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WW2 years

 

1959

A&A Autoparts and Frank Di Rosa (USA) This is what happens to a regular Coupe de Ville when its owners smoke too much of the Mexican weed!  This car's top was removed; it was chopped, channeled, sectioned and shortened 18 inches. Frank Di Rosa did the preparatory work on this Cadster (Cadillac roadster); the pearl-white and lilac paint job was done by Art Himsl. Bidding at a recent auction reached $130,000 but did not meet the vendor's reserve. This from RM's auction catalog: Most car enthusiasts have heard the name John D’Agostino. His talent, skill, imagination and creativity have produced a series of fabulous customs that provide lots of enjoyment and inspiration for car enthusiasts. In 30 years he has created some 50 classic customs. His cars have been referred to as wild and “Hollywood”, but are also reminiscent of the famous Motorama show cars ... All of his creations reached some level of fame, particularly “Marilyn”. Marilyn, John’s 1953 Cadillac Eldorado, thrilled audiences every time she was shown. Marilyn is a stunningly designed and executed interpretation of the classic 1953 Eldorado convertible. The "Cadster" is one of Mr. D’Agostino’s most famous creations. Built in 2000, John D’Agostino designed the car and oversaw the countless hours (an estimated 4,000) and resources that were poured into his vision. ...John’s partners on the project were Val and Gar Tompkins, and Steve White of A&A Auto (the world's largest Cadillac auto recycler) in Brentwood, California. The Cadster started its life as a 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. Today, it is a long way from home as it is now a two seat roadster. Overall, it was shortened 30 inches and 17 inches were removed from the frame behind the doors. The Cadster was chopped five inches, sectioned six inches, and channeled three inches. It has a Motorama style, severely raked custom built wraparound windshield. The tapered tail sets off the 1959 Caddy fins beautifully. The extended and molded nose, with its wide, low air intake, and floating chrome grille flanked by quad headlights looks like a shark who is ready to eat. The sweeping, modified wheel wells contain roadster vintage wire wheels and classic whitewalls. The sculpted bodywork is metal and the craftsmanship is truly awesome. The interior is trimmed in shell white Swedish leather and is fitted with dual bucket seats and a beautiful dash. Cadster is finished in custom-mixed duPont lavender and white pearl paint applied and blended with consummate skill by master painter Art Himsl. Mr. Himsl artfully blended a cove, reminiscent of the Motorama Corvettes. Cadster made its world show debut at the Grand National Roadster Show in 2000, where it was declared Best Custom. Later in May 2000, it is was judged World's Most Beautiful Custom at the Golden Anniversary Sacramento Autorama and America's Most Beautiful Custom at the Sacramento World Motorsports show at the California Expo Center. After garnering such awards Cadster was sent on the road to make more jaws drop on tour with World of Wheels. One final testament to Cadster’s universal appeal is the fact that it was
proudly displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. Cadster is not just a creation in the shape of a car – it is an actual running and driving car that can be enjoyed on public roads. With V8 power, power steering, power brakes and an excellent sound system by Pioneer, Cadster deserves to be driven in ultimate style.

    
All that is left of the original '59 Cadillac car are the motor, drive train and ...the "bullet" tail-lights

Same or very similar car

 

Caldwell, Rebecca (USA)  This "Cathedral" is actually a 1971 Cadillac hearse, but modified with 1959 Cadillac tail fins. Welded on top is a VW beetle and metal armatures with fiber glass. It is a rolling, Gothic Cathedral, complete with flying buttresses, stained glass pointed windows and gargoyles.

    
[ Photos:  Internet, 2006 ]

 

D'Agostino, John, (USA) I couldn't resist including these two, showing off the craftsmanship of skilled custom coach builder John d'Agostino. On John's web site, you can read this about the second car shown here, the "Tribute to Elvis"): Elvis owned over 200 Cadillacs in his lifetime, many of which were gifts. He had a great love for Cadillacs. Elvis and Cadillac were almost synonymous -- when you thought of Elvis, you thought Cadillac, and vice versa. We have chosen the 1959 Eldorado Seville Cabriolet for two reasons: it [the 1959 Cadillac] is the #1 Collector's Cadillac in the world and it is associated with Elvis in 1959, when ducktail hairstyles, white suede shoes and peg pants were in fashion. The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Cabriolet [i.e. the Eldorado "Seville" base car used here] was the most EXPENSIVE American-made car in the United States at the time. Only 975 '59 Eldorados [the Seville, coupe version] were produced at a then-staggering price. This will be the ONLY 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville in the world [...to be converted to a 3-position convertible top] . We designed a convertible Seville (only ONE in existence) [actually, a similar "half-top" Eldorado "Seville" was designed and built by Gordon "Frog" Glover, circa 1963-64 (see below)]  and decided to make it a "Cabriolet" with a 3-position top...all up, all down, or 3/4 Cabriolet roof. Kustom bodywork included a 3" chopped top, cockpit shortened 18" with kustom scoops above the rear seating area, chrome bullet grille, etc. and a period perfect air ride suspension. This stunning car consists of over 100 carats of pavé diamonds and crystals and 10 carats of amethyst stone set in solid silver custom cast Cadillac crests all inlaid in metal on this "Elvis" tribute Cadillac. Hand-cut and hand-shaped out of solid bronze metal were 2 Landau irons on either side of the cabriolet top, which are then set with solid 14 carat gold Signature D'Agostino crests, surrounded by diamonds and amethyst stones.

         
This blue, half-top Eldorado Seville is called "A Tribute to Elvis";
at a later "Seattle Roadster Show"the car was painted lilac/lavender (same car?)

 

Deco Rides [Terry Cook] Used as a prop in one of the "Sonny & Cher" episodes, this 59 coupe was converted to a low-rider by Terry Cook of Deco Rides  in the eighties. It currently resides in Japan. There are [were?] a number of pages devoted to it on the Web: http://www.decorides.com/sonnychercad.htm

    
[ Photos:  Internet, Deco Rides web site ]

 

Deporter, John (USA) This page was not intended for hot rods and the like, but I could not resist this one.  Named Bad Cad, it was built in the early nineties; the chassis and power train were upgraded in 1998. It is powered by a 542 cu. in. Rodeck engine with Dart 360 solid aluminum heads, 1471 Kobelco supercharger, Enderle bird catcher on alcohol. It also has a B & J Big Boy 4 speed transmission, air shifted. It has a 3 disc, Crower glide clutch, McKinney clutch can with starter pocket, and a Fab 9" rear axle with Strange engineering components. There are Wilwood discs on the rear, and Strange struts on the front. It has a steel body with a tilt front end. The wheel base is 130".

Above: one "hot",  pink rod  named Bad Cad

             

 

Fisher/Fleetwood? (USA) Special 1954/55 Le Mans roadster [#4 of four built to special order]) was returned to the Cadillac styling studios in 1959 for restyling, by its owner, J.E. "Bud" Goodman, CEO of Fisher Body. Besides receiving new front and rear clips, including quad headlights, at that time, this car was fitted out with the new Tri-Power engine featuring three double-barreled carburetors. It received lower fender air intakes, a lower, flatter hood on which the former, ornamental "fins" were removed and replaced with a "V" emblem and crest; the imitation trunk "straps" also were removed. I've seen this car offered for sale on the Internet for a MILLION dollars !!!.

More on this car in SSA 1984, pp.22-25, special issue CCON, p.29, CS12, p.102, SIA  #169, 2/99.  I have many photos (including a series of color photos, taken after the 1959 modifications, from the GM/Cadillac Styling library, 9/94). Photo also in  McC p.311. This updated Le Mans is featured in an article on the GM Motoramas, in Automobile magazine for August 2008.

Owing to the sheer bulk of the Cadillac Le Mans roadster file, which includes a large number of photos, I have created a special page for it. Click here.

    
(Above and below) Good shots of the revised front and rear clips


This is an amateur attempt to replicate the 1953 custom Le Mans roadster;
it combines elements of the original with others from the above,  modified car
[ Photo:  Self Starter ]

 

Fisher/Fleetwood (USA) [???] This, in fact, is a 1958 model, but looks like a '59 car owing to its custom fin treatment;  what is interesting about it is that it is one of only five special 1958 Eldorado Biarritz convertibles which, like the 1950 Le Sabre, were fitted with a rain sensor to close the top and all windows if a single rain drop fell on that sensor; one of these rare cars was offered for sale by Kruse in August 1996; two members of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc. own one of them: they are Don S. Pike and John W. Vandegrift [see 1997 membership roster]; according to Cadillac enthusiast, Stephen Nadon, a Mr. Rick Raciborski of Chicago also owns one [it seems he acquired the silver-blue car from the previous owners; he too offered it for sale in the Self Starter magazine of the CLC in August, 2008, for $270,000]. I have it from Russian enthusiast, Andy Chrisanfov of Moscow's Auto Review newspaper that the red car below is the one he saw on display (in 2003) at Classic Corvettes and Collectibles, 304 S.Pinelas Ave., Tarpon Springs, FL. The car features a Goddess hood ornament, similar to the one used on the Italian-built 1959 Eldorado Brougham. Also on display were one of the two 1938 V-16 White House security cars,  as well as a 1958 Eldorado Brougham. All three cars are referred to in the display as being a part of Al Wiseman's collection. Mr. Wiseman's cars were later sold at auction; this "rain car" fetched $330,000.

