1987 was the first year for the Allante, Cadillac's exotic front wheel drive sports car. It used a Cadillac chassis and running gear. The body built by Pininfarina in Italy and flown 56 at a time in a 747 to Detroit for
assembly. The 4.1 L HT4100 V8 (170 HP) engine was used in 1987 & 1988 although other engines were used by the time production ended in 1993. The base price for the 1987 Allante was a staggering $54,700
($150,000 today). Equipped with independent suspension, anti-lock disc brakes, and a removable hardtop, the only available option was a cellular telephone.
Don Warnaar bought his Allante in July of 1991 with 25,981 miles. Don drove this car to three Chrysler 300 Club meets; 1991 Winchester, 1996 Chicago, and 1997 Mena. There are service records from 2003 with 51,332 miles, one from 2005 with 51,458, 2009 with 51,617, 2015 with 51,693 from 2016 with 51,861 miles. In 2024 it has 51,865 miles; in the last 21 years the car has gone only 533 miles.
I think the Allante may have been the first Cadillac to have a removable hardtop. Changing between the hard top, the soft top, and the convertible takes two PHD candidates from Harvard. Click here for the procedure.
The car arrived at the garages one warm and windy day in February 2024. It was not running and the rear tires were flat. They had been flat so long they lost their seal on the rim. I took them to the tire shop where they re-seated both tires quick and easy. The hood and trunk struts are weak, new ones are on order. The interior needs to air out after sitting so long with the windows up. A good cleaning is also in order. There was a mouse nest in the engine bay but no damage. The gas cap was removed, I don't smell anything. Don kept records on this car and the last time it got gas was July 20, 2015 with the odometer at 51,777. The car has 100 miles since then. It turns out the tank is now empty, which is a good thing.
