2004 Cadillac XLR

The 2004 Cadillac XLR combines a sharp-edged two-seat body with a retractable hardtop. With the roof lowered, the photographed silver car shows how neatly the cabin sits within the long, low outline. This is a first-model-year XLR profile, using factory production rather than a sales figure to define its scoped population.

History, identity and design

The open roof changes the way the body reads. In the photograph, the windshield becomes the dominant upper structure, while the rear deck gives the passenger compartment a clean ending. The front lamps stand at the body's outer edges, and the panels between them remain relatively uncluttered. Those visible relationships make the XLR feel composed even with the roof stowed. They also provide a clear way to distinguish an open configuration from the fixed-looking silhouette created when its hardtop is raised.

The factory specifications record a Northstar V8, an automatic transmission and Magnetic Ride Control. These are the mechanical anchors for this model-year entry. The production table comes from the Bowling Green assembly record reproduced by XLR-Net. It establishes cars built for the scoped year, which is a different measure from retail sales reported over a calendar period. Mixing those measures would change the rarity description even though the vehicle name remained the same.

For a collector, the moving roof is part of the car's identity as well as part of an individual vehicle's condition history. A useful photographic file includes both roof positions and clear views of the cabin, rear deck and closing panels. Those images should be dated and attached to the actual car. They allow a reader to see the intended body transformation without assuming that an attractive exterior photograph establishes how every mechanism operates today.

This ordinary XLR entry remains separate from the later XLR-V. A shared basic body shape does not establish the supercharged V-Series powertrain or that model's edition identity. The silver 2004 photograph therefore stays with the first-year roadster rather than being reused to illustrate a different performance version. Keeping those records apart lets the collection show both the original luxury-roadster idea and its later development without duplicate or mismatched illustrations.

Factual identity and engineering references: Source 1 · Source 2.

Specifications and production scope

Keeping the collector record useful

A useful XLR file separates the model story from the life of an individual vehicle. Record the body or edition designation exactly as it appears in matching documents, then keep clear front, side, rear and cabin photographs with the dates attached. Changes made during restoration deserve their own entries, including the reason for the work and the evidence used. That approach lets future readers compare the physical car with this profile without confusing a present appearance, an original factory specification and an attractive historical association.

Documentary photograph

2004 Cadillac XLR with roof lowered at Cottesloe Civic Centre; later documentary photograph. The source image was checked for the pictured body or physical project and its file-specific reuse terms. The visible photograph caption links the photographer, original file and licence so the illustration can be traced independently of the article.

Frequently asked questions

Is the quoted count a sales figure?

It is the factory model-year production tally in the assembly table. Retail sales and production measure different things and should not be substituted for one another.

Is this an XLR-V?

This entry is the 2004 XLR. The V-Series roadster is separately documented in this batch with its own model year, mechanical specification and matching photograph.

What production scope applies to the 2004 XLR?

4,387 examples for the named 2004 model/body or engine phase only. This is not the output of the full nameplate across other years or the complete Cadillac range.

What should a collector document on an individual example?

Keep the vehicle’s identification, body or edition evidence, dated photographs and restoration records together. This XLR profile explains the model subject; ownership, original finish and present condition require records that match the individual car being considered.

Does this profile provide a complete original specification?

The specification table records the supported identity and engineering context for this year. An exterior photograph cannot establish every optional feature or later component change. Preserve any matching build record before adding more precise equipment claims to the XLR file.

Who took the photograph and how may it be reused?

The bundled image is credited to ZidaneHartono, under CC BY-SA 4.0 on its individual Commons file page. Keep the visible named credit and licence link. The supplied source version has no local image edits; background signage and photographer marks remain where present.

Sources

• Original manufacturer document, contemporary firsthand account or factory-communicated production record
• Original manufacturer document, contemporary firsthand account or factory-communicated production record
• Photograph: 2004 Cadillac XLR XLR004 @ Cottesloe Civic Centre.jpg

Related Cadillac profiles

Compare the body forms and clearly scoped identities in 2006 Cadillac XLR-V and 2004–2005 Cadillac CTS-V LS6. Each profile keeps its own year, photograph and rarity scope.