At $21,500, can this 2005 Cadillac CTS-V give you an edge? – Jalopnik

When Cadillac was first introduced, the CTS’s “Art and Science” styling took the brand in a new direction. When the hot edition arrived in the form of the current Nice Price or No Dice CTS-V, all other paths quickly disappeared into the rearview mirror. Let’s see what a fine example of such a wild brew should rightly count for today.

In 1944, Walt Disney and RKO Pictures celebrated Donald Duck’s 10th anniversary (falling ominously on Friday the 13th) with an anthology film entitled “The Three Caballeros.” The film featured a mix of live-action and animated segments, with Donald being given a tour of Latin America by his parrot and chicken friends. That trio lent the film its title.

We looked at a Caballero yesterday – a 1978 GMC Caballero, to be exact. The car, a clone of Chevy’s El Camino for the GMC crowd, had a rare combination of a 350 V8 and a four-speed manual transmission. That, along with a decent presentation and no major bugaboos, made the car worth a lot for the $5,600 asking price. A fantastic 85% ‘Nice Price’ victory was the result.

Over the decades, the Cadillac nameplate has meant many things to many people. Once touted as the ‘standard of the world’, the brand fell on hard times in the 1980s as consumer tastes changed and new competitors entered the market.

The company seemed to be getting its mojo back at the start of the new millennium, doing away with blind models like the Catera, which was just a rebadged Opel for a new line of cars and mid-size crossovers based on a new RWD platform internally called Sigma.

The first of these cars was the CTS, which some people suggest was originally short for Catera Touring Sedan, but that has never been confirmed, and GM muckety-mucks its mother about the rumor. The CTS not only represented a new platform for Caddy; the styling also provided a new direction for the brand. Dubbed Art and Science (because why not?), the design emphasizes clean lines, sharp angles and, in a nod to Cadillac’s past, vertical taillights that resemble tailfins from the early 1960s.

This 2005 Cadillac CTS-V shows off those lines under the Light Tarnished Silver (yes, that’s what they called it) metallic paint. This is accompanied by a set of chrome six-spoke alloy wheels and the V edition’s iconic mesh grille that covers the model’s deep front bumper.

However, it’s what’s behind that grille that counts. The engine bay is packed with an LS6 pushrod V8 borrowed with no intention of returning from the Chevy Corvette. As fitted in the Cadillac, that mill produces 400 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque at a rising 4,800 rpm. Behind that is a dual-mass flywheel feeding a Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission and ultimately a limited-slip differential in the center of the independently sprung rear end. Other updates to the V include six-lug hubs, upgraded springs and dampers at all four corners, and killer Brembo brakes to keep everything in check. It all added up to one of the coolest sports sedans of modern times.

This one remains cool because it’s being advertised as fully stock. This means that, apart from regular maintenance, it has not been tampered with. This is a two-owner car with only 75,000 miles on the odometer and an attractive presentation in the ad. On the outside, everything looks solid, save for the visible clouding on the driver’s side headlight cover. Has the curb ever been replaced? There’s also some paint on the front lip, which isn’t surprising given the low stance. The wheels look unbraked and the engine compartment looks clean and tidy.

It’s more of the same in the interior, with the only complaint being GM’s choice at the time for cheap materials and dashboard styling that exudes Saab vibes. Everything here since leaving the factory seems fine and shows no significant wear. According to the advertisement, all major maintenance work has been carried out, including the replacement of the water pump, alternator and an air conditioning service. In addition, the battery, brakes and tires are also new. The seller smogs the car at the time of sale and the Caddy comes with a clean title.

According to the seller, they use the car as a daily driver and are therefore in no hurry to sell it. They claim they are “not going to consider any lowballs or comparisons to other cars, it’s a no BS car in clean condition that will only increase in value as a collector’s item.” To start that collection, the next owner will need to come up with $21,500, since that’s the seller’s asking price.

What do we think of this Caddy for that question? Does that seem fair for a completely stock and apparently well cared for example of a CTS-V? Or does that prize make you want to see how low you can throw a ball?

You decide!

Nice prize or no dice:

San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslistor go here when the ad disappears.

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