Cadillac Catera Models & History 1998

  • All Cadillac models offered the year previous were carried over to 1998.
  • The all-new 1998 Seville, not available until December 1997, was designed to lead Cadillac into the �global� market, with exports to 40 countries
  • Both left-hand and right-hand drive versions were built at Cadillac’s Detroit Hamtramck assembly facility.
  • StabiliTrak was now offered on all front-drive Cadillacs.
  • The Catera joined the rest of the lineup in offering the Onstar communcations system as optional equipment

 

I D DATA

The 1998 Cadillac had a 17-symbol vehicle identification number (VIN) stamped on a metal tag attached to the upper left surface of the cowl visible through the windshield. The code was as follows:

POSITION DIGIT MEANING
1 1 or 4 manufacturing country (United States)
2 G General Motors
3 6 Cadillac
4 & 5 car line series
V/R Catera
E/L Eldorado
E/T Eldorado Touring
K/D DeVille
K/E d’Elegance
K/F Concours
K/S Seville (SLS)
K/Y Seville (STS)
6 the body style:
1 two-door coupe
2 two-door
3 two-door convertible
4 two-door station wagon
5 four-door sedan
6 four-door
8 four-door station wagon
7 the restraint code
2 active (manual) belts w/dual frontal airbags
4 active (manual) belts w/dual frontal and side airbags
8 the engine
Y LD8 4.6L V-8
9 L37 4.6L V-8
R L81 3.0L V-6
9 check digit
10 model year W = 1998
11 the assembly plant
12-17 the production sequence number

 

HISTORY

Cadillac’s model year production totaled 162,715 compared with 159,820 the year previous (this figure does not include imported Cateras).