Description
Cadillac! – Once referred to as “the standard of the world”.
A historic and storied marque synonymous with luxury, comfort and style.
The Cadillac DTS, offered between 2006 and 2011, was a luxury sedan (saloon) in the great tradition of the marque, a car to transport passengers and their luggage over long distances in comfort and refinement. When the DTS was replaced, Cadillac veered towards the German sports saloon concept, somewhat at the expense of comfort and refinement and, in my humble opinion, kind of missing the point of what a Cadillac is supposed to be. Consequently the DTS is often referred to by Cadillac enthusiasts, as the last traditional large Cadillac sedan.
The DTS is powered by the Northstar V8, rated at 275 horsepower, driving the front wheels. Early iterations of the Northstar could be prone to overheating on high mileage examples, but the engine was much improved by the 2002 production year, and issues of this nature were unheard of in the DTS range. In fact a friend of mine in Palm Springs California used to run a limo company and really favoured the DTS for their reliability.
Having owned eight Cadillacs, I consider myself an enthusiast of the marque and, having decided in 2024 to tick a full USA Coast to Coast road trip off of the bucket list, I also decided that the car I wanted to do that trip in was a Cadillac DTS.
One of my many contacts/ friends in the USA found this car for me, with just less than 27000 miles, for sale by SoCal Motors in Huntingdon Beach California. A deal was agreed with Mike Walker of SoCal Motors, who turned out to be a fabulous and generous gentleman who I now count as a friend, and I flew into LAX on 16th April 2024 to collect my new toy and have an adventure.
I crossed the USA to Charleston, South Carolina, in eight days, driving the DTS some 3000 miles. I visited many iconic places along the way and enjoyed many great interactions with the people I met on the journey. One day I drove over 500 miles from Nashville to Chapel Hill in North Carolina, eight hours straight, and that driver’s seat was still comfortable when I arrived. The car did not miss a beat, returned 28 miles per gallon (UK), and carried me across that huge and wonderful country in comfort and luxury, just as was intended. The car was shipped to the UK from Charleston SC.
Since arriving in the UK, the car has had a full service, MOT and is now UK registered and taxed. It currently has a private plate on it that is not included in the sale, and will be supplied with a “55” registration as issued by DVLA.
This model is called the Cadillac DTS Luxury II
The condition of the car can only be described as excellent.
Look at the pictures of the engine bay – it is like new
Look at the carpets – they are like new
The leather seats are in fantastic condition, soft and supple, showing no wear, just a few creases on the driver’s seat
The wooden steering wheel and gear knob are unmarked
The chromed alloy wheels are fabulous – I cleaned and polished them and I can’t find a blemish
The body work is lovely, save for a few stone chips, inevitable in eighteen years
The tyres have excellent tread depth.
The DTS is very well equipped:
Heated and cooled leather seats
Cruise control
Rain sensing wipers
Auto Headlights
Parking aids (lights and buzzers)
Air conditioning
Tilt and slide electric sunroof
Bluetooth sound system by Kenwood
Electric windows and central locking with remote key fob
Traction control
Interior boot (trunk) release
Everything works, including the clock
The car drives beautifully, smooth, quiet and refined. There is plenty of GO from the Northstar V8, but you will only really start to hear a muted growl as the revs climb through 3000/ 4000 rpm and up. At motorway cruising speeds it is more or less silent. Mileage has clocked over 30, 000 now and will increase slightly as I use it sparingly on nice days.
If you are interested in this kind of car, this example will not disappoint, and is well worth coming to see. Why am I selling it? Well, I bought it to have an adventure, and it has served that purpose very well. And, I am trying to downsize my collection of American cars.
The car is available for viewing by appointment in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire (SG6).
I am a collector, not a dealer. I do not offer Part Exchange or other dealer facilities. This car will be released upon receipt of cleared funds by bank transfer into my nominated account.
Thanks for looking. Give me a call.
