The Cadillac DeVille was, for most of the second half of the 20th century, what Americans meant by “a Cadillac”. The name started on the 1949 Coupe de Ville, one of the first pillarless hardtop coupés, and became a full model line in 1959. The DeVille was Cadillac’s best-selling car for decades, a mainstay of livery and funeral fleets, and it lived on until 2005, when it was replaced by the DTS — which was itself a favorite of chauffeured fleets until 2011.

At a glance
First use of the name 1949 Coupe de Ville
Model line 1959–2005
Front-wheel drive From 1985
Successor Cadillac DTS (2006–2011)
Known for Size, comfort, V8 power and livery use

The Coupe de Ville

The 1949 Coupe de Ville was a two-door hardtop with no B-pillar between the windows, giving it an airy, convertible-like look with a solid roof. The hardtop style became hugely popular through the 1950s. The Sedan de Ville four-door hardtop followed in 1956.

The classic big Cadillac

Through the 1960s and 1970s, the DeVille was the long, powerful, comfortable Cadillac that symbolized success in America — the car of doctors, business owners and anyone who had “arrived”. Engines grew to big V8s, and the cars grew longer until the fuel crises of the 1970s.

Downsizing and front-wheel drive

The 1977 DeVille was significantly downsized, and in 1985 it moved to front-wheel drive with a much shorter body. Later generations regained size and presence, especially the 1994–1999 model, which gave a good balance of space and efficiency. The Northstar V8 arrived in the 1990s.

Livery and funeral service

Long-wheelbase and professional versions of the DeVille — and the related Fleetwood — were common as limousines and funeral cars, and coachbuilders stretched them into formal limousines. For decades, a black DeVille or Lincoln Town Car was the standard livery sedan in America. Read the Cadillac Fleetwood and funeral coach history.

DTS

In 2006, Cadillac renamed the DeVille the DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan). It kept the large, comfortable, front-wheel-drive formula with a Northstar V8, and the DTS Professional chassis was widely used for hearses and limousines. Production ended in 2011, and the XTS took over the role — see the Cadillac XTS.