Anderson Independent Mail (Enlarge photo)

10/06/2008 11:22. GM may have struck gold with its newest CTS, but other small Caddies haven't been quite as well-executed. Case in point: the 1982-88 Cadillac Cimarron.

In the late '70s, GM found widespread success for its Nova-based Seville sedan — built primarily to take on smaller, European offerings. In the '80s, they tried the same formula, but with GM's much smaller J-body platform — the same one shared with the Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunbird. This time, lightning didn't strike twice.

What the Cimarron meant was a slightly upscale interior and added standard features for twice the base price of its J-body siblings. It "boasted" the first four-cylinder engine (an 85-horsepower monstrosity) in a Cadillac since 1914 and the first manual (a four-speed)... // Anderson Independent Mail