Pick one   >

WW2 years

 

1940

d'Agostino, John (USA): custom coupe (lowered), featuring standard Cadillac wheel covers for 1953.

    

 

    

    
The finished car - superb!

    

 

Bohman & Schwartz (USA) Special V8 convertible coupe on Series 62 chassis, with elongated cowl panel. Two similar models were built, on speculation, by Bohman and Schwartz. The single known survivor was first purchased by William Doheny, President of Sinclair Oil. It was found in rather poor condition and entirely restored. It is believed to reside currently [2001] in the Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg Museum. Photos Sch40, pp.36-37; color photos in my collection from Gilmore Museum meet [the Cadillac Experience], in June, 1993. Also TQ9-10/85, pp.10-11. See also Maurice Schwartz, below)

Brunn (USA) V8 Town car on Series 75 chassis, commissioned by steel executive E.J. Kulas of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. It was used by the Kulas family through 1958. It was owned subsequently, for 39 years, by Charles Coleman. The car has that unmistakable yellow stripe running from the front of the hood all the way to the extremity of the rear fender and curving also around the front of it. The elegant formal, padded top has a typical, small Derham backlight. Like my own cars, Mr. Coleman's car carries the badges of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, the Classic Car Club of America and the Michigan Region CCCA. Photos in TQ, 5-6/83, p.19.  According to recent information, the car was sold at a Kruse auction in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in 2000 for $52,000 [lot 801]. It had a reported 45,000 miles and was thoroughly documented by Hermann Brunn, the coach builder. Update [1/2004]: the car has changed hands and is being cared for now by enthusiast, Dr. Rick Zeiger.  Latest: the car is the subject of a 4-page article by Rick  in the "Classic car" for Spring, 2011.

This is an original (bent) factory photo
It was offered for sale on e-Bay in Feb., 2003

 

              

    
The car was advertised for sale on eBay in 2003,
with these photos being a part of the description

Photo 2010:  courtesy Rick Zeiger, owner

    

 

Derham (USA) Special V8 town car landaulet built for Ms. Jesse Donahue, daughter and heiress of billionaire F.W. Woolworth (she had a similar custom Cadillac town car built by Derham in 1939). The late father of the current owner, Scott Manning of Rochester Hills, MI, said in the early nineties that the car could have been given to Barbara Hutton, Jesse's niece, in 1942.   Ms. Hutton was a prominent socialite; she married screen great, Cary Grant, also in 1942.  Subsequently the car was acquired by the wife of a movie producer and later still it found its way into a museum in Illinois.  In 1976, Roger Morello of Mason, OH, bought it from the museum; he sold it in 1993 to Scott's father, Gerald, who kindly provided the photos. I have also many photos of this car taken at the Cadillac Experience meet at the Gilmore Museum, in June 1993 [other photo: McC, p.243, top]. Scott recalled that of the three chassis released to independent coach builders in 1940, the second car was bodied by Brunn; it is featured in  The Classic Car  by Beverly Rae Kimes of the CCCA. Scott has never seen a picture of the third, nor a record of which body builder it was sent to. The following text is copied from an Internet website devoted entirely to Derham custom coachwork:  Another pre-war Derham specialty was the collapsible cabriolet (or landaulet), with a fixed center section, one-piece windshield, a collapsible rear roof and a removable cover over the open chauffeur's compartment. Cadillac released only three of its 1940 Series 75 chassis to outside coachbuilders. Two went to Derham; the first a Cadillac Town landau limousine built for Jessie Woolworth Donahue, daughter of retail magnate FW Woolworth. The second a Cadillac Town Landau Limousine built for Mrs. Florence Parker Lambert Busch, wife of Budweiser heir Adolphus Busch III.  The third 1940 Series 75 chassis went to Brunn and was ordered by E.J Kulas, president of Otis Steel Company and former general sales manager of Peerless Motor Car Company.

    

    

    

 

    

                 

    
These photos:  courtesy Gerald and Scott Manning

            

         

[ Photos in the above three rows show the custom car with the top in the raised position ]
 

Derham (USA): I have photos of a similar town landaulet to the one described above, but with a split, "V" windshield in lieu of the flat windshield featured on the Manning car. I believe this car too has survived. Scott Manning [see previous entry] said in May 2005 that the car below had indeed survived. The last he heard, it was owned by Jim VanDiver of Rockford IL.  This was a Derham conversion of a Fleetwood body, hence the V windshield and the conventional Fleetwood trunk profile. Scott added: A wonderful conversion and a truly handsome car (now restored). This could be the second car, mentioned in the previous entry, described as  a Cadillac Town Landau Limousine built for Mrs. Florence Parker Lambert Busch, wife of Budweiser heir Adolphus Busch III.

    
[ Could this be the restored car ...and would the person who sent me the photos please identify himself? ]

 

Derham (USA) special formal sedan on the Series 72 chassis was offered for sale at a Kruse auction in Ft.Lauderdale, FL, in January 2001 [lot #329].  Blue in color, it was bid up to $37,500 but apparently did not sell. I believe the same car (blue with red wheels) was offered at a second Kruse auction, this time at Auburn, IN, in November 2006. It appears the vendor let it go for $32,500. Late Extra [11/2007]: the (same?) car turned up again on Ebay in November, 2007 with a "Buy-It-Now" price of just under $50K; it is located in St. Louis, MO.  The recent photos (below) show a beautifully restored car. Later [July, 2008]: CLC member and enthusiast, Terry Wenger wrote: The 1940 series 72 car with the Derham tag, I believe is not a Derham car. I saw the car on eBay and looked at all the pictures closely as I was writing the soon-to-be-published 'CLC 39-'40 Cadillac 60S, 62 & 72 Authenticity Manual. I could not find anything on that car that was different from the standard Series 72 car, except the Derham tags [script nameplate]. Before 1942, Derham used a shield shaped body tag. In 1942 they switched to the script. This is verified in the 1941 and 1942 Chapters of Roy Schneider's "Cadillacs of the Forties". So the script tag doesn't appear to be authentic for this 1940 model. Once again, caveat emptor !

