Cadillac Allante

The 1989 Cadillac Allante is an outstanding Italian 2-seater convertible roadster designed by Pininfarina of Ferrari and Rolls Royce fame. When you purchase this vehicle for between $5,000 and $25,000, you are getting a very good deal if it has been maintained well. The original sticker price was around $57,000 which, even then was a bargain. Each vehicle reportedly cost GM $1,119,000.00 to build and market.

The chassis (and Delco electronics) were flown on 747s to Torino, (Turin) Italy to be outfitted by Pininfarina. Once the bodies were complete, they were flown back to Detroit to have the wheels installed and to be tested thoroughly by several teams for a minimum of 25 miles on a closed track.

The 1987 and 1988 Allantes were known to have problems. Most were corrected in recalls. Pininfarina begged Cadillac not to release those for another year. But Cadillac did not want to wait to launch its flagship automobile. 1989 was a very good year. Leaks and flaws known to the designers were corrected. The only reason to hold out for a 1990 is to get a CD player and Airbag. As you read about Allantes, you will hear about 3 phases. The 1992.5 and 1993 were Phase III. All the bugs were out by then and a Northstar engine was installed. The 1989 was the best of the Phase I Allantes.

The '89 was equipped with everything standard. There were only 2 options: A built in phone and Pearl White paint which is stunning. Feature highlights include:

• 10-way Austrian-made Recaro leather racing seats
• Power everything
• Manual Soft-top convertible: glass windows, defroster and pull-down motor
• Hard-top: Removable aluminum
• Headlight washers
• Stunning Italian design and special color-matched tail lights from Spain
• 80+ control buttons nicely laid out
• Redundant lighting system. If a lamp burns out there are backups.
• On board computer and diagnostics
• Smooth, tight, powerful drive train self-adjusts with speed.

The Allante body is lightweight aluminum, including the precise, Swiss-made hood and trunk, so the body won't rust.

If something breaks or fails, the computer will tell you about it. It will even tell you about the quality of the oil as it needs to be changed.

The upgraded 8-cylinder '89 engines can last beyond 100,000 miles, providing real power and 27 MPG on the highway.

The superb compressed nitrogen braking system has been known to fail if not maintained. Monitor brake hydraulics and change the brake fluid every 24 months.

INVEST IN A MANUAL before you drive it or put the top up or down. You can do costly damage that you'll kick yourself for later.

Under the hood you will find a wonderful color-coded system for finding the brake fluid, washer fluid, coolant, oil, transmission fluid, etc. A nice touch.

The radios can be problematic. The receiver is easy to remove and repair for under $100. The Bose speakers can not be replaced with random speakers as each one has an amplifier built in. These will need $7 worth of resistors if they begin to squeal.

There are Allante clubs which can help you locate parts and specialists. You will not be alone if your sun visors begin to droop.

You can easily get a fresh set of car mats from eBay and leather dye to make it feel like the million-dollar car it was born to be.

This car can be insured as a collector car for under $200 per year. It is an early classic.

This car is one of the biggest bargains on eBay. It is a joy to drive and to look at as both a coupe and convertible.

I cannot review the car objectively because it was the biggest piece of garbage I ever purchased on E-Bay. I have had Allantes before and they are nice cars unfortunately this one was not as described.

I like the black paint with pin striping, no blemishes, the trunk & floor carpeting looked new, it had a hard top as well as soft top, tires were good, had digital instrument which are easy to read, tach, computer, low mileage & super pickup.
The on board computer reads cooling fan & low oil when these problems aren't occuring. The seat belt snap in were broken * worn plus passenger seat belt did not protract.

Only year with (300HP)Northstar V/8 Last year of this Italianrod a real nice car to drive and own ,price goes up not down' a toy you can make make money on!!

I already had a 90.5 Allante, but wanted the Northstar Engine with 100% more horsepower. Didn't need the extra horsepower as the 90 had plenty. Systems on the 93 seem a little bit simpler, and the Transmission shifts smoother. The Water pump and gaskets on the pre-93 models also tend to leak, requiring you to replace it more often than on other vehicles. The Engine accessories are much easier to access on the pre-93 models as the Northstar engine takes even more room in the engine compartment.

The sound system on the 93 also does away with the AMP/Speaker combination and is a little more reliable.

Prior to making a purchase of any vehicle, ask for higher definition photos so that you can see the defects, such as chrome and body dents and dings.

