This Rare Cadillac Ute Is For Sale on Bring a Trailer
Only just over 200 examples of the Cadillac Mirage were built between 1975 and 1976.
I thought my Volkswagen Jetta Ute was pretty high class. The donor car is a Wolfsburg Edition, which includes features like heated seats and a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel. But my VW had nothing on this, literally the Cadillac of utes, which is for sale right now on car auction site Bring a Trailer.
This car began life as a 1976 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. In fact, from the front quarter view, the lines of the original Coupe de Ville are still clearly visible. But move around to the back, and instead of the original back seat and trunk, there is a bulkhead behind the front seats and a cavernous bed area. It's an upscale El Camino without being an El Camino.
Unlike my Smyth Performance kit, this Cadillac was professionally converted by Traditional Coachworks of Chatsworth, California (which also converted Sedan de Villes into wagons), then sold through Cadillac's dealer network as the Mirage. Unlike the Chevy El Camino (but like my Jetta), extra storage is available under the rear half of the bed for the spare tire and other items.
This particular example has been completely torn down and restored. What's left of the interior from the bulkhead forward has been restored by Slick Creations of Jonesboro, Georgia. While a digital instrument cluster replaces the original, the rest of the interior remains the 1970s lap of luxury, wood trim, and plastic that only Cadillac could provide. The drivetrain is completely refreshed as well, with an overbored 512 cubic-inch engine sending its power through a Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission, both rebuilt by Jack Merkel Performance Engines in Hauppauge, New York.
Photos of the full restoration, as well as its original Firethorn Red paint (its current color is Mercedes-Benz Crystal Laurit Silver Metallic), are available on Bring a Trailer.
