(talking with a loyal and enthusiastic Allanté owner at the AACA Annual Meeting in 2014 inspired me to write this entry about the last of the 1980s Allantés)
“The only way to travel is Cadillac Style.”
For 1989, the Cadillac Allanté received its first engine upgrade, moving from the 4.1 liter/249 ci HT-4100 V8 to the 4.5 liter/273 ci HT-4500 V8 but remaining connected to the 4T60 4-speed automatic transmission. Power climbed 30 bhp to an even 200 bhp while acceleration improved to about 8.0 seconds to 60 mph with a claimed top speed of 134 mph (probably with the aluminum top on) for Dave Hill’s baby. Mileage declined slightly to 15 city/23 highway by the standards of the day (14/21 by today’s standards. With a 21.9-gallon fuel tank, an Allanté driver could expect a range of 345 to 375 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
Other changes for 1989 included a new Light Blue Metallic exterior color, new 16 x 7 inch wheels, and a new seat design.
For 1989, the Allanté’s base price remained non-trivial: $57,183 (about $153,400 in 2025 dollars) for the 3,296 buyers. However, just about everything came standard, including ABS, traction control, Goodyear Eagle P225/55VR16 tires (a size still readily available) on 16-inch forged aluminum performance wheels, and the aluminum hard top/cloth convertible top combination. The interior included 10-way leather-covered Recaro bucket seats, electronic climate control, and Symphony Sound System AM/FM stereo with a cassette player. Because it was a Cadillac, you also got air conditioning, power steering, power windows, and power door locks. You could choose either an analog or a digital instrument cluster at no extra charge.
The View From 2025
Allantés have a good club following and consistently appear in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1989 Allanté in #1/Concours condition is $23,500, with a far more typical #3/Good car going for $6,700. As I update this blog entry in July 2025, there’s a Pearl White Allanté with a Burgundy interior with 111,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $16,500.
I think the Allanté body style (by Pininfarina, of course) has aged well. It certainly still looks like nothing else on the road—which was definitely one of Cadillac’s goals.
Make mine Pearl White, please.
Last updated July 2025.
Eighties Cars 