 

Fleetwood (USA) Prototype of the "still-to-come" 1959 Series 60 Special sedan

The photo is from GM's own archives; it is one of the hundreds taken by
Cadillac's in-house photographer, Neil Madler; this one is dated Feb. 2, 1957)

 

Fleetwood (USA) (???) Cadillac Cyclone, XP 74 (special order #90450) a 2-pass. futuristic roadster with bubble top that rested on an air bag when folded back; radar system in nose cones to detect approaching vehicles. A warning light is supplemented by an audible signal that increases in pitch as an object or vehicle is approached. Harley Earl's last dream car [he retired from GM on 1 December 1958]. Owing to the size of the Cyclone file and the number of photos available, I have created a special page for it. Click here.

   
The original photo (left) and the touched-up publicity shot (right)

Following an initial modification, the Cyclone lost the original GMAT logo
on the tail-fins and acquired instead a rectangular Fleetwood badge on the rear fenders

    
The Cyclone on display again during the 1960 Chicago Auto Show; directly behind it is
a 1960 Eldorado Seville ... one of which ended up in my garage, in Switzerland, in the early 70s

    
The "bubble-top" (LH photo) was rarely used in the later publicity shots and public showings; has it even survived?

    
The Cyclone was shot here in company with a proposal for the 1959 Eldorado Biarritz;
the latter (below) has Biarritz interior trim but Series 62 side spear
Photos below were taken at the same time as the 1959 "bubble-top" limousine (see entry below)

The "New and Improved" (?) Cadillac Cyclone
 

In 1960 (?) the fins were radically shaved down and a new "Wreath & Crest" badge replaced the Fleetwood
logo on the rear fenders; the car acquired also a set of new, multi-blade "turbine" wheel covers

         
Center photo shows the modified Cyclone on display at the GM Technical Center in Warren,;MI.

    
The Cadillac Cyclone at Pebble Beach, CA, in 2002

On show again during the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance

Fleetwood (USA) Eldorado Brougham prototype, sans fins, SIA 8/1978, p.35.

Fleetwood (USA) Eldorado Brougham proposal, ELD, P.51

Fleetwood (USA) styling models, ELD pp.55-62

Fleetwood (USA) (???) special Series 62 convertible with Eldorado Biarritz interior and bucket seats; in the foreground is the Cadillac Cyclone (see earlier entry). Was this Eldorado special order for a Cadillac or GM executive (???)

    
It's not easy to see the detail, in these small, low resolution image (right), but the '59 in the background has the Biarritz interior trim
(Photos below were taken at the same time as the 1959 "bubble-top" limousine made for the Queen of England's visit to Canada that year - see entry, below)    

              
Who are the childen ... and where are they now (in 2014), 45 years later?
 

 

Fleetwood (USA) (???) built this custom, air-conditioned Series 75 landau for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for their 6-week long state visit to Canada, starting on June 18, 1959.  My friend Jean-Michel Roux from Switzerland (currently [2008] working out of Hong Kong) kindly provided me with such a vast number of period photos of this unique car, from his own private collection, that I decided to create a separate page for it in the Cadillac Database.  You may go straight to that page by clicking here. Late extra (June, 2003):  Cadillac and Cadillac Eldorado Brougham aficionado, Jean-Claude Franchitti, reports that the bubble-top limousine has survived and was undergoing a full restoration in Sandusky, Ohio, in 2002, at the shop of one of my friends who is probably the world's most avid collector of '59 Cadillacs. Photo also in McC p.333.

             

    
These photos supplied kindly by Jean-Michel Roux of Switzerland

 

Glover, Gordon (Frog) (Maryland, USA) [previously listed in error as a custom job by GM's Fisher Body Corporation for the late King Farouk of Egypt] This customized Cadillac Eldorado Seville half-top town car [VIN 59H063771 according to a Bonhams auction catalog from 2003] is the work of this amateur customizer from Maryland, USA, in 1963-64.  Had he not passed away, Gordon might have been surprised to learn that the work he did on the car was attributed (in error) to the Fisher Body Corporation. It is alleged to have been commissioned by Egypt's former King Farouk who, it is claimed, paid $100,000 for the car and the modifications! In fact, Gordon's brother, Ron, contacted me in December 2007, requesting that I set the record straight, in memory of his brother.  Ron sent the initial pictures, below (the dark red car); they lend a good measure of credence to his claims.  Ron asserted that his brother, Gordon,  who sadly passed away in 2004, had bought a second-hand 1959 Eldorado Seville from Maryland Auto Sales, on Fayette St., Baltimore. That car was black, but had been repainted from the original light green color; by special request of the original buyer, the  car did not feature the customary vinyl roof covering specific to the 1959 Seville models.

With help from CLC member, Matt Larson, former Cadillac Archivist at the GM Heritage Center in Detroit, I learned that the 1959 Seville with VIN 59H063771 carried body #634, was painted initially Hampton Green (a light metallic green, code #96); it had a special order roof trim code (#0) and had been delivered to Hagerstown in Maryland, which is about 80 miles from where Gordon bought "his" Seville. Two possible scenarios [scenarii?] emerge from these "facts":

(1) Perhaps Gordon's car carried a different VIN [unfortunately, Ron could find no trace of the title among his brother's papers]; this would imply that TWO, almost IDENTICAL custom conversions were made from two different 1959 Eldorado Seville models, one being the "genuine" (?) Farouk car, that was sold by Bonhams, in 2003 [at the annual Villa d'Este Concours d'Elégance or the  Nurburgring 'Oldtimer GP' on August 9 that year?], the other being the "almost replica" created quite accidentally by Gordon who,  Ron believes, never heard of King Farouk's (alleged) custom Seville;

(2) the Hagerstown dealer returned Seville #634 to Detroit to undergo important, custom modifications, following the request of Egypt's exiled King Farouk, to produce for him a very special town car from the basic 1959 Eldorado Seville model.

Assuming scenario #1 to be true, then what happened to Gordon's custom job? May we expect it to turn up one day and prove that Ron was wrong? As for scenario #2, if you were the former King of Egypt, wouldn't you want your special, custom town car to be converted from a brand new Seville, straight off the assembly line, rather than from a factory recall from a Cadillac dealer in Maryland?

Anyway, to get back to Gordon's custom conversion, according to Ron he first cut away the front half of the Cadillac roof; he did not strengthen the "X" chassis to give it added rigidity, as is the case on factory-built convertible models; later, he hand-made the bumper extension and the continental kit, which he crafted by bending metal around the floor fan in his garage and a couple of one gallon paint cans. Later still, he extended the tail fins over his custom bumper extension, to meet up with the original Seville bumper ends. 

The last three of Gordon's pictures were taken at his aunt's house, in Florida, in 1964; they show the car with the extended tail-fins. The following year (1965), he cut off the remains of the original Seville roof and replaced it with the rear half of a "formal", hard-top roof from a 1963 or1964 Chevy or Pontiac (in the early sixties, GM had brought out this formal, "creased" roof on some models). He welded into the rear of the roof a limo-styled back light; he removed also the "V" and crest from the front of the hood. Copying a popular option with customizers in the late fifties and early sixties, Gordon did away with the traditional door handles and installed solenoids in the doors as well as small levers [switches] underneath the rocker panels that were operated with the toe of one's shoe; the doors had a compression spring on the hinge side that popped the door open enough to insert one's hand and open it the rest of the way. He also put custom wire wheels on the car; it was not Gordon who added the gold trim that is currently seen on the car (Gordon did not like gold trim on a car), nor did he shave off the top part of the fins you see on the alleged "Farouk" car. The Lake pipes were on the car when he sold it (Gordon had shortened them a bit at the time he extended the tail fins). Ron could find no pictures of the car after the new, "creased" roof was added, which has led some to believe that Gordon's car is a DIFFERENT one to the alleged "Farouk" car.

In April or May 1965, the Glover brothers sold the car to New York former Rolls Royce dealer, Murray Brand [I did not find this person on "Google"], who had to take a Rolls out of the showroom to accommodate the custom Cadillac. Later, Murray befriended Gordon and had him do some custom work for him; Murray called Gordon "the Man with the Golden Hands."  Considering the month and year of the sale, obviously King Farouk could not possibly have owned THIS car since he had died a month earlier, on March 3, 1965.  In fact, that month (March 1965), as Ron recalls, Gordon's Seville was exhibited at Baltimore's Civic Center, where it won an award [I have not found anything about that event on Google either].

