Allante is now price of a set of Ferrari wheels

A big problem, imho, is inherent to its design right from the beginning... it's front wheel drive.

 

The late Allante cars came with the Northstar engine. There are performance parts available. chrfab and others.

The earlier Allante cars came with the HT-4100 engine. This engine is garbage. Run away.

 

'old wive's tale' indeed.This is one where I can actually say 'i was there'......
I was in the Cadillac Exterior Studio at the time, and Cadillac Division mgt. decided to go 'outside' GM Design to get a 2 seat conv. done. They went to PF and contracted them to design & build the Allante. We were not informed of the initial decision, but ultimately we found out and wanted to do a version of our own, to 'compete' as it were with PF. Unbeknownst to us, the decision had already been made to use PF, and we were just wasting our time. We had no input into the final design other than 2 GM Design Execs were shown the car in Italy after the car was done.
The 'airbridge' shipping the bodies from Italy to have the drivelines installed in the 'New Detroit' plant turned into a real disaster, but at that point it was too late
the cars had a myriad number of quality problems to say the least

 

North Star engines have their issues and I doubt the transmission can handle much of an increase in hp and tq levels...

I'd pass because of the weakness of the north star engine...it's not a long term engine I'd recommend even at 1500 dollars.

The early non north star engines are just lame ducks as well...

Good price though for a pretty cruiser..

 

Allante will forever be remembered as just a synonym for the Bundy Bounce
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Great story!

Regardless of problems, I love these cars. I thought Cadillac had real balls to have Pininfarina design it. Yes, the front wheel drive may have been a mistake, but when they got the Northstar engine, I thought these were real slick.

Personally, I'd love to have one.

Was the Reatta a shared platform or completely different? Also a little odd, but cool nonetheless. GM may have produced some stinkers, but they sure took their fair share of risks (good, bad or indifferent).

 

The Reatta was a different underbody.

 

I looked at and drove the V model. Not a great handling car just comfortable. It is a Cadillac after all. I did not know they had all of these problems. I had a friend who had one four years and he had no problems. This is my only data point. As I get older these cars appeal more to me.

I drove a 600hp Bentley then I drove a new Cadillac. I was impressed with the caddy it was 90% of the Bentley as a performance car at 1/5 the price. They both drove the same. The Caddy was 560HP versus the Bentley at 600hp. Both are great cars.

Lee

 

the Allante embodied the "old GM"....great ideas, but horrible execution, and just about the time they got it right they pulled the plug.

glad to see they've found a new path.

 

I agree. The new performance cars coming from GM are World class Sports cars. I just love my 2014 Vette. A much better handling car than any of my European sports cars.

I love the car so much I have talked to the dealership about a Z06. I am excited with driving anticipation.

I hope you are doing well Guy

Best

Lee

 

I assume you are talking about the CTS-V sedan; obviously there was no "V model" Allante, and the XLR-V roadster was not 560 HP, but rather about 420 HP.

Now the hot rodder in me would love to see the transverse version of the Corvette motor (LS4) transplanted under the hood of one of these....add some V badges to confuse onlookers at Cars and Coffee!

 

Never looked into an Allante. A friend of mine had one and he had a lot of trouble with it.

I think the Cadillac I drove was a sedan and was called a CTSV. I remember 560 hp. I drove it and was pleasantly surprised how it drove and performed. With a car that heavy 400hp or so would not have enticed me.

Of course my '14 Vette is only 460hp and I love the car mostly the way it handles. It feels fast or quick to me. I guess I am just getting old I was going to buy a Z06 with 660hp but now I am not so sure.

I added a 2015 Z/28 to my collection instead. Now that my freinds is a sports car!

Lee

 

@$1,500 how can ya go wrong.

It's a Cadillac cream puff ya know?
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

A guy at my work daily drives a black Allante. I smile every time I see it in the parking lot.

 

childhood friend insisted that I have it when her husband croaked. goes strong(northstar). power unmanageable, rattles. rides like a buckboard and interior parts fall off as you drive. electronics are a constant repair problem. how far have I driven it in three years. 200 miles

 

Kind of sad really. The Pinifarina style still pleases my eye.
Sadly, the combination of Italian coachwork and electronics along with the dreadful HT4100 engine(The also maligned Northstar engine is world's better) didn't make a very pleasant ownership experience for most. Plus very expensive for the time, each one had a ride here on a 747.
I hear they were nice when everything was right.
At $1500 I'd be tempted to add to my list of orphan exotics.

 

I couldn't agree more. I love the quirky cars GM has produced over my lifetime and one day I hope to start acquiring and hoarding them.
So many great ideas with tragically flawed execution or just cosmically bad timing, but they're interesting.


Syclone/Typhoon (I really want one of these badly)
Allante
Reatta
Grand National
LT1 Impala SS
LT1 Caprice Wagon
Olds Aurora V8

There are probably more but this is off the top of my head.