condition and is fully functional, all the badges are present and correct and the glass is bright and scratch free.
The hub caps are all in very nice condition and it rolls on a matching set of BF Goodrich white band tyres, all with plenty of tread.

The Interior
Moving inside, it is a mixture of restored and original. The seats, we know were re upholstered in the states, not long before it came to the UK. They are in lovely condition with no rips or tears. The carpet, again, is in excellent condition and we would assume it has been replaced relatively recently. The rest of the interior we suspect is original and is showing a lovely lived in patina. The only damage is in the rear passenger side panel that is displaying some cracking on the armrest section.
The dash pad is crack free and all the instruments are fully functional, as are the ?Sentinel? automatic lights. The radio has been upgraded with a clever Custom Autosound unit that looks just like the original but has FM and a 10 disc CD changer.
Moving to the rear, the boot is very clean and tidy and trimmed in black carpet.

The Mechanicals and Drive
Anyone who hasn?t had the pleasure of driving a late 60s Cadillac might be forgiven for imagining them to be quite intimidating out on the road. They are in fact, incredibly easy and pleasurable to drive. Ours fires up on the first turn of the key and that big lazy 472cu in V8 settles down to a smooth tick over. Pop it into drive and off you go! The steering is super light and visibility is excellent, you very soon forget you are driving a car so large it has its own postcode.
The only thing of note during our test drive was a slight blow from 1 of the exhaust manifolds, only really noticeable under hard acceleration, apart from that, it is a truly wonderful thing to drive.

The Paperwork
The Cadi comes with a huge file of paperwork, including its V5, a vast file of invoices detailing nearly every part ever bought for it from 2000 both in the US and UK. Mr Mills US certificate of title, lots of old MOT?s and the lovely original owners handbook still in its vinyl case.

The Conclusion
The ?68 Cadillac DeVille was a genuine status symbol and was loved by the wealthy and celebrities of the era. Our example looks quite beautiful in its Arctic Blue with white hood colourway. It is not perfect but it is a very nice and honest example, it drives very well and would not look out of place on any classic American show field. Despite being an Historic car, so therefore tax and mot exempt, it comes with an advisory free MOT until 20th April 2024.

As with all our classic and retro cars, we have described the Cadillac honestly and with transparency, drawing attention to the good points and the imperfections equally, allowing you to make an informed decision.
Viewing is highly recommended and can be done at our Tewkesbury HQ, Monday to Saturday by appointment.