Cadillac DeVille History

The de Ville name began in 1949 as a trim on the Series 62 (the Coupe de Ville) and became a standalone Cadillac series for 1959, splitting into the Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville. For decades it was Cadillac's best-selling line — the car most buyers pictured when they thought 'Cadillac.'

The DeVille moved to front-wheel drive in 1985 as part of GM's downsizing, and the final generation (2000–2005) was a thoroughly modern Northstar-V8 luxury sedan — among the first production cars with LED tail lamps and an available infrared Night Vision system.

The DeVille nameplate was retired after 2005 and replaced by the DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) for 2006, ending one of the longest-running names in American luxury cars.