Gordon lost sight of the car for a few years but saw it again in an issue of "Old Cars" magazine that covered an auction sale in Las Vegas, in 1975  [I have not found anything about these on Google].  He saw a photo of the car and noted that someone had shaved off the upper part of the fins; he felt this detracted from the car's looks. In addition, it had been repainted from dark red to white. I would be VERY interested in finding a copy of that magazine article to see if Farouk's name was mentioned there.

I don't know who bought the car at that Kruse auction but the following year (May, 1976) it joined the collection of  J.J. "Jerry" Born, owner at the time of the Antique Auto Museum in Highland Park, near Chicago.  It was around that time that I saw King Farouk's name associated with the car for the first time. The Chicago Tribune had a snippet in its issue for May 17, 1976 asserting that: "Farouk had a white Eldorado Biarritz [that's the convertible model] and LATER had it stretched to the size of a limousine and fitted with a half-top that left his chauffeur in the open and him protected on the rear seat." Where the writer got that information is anybody's guess. When the car joined Jerry's collection it had been repainted vermilion [so it has gone from pale green, to black, to dark red, to white and ultimately to vermilion!] and someone had added lots of gold trim, including a set of gold-anodized "sabre-spoke" wheels (in some of the photos taken in Switzerland, below, the car may be seen with standard wheel discs off the regualar 1956 Cadillac models).

Jerry Born sold his collection in 1984 and the town car disappeared again from view, until June 1990, when it was reported sold at another Kruse auction [Date? Lot?] for an estimated $130'000.  The buyers are believed to have been Messrs. Ernst and Claude Fuchs (father and son) of Montreux, Switzerland. Apparently, the pair subsequently had financial troubles, circa 1993/94, and were compelled to sell the Seville to the GM agent in Bienne, Rolf Zbinden, who later sold it to a private collector in the area of Soleure, Switzerland ... for a paltry $28,000 [info from my friend, Roger Zimmermann, formerly of GM-Bienne, on  21.2.1995]. The car's restoration was poor according to Roger; it was packed with lots of Italian-made electric relays [including the door opening mechanism, I guess]. There is a flimsy soft top that fits over the driver's compartment [it may be seen in the early photos]; it is tied down with a couple of press studs. It was restored around that time but remains a very flimsy and impractical roof covering.

An article in the German-language "Auto Illustrierte" (October, 1990) says King Farouk ordered the car by phone from Fisher Body, from Rome, where the King was exiled at the time. The article said the car had been restored in 1987 [where, and by whom?]. A further story by my friend, François Roux, appeared in France's former V8, magazine [#18, pp.44-47]; François simply repeated the information that was included in the German magazine, adding a few photos of his own [below also].

The car was later featured at the Villa d'Este concours d'Elégance (April 2003), where it was shown by Urs Schönauer of Switzerland. It was sold later that year (August 9, 2003) by Bonhams of England, at the Nurburgring old-timers sale where it either fetched 70,000 Euros [about $104,000] or £70,000 [about $137,000] - the currency of the sale still needs to be checked. I assume the vendor in Germany was Urs Schönauer.

Late Extra [8/2005]:  I understand the car was acquired by another Swiss collector who has requested anonymity. I like to consider him as a former "neighbor", since Gita and I lived for 15 years in the same Geneva suburb!

Conclusion: Thank you, Ron, for attempting to set the record straight. I believe this car must rank now with those other "hyped up" cars that have been given a false history in order to try to boost their value among moneyed - but sometimes ignorant - collectors. Among these are (1) the 1937 V-16 roadster by Willy Hartmann of Lausanne, Switzerland, too often falsely attributed to Figoni & Falaschi and now carrying a fake ID plate on the dash, (2) the 1959-60 Cadillac convertible with in-dash TV (included on this page, among the "Unknowns"), falsely claimed by its previous owner-vendor to have been (a) the "star Cadillac" of the 1959 GM Motorama or (b) a design experiment from Harley Earl's skunk works and the first car to have TV in the dash, (3) the Cadillac "Jacqueline", an empty-shell, pushmobile, styling exercise by Pininfarina, labeled by the owner-vendor as a 1961 Eldorado Brougham, given a fake Cadillac Eldorado Brougham VIN and body number, and ultimately mounted on the chassis of a used 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz powered by an equally used 1959 Cadillac engine. 

Caveat emptor: Other, more subtle, cases exist where "collectible Cadillacs" have been portrayed to be what they are NOT; this is true of many convertible coupes, convertible sedans, sport phaetons and all-weather phaetons that left the factory as closed cars and were later "re-bodied" as much more desirable convertible styles. Personally, I have no objection to such conversions, per se (I too prefer open to closed cars),  provided they are described honestly and accurately to potential buyers.

         
The late Gordon Glover, designer-builder of the
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville "half-top" town car
 
    
Left: The initial project with regular Eldorado Seville roof cut in half to form "Town Car" appearance (note regular '59 Eldorado wheels discs)
Right: the same car after creation and installation of a "Continental Kit" (note new, custom wire wheels)

The customized  '59 Seville after the fins were extended and before it got the "creased" half-roof and small backlight
[ note the shortened Lake pipes ]

The photos in the above two rows show the car, circa 1964-65, before the roof was replaced and a small backlight
installed; there certainly are great similarities between the "two" (?) cars ... which I am convinced is "only one car"
[ Photos:  courtesy Ron Glover ]

    
This photo (and the enlargement, right), is marked "San Marcos - Chandler, Arizona"; it is a gift I got from the collection of CLC member, Matt Larson in June 2012;
we were not able to determine the date when the photo was taken; the "Lake" pipes have disappeared and here the extension tubes for the Continental kit are painted body
color (all other photos show chrome finished tubes); the car carries the new,  1963-64 "creased" roof, the small, limo-style rear window and the custom wire wheels;
there is a squarish Cadillac crest (1963-64) on the lower front fender, behind the front wheel opening; a Fleetwood-style wreath and crest may be seen on the
roof sail panel; surrounding it in a circle are the block letters, "ELDORADO" (originally from the front fenders on  the standard "Seville")
note that neither of these decorative trim items appear on the later modified car with the trimmed down tail fins and now painted vermillion

The car got this  "new look" between April-May 1965 and May 1976;
thanks to CLC member, Jean-Michel Roux of Switzerland,
for this calendar image of the alleged "Farouk" Eldorado Seville
[ Photo: Michel Zumbrunn, Zurich ]

Ernst Fuchs, a restaurateur from Montreux, Switzerland, owned the car briefly
[ Photo from the Swiss daily Le Matin ]

In these two photos by Peter Madle [compared to the previous one], the car appears to be missing the Eldorado stainless steel rocker trim and the chrome trim bead
around the front wheel arch; the car also sports the cast alloy, gold-anodized "sabre-spoke" wheels that were available on Cadillacs from 1956 to 1958
[ These photos were taken at a car meet in Switzerland, early '90s ]

     
Former owner, Claude Fuchs, at the wheel; in these views, the "Farouk" car sports regular 1956, deep-dish wheel discs

           
These three photos were taken in Montreux, Switzerland by my friend François Roux. 
The low resolution, compressed digital images on this page regrettably don't do the car justice
Four additional photos, below, were taken in 1994 in Valkenburg, a small town in southern Netherlands;
they are shown here courtesy of  their author,  Dutch Cadillac aficionado Jo Thewissen of Voerendaal

         
In Montreux, the car had regular 1956 Cadillac wheel covers [Roux photos], then, later (?) the gold-anodized (cast aluminum) sabre-spoke wheels;
in the center image, the car appears to be missing the stainless steel Eldorado rocker trim and the chrome wheel arch trim bead
[ Photos: by Jo Thewissen, Netherlands ]

         
The interior shots (left & center) show the (frequently) broken horn ring found on many older 1959 Cadillacs; presumably it has now  been replaced

 

      
The '59 Seville at the Villa d'Este on Lake Como in April 2003
[Photo:  Bonham auctions ]

 

    

Fish-eye lens gives distorted view of the "Farouk" car
Photos (above 2 rows): Cadillac Museum, Hachenburg, Germany

I've slipped this one (of unknown origin) into the set because of the similar treatment of the rear ensemble

Heller, Steve (USA) Steve built this wild '59 Cadillac custom "Fintasia" as one of his multiple art projects involving old cars and parts. Steve is located in Boiveville, NY and you can see some of his creations on this web site.