    
This one is owned by a member of the CCCA (could these two be the same car);
both have the fog lamps, like this one

         
The "Derham" script emblem (center and right) certainly looks authentic ...but not on a 1940 Cadillac model according to CLC expert, Terry Wenger

             

 

Derham (USA) Custom fast-back coupe on V-16 chassis [see V-16 section. below]

 

Fleetwood (USA): I have these two photos of a town car with a regular backlight, suggesting it might be one of the fourteen Fleetwood style #7553 built that year

   
The big road lights up front suggest the cars in these two photos might be one and the same

   
The Fleetwood town car on the left belonged, in 2002, to Harris Laskey of the CCCA
Further photos (above two rows) of 1940 Fleetwood town cars taken at
various meets of the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA)

th
This car perhaps?

 

Fleetwood (USA) Mock-up of proposed 1942 sedan

    

 

Fleetwood (???) (USA) Special Cadillac Series 61, SIA4, p.33.

Fleetwood (???) (USA) Standard Series 75 limousine with special interior for Pope Pius XII. A New Jersey press cutting of July 14 (1940?) recorded that "a black Cadillac limousine was trucked through this city [in New Jersey] a few days ago, bound for the Vatican for Pope Pius XII; according to General Motors it was a conventional Series 75 priced at $14000" [the base price of  the regular Series 75 cars was a tad under $4000, so this car appears to have had $10,000 of work done on it before it was shipped to H.H.?!?!?] The car was described as having chrome, gold and walnut trim, a single back seat with a radio on one side and a writing shelf on the other.  This car must not be confused with a similar-looking 1938 Cadillac V16 that ended up in the Vatican garage in 1948, although it had been ordered initially by a wealthy Italian Countess [that car may be seen in the section on surviving sixteen-cylinder cars of 1938-1940]

 

Fleetwood (???) (USA) proposal for B-bodied series 61, Sch40, p.17

Fleetwood (???) (USA) 62-sedan mock-up, Sch40, p.19

Fleetwood (???) (USA) 3-window sedan proposal, Sch40, p.20

Fleetwood (USA) special 6019AF Series 60 Special sedan with sun roof (only 3 built at an extra cost of $412 each)

Fleetwood (USA) Special V8 Series 60 Special for W. Knudsen [GM President starting 1937]. Car has front and rear fender horizontal louvers typical of the V16 models of the same period, rear fender stone guards, special wheel covers, padded leather roof and landau bars. Combination leather and fabric seats, electric windows [Sch40, pp.24-25]

 

Fleetwood (USA) Special V8 Series 60 Special for Lawrence P. Fisher. Front, ¾ view, LH side in SS - 9/96, p.15. This car also has front and rear fender horizontal louvers of the V16, rear fender stone guards, special wheel covers, padded leather roof but no decorative landau bars. The car has survived and was reported owned in 2001 by Robert L. Joynt of Illinois [FWD, p.408]. The car was on show at the CCCA's Gilmore Museum, Hickory Corner, MI, in July 2007.

        
[ These photos: Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) - different lighting gives different hue ]

Pebble Beach, 2002

 

Fleetwood (USA) second special Cadillac V8 Series 60 Special. Car has light colored leather top [Sch40, p.31]

Fleetwood (USA) Eight more custom Series 60 Special models were built for GM top brass (ten in total). Like the two preceding cars they were lengthened 5 inches [another source says only 2"] in the center, and lowered 2 inches; they had wider doors. A padded, leather roof covering with landau irons on the rear ¼-panels was standard as were special wheel discs [some with the Hollywood spinner blades as used on the 1933 V16 models], metal stone guards, decorative fender spears à la V16, Fleetwood script on the trunk lid and plush interiors, although each of the ten special cars was completely individualized as regards color, upholstery and interior fittings. In an article by Donald G. Schmidt [SS - 9/96] the 1940 Fleetwood custom cars all had Fleetwood script on the trunk lid, padded top and landau bars. More are said to have been made in 1941; these had the new 15" wheels compared to 16" in 1940.

I believe this is one of the eight remaining 60 Special town cars
This original (bent) factory photo was on sale on e-Bay in Feb., 2003

 

Fleetwood (USA) special town car with formal, leather top, style 6053LB ["LB" = "leather back"]; six such cars were built, photo Sch40, pp.34-35.  Another nine had a plain metal roof over the passenger compartment.

   

    

I believe the rough-but-restorable survivor at right could be
one of the six special town cars built by Fleetwood

Fleetwood (USA):  Special  Series 60 Special, formal town car with divider, open chauffeur compartment and padded roof was offered for sale on e-Bay in December, 2001. It was described as car #1 of the six that were built. Its premier showing was at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, where it spent most of its life. Since the early eighties it was in Michigan, including 13 years in the Gilmore Car Museum.  The open chauffeur's compartment is trimmed in black leather while the passenger compartment is done in taupe broadcloth. The divider window is operated by a crank; it has Fleetwood sill plates and dual side mounts [these must have been added later because the NY show car had none]. It is said to have an original, gold Cadillac emblem in the center of then dash. There are clocks in both the front and rear compartments. The hood ornament is gilded.

