Let's take this one for a spin. The super-light steering makes for easy cornering and handling around town. The flat, plush, button-tuck seats actually keep you in place very well while the car rolls ever so slightly around the bends.
What the four-wheel disc brake system lacks in pedal feel, it more than makes up for in actual stopping ability; the car stops quickly and effectively, without any drama. And if the Seville owners are to be believed, a 20-22 MPG highway average is regularly obtained. Suddenly, the benefits of 135hp, a transaxle with overdrive and a smaller front end to the wind start to prove themselves in a very positive way.
The leather-wrapped tilt wheel helps enormously when you're getting in. Head and shoulder room are, surprisingly, in the league of the previous Seville; the styling pretensions of the bustleback model lead you to believe it would be bigger inside, but it's not. The completely flat floorpan does help, however. The busy driver's armrest controls all manner of functions, including locks, windows, mirrors and the pilot's chair; they all work, and they all exude a high level of quality.
It's outfitted with a traditional interior with leather and faux wood, competing with high-tech digital readouts. It sold better at the ends of its life than the useful middle. And, of course, it sported that decidedly yesteryear tail treatment on one of GM's most advanced chassis ever. These contradictory details remain a head scratcher to some, but they add up to a car that is most assuredly under-rated as one of the most technologically forward-thinking machines Detroit built at the dawn of the 1980s.
"No one would ever restore one--we're some of the few screwballs who would. And you can't believe the looks we get! Whenever we're out, we get stories from people--'Oh, my grandpa had one,' or 'Mom had one.'
"It's such a fun car to have...my entire staff is dying to ride in that car! They couldn't believe I have it, and they're begging me to go for a drive."-- Dr. David Kalemkarian and Aaron Thomas May
Heads turn asthe car rolls down the street. From new interior headliner, carpets, flawless blue leather button seats, toexterior new white paint and like-new soft top, the car is a beauty. It also runs well. It passes California's tough smog certification test.Present owner bought the car about 25 years ago from the man who was the gardener for the first owner, an elderly lady. All three owners live inCentral California, and it has been driven regularly and kept in a garage with up-keep, replaced fillers, new rugs, tires, battery. Enjoyable.