              

                   

    
[ Photos: © and courtesy of Dan Eastwood ]

 

Loewy, Raymond (USA) coupe sans fins, with tail-lights faired in to the rear fenders. Apart from the windshield and roofline, it's hard to tell that this is a converted '59 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. CA 8/1988, p.22. Photo: McC p.333. In February 2001, there was an exhibition of photos of a number of Loewy-designed automobiles at Paris' Galerie du Square Louvois, including two series of photos of this particular car taken from every possible angle.  All the photos were for sale at prices ranging from 400-1400 French francs each (i.e. from $70-300). You will find a representative selection of photos of the Loewy car, below.  Late extra [November, 2004]:   The Loewy car has survived.  Swedish auto enthusiast, Rikard Stenberg, saw an article about it in Sweden's Wheels magazine for October, 1987.  That article said that  the car was in a Costa Mesa, CA, dealership around 1977. It had been repainted from the original gray/blue/green metallic with white roof to gold metallic. Two photos were shown and are reproduced below, courtesy of Rikard and Wheels.  Later [February, 2008]:  I was surprised to learn that the Loewy Cadillac had gone to Finland. Its new owner, Antti Wihanto, wrote:  Good design is indeed timeless! As the owner of the LOEWY-designed one-of-a-kind 1959 CADILLAC, I'm also a great fan of all his work! His work truly inspired the whole world, and still continues to do so! My car has many very interesting features. I can't wait to see it parading at Pebble-Beach or Villa d'Este some day! Greetings from Finland. Even later [May, 2008]: I was even more surprised to learn, just three months later, that the car was apparently back in the USA. It was offered for sale on Ebay, in visibly pitiful condition (as seen in the photos accompanying the Ebay ad - below) for the ridiculous asking price [considering the car's current condition!] of $650,000 !!!  The vendors (two brothers located near Los Angeles, CA) referred potential buyers to this page of the Cadillac Database for additional information about the car. It was described thus: Purchased new in 1959 by design and styling legend Raymond Loewy and shipped to his coachbuilder, Pichon-Parat of France.  Bernard PICHON, the designer, and André PARAT, the coachbuilder, set up shop in a farm ("La Cense" - possibly a pun on the word "l'essence", meaning gasoline), near Sens,which is about 80 miles SE of Paris, right after WWII; the pair specialized in converting large American sedans into station wagons [no photographic records, unfortunately];  the pair split up during the '60s and André began running the shop alone thereafter. The story goes that this car was a Loewy "rush job". In the Sens workshops, Loewy Scotch-taped some cardboard outlines onto the basic Coupe de Ville to show the coach builders the basic shape he was looking for (there was a photo of the general outline in France's "Retroviseur" magazine around 1992); the trio (Loewy, Pichon and Parat) spent two days on the farm creating the artist's "masterpiece" just in time for the Paris Salon, in October, 1959. After it's transformation, it was painted in light blue/green metallic paint with a white roof [there are no known color photos of the car at that time] and used by Loewy and his family for European trips.  It returned to New York, thereafter [what year?], to Loewy's principal residence and eventually was relocated to his Palm Springs, California residence.  After clocking up approximately 41,000 kilometers [does it have a "kph" clock ?], it was sold to his next door neighbor [name?] in January of 1971, and was stored [???] until approximately 1989 [one wonders why anyone would buy a car and just store it for 18 years?] when it was sold to it's third owner - a European collector [Antti Wihanto of Finland ?].   It has just been released from this [Antti's] collection and is now available for sale.  Raymond Loewy last drove this vehicle, with the original mileage of approximately 41,000 kilometers still unchanged. [It is a] highly original vehicle with the exception of a repaint in metallic gold, most likely by Loewy.  Very good body with excellent shutlines on doors and trunk lid, although hood needs some re-alignment.  Essentially rust free body with all important and unique trim parts and bodywork intact [not according to the photos supplied!].  Totally original mechanicals, last running in 1971 [in 27 years, many gaskets will have dried up and will need to be replaced; a complete engine overhaul will be needed too].   Complete and totally original interior.  Overall, a very complete and highly original vehicle with reliable Cadillac running gear and chassis [...that has not been run in 27 years!].  Original Cadillac interior in very original order [the dash panel and front seat appear quite shoddy for a car with a reported 25K miles on the clock!], with some components in excellent condition.  The car has a current California title and includes New York paperwork, including old renewal and registration cards signed by Raymond Loewy, insurance cards, and original brass [ID] plaques mounted on the left front fender.  This is without any doubt an interesting piece of (Cadillac) history, but certainly NOT anywhere near as valuable as some exclusive Cadillacs with coachwork by French master designers and craftsmen like Saoutchik, Letourneur & Marchand, Figoni & Falaschi... Loewy once said: "Ugliness doesn't sell"; in the opinion of a French collector who saw the Ebay ad in May, 2008, "Obviously Loewy was tired when he designed this car." Later still [8/2008]:  the car was listed a second time on Ebay, with the price drastically reduced from $650,000 to $275,000 !  Latest [1/2010]:  not surprisingly, the car turned up for sale at the annual Barrett-Jackson auction sale in Scottsdale, AZ (as Lot 1295). It had undergone a   complete a very thorough restoration, to show standards. A photo album was said to accompany the car, documenting the car's history, restoration and provenance.

A French artist has attempted to superimpose the Loewy design on the dark outline of what looks like a regular
Cadillac flat-top sedan, to show the comparative proportions of the custom car; the result is not very convincing

    
Photos in the preceding two rows were taken at the Paris Salon in October 1959   

    
All that remains of the 1959 Cadillac on this stylish custom
model is the windshield, the side vents and the instrument panel
...plus a single '59 tail-light "bullet" faired into each rear fender

    
From the time it was first shown at the Paris Salon and the time these photos were taken,
the Loewy car appears to have acquired an additional front fender vent opening
[ Photos:  © 1987, Wheels magazine ]

The Photos, below, accompanied the "For Sale" ad on Ebay, in May 2008

                 
In the the third photo from left you can see French, Peugeot-styled  turn-signal and reversing lights; as for the wheel covers (far right photo) appear to be borrowed from a Studebaker.

             
The original turquoise color may be seen on the valance below the RH rear tail-light (far right photo)

         
The dash panel and front seat are "hurting", as is also the rear seat back

         
Brass ID plates in French and English state essentially that the bodywork was modified according to a Raymond Loewy design
Photo at far right is of France's "Pichon-Parat" logo tag

    
The Loewy car following restoration in 2008-09, as offered for sale at auction in January 2010
[ Photos:  Barrett-Jackson auction web site ]

 

Pinin Farina (Italy) Cadillac Starlight coupe:  I got these photos from the PF archives in Turin; they show a light-colored coupe, apparently with a metallic paint finish and again with a white roof; it features a broad air scoop on the hood; all three PF models have special Borrani spoked wheels. Late Extra (6/2005)Michael W. Schultz of Houston TX sent me a startling ad from the December 1970 edition of Hemmings Motor News (p.1324). Offered for sale for $5,000.00, in a ¼-page ad,  is what appears to be the light-colored hard-top coupe, the one with the hood-mounted air-scoop (shown below). The text reads: Unique Cadillac - 1957 motor, chassis, 1959 [1958?] custom body by Pininfarina, Torino, Italy. Perfect condition. Can be inspected at Vicmar Garage, 8 E. 83rd Street, New York, NY 10008. Mileage over 50,000 - Asking $5,000.00. The text was "signed" H.v. T. Schwier, 342 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017. The phone number 697-4639 was listed. Note that when I corresponded with Fredy Valentini of PF's PR department in 1976 (i.e. some six years AFTER publication of that Hemmings ad), he never so much as hinted that the Skylight coupe had survived, even less that it had been sold. If the ad is true, I wonder where that car is now? Did it find a buyer? Is it still around? A Google search in June, 2005 revealed that there is still a Vicmar Garage Corp. operating a parking garage at 8 E. 83rd Street, New York. The telephone number listed is 212-650.0675 ... if anyone is interested! What is needed now is to find this (surviving?) silver & white coupe ... and put it under the microscope!

I'm guessing this was taken in PF's own workshops, circa 1st quarter 1959;
the air scoop seen in the photos below had not yet been installed

    
It is believed that PF mounted THREE bodies on the same 129.5" Cadillac chassis for 1958; this is the third of them (it appears to have survived); an air-scoop has been added
to the hood whereas was none on the hood of the the B&W hard-top  coupe shown at Geneva in the spring of 1958, nor on the silver-gray convertible shown in Paris in the fall of 1958

In this snapshot from PF's own archives, one can see clearly the newly added air scoop

    
This image is from a classified ad in  Hemmings for December, 1970 
WHO (if anyone) HAS GOT THIS CUSTOM COUPE TODAY?)

 

Pinin Farina (Italy) Cadillac Starlight coupe, said to have been built on 1959 Eldorado Brougham chassis but probably a non-runner, like the Jacqueline of 1961 (all PF styling models are included in "Dream Cars" for 1953, 1958, 1959 and 1961).  These stylish show models were shown first at the Geneva salon, Switzerland, in March, 1958 (the B&W hard-top coupe version), the Paris salon, in October 1958 (the same coupe modified to convertible configuration), the Turin salon in May 1959 (the same convertible, changed back to hard-top coupe configuration with new, broad air scoop on the hood.   