    

    

    
[ Photos:  Internet, December 2001 and courtesy of the current owner ]

 

Fleetwood (USA) special town car, style 6053MB ["MB" = "metal back"]; nine such cars were built. One of them - body #7 - was offered for sale by the Kruse auctioneers in 8/1996]

Fleetwood (???) (USA) custom town car on Series 72 chassis, McC p.240

 

Fleetwood (???) (USA) Series 75 styling model, Sch40, p.21

Fleetwood (???) (USA) Series 75 formal sedan, style #7559

Only 48 of these formal sedans were built in 1940;
in my opinion this justifies its being included in this section

 

Inskip (USA): Special Cadillac town car. It is difficult to recognize this one as being a Cadillac. Features include a custom hood grille with Packard-style hood and hood emblem, double "S" curved molding on the hood sides extending into the front doors, triangular front door glass, small, oval rear window; only the headlights, tail-lights side-lights and fenders appear to be stock Cadillac. The smaller photos, below, were taken by the late Gene Babow in the seventies and show the car to be burgundy and black, as it is still today. It is the car used as the background image for this page.  The car was displayed by noted Connecticut classic car collector Johnny Pascucci at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance, on Sunday March 14, 2010. Johnny's father, bought this car from another noted car collector, Harry King, in the early 1970s; it has been part of the Pascucci family collection ever since. On p.38 of SIA23 there is a B&W photo of the car, probably taken around 1970, the caption reads: Inskip hired mostly ex-Brewaster craftsmen to create Mrs. Cheever Porter's 1940 Cadillac town car. Mrs. P. herself designed the car.  A more recent source claims that the car was built for the legendary singer and band leader Vaughn Monroe. The same story would have it that his mistress was the actual person to have had the car built and designed for the singer, giving it to Moore as a present (are we to assume that Moore's mistress was the Mrs. Cheever Porter mentioned on the SIA caption?). As an aside, I believe Mrs. Cheever Porter was one of the most important dog owners/breeders of the 1920s. Among her later champions were Holly Hill Desert Wind, an Afghan Hound (1966)  and  Powderhorn Yankee Rifleman, an Irish Setter (1978). In 2005, the Cheever Porter foundation had assets of $2.2  million and generated revenue of $1.7 million.

    
Photos:  courtesy the late Gene Babow

    

    
Photos:  Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance, 2010

Meteor (USA) Woodie station wagon on 1940 LaSalle chassis, currently owned by Tom Boehm of Albany, IN.  Tom needs help to restore the car and trace its history. For more details, check out the Web site address he gave me in December 2001.

    

 

Mitchell, William E. [Cadillac Motor Car Division of GM] (USA) This is one of Bill  Mitchell's early proposals for the 1940 model year.

 

Schwartz, Maurice (USA) Custom convertible coupe.  Two of these custom convertibles apparently were built; it appears the other car has "disappeared". Writing in Motor Trend, in 1951,car enthusiast John Butts of Wichita, KS said this:  In your December 1949 issue on pager 14, you showed a picture of a 1940 Cadillac model 62, V-8, with club coupe body by Bohman and Swartz [sic] on 129-inch wheelbase.  Last fall I purchased this car from Mr. Herb Day, Brentwood, California, and brought it back to Wichita.  I installed a new Cadillac engine with standard n syncchro-mesh [sic] transmission. I completely redesigned the front fenders, put on a Jaguar-type grille, used Lincoln headlights and filled in the space between the hood and fenders. I redesigned the front top of the hood to conform with the same curves as the fenders. I put on the back half of the back fenders, new, in order to extend the length of the car (I used Buick fenders for this). I put on new bumpers with gravel shields, both front and rear and reduced the wheel size to  fifteen inches. I crimped and extended the front fenders at the back end, filled out the lower part of the trunk to blend in with the rear gravel shields, and repainted the car in Tutone [two tone] fire-engine red and gray in order to give it extended length.  Well, Mr. Butts, I'm not sure that yours is the same car we are listing here ... but there are definite similarities?

This poor image of John Butts' car is from a 1951 issue of Motor Trend (?)
[ Z. Taylor Vinson collection, courtesy of Hagley Library and Museum DE ]

    
This may be the Butts' car before he completed all the changes to which he alluded in 1951;
the front fenders appear to extend into the doors but the regular bumpers are still there

Above two rows: this one appears to have a custom grille
and a large rear window [compared to the car below]

    

    
Above two rows: the second (?) car, as found in the undergrowth and initially restored;
it features the regular 1940 Cadillac grille and small rear window

              
These two rows: the same car following a ground-up restoration in the eighties
[ lower two photos: © The Huff Report ]

[ Photo:  Internet, 2014 ]

             
Here is an interesting view of the car with the top up;
the owner is listed as Ralph Marano of  Garwood, NJ
[ Photo:  The Classic Car - CCCA ]

 

[Unknown] (USA) Custom 2-door coupe

 

[Unknown] (USA) Custom 2-door coupe

    

 

[Unknown] (USA) Custom, chopped 2-door coupe. Dplendid!

 

Van der Stricht, Patrick (Belgium) Patrick is a devoted Cadillac enthusiast.  This is his artist's proposal for a 1938-39-40-41-48-49-51-53-54-55-56-57-58 custom Eldorado coupe (...and I may even have missed a couple of years in my speedy examination of this delightful drawing!

