Cadillacs were completely restyled with pairs of individually housed squarish headlamps set wider apart. The V-shaped grille had an egg crate style insert and was protected by massive vertical guards framing a rectangular license plate indentation. The Calais wheelbase stretched to 3378mm. It also featured a wide hood with full-length windsplits, a prominent center crease, and hidden windshield wipers. A Cadillac crest decorated the nose and new indicator lamps appeared atop each front fender.
A horizontal beltline molding ran from behind the front wheel housing, almost to the rear, stopping where an elliptical bulge in the body came to a point. The rear wheel openings were again enclosed with fender skirts. Calais signature scripts were on front fenders and the right side of the deck lid. Taillamps were of the same general shape as last year, but were no longer divided by a chrome bar. Long, horizontal backup lamps were set in the bumper, on either side of a deeply recessed license plate housing.
Standard Calais equipment included
| Vehicle identification numbers were stamped on the top of the instrument panel this year and were visible through the windshield |
| The first symbol was a "6" for Cadillac |
| The second and third symbols correspond to the same symbols in the series code number |
| The fourth and fifth symbols correspond to the last two symbols in the standard Fisher Body Division code (Style Number without letter suffix) |
| The Sixth symbol was an "1" for 1971 model year |
The seventh symbol was an assembly plant code as follows:
|
| The next group of six numbers was the sequential unit production code |
| The number sequence began with 100001 at each assembly plant |
| Body Style Numbers, on the vehicle data plate (located on firewall) were prefixed with "71" for 1971 and suffixed with a single letter, which also indicated series and model and corresponds to the letter on the charts below |
| Model Name | Model No. | Body/ Style No. | Body Type | Seating | Factory price | Shipping weight | Production total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calais | 71-682 | 68249N |
4-door Hardtop Sedan Calais | 6 pass. | $6075 | 2143 kg | 3569 |
| Calais | 71-682 | 68247G |
2-door Hardtop Coupe Calais | 6 pass. | $5899 | 2107 kg | 3360 |
| Engine type | Overhead valves. Cast iron block |
| Main bearings | Five |
| Valve lifters | Hydraulic |
| Displacement | 7.7 Liters |
| Bore and stroke | 109.2mm x 103.1mm |
| Compression ratio | 8.8:1 |
| Brake horsepower (gross SAE) | 375 hp @ 4400 rpm |
| Power (gross SAE) | 280 kW @ 4400 rpm |
| Torque | 525 ft. lbs @ 3000 rpm |
| Torque | 712 Nm @ 3000 rpm |
| Oil pressure | 35-40 psi |
| Carburetor | Rochester four-barrel Quadrajet Model 4MV |
| Model | Wheelbase | Overall length | Tires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calais | 3302mm | 5735mm | L-78 x 15 |
1970