1989 Cadillac Allanté
Description
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
When it debuted in 1987, General Motors called the Allanté “The New Spirit of Cadillac.” The limited production luxury convertible was conceived to restore Cadillac’s image, competing directly against the Mercedes-Benz SL and Jaguar XJS. Famous Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina not only designed the Allanté body but also manufactured them outside Turin in rural San Giorgio Canavese. Specially equipped Boeing 747s flew 56 bodies at a time to Detroit for final assembly with a domestically manufactured Cadillac drivetrain.
Launched in March 1987, Allanté rode on fully independent strut-type suspension with Speed Dependent Damping, power rack and pinion steering, four-wheel power disc brakes with Bosch III ABS, and an electronically controlled four-speed automatic. Inside is 10-way power adjustable Recaro leather seats, digital graphic instrumentation, and Delco Bose AM/FM/cassette audio. Power was by Cadillac’s exclusive 4.5-liter OHV sequential-fuel-injection V8, later replaced in 1993 (the last year of production) with the new 4.6-liter Northstar DOHC V8. The Allanté was certainly GM’s flagship automobile at the time and it set the stage for “The New Spirit of Cadillac” that continues today.
Highlights
Unique Italian American flagship luxury convertible
Finished in Red (47U) with Natural Beige (382) interior
Cadillac 4.5-liter OHV V8 producing 200 hp
Four-speed 4T80-E automatic transmission
Delco BOSE AM/FM cassette audio
Clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report
Features
Black manual convertible top replaced by previous owner
Matching Red factory hardtop
Later Oldsmobile aluminum wheels
Recent maintenance includes:
New tires
New brakes
New fuel injectors
New alternator
New serpentine belt
New radiator
New trunk lid supports
New fan control module
Battery quick-disconnect lever
Air conditioning converted to R134 refrigerant
Known Imperfections
Seam on the driver’s lower seat cushion needs to be restitched
Minor paint blemishes commensurate with age
Cruise control is inoperable
Small crack in driver’s side rear bumper cover
Digital dash occasionally blinks, diagnosed to a loose brown wire behind the windshield wiper switch
Included
Factory hardtop
Hardtop stand
New hood lift supports
Seat belt hooks for headrests
Ownership History
The accompanying CARFAX Vehicle History Report places this 1989 Cadillac Allanté in Oregon, California, and since July 2022, Pennsylvania. The consignor states this was always a West Coast car that he acquired from a friend in Palm Springs, California.