Drawing courtesy of Patrick Van der Stricht

 

1940  (V16)   for images, click here

Brunn V16 Town car featuring chrome spears on spare tire covers as well as on front fenders, Sch40, p.151, rear view in TQ, 5-6/83, p.19

 

Derham (USA) special hardtop coupe on V16 chassis for H.G. Haskell, then VP of Du Pont de Nemours, the chemical giants of Wilmington, DE. The car survives and is currently [1986] in the Merle Norman collection (J.B. Nethercutt) in San Sylmar, CA. Car has a special, padded leather top and is built on the 141" wheel base V16 chassis [MH, p. 277 and Sch16, p.151 [factory original], Sch16, p.151 (restored)].

 

Fleetwood (USA) style 9019, 5-passenger Sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [4 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9023, 7-passenger Sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [9 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9029, 5-passenger Convertible sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [2 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9033F, 7-passenger Formal sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [2 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9053, 7-passenger Town car on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [2 units]; Sch16, p.146

Fleetwood (USA) style 9033F, 7-passenger Formal sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [5 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9039, 5-passenger Town sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [1 only]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9057B, 5-passenger Coupe on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [1 only]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9059, 5-passenger Formal sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [2 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9059, 5-passenger Formal sedan on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [4 units]

Fleetwood (USA) style 9067, 2-passenger Convertible coupe on 141" wheel base V16 chassis [2 units]

Meteor (USA) Woodie wagon, below.  Late Extra [Nov., 2007]: this note from Jeff Boyd of Bodys by Boyd: ...thought you would like an update on the wagon on p.247. I just completed a total restoration of it for it's new owner in Ca. This is  the Meadowbrook Hall car and was unveiled there at this year's Concours.   Meteor stretched the frame to a wheelbase of 189.5". They did not switch rear frame halves with the other Lasalle woodie owned by Tom Boehm. Tom was very helpful with the history of this car.  It will be in Hemmings classic car soon(next year).

             

 

1941

Brunn (USA) Custom Series 61 coupe with padded top and landau bars, Sch40, p.69, McC p.250

 

Cantrell, J.T. (USA) custom station wagon, McC p.252. This car was in the collection of Richard Kughn of Detroit [1996] and was sold at auction in 2002 for a reported $140,000. It was built originally for French screen star Adolphe Menjou when he worked in Hollywood.

    

The car sold at auction in 2002 for a reported $140,000!

        

    

    
The Cantrell woody was on show at the CLC Grand National, Detroit, 2002
[ Photos (above two rows): © 2002,  J. Scott Harris ]

 

Coachcraft (USA) Custom, dechromed convertible coupe; Sch40, p.68. This car was later "updated" to a 1947 model by the Hollywood firm [see "1947 Coachcraft"]

 

Coachcraft (USA) Custom station wagon built on a new 1941 Series 61 Cadillac chassis (complete from the cowl forward - photo SSA93, p.9) for cowboy actor Charles "Will" Starrett who was known as the Durango Kid and wore a white Stetson like all the "good guys" in the pre- and early post-war Western movies (photo SSA93, p.8, McC p.250). He used to camp in the wagon while on shooting location. The car was involved in a collision and the hood replaced at that time with a 1942 model. Starrett sold the car back to Burton Chalmers, co-founder of Coachcraft Ltd., Hollywood, in 1956, when it was re-vamped to its current state with the addition of the 1941 hood side grilles, whitewall tires, additional bumper guards, road lights and a new maroon paint job (original color was Fairoaks green and the 1941 hood side grilles and crest were noticeably absent); the car was later purchased again from Coachcraft by Emil Thamert (photo SSA93, p.8) and subsequently, in 1966, by CLC member Hollis Weihe (photo Sch40, p.68); Hollis sold to to the current owner, William Lockwood, in 1966.  It has been re-painted brick red. Burton Chalmers had this to say in the July 1959 Self Starter: the car [chassis?] was especially prepared and ordered from the factory through Hillcrest Motors in Beverly Hills. The original owner was Charles Starrett, noted Western star, and   we bought it [back] from him in 1956. It has, needless to say, had ever-loving care since that time and is truly in excellent condition. The engine has just recently been completely overhauled and has been [driven] less than a thousand miles [since then]; there is no dry rot or signs of same in any of the woodwork; the paint (a 1941 Buick bluish gray), is in very good shape; the rear seat is still covered with the original top grain leather and the front seat has custom seat covers. The seats fold down to make a complete, full-sized bed and, since the front seat is in two parts, the passenger can snooze en route.  It now also has headrests as well as a Coachcraft luggage rack. The price of $1000 for this gem we feel is very reasonable, but if we feel that it is going to get ever-loving care from a prospective owner, we will consider any price they think is fair. Probably it is worth a "few" thousand more than that today!

    

 

Darrin, Howard "Dutch" (USA) This custom convertible coupe was built by Howard, "Dutch" Darrin, presumably on the 1941 Series 62 chassis.  It has an interesting dipped belt line like the later, factory-built 1953 Eldorado. I owe this information to fellow Cadillac enthusiast and Database user, Eric George; he writes: I found this the other day while surfing the web looking up Dutch Darrin designed cars. The page contains a photo of a Darrin customized 1941 Cadillac convertible, with his trademark cutaway doors and extended front fender line. A nice contrast to the Darrin-Packards of the day. The page also gives the name of it's current owner. - Eric George.  The photo [below] is from CCCA, June 1999. The owner is listed as Joseph Morgan. It was sold originally by Coachcraft of Hollywood.

