Nobody Does Land Yachts Like Cadillac, And These Are Five Of The Best Ones

Cadillac is one of America's oldest surviving car manufacturers at 123 years old, and it has built some of the most iconic cars in history since its inception in 1902. Six years into its existence and again in 1913, the burgeoning American automaker won the Dewar Trophy presented by the Royal Automobile Club of the U.K., earning Cadillac the slogan "the Standard of the World." A century has passed since Cadillac won those honors, and over that time the brand had some high points and some low points. Cadillac's ability to produce some of the most desirable cars in the world is undeniable, from the ultra-opulent Cadillac V16 of the roaring '20s to Elvis Presley's pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, not to mention Ronald Reagan's 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood presidential limousine and the modern pop-culture fame enjoyed by the Cadillac Escalade. My favorite Cadillacs are the long, low and cushy sedans, coupes and convertibles that prioritized relaxed driving in hushed uncompromising comfort, affectionately referred to as land yachts.

Land yachts have fallen out of favor in the 21st century, or at least in the traditional sense. The land yachts of yore were symbols of excess, with both positive and negative connotations. They represented positive excess as opulent status symbols for the wealthy, but they also grew to represent negative excess as gas guzzling, clumsy handling, plastic chrome-adorned grandma's cars. However, large luxurious SUVs have replaced the traditional land yacht in the form of Cadillac's own Escalade, the Land Rover Range Rover, and even the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Mercedes-Maybach GLS. While the title of land yacht has gone away, classic Cadillac land yachts still set sail on modern roads each day, and these are some of Caddy's finest.

While many people may not know they envision a '59 Cadillac Coupe Deville when they picture a classic Cadillac, it's likely the model that comes to mind. This land yacht embodied America's 1950s infatuation with the space race, with what are widely regarded as the most dramatic tail fins of any production car. Beyond its futuristic looks it wasn't a particularly groundbreaking car, unless that ground was hollow because this big coupe would break right through. They're nearly 19 feet long and weighs almost 5,000 pounds.

As America shifted toward a suburban ideology and the highway system expanded, cars weren't constrained by concerns with maneuverability. The 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood grew to its longest length of 19.5 feet, and it was powered by a 500-cubic-inch 8.2-liter carbureted V8. This absolute barge is one of the finest land yachts ever produced, and I yearn to drive one at some point in my life.

As the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham served as the brand's four-door flagship, the Eldorado was the two-door coupe. Paring this beast down to two doors didn't make it sporty or small by any means, though. It shares the sedan's 8.2-liter V8, but it was about a foot shorter than the sedan at a trim 18.6 feet long. To contextualize, a modern Cadillac Escalade is about a foot shorter than the '74 Eldorado.

By the end of the 20th century, the full-size luxury sedan market was teeming with options like the Lexus LS400, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8. These cars all provided comparable comfort, room, and opulence to the Fleetwood, while also providing superior performance and technology. The 1991 Fleetwood is on this list as it's the last bastion of the traditional Cadillac land yacht with hints of tail fins, sofa-like bench seats, and a big V8 under the hood driving the rear wheels. Times changed pretty quickly, and the land yacht fell out of favor among the young new generation of wealthy elites.

The Cadillac DTS marked the end of Cadillac's floaty, full-sized, V8-powered sedans. Its successor, the Cadillac XTS, ditched the V8 for smaller engines including a land yacht disqualifier, a sacrilegious turbocharged four-cylinder. The DTS was available with a front bench seat that made it a true six-seater sedan, and in true land yacht fashion, it prioritized ride comfort over handling prowess and comfy seats over sporty buckets. Few people lament the death of the land yacht, but I think that makes them just that much cooler.