Aero-Tested Large Sedans c. 2000: Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac Seville

Around the year 2000 American full-size luxury sedans were smaller than they were 40 years earlier, but they were still substantial vehicles.  Both Lincoln's Town Car and Cadillac's DeVille were redesigned during the late 1990s, the Lincoln launched for the 1998 model year and the Cadillac for 2000.

The short-wheelbase Town Car and the DeVille were similar in size and both, like almost all US cars that appeared after the 1980s, were given aerodynamic testing.

Let's see what the stylists and engineers came up with and compare those results.

Gallery

Front quarter view of a 1998 Lincoln Town Car.

A 2000 Cadillac DeVille.  Both cars have downward-sloping hood lines and air intakes below the bumpers.  They also have grilles above their bumpers, but the Cadillac's is larger.

Rear quartet view of a Lincoln.

Ditto for Cadillac.  Aside from the horizontal brake light at the fold of the trunk lid, the aft ends of both cars are similar in their simplicity and placement of elements.  The Town Car seems more rounded with a stronger passenger compartment tumblehome.

Side view of a for-sale 1999 Town Car.

Also for sale, this 2000 DeVille.  The greatest differences are apparent from this perspective.  The high point of the Lincoln's roof is approximately over the driver's head, whereas that of the Cadillac is difficult to detect because the roof is essentially flat.  The Lincoln's more rounded roof curves downward towards the rear and then has a slightly stronger downwards turn at the aft end of the passenger compartment.  Side window profiles are more rounded than the Cadillac's.  The DeVille's passenger compartment's profile is nearly symmetrical and the windows are more angular than the Lincoln's.  Other than some minor proportional differences in door placement and such, the cars are otherwise surprisingly similar.
Given all their similarities, Lincoln and Cadillac stylists still took enough different steps shaping the grilles and passenger compartment greenhouses that the brands are easily distinguishable from one another.  Such details can matter from a marketing standpoint.