 

Derham (USA) Special Series 60 Special town car (six are believed to have been built - there are at least two survivors, one in excellent condition and one needing restoration); the town car conversion cost $1500 on top of the basic car price. One of these was offered for sale for  $14,500, by a Mr. Chris Unger, in the classifieds of Cadillac Connoisseur, magazine of the Cadillac Club International, Palm Springs, CA.  in 1983-84 (Vol. 24:2, p. 16).  Photo Sch40, p.69, also SS 4/94, p.20 (William Stever, Bishop, CA) [one of these may have been for sale by Kruse, 8/1996]. This one (or another survivor) was advertised for sale at auction (with no reserve) by RM Auctions, in February 2007. Estimated to fetch between #150,000 and $250,000, the winning bidder paid $198,000 for the car.

    
This one(left)   was advertised for sale in the CLC Self Starter, in July, 1995, for $55K !
Is it possible that the car on the right is the same one?

         

    
[ These photos:  Internet, 2007 ]

 

 

Derham (USA) Several Series 75 four-door convertible.

 

Derham (USA) Several Series 75 town car conversions, one with landau (collapsible) rear quarters (mentioned in McC, p.243). This car was built for Mrs. Kendall Marsh whose husband owned the Baker Castor Oil Company. It has survived a number of owners and was [in 2001] in the possession of  Cadillac dealer, Dave Towell, of Akron, OH.  The full story, including the photos below were published in CCCA (Autumn 2001).

    
Custom windshield; otherwise, stock Cadillac from the cowl forward

         
Full custom from the cowl back; note Derham signature back light and custom tail-lights
[ Photos: courtesy Dave Towell and the CCCA ]

          
Dave Towell showed the car at the CLC
Grand National Meet in August 2002
[ Photos (left and center) : © 2002,  J. Scott Harris ] 

 

Derham (USA) Here is another conversion by Derham; the base car in this case is Fleetwood Style 7533, imperial sedan (with division) for seven passengers. Only six cars of this style were built in 1941. The car has survived. The owner wrote this, in December 2001: What is particularly interesting about this car is the fact that it was ordered without the usual chrome louvers on all four fenders. Furthermore, all exterior body and hood moldings were ordered to be finished in black. The car has the serial, body and model numbers and the words Do Not Drain Radiator Anti-Freeze stenciled with yellow paint on the panel which supports the hood lock between the radiator and the grill. Perhaps this suggests that the car was ordered by a governmental agency, municipality, or for diplomatic use? The style number is 41-7533. Body number 462. It was originally delivered to Scott Smith Cadillac Co. in Philadelphia, PA from the New York branch of the Cadillac Motor Car Division on February 21, 1941.

[ Owner: Gene Kappel, IL; photo: © 2001, Craig Kappel ]

 

Fleetwood (USA) "Y-Job". This was built on a Buick platform but I feel it deserves a place in the Cadillac Database as the mother of all subsequent Cadillac dream and show cars. Begun in 1938, the car was not shown to the public until 1941. That is why I am showing it here, as well as in the 1938 section

         

   

    
The Buick "Y-Job" has survived and is frequently seen at collector car events (photo, right)

 

Fleetwood (USA) Series 60S proposal, Sch40, pp.42-43

Fleetwood (USA) Series 75 proposal, Sch40, p.48

Fleetwood (USA) Custom imperial sedan, based on style 6019F formal sedan ($2345), one of a production run of 220 cars in 1941, this one had many special features and a price tag of $4265 [compared to Chevrolet Master De Luxe 4-door sedan at $795]. It was a matching car to Fleetwood's custom Town car for the 1941 New York show [below], the color was Damascus Maroon with rose-beige lacquer on roof to match the Laidlaw broadcloth in the rear compartment, done in a biscuit & button design. The original owners were Roscoe and Margaret Oakes of Los Angeles. The car features fully electric windows, hand-fitted into each door, electric divider glass, satin finished gold-plated hardware in the rear compartment, Di-Noc wood design over Macasson ebony, non-adjustable front seat pleated in Imperial Antique maroon leather, same on doors, cut-pile carpet, 24-ct gold plated ornaments including the hood ornament. In 1991 the car was owned by Bud Juneau who, at that time, was editor of the annual Self Starter, SSA 1991, pp.19-25.

 

Fleetwood (USA) New York Show car, style 6053LB town car, green and beige, tan padded roof, small, Derham-styled rear window, special wood door trim and special upholstery, with vacuum operated window (owned by Ralph Liebendorfer, Piru, California, 1991), Sch40, p.65, McC p.249. Below, left, is a photo of car at its NY premiere. I am informed by enthusiast-collector Rick Zeiger that he bought the NY show car around 2005-06. Congratulations! Owner enthusiast Bud Juneau wrote, about this car in March 2010: The green and beige 60-S you refer to was not the open Town Car, but another 60-S displayed in the Basildon room of the Waldorf and it had the vacuum windows. The 6053LB town car was in the Lobby, and is the open-front town car, while mine is the closed-front town car. They were made to almost identical specifications as shown on their build sheets. Both were a special maroon color to match the leather in the front compartment. It was made up by Rinshead & Mason and called Damascus Maroon. The top of the open car was covered in a Tan material designated as 13T 1540. I believe it was a material and not leather.

         
Images (left and center) unfortunately are not the best quality

 

Fleetwood (USA) rumored 2nd town car [no details]. Could this be it?  There is another photo [in SS, 7/66]   of a similar car found by Bill Fleming of Jacksonville FL

This car is owned [2002] by a member of  the CCCA

 

Fleetwood (USA) style 6019SA, special order car (special order #) with sunroof, electric window [only five known Series 60 Special models out of 4100 for 1941 were built with this feature], maroon Laidlaw broadcloth upholstery (on seats, doors and headliner), gunmetal gray with Valcour maroon roof.