    

    

    

     

         

 
These color photos are from period advertisements for the Pininfarina coach works

B&W photos from Pininfarina archives, courtesy Sig. Fredy Valentini.  Color photo from Paris Salon.
Lower drawings show different stages of operation of retractable (inner) roof panels.   Left to right:
(1) all panels are concealed in special compartment under the rear package shelf,
(2) package shelf opens up and first panel begins to slide out,
(3) panel slides forward  on side rails, (4) all three sun-screen panels in place.

The rear package shelf is closed                                                                                 The panel flips open

The first sunscreen panel slides forward                                                             The remaining two panels now fully occlude the Pleixiglas roof

 

Spohn (Germany) Cadillac-powered 2 door sports roadster;  it is said that many GIs stationed in Germany n the years immediately following WW2 used to turn to this coach builder for this kind of exotic sports car body on regular US chassis, including Cadillac.

 

Stengel, Peter (USA, but built in the UK for an American client).  This 5-door station wagon has an electric tailgate. A particularly elegant car with the more discreet fins of the 1959 Eldorado Brougham and the body set inboard of the fins which ran back all the way from the "A" pillars. The May 1960 issue of Popular Science included a couple of photos of the car with this text: “Caddy Wagon Hits the Highways - If your dream has been for a Cadillac station wagon, they are available now – custom-built. The body of this one, the first to be made, was designed by Peter C.I. Stengel of Hollywood and built by a century-old British coach firm for proud ownership by Max Hess, Allentown, Pa. It has a trunk much deeper than most – 115 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat folded, 76 cubic feet with its back up as in the photo at right - and will carry six passengers comfortably. The only changes necessary in the standard Cadillac chassis on which it was built were shifting the fuel filler inlet from center to right fender and rebuilding the rear bumper to allow for the deep tailgate. Ron Wilson of Australia kindly sent me in March, 2008, a snippet from the magazine, Wheels, for May 1960 (p.68); it is entitled "Anglo-American Caddie Wagon" and reads as follows: Built in England for an American owner, Mr. E.D. Hess, this huge Cadillac station wagon was based on a project by Stengel of Hollywood; the design was prepared by James Young of London and the work was carried out by Panelcraft of Putney, London. Cadillac does not include a station wagon in its range so this unit originally started life as a brand new ‘Sedan de Ville’. The car is finished in metallic pink and the seats are leather. Rear cargo deck and walls are lined with wood-grain Formica, bonded to plywood and aluminum, giving strong panels with high abrasive resistance.” Advertising cards featuring photographs of Stengel’s 1960 Estate Carriage list a West Hollywood address, 8610 Sherwood Drive. Coincidentally Stengel’s home/business address was located just two blocks away from Coachcraft who were located at 8671 Melrose Ave. In hindsight, one wonders why Stengel had the Cadillac built in England, especially when Coachcraft was just around the corner. Hess & Eisenhardt, a professional car builder located in Rossmoyne, Ohio, built a similar wood-style wagon on a standard-wheelbase 1960 Cadillac at the same time. The Hess & Eisenhardt wagon still exists [see Database p. 1960]and was sold at the January 2009 Gooding and Company Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona for $66,000. The Stengel wagon also is extant and is undergoing a total restoration in Ohio. McC p.333.

Trivia: Max Hess was a founder-owner of the former Hess department store in Allentown, PA. He died in 1968, years before his company, Hess Bros., became a chain that was later absorbed by other chains and finally shut down in early 1996. His widow  survived him for 30 more years; she lived in the same imposing house on the outskirts of the town. She died in March 1997 and the estate was liquidated, including a 1963 Cadillac Eldorado.

Original designer's drawing [photo] from the Stengel archives
Caption from Popular Science, May 1960:  Despite Long profile, the station wagon is no longer than the conventional Cadillac sedan – 225 inches from bumper to bumper.
 

 
The finished car [notice the absence of wheel covers when the photo was taken]
This (fuzzy) image (and the one belew, left) are from Wheels, for May 1960; they were provided kindly by Ron Wilson of Australia
[ notice once again the absence of wheel covers when the photo was taken - same date, same place? ]
  

    
Stengel's wagon ... and his business card?

     
Caption again from Popular Science, May 1960: Interior finish is of wood-grain Formica
with rubber luggage rubbing strips; spare is in crescent container, tools ahead

The (sole?) survivor - sorry, I'm not allowed to tell you where it is!

 

Break Peter Stengel Muni d'un hayon AR, une Cadillac n'est pas un vulgaire break mais une "voiture domaniale", surtout lorsqu'elle est proposée par le carrossier hollywoodien, Peter Stengel et qu'il s'agit d'un modèle de 1959. Finie à la main en Angleterre par le dernier carrossier britannique centenaire, cette Cadillac exceptionnelle ne coûtait "que" $14'000 à l'époque, soit un poil de plus que la Brougham dont elle emprunte les ailerons distinctifs. Elle se base sur la berline Series 62 à pavillon pagode. Le hayon AR ouvert nous permet de constater que la roue de secours prend énormément de place; les finitions à l'AR sont réalisées en formica aux teintes de bois naturel. Un second break de 1959 fut proposé par Peter Stengel. En l'occurrence il s'agit d'une simple esquisse. A-t-il été construit ou non? A noter le traitement particulier des ailerons. Il s'agit d'une berline 9-places sur base de le berline Sedan de Ville à pavillon pagode.

 

Stengel, Peter (USA): 5-door station wagon. Lots of glass area in this elegant Estate Car by the Hollywood designer. The gigantic 1959 rear fins were cut down and ran level with the lower window frames. The twin "bullet" tail-lights of the '59 were replaced by a single, small protruding lamp à la '58 Chevy [was it ever built?]

 

Stevens, Brooks (USA), custom wagon entitled the Scimitar; this was in the same vein as his earlier Valkyrie creation in 1954. It is not known if any were built.  It could be ordered with the Cadillac power train.There were also a retractable hardtop and a 4-door convertible called the Town Car Phaeton. All were designed for the 1959 Geneva Auto Show.  Olin Aluminum is believed to have financed construction of the cars to promote the use of the lightweight metal, which was used throughout the body. The roof of the sedan retracted at the flip of a switch although it did not need to fold like that of the Ford Skyliner in order to fit in the unusually large trunk. Bodies for all three Scimitars were built by Reutter of Stuttgart, Germany, on Chrysler New Yorker Chassis.

 

The "Scimitar" station wagon or "All Purpose Sedan"

 

[Unknown, Switzerland] This is a regular Series 62 convertible running on cast turbine-blade wheels from a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.  It is a convoluted story.  This fine convertible used to belong to a lady doctor in Geneva, Dr. Germanier (color photo, below).  If I left my business card on that car's windshield once, I must have left it a half-dozen times over a period of five years:   it said: The day you want to sell your car, please call me.  But she never called. The car was later acquired, later, by a pig farmer with a hankering after old American tin.  Mr. Muller bought also (for just a few hundred bucks) a 1957 Eldorado Brougham that lay abandoned in a neighbor's yard; the owner, at that time, was the widow of Lebanese businessman, Ali Milantchi, a long-time Geneva resident. The pig farmer took a fancy to the Brougham wheels;  when he sold that car to the late Patrice Geneux (formerly a friend and used car dealer in Geneva ...until he "robbed" me on the sale of our 1960 Eldorado Seville), he kept the Brougham wheels and put them on the Series 62 convertible; simultaneously, he put the regular '59 wheel covers on the '57 Brougham. The story does not end there. Geneux "restored" the Brougham, painting the once Wimbledon Gray car bright red and replacing its gray leather and cloth upholstery with royal blue velour (yuk !!!)  After acquiring our '60 Seville. he put its turbine wheel covers on the Brougham ...and the regular '59 covers on the '60 Seville. In summary, if the current owners of these three cars could have gotten together in the late seventies and traded wheels and/or wheel covers, they would all have done each other a huge favor!   . 

    
LH photo, Dr. Germanier's beautiful Series 62 convertible was parked for many years in
Geneva's Champel area.  Although I said I was interested in buying it, she must have lost my card. 
In the RH photo the car is seen with the cast alloy turbine wheels off a '57 Eldorado Brougham

 

[Unknown, USA] Should I file this under "1965 custom" or "1959 custom"?  I photographed this amateur conversion of a '65 coupe in someone's front yard during my first ever trip to the USA, in 1978.  I've forgotten the location, but I believe it was Indiana.

[ Photo: © 1978, Yann Saunders ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Special Sedan de Ville with single fin running down center of trunk lid [photo]. It was used in several Batman ads. In the early eighties it was owned by Sterling Bochner of Cincinnati, OH. Update: this car [or one identical to it] was sold on eBay, in March 2004, for $3,000. Late extra [July, 2004]:  I was contacted by the new owner, David Strathman, who says: I currently own the car, and plan to customize it further as it has no discernable collector value.

