This year, more than half the front clip is taken up by the newly designed front grille, made up of only four rows across and sixteen rows down of large, almost square "egg-crate" openings. The upper grille is flanked on either side by horizontally paired, round headlamps in square housings and vertically paired, wrap-around park and turn signal lamps. Those paired, wrap-around lamps are the dead giveaway for all 1974 cars except for the Eldorado coupe and convertible. 

Below the bumper, on each side of the license plate holder, are two more rows of three grille openings. Nowhere on the front clip is the name Cadillac to be seen; you have to guess these are Cadillacs ...and THAT's not too hard!

   
LH: 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood front clip - except Eldorados
RH: special edition DeVille models have stand-up, see-through crest

       
Parking, turn-signal and cornering lights make up a block of two distinct units that wrap around the front corners of the car.
It is the easiest way to distinguish a 1974 Cadillac from any other year; in the rear, however, spotting the precise model year
is far from easy because the new rear clip appears for the next three years in a row: 1974, 1975 and 1976

       
1974

   
    1975                                                                  1976

As you can see here, rear clips on 1974, 1975 and 1976 DeVille and Calais models are basically identical, which makes it almost impossible to distinguish
these different year models, when viewed from the rear; the Fleetwood hood and trunk  again carried a wreath and crest, whereas the DeVille and Calais cars 
sported only the traditional "V" and crest; note the urethane "fillers" in the "crumple zone",  behind the vertical bumper ends! These were not very durable

Annual Auto Show, Chicago venue

   
Space and stature always symbolized Cadillac's Fleetwood limousine models, the only American-made car to be designed and built as such;
the sedan version could accommodate up to nine persons including the driver, three of which occupied the large, fold-up auxiliary seats with
comfortable seat backs; appointments were always luxurious, as seen in  the interior view, right, trimmed in dark blue Medici velour; 
other options included gray Potomac cord, or Morocco cloth,  being an ornate matelassé material available in black or medium saddle. Leather
bolsters and trim were still available but soon would be giving way to vinyl; traditionally, the seating in the driver's compartment was black
leather; an electrically-operated  glass partition separated driver and passengers in the formal version; a landau top could be
ordered,  giving for more privacy to rear seat occupants; it did away with the quarter window and was decorated with imitation landau bars.

Vertical "egg-crate" grille openings this year, were far greater in number than the large, square ones in 1973;
this year there were four rows of one hundred-twenty openings above the front bumper and an additional (visible)
two rows of ten identical openings flanking the license plate frame, below the bumper. The
Cadillac name, in script, graced the top RH side of the grille shroud (when facing the car).

          
1974                                                                            1973

Left:  flanked by paired rectangular headlamps, this year's Eldorado grille
comprised one-hundred twenty main rectangular openings (in the "egg-crate" style)

This rather dark image is the best I can do;
it is taken from the prestige product brochure

The coupe

   
Here is the Eldorado coupe in Victorian amber;  interior upholstery selections, include Mohawk, a three-toned
cloth fabric,  shown here in medium saddle, with saddle-colored Meridian fabric bolsters and trim; these two
combinations are available also in black, dark blue, medium jasper, medium gold and terra cotta; or a buyer
may choose from among fourteen different leather tones,  as also Medici velour in dark blue, amber or terra cotta

The Custom Cabriolet version features a padded elk grain
roof covering set off  by  a sheer chrome saddle molding

The convertible

   
Seen here in Cranberry Firemist, the standard Eldorado convertible interior is trimmed in leather
in dark blue, medium jasper, antique light sandalwood, saddle, gold, terra cotta, scarlet, black and white (shown here);
when ordered in white, six different carpet colors were available to match exterior paint colors

   
Cadillac offered fifteen new colors this year, including three non-metallic hues (Jasper, Apollo yellow and Conestoga tan);
the car is shown here in Pharaoh Gold Firemist with a gold padded vinyl roof; luxury trim touches include distressed
pecan wood-grain vinyl and a soft pillow design on door panels; the firm vaunted "an impressive new range of colors
and materials for upholstery and trim; Maharajah was a multi-colored pattern materiel and Mardi Gras an
exotic velour; leather interior trim was available in fourteen combinations including gold, as shown.

A survivor

  
The new Coupe de Ville is shown here in Persian Lime Firemist with optional white, padded vinyl roof; the trim on this car is the
previously mentioned Maharajah, an ornate, multi-colored material available in dark blue, saddle, gold and terra cotta with matching
leather bolsters and trim; also available was Mardi Gras, a 2-toned striped velour (the first velour offered in a De Ville series
car); full leather trim was also available in any of fourteen shades and combinations

  
These are factory publicity postcards

DeVille Special Editions

 
This photo shows the special Coupe de Ville d'Elégance
with its custom Cabriolet roof; it features a Cadillac crest
and D'Elegance script nameplate on the sail panel

   
These specially trimmed interiors are available in both the Sedan de Ville d'Elégance and Coupe de Ville d'Elégance;
identified by a new, stand-up, see-through crest (below, far right) and accent striping on the hood, sides and rear deck, these
special editions also have storage pockets on the front seat backs, deep pile carpets and matching, protective floor mats;  the
D'Elegance name appears in script on the roof sail panel, whether or not a Cabriolet vinyl roof covering is applied. The
material shown here is striped, 2-tone Mardi Gras velour (the first velour offered on DeVille models) it is matched with
leather; apart from the shades shown here (white on black and  medium amber), also available were terra cotta and dark blue

       
De luxe padded door panels and quarter panels (on the coupe) further
set off the d'Elégance interiors; the Cabriolet roof available on the
Coupe de Ville d'Elégance features a chrome saddle molding; both
models have the see-through, stand-up crest (far right)

The Sedan

Calais bodies are strikingly similar to the Sedan de Ville and Coupe de Ville; only the Calais nameplate
on the rear fenders and the  less expensive interior trim [with vinyl areas instead of leather] allow the casual
observer to distinguish between the entry-level Cadillacs and the more luxurious DeVilles and Fleetwoods

Survivors are not often encountered

The Coupe

   
Th Calais sedan [top] is shown in Canyon amber; the coupe [above] is painted Apollo yellow; the same ornate
Mimosa cloth trim in black, dark blue, medium jasper (shown) and medium gold is used for both examples;
also available was expanded vinyl to give that luxurious look; it was available in antique medium saddle or black

       
Instrument panel and steering wheel; drawing at right illustrates its tilt and telescope features

Electrically operated sunroof was available on the Fleetwood Brougham, the Eldorado coupe
with vinyl roof and the DeVille and Calais models when ordered with the optional vinyl roof finish

   
Left: on the driver's door armrest are power window switches with an override
control, the LH rear-view mirror toggle and the power door lock switch ;
Right: his handy litter basket did not encroach too much on passenger leg-room 

   
Left: the ladies appreciate the lighted vanity mirrors on both the driver
and passenger side [passenger side only on Eldorado convertible]
Right: Dual-comfort front seats are standard on the Fleetwood Brougham
and optional on the Eldorado and De Ville models

          
Left: cornering lights are useful for night driving; combined with the Twilight Sentinel (center) it automatically lights path from car
Far right: Spacious Sedan de Ville trunk [and others too]; power trunk release and pull-down are featured