Body parts and other exterior parts are not available from the dealers anymore, so you have to ebay everything. Engine parts are no problem.

Putting the top down can be tricky, so take your time and do it right. Allante Source in Florida is a great source for info on properly operating your Allante systems.

Obtain a Factory Service manual ($30 - $60 on ebay) ASAP so that you can properly maintain your Allante. Especially if you take it to a shop, they will need the manual to understand the systems.

The sun visor vanity mirrors are not up to Cadillac quality, and are very prone to breaking. very delicate.

CD and cassette players almost never work, so don't bother having them serviced.

I originally wanted a corvette, but the Allante is more comfortable and has a great trunk.

NO CUP HOLDERS! Obtain a cup holder as soon as you can.

Over the past 8 years I have purchased 4 Allantes. My first was a 1991 that had been here in Atlanta since new, was poorly maintained by the second owner and needed lots of work to get in the condition it is in today. I have replace just about everthing, brakes, AC, stereo, almost all motors, top, paint, etc., etc. It is truly a classic and looks and runs great. My son now drives it and loves the car. It also has taught him that anything mechanical needs to be maintained.
It has been a learning experience on the other 3, all purchased on Ebay. The first I bought from a dealer outside Charlotte NC and after a lot of cosmetic work and the replacement of ALL major AC parts, it is a great car for the money I have in it (about $12,00.00). It is the only one of the 3 ebay cars that I did not get totally burned.
The Second 93 Ebay car came from a dealer in Alabama. He asked for only a deposit thru Paypal and the balance in cash when I picked up the car. He asked me to met him at an auto auction site in Leeds, Al. ouside Birmingham. It was his "father's car and he had gotten to old to drive it. The car looked good, was clean and ran well so I bought it. It blew the head gasket before I got home, a common problem, as I know, with the early Northstar engine. MY CAR, MY PROBLEM was his attitude. Then I was stupid enough to buy a reman engine from "The North Star Guru" who I also found on Ebay. The engine smoked from the day the Cadillac dealer installed it, then dropped oil pressure before I got it home. He never sent a container for the pick up on the core as promised (A $500 transaction)then wanted the engine reshipped to him at my expense for the warranty work to be honored. Thank goodness I did not use Paypal this time but AMX.
My last was a 90 from a real nice guy who gave me every opportunity to back out of the transaction. I should have listened. It looks great from the outside, needed alot of interior work, and hasn't run in a year and a half. Stick with a 91, 92, or 93.
A late model Allante is truly a great automobile and an excellent road car. I am 6'3" and weight 230 and can drive it on a road trip and arrive in better shape than I do in my wife's Lexus. They require a lot of attention, are meant to be driven not stored, and at their age everything that can break will. As many have stated thanks to The AllanteSource and the Allante Club of America to help us keep them going. If you are think of buying one, buy one from someone who knows the car, not someone selling it for a friend on Ebay or a dealer who got it at auction.
For the money, I believe that a good used Allante is the best buy on any American made automobile out there. Buy from someone who can tell you about the car, what has been done to it and how it has been maintained, not someone telling you the history of the Allante or how many were made......You will enjoy the Allante. They are FUN!

This car is only 17 years old with 48,000 miles on it. This is the car I had wished for in the 90's. The car was a one owner and in very good shape for being almost old :).I now have the car I wanted at a price that was afforable. As with anything used it needed some things repaired and replaced. It was ahead of the times when new and is a dream come true to drive. I'm very happy that I found it on ebay and would recommend any one to buy their dream car this way.

The 1993 Allante is a wonderful car! Ours has just over 100K miles and appears to have lots of life left in it. It also appears to have been garage kept and loved for the past 16 years. All the problems that the earlier models had - have been worked out on the 1993s. Nice ride - lots of power - nearly 300 horses (295) - traction control is wonderful. The convertible top is a challenge - the directions are invaluable & quite necessary. Parts from GM take about a week to arrive at the dealership - but are available. I'm told that there are 3 GM trained Allante mechanics still active in the greater Chicago area. Aluminum doors, fenders, hoods and trunk lids are hard to find. If you buy one, be sure to join an Allante club - nice people - and they can help by sharing their knowledge.

Love the car great shape love the power/ride The craftsman ship of the car is very interested on how the car was built and shipped over sea's

I wanted a 1993 Allante from seeing them on eBay. I did extensive research, bid on a couple, and now
own one. I'm very pleased with the way it drives, got 25.6 mpg driving it home, and it looks good in my driveway.