Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Coupe de Ville

It's a long known fact that as I've grown older, I've grown to acquire a taste for GM's top-tier luxury cars. I've been a steady Cadillac fan, and while I do appreciate a some Lincolns, I usually stand on the Cadillac side of the fence in that debate. Now, Cadillac has produced their share of questionable vehicles(most notably the Cimarron), but to counter that, the vast majority of their vehicles look great--even when they're not in tip-top condition, as evidenced here.
This Coupe de Ville is a 1974 model, and probably features the legendary 472 V8. Good enough for a rather disappointing 205 horsepower figure, the 380 ft/lbs of torque more than made up for the horsepower deficiency. With nearly 400 ft/lbs of torque, I doubt this big barge was a slouch, certainly not when it came time for cruising.
One of the major problems with these Cadillacs was the rear taillight endcaps. They were made of plastic polymer, and over time, the material deteriorated, and eventually broke away altogether, leaving a rather ungainly gap between the rear quarter panel and the chrome taillight surrounds. Unfortunately, these are one of the few pieces that replicas are hard to source, making Cadillac restoration a tricky business.













This example of Cadillac's flagship two door (I don't like the 1970s El Dorados very much) is looking rather long in the tooth; mild patina couple with a few missing trim peices here and there suggest that this example is more than "used"; it's "well-loved". Clearly, being a local car, this banana boat knows the Twin Cities fairly well. After all, it was purchased locally at a St. Paul Cadillac franchise. Kind of fitting how the dealer name fits this Coupe de Ville isn't it?
Aside from the minor setback I noted up top (the missing plastic taillight surrounds), this example really isn't too bad. Yes, it suffers from hidden rust behind the dealer plaque, and I did notice that the infamous Cadillac crest is absent from the front fascia-- but so what? It's unmistakably Cadillac. If someone doesn't recognize this as a Cadillac from first glance, I have no sympathy. Anyone can recognize a Cadillac. The only thing I'd do with this guy, is find a proper front left hubcap to match the other three, and just cruise. I love big 'lacs, and this one is no exception.