1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

“Craftsmanship a creed….accuracy a law”

The Fleetwood Brougham had to be seen to be believed….driven to be appreciated….and owned for total satisfaction. The 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Series Sixty-Special Brougham was the unexpected economy car…it precluded the restless quest for something finer to replace it with….

The Fleetwood Series Sixty-Special Brougham was Cadillac’s most luxurious owner-driven sedan. It was the absolute epitome of Cadillac luxury and elegance. The pinnacle of eloquence with the formidable Fleetwood touch… unparalleled distinction on the grand Cadillac scale….in the grand Cadillac manner. The 1970 Fleetwood Brougham was immediately identified in any gathering of fine automobiles. A Fleetwood was the very essence of the Cadillac brand.

The Spirited Seventies were no more magnificently stated than in the majestic 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Series Sixty Special Brougham. The eminent Fleetwood series was rich in taste….rich in elegance….it was the “d’Elegance” of the brand. A Fleetwood-bodied Cadillac was the epitome of Cadillac luxury with unparalleled splendor. Fleetwood coachcrafted Cadillacs were built at a restricted pace for exclusivity. There was no more resplendent way to travel than viewing the world from behind the wheel of the 1970 Cadillacs. The Fleetwood Brougham was special even among Cadillacs. Here is another standing ovation….in the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns.”

Model # 70-68169-P Fleetwood Brougham sedan had a base price of $7,284. Only 16,913 were made which will make this a highly prized collectible. It is a sleeper, all 1970 Cadillacs are going to hit a certain time frame and catapult in value, especially the 1970 DeVille ragtop. The Fleetwood Brougham was the most elegant expression of the Spirited Seventies.

With its individually longer wheelbase of 133”, it had a uniquely regal stature. No other motorcar received the admiration accorded this supreme achievement in motoring. A Fleetwood-bodied Cadillac was luxury on the grand Cadillac scale. The 1970 Fleetwood Brougham maintained a poised dignity that was the hallmark of every Cadillac. The Fleetwood Series Sixty-Special was long respected among connoisseurs of fine automobiles. 

The Fleetwood Brougham with its distinctive beauty, had a tastefully appointed interior of incomparable elegance and luxury. Rich Dumbarton cloth with leather was available in three colors. A sophisticated all Divan cloth selection in four colors, and of course, richly textured Sierra grain leather was available in seven colors. The Brougham featured the rich look of Oriental Tamo wood on the doors and instrument panel. Signature Brougham features included carpeted rear seat footrests, adjustable rear seat reading lamps, and a 60/40 Dual Comfort front seat. Exterior augmentation included a fully padded vinyl roof with “Brougham” nomenclature. This impeccably tailored interior by Fleetwood was crafted in the traditional Cadillac “d’Elegance” if you catch my extremely heavy drift….

Standard features for the 1970 Fleetwood Brougham included: power windows and driver’s seat, folding center armrests front and rear, Variable Ratio power steering, Automatic Level Control, and 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic Drive. A host of other features and accessories that catered to one’s quest for “d’Elegance”……The spacious interior rewarded the occupants with lavish appointments, plush fabrics, and thoughtful niceties that were “Cadillac-style” along with myriad options available to add further distinction and individuality to this supreme achievement in all of motordom.

Brougham signature features: carpeted rear seat footrests

Fleetwood Brougham’s adjustable rear seat reading lamps

The dramatic elegance and majesty of the 1970 Fleetwood Brougham also offered astonishing performance for a motorcar of such magnificence. It was powered by Cadillac’s formidable 7.7 litre 472 CID 16-valve V8 engine that produced a prolific 375 hp @ 4,400 rpm packin’ a punch with 712 Nm of peak torque @ 3,000 rpm….this Cadillac ‘kicked-butt” in the performance department. It was a car that you could drive all day and never tire of it.

Ask me how I know this? It was equipped with a Rochester 4MV 4-bbl downdraft Quadrajet with equalized manifold, mechanical fuel pump, dry-type air filter, intake silencer, and automatic choke. Performance was rated as 0-60 mph in 8.3 seconds, 0-100 mph in 23.5 seconds with a top speed of 126 mph. It could do the ¼ mile @ 88 mph in 16.1 seconds. Now that is quick for an automobile of this magnitude. The engine was mated to GM’s Turbo Hydra-Matic THM-400 3-speed automatic transmission.

The 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Series Sixty-Special Brougham rode upon a long 133” wheelbase, while the DeVille/Calais series had a 129.5” wheelbase. It’s individually longer wheelbase added to its incredibly smooth ride. The Fleetwood Sixty-Specials had the luxury length of 228.5” with a wide 79.8” stance. Fleetwood crafted the Sixty-Specials in limited quantities as body on frame construction using Cadillac’s rugged fully boxed perimeter frame. The Fleetwood-bodied Cadillacs had their own assembly line for exclusivity.

The front suspension used upper and lower control arms with a new integral steering knuckle for greater dependability and longer life. It had independent helical coil springs, rubber mounted strut rods and rubber bushings to isolate road noise as they absorbed impact. The rear suspension was set-up to accommodate the Automatic Level Control network. The rear suspension used the Cadillac four-link drive system, helical coil springs and large rubber bushings to improve ride quality. All 1970 rear-drive Cadillacs received an upgraded heavier, stronger rear axle and differential. This is why these luxury behemoths rode like a big ole’ rollin’ Barco lounger.

The 1970 Cadillacs came standard with a triple braking system. A dual hydraulic master cylinder housed two individual chambers with their separate pistons providing independent operation for front and rear brake systems. The shoes had a self-adjusting feature each time the car was driven in reverse and the brakes applied. Disc brakes were fitted to the front axle while finned composite drums were fitted to the rear. The parking brake was actually a true auxiliary brake. It had an automatic release function that would not allow it to lock with the engine running and in gear.

Standard for the Fleetwood series was Automatic Level Control which kept the vehicle at optimum height under any road condition and automatically adjusted for change in load. The rear suspension used the network for the system. Automatic Level Control provided pressure from a compressor and air reservoir to a valve located at the rear crossmember of the frame.

If the rear end load deflected the suspension ½” or greater the valve would open allowing pressurized air to enter air chambers in the rear shock absorbers. When the load decreased the valve would exhaust the air from the shock absorbers to lower the car to level height. The valves were calibrated with a 6-12 second delay so that normal deflection of the rear suspension while encountering uneven pavement would not activate the system.

The 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Series Sixty-Special Brougham was a masterpiece from the master craftsmen. It was the most luxurious owner-driven Cadillac. Fleetwood-bodied Cadillacs were special even among other Cadillac models. There was no more resplendent manner to travel than viewing the world from behind the wheel of a 1970 Cadillac. The majestic Fleetwood Brougham maintained the poised dignity that was the hallmark of every Cadillac. Its 375 hp V8 engine performance was astonishing for a motorcar of such magnificence. Relentless quality fit & finish were the forte of the Fleetwood craftsmen. The Fleetwood Series was the standing ovation for Cadillac….in the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns.”

Just more superlative-superlatives………in the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns.”