TheCadillac Allantéis a two-door, two-seaterroadstermarketed byCadillacfrom 1986 until 1993, with roughly 21,000 units built over a seven-year production run.
Originally designed to compete with theMercedes-Benz SLandJaguar XJS, the Allanté featured a slightly modified variant of the 4.1literV8used across Cadillac's model line.
The Allanté is noted for an unusual production arrangement, where completed bodies — designed and manufactured in Italy byPininfarinawere shipped 4,600mi (7,400km) fromItalyin specially equippedBoeing 747s, 56 at a time,[1]to Cadillac'sDetroit/Hamtramck Assemblyplant where they were mated with domestically manufactured chassis and engine assemblies.[1]This was not the first time that Cadillac turned to Pininfarina for body work, they previously farmed out body production to the Turin-based coachbuilder for the1959 Eldorado Brougham, as well as that forseveral one-offs, customs, and concept cars.
The nameAllantéwas selected byGeneral Motorsfrom a list of 1700 computer generated names.