Fleetwood (USA) stretched Series 60 Special (lengthened 4"), black with black leather roof, division window special courtesy lights, electric windows, many custom features for GM executive (?), Albert Bradley. Could be the car shown in the lower picture in Sch40, p. 64.

Fleetwood (USA) (as above, but lowered also), Titian maroon with black leather roof, division window red leather front seat, pale beige upholstery in rear, chromed grille apron, special courtesy lights, electric windows, chromed wheels, other custom features included hidden trunk lid hinges and Fleetwood script on the lower front fenders. Charles. E. Wilson became President of General Motors in 1941; he was chauffeured aboard this car for many years. [Ralph Liebendorfer collection, Piru, California]. Photos: Sch40, p.64. I am informed by enthusiast-collector Rick Zeiger that he acquired the Wilson car in 2005-06. Congratulations, Rick!

 

Fleetwood (USA) (as above, but lowered also), color unknown, black leather roof, division window collapsible rear quarters (landau top), special courtesy lights, electric windows, chrome wheels, many custom features including brushed gold hardware in rear compartment, for GM executive Fred J. Fisher.

Fleetwood (USA) (as above but stretched and lowered), Brewster green with black leather roof, division window special courtesy lights, chrome wheels, small back light, many custom features, built for GM executive Charles F. Kettering. This car was part of the Ralph Liebendorfer collection in the mid-seventies [photos in SS9/96, p.14, lower LH and RH sides].

Fleetwood (USA) The Duchess, commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and used by them until 1952 when it had done about 18000 miles; it was basically a C-body sedan stretched to fit the 136" wheel base chassis. The car had wider doors and a 1942, 60S-type "B" pillar. A special rear division console held a jewel case, vanity case, pipe rack, air cooling unit, heater and radio. The rear seat footrests were adjustable from the driving seat. The reported cost was $14000 [i.e. the same price as the 1940 Series 75  limousine modified for the Pope, above]. Photos SS 11-12/64 [interior view], Sch40, pp.56-57, SSA91, p.26.  Late Extra [Apr., 2010]:  The Duchess  has survived! It was acquired not long ago by a friend of mine in Birmingham, AL.  It appears complete but will require considerable work to return it to its former glory. Latest [Oct., 2013]: Restoration has been completed and the car will be auctioned by RM during their Sotheby venue in NY, November 2013. The Duke and Duchess spent much of their time in New York, living in a suite at the Waldorf Towers on Park Avenue; their Cadillac was with them. Records indicate the Windsors paid $14,000 for it; that would be around $230,000 today. Today it is in outstanding, restored condition, and it is accompanied by copies of original historic photography from General Motors, press clippings, and newsreels of the era featuring the Windsors with their Cadillac. 

One day, it will return to its former splendor

         
A lot of work still to be done

    
The restored car in 2013
(Photos: Courtesy RM auctions)

         
Restoration "after" photos: http://artmeripol.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/the-duchess/

Fleetwood (USA) Special Series 62 custom, for Alfred P. Sloan, CEO and Chairman of the Board, General Motors Corp.   The car was shipped to A. P. Sloan, Jr. in New York City on 5/28/1941.  It is a full one off custom creation, SBO 3076.   Some important features of the car include the following:  Standard 126” wheelbase; Hydra-Matic; “X” type division with full custom finish panel, custom decorative copper castings, and electrically operated window; division finish panel includes compartment with lighted vanity mirror and ash receivers; custom cast gold plated dome light with three lenses; gold plated hood ornament and fitments in rear compartment with clear plastic inserts; courtesy lights fitted to the corners of the front and rear seat frames on each side; car lowered ¾” in rear; 60S features in roof line, window frames and fenders; top has been chopped, rear back light reduced in size, and leather padded roof installed; chauffeur's compartment equipped with tinted day night mirror, radio with Buick style antenna mounted in center of roof above windshield; umbrella receiver and cover fitted to the passenger side of the front seat; chrome plated dash board with clear coat tinted to match the gray leather interior, and chrome plated town car style garnish moldings; tops of the doors cut off and 60 Special style custom chrome window frames installed; hydraulically operated windows; “A” pillar and front door hinges custom made of cast bronze; rear radio with special “tethered” controls mounted in copper casting in center of division; rear fenders are modified 62 Series fenders fitted with shortened 60 Special flanged wheel opening and fender skirts, and fitted with stainless steel stone guards; special stainless steel rocker trim; chrome plated wheels; shortened 60 Special front fenders with custom built door pods fitted; hood has no chrome cast side vents as common to production 41’s; no raised areas stamped into the hood sheet metal to accommodate side vents; trunk fully lined with carpet including the underside of the deck lid.  Special thanks to Whitney Otis in Colorado who acquired the car in January 2007 from Ralph Liebendorf, and who has kindly provided the detailed facts about this very special car, as well as a photo [below] before restoration. Hopefully there will be more when the restoration is completed.

