Description

Imagine a hand-built 2-seat roadster with rear wheel drive and a big V8 up front, then fill it full of luxury features and handsome leather upholstery. No, it's not another garden-variety Mercedes SL, but rather a very handsome 1979 Cadillac Seville Milan roadster. One of only 500 or so built, it's a rare piece of American luxury car history.

The Seville's DNA is unmistakable, but the work that went into transforming a 4-door sedan into a 2-seat roadster must have been astonishing. It's a tribute to both the soundness of the original design and the talent of the Milan craftsmen that it looks so right in its shortened form. A lifetime California car with only two owners, we're told the 59,051 miles shown are authentic (although we don't have anything to prove it). Either way, this car is amazingly straight and is quite impressive in person. Aside from a repaint in basic black about a year ago, it's quite original and proudly boasts the custom emblems, chrome and trim that make this car unique. The original sheetmetal is in great shape and the repaint does it justice with a nice shine that will be the second thing people notice when they see this car motoring down the road. A few gold pinstripes highlight the subtle curve of the body, the trunk lid, and even the door handles, adding to the car's baroque look. An oversized chrome grille was part of the package, hiding the Seville's more sedate nose but not erasing its identity, and the brightwork is in good condition all around. Out back, Seville taillights should look familiar and all the original Cadillac emblems remain proudly in place.

The dramatic black and saddle interior takes the Cadillac design and gives it a sporty edge. Most of the components are, of course, standard Seville issue including the dash and hardware, but the remarkable thing about the Milan is how much they were able to reuse. The door panels, for example, are totally custom but the arm rests and door pulls, not to mention the switches, are all OEM. The Seville's original front seat still does duty here in the roadster, and all the power accessories that came standard in the original car are still here: climate control, power windows and locks, cruise control, and a tilt/telescope steering column. The aftermarket wheel wears the same color combination, although the Cadillac wreath and crest emblem in its center is admittedly a little clumsy and not original equipment. An AM/FM/CD stereo was installed in the dash to improve cruising comfort, and the manual convertible top is there for emergencies only. And the Seville's massive trunk remains in place, offering truly capacious storage.

Mechanically, the Milan was little changed from the Seville, which means a 350 cubic inch V8, a rugged TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, and the stock rear end at the far side of a shortened driveshaft. It's quite stock under the hood, and anyone familiar with Cadillacs of the era will have no problem servicing it with parts being readily available just about anywhere. A single exhaust system with a Flowmaster muffler was recently installed and gives it a great soundtrack to go with its road manners. In truth, the Milan is pretty quick, thanks to a massive weight-loss program compared to the Seville, handling is agile, and with 4-wheel discs, it stops like a sports car. Replacement chrome spoke wheels were installed at some point and wear recent whitewall radials.

Handsome top-down fun that's a great alternative to the usual choices, this Milan offers Cadillac fans and roadster fans something a little outside the ordinary. Call today!