    
[ Photo, right]: Internet, 4/2004 ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom Series 62 convertible sans fins. I've seen others like it.

         

[Unknown] Special Cadillac Series 62 flat-top sedan with modified fins; seen on used car lot, route de Drize, Geneva, 1972 [photos]; it had French license tags.  I also saw our (future) 1960 Eldorado Seville on this lot in the late sixties; it was sold to a man in Switzerland's capital city, Berne. When he passed on, it went to his nephew ...who did not like its lilac color. That's when Gita and I bought it..

.    
Not only have the sharp tail fins been cut back but also the bullet tail-light lenses are
gone; only the inner lens remains; these have been spray-painted red from the inside!

 

[Unknown] This gaudy '59, low-rider, complete with continental kit and custom tail-light "V" inserts, is indicative of what you can do to "destroy" an otherwise beautiful 1959  Coupe de Ville. The small photo (first row, right) was taken at a car meet in Holland (?), although the car has German tags; the other two were supplied kindly by German enthusiast, Ingo Marx.  He says this is a 100% German-built custom.

         
[ Photos: courtesy, Ingo Marx, German Funeral Car Archives ]

[Unknown] Continental kits just look so HEAVY on the '59 Cadillac models.  Here's another example (left). Gita and I had the same model ... without the conti; much more graceful!

    
Our car is on the right

Here is another for good (ot bad?) measure

 

[Unknown] here is another "disaster" that used to be a gorgeous and rare 1959 Eldorado Seville. Again, the photos were supplied by German enthusiast, Ingo Marx. This car was originally white. It was thus painted for a carpet store in Austria.

[ Photos: courtesy, Ingo Marx, German Funeral Car Archives ]

 

[Unknown] second Special Cadillac Series 62 flat-top sedan with modified fins (below). Similar fin treatment may be seen on the Fisher-built Eldorado town coupe, commissioned by the late King Farouk of Egypt (above).

Unlike the preceding car, this one has kept its bullet tail-light lenses. 
On the other hand the fins have been shaved even more dramatically.

 

[Unknown] custom Series 75 limousine with Series 60 Special side trim. I found this "For Sale" ad in Cars & Parts in the early 70s. I wonder if the car survived. It's definitely an interesting combination of two Fleetwood body styles for 1959. It was black with a grey interior (no leather?), vinyl roof covering and factory air. The vendor at the time was a James B. Single of 387 Luther Lane, Hilliard, OH 43026. Still around?

Interesting '59 Sedan or limousine with Series 60 Special trim

 

[Unknown, USA] special custom-built Cadillac Eldorado Seville "El Camino" pick-up wagon [photos]. Its owner (in the early eighties) was Joe Padilla of Denver, CO]; at that time it had only 18,000 miles on the odometer and the owner wanted $15,000 for it.  Described as the Eldorado El Camino show car, it garnered 18 first place and 25 second place prizes at various car shows.  Over $30,000 was invested in the project.  Features include:  blue metal-flake paint, sunroof, lateral portholes [photo], twin spotlights, twin rear-view mirrors, sliding rear window, custom hood, custom (1960?) grille, dual exhausts, diamond-tufted interior, custom central console with shift lever, tilt wheel, 472 Cadillac engine, massive chroming of engine and engine-bay parts. The car was included by Kruse International as lot #1044 in their Salt Lake City venue, in April 2005. Bidding peaked at $16,000;  the car did not change hands. Late extra [May, 2007]:  according to Philippe, a French enthusiast, the car is up for sale again, this time with asking prices ranging from $32,500 to $38,000! The vendor describes it thus [sic]: 1959 Cadillac customized Eldorado pick-up, blue/white metallic.  very expensive customized show Cadillac, dual spots, sun roof, Hurst floor stick shift, Eldorado Biarritz trim) bed cover was told customizing cost over $50,000 and car looks like it did, much chrome on eng. air cond. bucket seats, radio plus tape player, cruise, dash padded & chrome, RT holes, custom name plaques, 1960 front bumper very, very unique driver sun roof pick up bed all carpeted.   According to the VIN # [59B022938] the car began its life as a regular 4-window "Sedan de Ville", style # 6339. It is located in Colorado.

    

    
Viewed from the front (RH image) this car could easily pass as a 1960 model

         

         
These color photos show the "Camino" wagon as it appears today [2007]

 

 

Ci-dessus:  pick-up Cadillac, année 1959 Coupé Eldorado Seville de 1959 transformé en pick-up. La calandre, les phares et le pare-chocs AV ont été remplacés par des pièces de 1960 (ce véhicule fut proposé à la vente en 1988 pour $15,000).

 

 

[Unknown, USA] Another, less attractive pickup on the 1959 Series 62 coupe chassis

 

 

[Unknown, USA] special custom-built Cadillac pick-up truck (similar to preceding car)

[Internet image]

 

[Unknown, USA] Here's another pick-up conversion on 1959 Cadillac chassis;  this one was spied on Internet by a member of the Australian CLC.

 

[Unknown, USA] slightly modified Eldorado Biarritz, with extra side trim for added protection ?

 

[Unknown, USA] special custom-built Cadillac station wagon based on Superior limousine style hearse or low top ambulance [photo below from Hard Rock cafe, Honolulu, Hawaii]

      

 

[Unknown, USA] Sabre Custom a special convertible conversion, sans fins, by Cadillac Steel Products, 2148 E, Slauson Ave., Huntington Park, CA and 7447 S. Aubin St., Detroit, MI [photos].

 

Cadillac 1959 Le Sabre Cadillac de 1959 à carrosserie spéciale. Elle a pour nom Cadillac SABRE Custom. Il s'agit d'un cabriolet de la Série 62 auquel on a amputé les ailerons. Curieux comme effet, mais assez plaisant tout de même. J'ai rencontré en Suisse, au cours de mes pérégrinations cadillaquesques (ou cadillaqueuses?), une berline 60 Special à laquelle on avait fait subir la même "intervention chirurgicale" (malheureusement, je n'ai pas de photos).

[Unknown] Special Cadillac Series 60-S sans tail fins, seen in Bienne, CH, in 1980; subsequently destroyed and parted out by my buddy, Roger Zimmermann.

    
I got the dash board and the rear bumper off this finless 60 Special;
the bumper hung for years above the garage, in Switzerland [right]
(the tail-light assemblies came off an ambulance found in an Oklahoman wrecking yard)
[ Photo (left): © and courtesy of Roger Zimmermann ]
[ Photo (right): © and courtesy of Yann Saunders ]

 

 

[Unknown] Here's one like it. It's a custom job with lowered tail-fins.

 

[Unknown, USA] special custom Cadillac 4-dr. convertible Sedan, seen US movie Every which way but Loose [with C. Eastwood and S. Locke]. I have a few photos of some 1959 4-door convertibles (below); my guess is that all these were non-factory conversions. One appears in McC, p,333

         

    

 

[Unknown, USA?] Here's another conversion to a 4-door convertible, this time using a Series 60 Special sedan as the base car. It was offered for sale on Ebay's German web site in January, 2008. According to the description, the top was the "Florida style", which I imagine to be just a sun canopy and not a fully automatic (nor weather proof) top.

         

    
[ Photos:  Internet ]

 

[Unknown, USA?] Here's yet another conversion to a 4-door convertible

      
[ Photos:  Internet ]

 

[Unknown, USA?] Two more conversions to a 4-door convertible, probably from Series 62 sedans.  The upper one was advertised for sale, in France, in the first quarter 2008, as a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado ...I guess on account of the fact that it wa a "convertible" and that it was painted pink !

         

 

[Unknown, USA] mildly customized 4-door flat top (SS 8/90, p.3)

[Unknown, USA - possibly George Barris] custom convertible with modified fins, Eldorado/60S rear grille, complete with continental kit:

 

[Unknown, USA - possibly also George Barris] custom Eldorado convertible with modified rear grille and continental kit:

 

[Unknown, USA?] custom continental kit mounted on Series 62 coupe, photographed at the 100th Anniversary Cadillac Grand National in Detroit, 2002.

[ Photo: © 2002, J. Scott Harris ]

 

[Unknown, USA?] custom continental kit mounted on Eldorado Biarritz

 

[Unknown] Photo of 1959 Eldorado Biarritz with diesel engine (conversion?), in LVA, 15.10.1987, p.4

[Unknown, USA] stretched, front wheel drive Series Sixty-Special; check it out!

[Unknown, USA] this appears to be a regular 1959 Series 75 limousine to which has been grafted the side trim of the Series 60 Special. The car is purported to have belonged to former US First Lady, Ms. Eleanor Roosevelt.

[ Photo:  Internet, June 2002 ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Aluminum camper made up of  1959 Cadillac chassis and an airplane body.