A forlorn-looking custom '41-62 arrives in Pueblo; try to imagine
what this ultra-rare car will look like when it has been fully restored !
[ Photo: © and courtesy Whitney Otis, owner ]

 

Fleetwood (USA) Style 6733 formal sedan.  Former editor of the Annual CLC Self Starter magazine, Bud Juneau contacted me in March, 2010, with some information on Fleetwood's custom jobs for 1941.  He wrote:  I visited your Cadillac website, and you have amassed a wonderful collection of information. What a lot of work. I was interested in some of the '41 information in your "Dream Cars and Show Cars", as I have owned one of the '41 special 60 Specials for years. There were several Sixty Specials on display at the Waldorf during the auto show and at least one at the show itself. The 6053LB town car was in the Lobby, and is the open-front town car [see earlier entry, above], while mine is the closed-front town car. They were made to almost identical specifications as shown on their build sheets. Both were a special maroon color to match the leather in the front compartment. It was made up by Rinshead & Mason and called Damascus Maroon. The top of the open car was covered in a Tan material designated as 13T 1540. I believe it was a material and not leather. The top of my car was finished in lacquer to match the Rose Beige broadcloth that both cars had in the rear. You mention the town car as having vacuum power windows. It had an electric divider on the Imperial Division, as my car does, but the town car had (has) manual crank-up windows. My car has what was called "Automatic Window Controls SR 41-339" on the build sheet. They are 6-volt fully-electric windows with a motor in each door, using pulleys and wires. They work surprisingly well and were also used in executive cars such as Albert Bradley's and Charles Wilson's 60-S. I was invited to show my 60-S at Pebble Beach last year, photo enclosed [see below]. It now has a little over 50,000 miles on it and the original interior is still perfect. I'll send a photo. The green and beige 60-S you refer to was not the open Town Car, but another 60-S displayed in the Basildon room of the Waldorf and it had the vacuum windows. I am not aware that any car has survived with that type of automatic window. But I would love to see how they worked. The 60-S that was in the Ballroom was gray and had the Sunshine roof. I'll send a better scan of the Open Town Car, in case you would like it.

 

Fleetwood (USA) Style 6733 formal sedan, body tag 41-6733, body #129, paint #57, trim # 77; no indication on body tag of special order (special order #); possibly a dealer conversion; SSA 1991, p.44

Fleetwood (USA) Style 7533L 9-passenger livery sedan, with division (only 6 built at a cost of $3050 each)

GM [Cadillac] (USA) Prototype for 1941 La Salle that was not to be; La Salle production ended in 1940; Cadillac added a new line of cars (the Series 61)  to replace the latter.

 

Lee, Don (USA): Custom 2-passenger coupe modification for screen star, Clark Gable. Note chopped top and raked windshield.

 

Loewy, Raymond (USA): Custom 2-passenger convertible coupe with front fenders flowing into the doors and rear quarter panels [like the Duchess, by Fleetwood]; special "circled" hood and door medallions, custom grille, five custom louvers on front fenders behind front wheel openings.

 

Rollston (USA) Conversion of 3-window sedan to formal sedan; photo Sch40, p.69. A number of these conversions may have been done.

 

[Unknown, USA] hybrid 1941-42-46 model seen at a California car show has elements of 1941 de luxe 4-dr. convertible, '41 hood vents, '46 grille, bumpers, hood and crest, '46-47 fender spears, '47 Cadillac fender script and sombrero wheel covers, SSA 1993

[Unknown, USA] hybrid 1941Cadillac convertible coupe street rod powered by a Chevrolet engine!

 

[Unknown, USA] Woody wagon for Gillig Corporation [photo OCW, 22.8.91]

 

[Unknown, USA?/Europe?] This customized "candy-bronze" Series 63 sedan was photographed at the Antwerp Classic Salon , in Belgium, in March 2004, by CLC member and friend Rik Gruwez of Bruges. Now WHO would want to do that to such a rare and beautiful classic?  But I guess you have to admire the quality of the workmanship!

 

Unknown (USA?)  Convertible coupe with Plexiglas roof over the driver's compartment and snap-on tonneau cover over the rear seating area.

    
Photos:  Internet, May 2004

 

Unknown (USA?)  Pick-up truck on Cadillac chassis

[ Photo: © and courtesy the late Gene Babow ]

 

Unknown (USA?)  Customized "Woodie" (at the right of the image)

[ Photo: Internet ]

 

Unknown (USA?)  Customized professional car (hearse or ambulance) on Cadillac chassis

[ Photo: courtesy Jim Jordan, CLC ]

 

[Unknown, USA] 1941Cadillac town car on Series 60 Special chassis.  Fully enclosed rear half-top.   Elegant but not practical as regards access to the rear passenger compartment.  CLC member Bud Juneau, former editor of the annual Self Starter magazine, wrote in March 2010: You have pictures of a car "Unknown USA". Made up from a '41 60-S. This car was made up in Costa Rica, brought here and sold at Hershey, and was recently offered in an auction as a "Fleetwood Custom". This is not true, and just shows how people can make up a car and pretty soon it gets passed around and becomes a "real" car. This car should be exposed for what it is.

    

    

         
[ Photos: Internet, 4/2006 ]

 

Van der Stricht, Patrick (Switzerland) Patrick is a well-known Swiss automotive writer and cartoonist, as well as a devoted Cadillac enthusiast.  This is his artist's proposal for a 1938-39-40-41-48-49-51-53-54-55-56-57-58 custom Eldorado coupe (...and I may even have missed a couple of years in my speedy examination of this delightful drawing!

Drawing courtesy of Patrick Van der Stricht

 

1942

Derham (USA) 4-door convertible sedan [may have been built after WWII on the 1942 Series 63 chassis - it has the post-war Derham script on the side of the hood lid]. Photo: Sch40, p.118 [image dr42drh]

Derham (USA) 4-door town car on Series 60S chassis, McC p.258. This car is still running. In 1999, it resided in Maine. One of these (I can't believe there were too many more, so I am guessing THIS is that car) was owned initially by Deering and Betty Howe, who were close personal friends of former  US President Theodore Roosevelt; the car was delivered to them in December, 1942. It had the federally mandated "black-out" trim, in support of the war effort. It was last known to be part of the Le May Car Museum in Seattle, WA.

