Eldorado Cadillac History 1982

While front-end appearance was similar to DeVille/Fleetwood, the personal-luxury Eldorado coupes were most noted for their side profile. That meant a somewhat stubby deck lid portion, upright rectangular quarter window, and bodyside molding that turned upward in a square corner just behind that quarter window. This year’s vertical-style grille contained three narrow horizontal bars. Bumpers held new black rub strips with white centers, while revised taillamps displayed Cadillac’s crest insignia. Eldo’s full cabriolet roof option, appearing during the model year, offered the look (almost) of a convertible top.

1982 Eldorado

Base powerplant was the new HT-4100 DFI V-8 with overdrive automatic transmission. Buick’s V-6 was also available. Eldos continued with four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes.

Dual Comfort 45/50 seats held three people, with six-way power adjustment for the driver. Heather cloth upholstery with Dundee cloth inserts came in five colors; leather in eight trim colors.

An optional Touring suspension (introduced the year before) included P225/70R15 steel-belted radial tires, large-diameter front and rear stabilizer bars, altered power steering that gave more feedback, stiffer front torsion bar and rear spring rates, and increased shock absorber valving.

Eldorado’s new Touring Coupe special-edition came with the touring suspension but added extra-wide blackmail tires on aluminum alloy wheels with exposed chrome lug nuts, reclining front bucket seats, a front console, cloisonne hood ornament, leather-wrapped steering wheel, plus red-over-black accent striping on a Sterling Silver metallic finish. Headlamp and taillamp bezels were body-colored. Wide ribbed rocker moldings were gray; wipers and window/windshield moldings black. Upholstery was gray leather, and a hood badge replaced the usual stand-up ornament.

A Sable Black Touring Coupe arrived in mid-year, similar but wearing blacked-out reveal moldings and headlamp/taillamp bezels, black bumper rub strips, and aluminum wheels with center hubs.

Eldorado Biarritz carried a brushed stainless steel roof cap, wire wheel covers, opera lamps, and “Biarritz” script on the sail panels. Interiors used genuine leather in seating areas. in five colors, plus a leather-trimmed steering wheel, Tampico carpeting, and rear quarter reading lamps.