[ Photo:  SIA ]

 

[Unknown, USA] camper built on  1959 Cadillac chassis.

 

[Unknown, USA] This other "camper" ... is attached to the roof of a 1959 Cadillac 4-window Sedan de Ville (cheap at the price!).

 

[Unknown, USA] I couldn't resist including this one:

Proposal for 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Day Ville wagon

 

[Unknown, USA] This hydraulically-operated "hi-lo rider" Coupe de Ville was offered for sale on e-Bay in July 2002. The car may be raised from 3 to about 16 inches off   the ground at the push of a button, even as the car is under way. A custom, rear exhaust "flame thrower" also is installed and controlled from the driver's seat.

[Unknown, USA] Seen on Internet:

 

[Unknown, USA] Featured in a CLC Self-Starter circa July/August 2003, this car is the pride and joy of one of our members. It is a "three-in-one" classic:  it may be either as (a) a fully enclosed hard-top coupe, (b) a regular 6-pass convertible or (c) a custom roadster with appropriate hard boot over the tonneau.

[Unknown, USA] This Series 62 convertible with rear seat tonneau cover was found on the Internet (12/2001)

Is this perhaps the same car ?

 

[Unknown, USA] Now here's a '69 Cadillac with a '59 Cadillac trailer, for the man who has everything !

 

[Unknown, USA] Here are cars you might take for 1959 Eldorado Biarritz models ...unless you look closer and see that they are conversions from regular Series 62 convertible models.  Nice looking cars nevertheless !

    

                  

        

 

[Unknown, USA] Pickup on 1959 Cadillac chassis by unknown US (?) coach builder.  This one is in Australia

[ Photo:  courtesy, CLC Australian chapter ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Another pickup on 1959 Cadillac chassis by unknown US (?) coach builder.  This one features a Carson top, with old-style landau bars that gives it the look of a convertible. It has also amidships mounted spare wheels.

[ Photo :  Courtesy Mano Forsman, Sweden ]

         
These three shots of the same car were taken at an annual car meet in Sweden
[ Photos:  ACCF Forum, 2008 ]

 

 

[Unknown, USA] Few Cadillacs look good with a Continental Kit attached.  The 1959 model year is probably the worst of all. Check out these pictures if you're not convinced [this Eldorado Biarritz was for sale on eBay]:

Here's another, a coupe this time ...

... and the custom Eldorado Seville "half-top" mentioned above

 

[Unknown, USA] Few Cadillacs look good converted to so-called "hot rods"

"Red and green should NEVER be seen..."
nor should anyone be allowed to do THIS to a '59 Cadillac !

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom Eldorado Biarritz with "shaved" fins. This car came up for sale on Ebay in 2007.   The owner does not know when the fins were removed or who did the work.
The fin treatment is similar to the "Farouk" car, allegedly created by Fisher (above) but built by an amateur customizer in Maryland, so I seriously doubt this is a factory job. Late Extra [May, 2008]: the car apparently was sold and is now in England ...where it has been offered for sale again on Ebay. The new owner does not seem keen to keep it. Why?

         

 

[Unknown, USA] Artist's proposal for a "formal" Series 75 limousine. I actually prefer this design to the regular Fleetwood offerings for that year.

[Unknown, USA] This strange, "hybrid" 1959 Cadillac Series 62 convertible is fitted with the body from a 1960 Series 62 convertible. It is the imaginative creation of, in my opinion, an unscrupulous used-car vendor in Florida by the name of  "Marv", a "Power Seller" on eBay who uses the ID,"luvdg".  Marv appears to have restored (or had restored by non-experts)) a '59 Series 62 convertible that had got a '60 body put on it during the first 45 years of its life. A simplified (and obviously less costly) Series 62 design was used for the leather upholstery and trim. Despite an alleged restoration cost of over $110,000 (!) the restorer "cut a few corners" (e.g. he did away with the recessed buttons on the seat backs and the distinctive, embossed Cadillac "V" and crest between the rear seat backs (costly and difficult to make up from scratch). He restored  the B&W TV that a previous (?) customizer had installed in the modified dash. "Matv" then attempted on a number of occasions and at different venues in 2005 and 2006 to sell this car at auction ...for a HUGE sum of money). It was advertised, first, as "the" 1959 GM Motorama showcar, then later as a unique GM design experiment direct from Harley Earl's skunk works and, finally, as the first car in the world [and the LAST, we hope] to have TV installed in the dash. Fortunately, nobody fell for "Marv's" outrageous claims, although in one instance (August 2005) bidding did appear  to reach nearly $167,000; however, it failed to meet the vendor's reserve.  He eventually got himself tied in a knot with his incessant false claims. He even had two "witnesses" supply written testimony asserting they both had seen the car at the NY venue of the GM Motorama in October 1959 [when, in fact, it had taken place the previous year, in October, 1958].  Both witnesses asserted the car was blue; in my opinion, this was because the vendor had "coached" them by showing them a copy of the factory build-sheet with a code "20" in one column.  Unfortunately, "Marv" confused the trim code (#20 - black & white leather) with the paint code (#12 - Dover white). He subsequently tried to wiggle out of his obvious mistake asserting, later, that the car first had been white, then re-painted blue [a likely story, indeed!].  Even later, he included as further "proof" of his fanciful claims, a picture of a "future Cadillac design"  taken in the Cadillac styling studio; he had found that photo in a GM publication and immediately asserted that this "probably was his car". Trouble is, that car was painted red ...despite "Marv"s insistent, prior claims that it was blue, as attested by his two "reliable" witnesses who had seen it close up,  in New York, in 1959. In fact, the paint code on the build sheet (#12) shows that the car was initially white. Many Cadillac enthusiasts who saw the car adverised on Ebay raised doubts about the car's authenticity; a lively debate ensued on the Cadillac-LaSalle Club forum. Anyway, after three unsuccessful attempts to sell the car on eBay (although there were - apparently - "private" bids, the highest being in the region of $170,000), "Marv" consigned it with the Barrett-Jackson auctioneers at their "no reserve" Scottsdale venue in January, 2006.  The auctioneer person with whom I spoke (Steve Davis) refused to include  "Marv"'s fanciful allegations about the car's origin; he eventually agreed to list the car but only as a "rebody 1960 Cadillac on a 1959 Cadillac chassis."  I watched 30 hours of the show, hoping to see that car cross the block and to hear the owner/vendor make some more outlandish claims about it; he even tried to enlist the help of Richard Earl, grandson of the great Harley Earl, to back his claims as to the car's "skunkworks" origins; Mr. Earl Jr. was not fooled. To my lasting regret, the car went across the block DURING A COMMERCIAL BREAK!  I learned, later, that it had been bid to around $85K (so LITTLE  money for an alleged UNIQUE GM show car - like the Oldsmobile "Golden Rocket" that BJ had sold the previous year for a record $3,24 million - and that "Marv" had offered, in August 2005, to a collector friend of mine in Australia, for ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!). The apparent high bid in 2006 did not meet the vendor's expectations; however, as this was a no reserve auction, it had to go to the highest bidder. It seems the auctioneers accepted a final high bid from the vendor himself (Marv); of course, he had to pay BJ's buyers' and sellers' commission ...making it an "expensive day at the races". I learned later, from the consignor himself that HE had bought the car "back". I learned also (and to my great surprise) that a "valid sale" occurs even if an auction item remains in the ownership of the consignor ... provided he/she pays the sales commission! Well, well, well! Who among us will ever believe an auction result again? Late Extra [Summer, 2006]: apparently the car found a new home, in Colorado [according to the new license tags it carried] ... but the buyer put it up for sale AGAIN, far too soon not to raise my suspicions again! Despite it being touted as "a UNIQUE creation for GM by Harley Earl", someone undertook to make a few modifications: for example, in some later photos, a vinyl tonneau cover replaced the "Eldorado"-type hard boot (although I understand the hard boot is still available with the car), the expensive, Fleetwood wheel discs were replaced with modern wire wheels, the steering wheel was changed (back?) from a 1960 to a 1959 model, seat belts were added, floor mats were replaced with a modern set and finally the engine bay was detailed following many suggestions by enthusiasts who had seen many errors there.  Later [4/2008]: this message was posted on the Forum of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club by Peter Kulzer, son of the (then) current owner: Ok, let me set this straight for everyone ... My father now owns this Cadillac.  It is a '59.    It is titled as a '59 Cadillac. Let me start off by saying that this is one of the worst resto jobs ever. The thing is a bondo bucket. It sat outside for several years before the resto and it still had leaves under the dash when my father and I pulled the dash to rewire it all. The seats were beat up when we received it and now they are reupholstered. The motor was never rebuilt. The engine was repainted in the car; parts of the chassis are spray painted blue due to overspray. The car had tons of rust on it and it shows where they covered it. The finish of the body has terrible orange peel. The car was white with black and white interior originally. When we got the car off the car hauler (when we got it), the driver's side window was broken and all the other windows were un-aligned. The only brake that was working was the left front and it isn't easy stopping a 6-7 thousand pound Caddy that way.  Later still [3/2009]: The car appeared at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas (it may have been simply on exhibit there by its current owner); Gita and I saw it there in the summer of 2009 when we attended the Grand National meet of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, Inc.. Even later [8/2009]: Offered at auction by Mecum, in Monterey (as lot S116), the car was listed (in error, you think?) as a 1959 Cadillac Autorama Prototype Convertible! The vehicle was described thus: Built for the 1960 Autorama [there never was such a thing - the next such show, after the "1959" venue - that was staged in the fall of 1958 - took place in 1961, at New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco], this captivating corporate showpiece has all the presence and panache so beloved by contemporary Caddy buyers. Even the brilliant Red-and-White color scheme is Cadillac-ostentatious at its best, with chromed wires [added recently and certainly not original] wearing wide Whitewalls and bold new [1960] grille-work front and rear. The boldest touch of all, of course, is the dash mounted television, a feature that was enjoying great popularity on the custom car circuit and seemed immediately destined for common use in the automobiles of the not-too-distant future, a future in which anything seemed possible. Highlights: (1) 1960 prototype, shown at [1959] Autorama [B/S], (2) new quarter panel design for 1960 [note the absence of chrome or stainless moldings on the lower rear fenders and fender skirts, compared with authentic Cadillac designs like the Eldorados and Sixty-Specials of 1959 and 1960 - it looks like that part of the body sill trim was "lost in the restoration"], (3) built at the height of the "Big Fin" era, this prototype [B/S] typifies the styling extremes of the times and includes a television [in the dash!!!], (4) with both the Cadillac and TV American cultural stars in their own rights, GM mated the two together [B/S. The hype (or is it just a bunch of lies) continues. I wonder if it ever REALLY found a new home and if  "Marv" is still laughing all the way to the bank, having pulled off   the "Cadillac scam of the century." And even later [May 2010]: Offered at auction by Mecum, in Monterey as lot T263; Mecum said: One of the many unique vehicles offered by Cinema Vehicle Services, this unusual [for sure] Cadillac convertible was born with a 1959 Series 62 [coupe] body. At some point in its life, the front and rear clips were changed to 1960 vintage. CVS [who is "CVS"] has documented that the car was restored in Florida in 2005 to its present very good [???] condition. With its classic and festive Red-on-White color scheme, chromed wire wheels [these were changed from regular 1959-60 Eldorado wheel covers circa 2007-07] and wide Whitewalls, this one-of-a-kind Caddy is a genuine head-turner, coming with both soft and fiberglass parade boots and a Fifties-Sixties vintage dash-mounted B&W television.  Mecum described the car in these flattering terms:  ... this spectacular motorcar has been beautifully restored [?] with no expense spared [?]. Nearly $100,000 spent on the restoration alone! [?]. This unique and special motorcar just might be one of the most important American classics [?] that you will ever have the opportunity to acquire. This exquisite motorcar comes with many unique features, including black and white TV. Recent activity: This hybrid "whatizzit" Cadillac appeared again for sale on Ebay; the vendor this time was Daniel Schmitt & Co. of St. Louis, MO, an Ebay "Power Seller" and a company that appears to enjoy a fine reputation for selling top-end classics and collectibles. The starting bid for both consecutive auction periods was set at $117,000 and there was a Buy-it-Now amount shown of $119,000. The first auction (May 2010), did not garner a single bid! I Emailed the company, asking if they knew the real history of the car they were selling;  I got no reply. Again in June there was not a single bid. As I have said, and often repeat:  caveat emptor.  I suspect we have not heard the last of this car nor of the inventiveness of "Marv", who first put it on the market in 2005! BTW, this oddity is included also in the "Dream Cars" [or "nightmare cars"?] section of the Database for 1960.