    
Owner:  Karel Deibel

    
Could this be the same car?
To-day (2013) it resides in the Le May Car Museum, Seattle (WA)
[ Photo (left):  Date Batger ]

 

Derham (USA) 4-door convertible sedan on Series 75 chassis, McC p.261

    

 
[ Photos: Z. Taylor Vinson collection, 2009 ]

 

Fleetwood (???) (USA) 4-door sedan mock up, Sch40, pp.73-74

Fleetwood (???) (USA) 4-door Series 60S sedan mock up, Sch40, pp.80-83

Fleetwood (???) (USA) This "one-of" Cadillac was designed by GM styling guru Harley Earl, and following its completion is said to have been used by his family. Any American vehicle produced in 1942 is rare, since the manufacture of civilian cars was halted in order to support the war effort. Additionally, this car is a custom bodied car designed and built by GM styling staff and so it becomes even more significant. The build sheet for the car states that a 1942 Cadillac 60 Special chassis was shipped to Mr. H.J. Earl at GM Styling on 12/31/1941. It was cloaked in a luxurious dual cowl convertible, with hydraulic window, center divider window, removable cowl section with a v-shaped windshield, unique hood ornament, altered grille, fog lamps, automatic transmission and the first fins to appear on a Cadillac. The car can change character from a fully enclosed, divided sedan to a top down fully opened dual cowl phaeton, suitable for touring or parade use.  From 1978 to 1985, the car was owned by John & Irene Linhardt of New York (now of Palm City, FL); it was subsequently acquired by a Mr. B.W. Reese of 20309 Concord Avenue, Hayward, CA; the current owner acquired the car in 1984. It is reported to have cost $100,000 to build; originally, the car still had the 1942 blackout grille and was fitted with 1953-54 Eldorado wire wheels. A later, color photo (below) shows a fire-engine red car with stock 1942 wheels but re-chromed grille. The car was on show again at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance in August 2002. At that time, it was owned by Robert and Sandra Bahre, of Oxford, Maine. The Concours program mentioned that car had been valued at $16,000 when it was built, in 1942; this information is at odds with the $100,000 figure quoted by Mr. Reese. On the RH side of the dash is a gold-colored plaque bearing the inscription: "This certifies that this automobile was expressly designed and hand made by the Cadillac Motor Car Company"; the plate is "signed" Harley Earl, Chief Designer. In my opinion this is a later add-on and was not affixed to the car until after the first restoration (it looks to much like a similar "authentication tag" that I had specially engraved for an old Mustang of mine: "This car was specially designed by Ford Motor Company for Yann H. Saunders"...]  Also in my opinion, the 1942 Maine tags also are not original. Sch40, p.79, McC p.258.

        
[ Photo (center): courtesy Norm Uhlir and CLC Self-Starter ]

    
The preceding five (cropped) photos were supplied kindly by "Jim",
a Cadillac enthusiast in attendance at the 2002 Pebble Beach concours.   

         
These three shots were supplied kindly by Philippe, a Belgian Cadillac enthusiast

    

These 3 views:  Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance, 2013

 

Fleetwood (USA) Town car, probably on Series 62 chassis, for GM executive; color photo, SSA 1992, cover

Fleetwood (USA) Town car on Series 60S chassis

Fleetwood (USA) Style 7533L 9-passenger livery sedan, with division (only 6 built at a cost of $3306 each)

[Unknown, USA] (Possibly Derham) Town car on "Series 75" chassis.  Only one bare chassis in the "75" series was released to independent coach builders this year. This elegant town car could be the result.  Or it could be a conversion (possibly by Derham) of a formal sedan (styles 7533F or 7559).

[ Photo:  Z. Taylor Vinson collection ]

 

[Unknown, USA] conversion to pick-up truck; I believe the photo at left, below, was taken at an international Cadillac meet in Touraine, France. I have it from Daniel [aka "Zoot"] Dimov, a friend and automotive writer for France's Nitro magazine, that the car was found in Florida, in the auto classifieds; included with a lot of  more recent Cadillac limousines were two of these 1942 pickup trucks on Cadillac chassis. The buyer, a biker friend of Zoot's went to view the cars on a used car lot bordering the Everglades. An Arab gentleman bought the first one; Zoot's friend got the second. Both were converted from sedans, during in the forties, at the request of a Las Vegas casino; they were used as baggage trucks for the casino's VIP guests who, in turn got hauled around in the regular limos. Trivia: the French biker-buyer also is an automotive writer and has featured in one of his stories this car, plus his super-fast '51 stick-shift Cadillac coupe.

         

    
[ Pictures immediately above,  courtesy of Américaines Classiques, magazine of the American Car Club de France (ACCF) ]

 

[Unknown, USA] another successful conversion from coupe (?) to pick-up truck

 

Cadillac (USA) Persons confronted with this Cadillac-powered "custom" vehicle probably did not refer to it as a "dream car", so much as a nightmare. Indeed, this is the power plant of the M-24 tank that saw action throughout war-torn Europe and the Pacific in the early to mid-forties.   These are two Cadillac engines and transmissions, mounted side by side, each one driving a track.  It is said that there was no reverse gear.

 

[Unknown - USA ? ] I believe this is a custom job on the 1942 Cadillac chassis.  Anybody know it? It appears to have modified hubcaps from a 1953 Cadillac.

 

[Unknown - USA ? ] Modern "hot-rod" conversion from 1942 Cadillac Sedanette

    

    

 

Pick one   >

WW2 years