The year 1949 was marked by notable technical rather than styling innovations. This was the year when Cadillac introduced the all-new, light-weight, overhead valve V8 engine.
Production of the new models fell a little short of 100,000 units (92,554). The best sales year until now had been 1941, with 66,130 units built and sold. Remember that U.S. industries were picking up slowly after the second world war. Automobile production had ceased in the USA from 1942-1945.
Changes in styling were minor. The year's easy ID feature is the front grille extensions that wrap around the sides of the front fenders, reaching almost to the front wheel openings.
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1999 is the fiftieth anniversary year of the 1949 models. Much has been written already about them. Database users are recommended to refer to the June 1999 issue of the Self Starter magazine of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc. (CLC) for the full, illustrated story of the 1949 Cadillac.
Many of the artist's drawings below are from the small, 9 x 9 inch color catalog of new Cadillac models for 1949. Although quite rare and, therefore, a desirable addition to any Cadillac sales literature collection, the size of this catalog and the particular style of graphics used set it apart from the usual high-quality merchandising catalogs to which the company had got potential buyers accustomed. The publication date on the catalog is September 1948.
In addition to the full-line, color catalog, there were also a couple of "specials". One was devoted to the new engine, the other to the equally new "Coupe de Ville".
The new, 1949 models were classified into the following groups (in ascending order of value): the series "Sixty-One", "Sixty-Two", "Sixty Special" and "Seventy-Five". That is the order I have chosen to follow in this photo presentation.
Additional information on the 1949 models and the related sales literature may be found in The (New) Cadillac Database© sections entitled "Descriptions and Specifications of Cadillac Cars 1946 - 1950" and "Cadillac and La Salle Sales Literature 1946 - 1949". Further recommended reading includes:
(a) Roy Schneider's superb "Cadillacs of the Forties" published in 1976 by Automobile Heritage Publishing Co., Post Office Box 7, Temple City, CA 91780 [ISBN #0-917104-01-3], and
(b) "Standard Catalog of Cadillac, 1903-2000" edited by James T. Lentzke, © 2000, published by Krause Publications, Inc., 700 E. State Street, Iola, WI 54990 [ISBN #0-87341-925-1, Library of Congress #91-61301].
The Series 61