         
Note how Eldorado-type stainless steel molding along the body sill stops abruptly, level with
the rear wheel skirt and does not extend up to to the trailing edge of the rear fender;
Eldorado turbine vane wheel discs and hard boot also are intended to accentuate the car's custom nature

         
Seat pattern is similar to the 1960 Series 62 design but does away with the seat back buttons
as well as the elaborate, embossed  Cadillac "V" and crest between the rear seat backs
[ Photos:  Internet, 2005 ]

                   
These photos were taken in Scottsdale, AZ, in Jan.   2006, during the annual Barrett-Jackson classic car auction
bidders shied away from this "bizarre" car and the equally "bizarre" stories written about it; as this was a "no reserve" auction, and when bidding closed around $50K
(a far cry from the vendor's  ONE MILLION DOLLARS goal!),  the vendor himself put in a higher bid and was able to retrieve the car after paying seller and buyer commissions;
Meguiar's Mike Phillips commented: The TV was a later/custom addition to the car as mentioned over the speaker during the auction, that's about
all I know about it; one thing for sure however it looks cool and it would have been a really cool feature in 1959 to have a in-dash TV
[ Photos:  © 2006 and courtesy Mike Phillips for Meguiar's ]

In this bird's eye view you can see the open door that encloses the TV set;
the seat pattern and interior trim are neither from 1959 nor 1960; there
is also no chrome radio grille in the rear seat back; vendor probably will argue
that this is "normal"; why install a radio in a car that has a TV in the dash !

         

                  
[ Photos (above 2 rows): Imperial Palace, Las Vegas ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Conversion from Series 62 convertible to Eldorado Biarritz

Wrong uphostery pattern, regular '59 wheel discs, no hard boot, no "V" moldings across tail-lights,
no "ELDORADO" lettering on front fenders or trunk lid, single row of "bullets" on rear bumper

 

[Unknown, USA] Conversion from mid-50s model to "1959" finned "whatizzit" (I believe it resides in Sweden)

 

[Unknown, USA] Conversion to trike from 1959 Cadillac

It's not even a car ...it's a trike !

 

[Unknown, USA] a decidedly 1959 (?) "Whatizzit" with 1959 (?) Corvette undertones.  Is it real or is it a PhotoShoppers nightmare?

 

 

[Unknown, USA] Another interesting 1959 (?) "Whatizzit" ... with a looooong nose

 

[Unknown, USA] ... sure, it takes all kinds; I prefer them stock.

 

[Unknown, USA] ... Again,  I prefer them stock.

... but a lot of work goes into these custom jobs

 

[Unknown, USA] Another interesting low rider

 

[Unknown, USA] This modified Coupe de Ville has two additional "bullet" tail-lights in the continental kit projection. Different, right ?

 

[Unknown, USA] This modified Custom Biarritz pick-up truck has a pair of "retro" sidemounts.

 

Vanderbilt, Sue [GM Styling Studio -USA]:  Sue was one of Harley Earl's team of  “Damsels of Design”. She created for the 1959 Motorama show a specially appointed Eldorado Seville, the “Baroness”; it was painted black ivory and had  black mouton carpeting, sealskin clad pillows, a lap robe, personal phone and other accessories.

[ photos wanted ]

 

Winfield, Gene [Rod and Custom Shop, Los Angeles, CA) This pick up was actually built by the Scandinavian collector, Henric Forsman, in Winfield's shop. Photos are from Henric's private album, courtesy Mano Forsman.

         

 

Winfield, Gene [Rod and Custom Shop, Los Angeles, CA) Presley had a '56 Eldorado Biarritz painted a similar color, but it was basically stock.

 

Trivia 1:  the 1959 Cadillac tail-fin has become such a popular American icon that many an automobile buff has been inspired by it. Example, this early sixties Ford Mustang !

Trivia 2:  You thought that was bad? Try this for size (!) It's a  "59 Miatallac" (or a "59 Cadimiata"). I got the tip from Database user, Merrill Gibson. The pics are from Miata's "Wild Rose Club", in Canada:

    

 

Trivia 3:  How about this "Mystery 59" ... recognizable only by its tail-fins; it may not even be Cadillac-powered.

 

Trivia 4:  This photo of a 1959 Cadillac wannabe on Chrysler Imperial chassis was sent to me kindly by European enthusiast Wouter Kloosterman.

 

Trivia 4:  [Unknown - found on the Internet] a 1959-59-59 Cadillac monster truck!

 

Trivia 5:  From Los Angeles, for sale on eBay in 2005 (?) was a genuine army tank with a fiberglass replica of a 59 Cadillac and a real titanium jet engine attached.  The "car" was not intended to be driven around.  It was for show; the jet engine does not actually power the vehicle. No one will ever forget the success of General Norman Schwarzkopf during Desert Storm;  this killer show car immortalizes the power of "STORMIN NORMAN" !

    

 

Trivia 5:  From Internet, 2014, comes this V8 (?) trike all dolled up with 1959 Cadillac tail-fins.

 

Pick one   >

WW2 years