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WW2 years

 

1948

Barris, George (???) (USA) George Barris built a number of customs in this period.  Sometimes he would take a Buick and make it look like a Cadillac.  This could be one of the latter.

 

Coddington, Boyd (USA) Custom 1948 Cadillac CadZZilla coupe by Gibbons, Coddington, Erikson and Naff, built by and for Billy Gibbons, lead guitarist of ZZ Top. Sadly, Boyd Coddington, who helped to buildt CadZZilla, passed on in Feb., 2008.

I have no photos of the actual car; this pic is of two scale replicas
[ smaller toy is circa 1:66 scale ]

Derham (???) (USA) special "Sixty Special" with light-colored padded roof and small rear window. Very elegant car.

 

Fleetwood (USA) clay model of 60S sedan, Sch40, p.127

Fleetwood (USA) prototype of 60S sedan and 62 sedan, Sch40, pp.128-9

Fleetwood (USA) proposal for Series 75 limousine [Sch40, p.165] One of these was built to show the feasibility of building a 7-8 pass. limousine from modified sedan stampings; the wheel base was a little over 140 inches.  Roy A. Schneider, who authored the superb book, Cadillacs of the Forties, says that according to factory archives, this car was subsequently sold to one Henry J. Taylor.   I wonder where it is today!

    

Fleetwood (USA) Interceptor prototype design, CA 12/92. p.12.

Fleetwood (USA) Racing prototype

 

Gibbons, Coddington, Erikson and Naff (USA) customized 1948 coupe powered by a state-of-the-art 8.2 liter Cadillac fuel-injected engine.  Only the traditional horseshoe-shaped instrument housing and the "Goddess" hood mascot remained untouched on this unique coupe christened appropriately "CadZZilla" for Billy Gibbons, lead guitarist of "ZZ Top".

   
On the right are two scale models of "CadZZilla" [in 1:25 and 1:64 scale]

 

GM [Cadillac] (USA) This drawing of a 1951 proposed sports roadster is by Bill Mitchell and Don Lee; it is dated 07.17.48 (were they thinking already about Cadillac's possible participation in the Le Mans road race in 1950 ???)

[ Information and photo: courtesy CLC and Steve Wolken ]

 

Hooper (UK) this interesting sketch was obtained off the Internet [eBay] on a tip from toy-collector friend, Chris Hardegger in Switzerland.  It reflects Hooper Coachwork for a touring limousine on  the  Cadillac Chassis.  Was it ever built ? The original drawing measures 21x12".  It is Hooper Design #8247.

 

Saoutchik (France):  large, 2-door, 3-position, drop-head convertible coupe with canework applied to the doors and lower rear quarter panels; huge expanses of chrome, a typical Saoutchik trademark (Saoutchik was an expatriate Russian cabinet maker). The illustrated Cadillac has engine #486234577; it was first shown at the Paris Auto Salon in October 1948. It appeared also on the cover of Mechanix Illustrated, presumably some time in 1948. It may have been inspired by a Delahaye Type 175 by the same French coach builder (the latter car was exhibited at the London Auto Show in 1948  - TQ7-8/83, p.20 - so we must assume that the Delahaye preceded the Cadillac). The only "visible" indication of the car's Cadillac heritage is the horseshoe instrument cluster and the steering wheel. There are many photos in my collection, including recent ones taken following a full restoration in the mid-nineties. After that restoration was completed, the car was shown at the annual Rétromobile car show in Paris, in 1996. It was later offered for sale in Scottsdale, AZ, in January 1998, during the annual Barrett-Jackson auction there (that is where I photographed it). It was offered again by the Barrett-Jackson auctioneers in January 2002. The car was shown again at the Meadowbrook Concours d'Elégance in Michigan, in August 2002. One source reports that the original purchaser of this unique-bodied 1948 convertible was a furrier in New York and that the car was "re-bodied by Saoutchik" in the late eighties; we know for a fact that it was re-bodied in 1948 and shown at the Paris Salon that Fall. The story goes that the first owner drove the car out to Hollywood and used it there for only a few months before tiring of it and selling it. It was then acquired by a mid-western business man (Harold McLean) from Santa Barbara whose wife's favorite colors, it seems, were lilac and purple. It got repainted a less flamboyant white color in the seventies (?) but retained its original canework and lilac lower body; it was seen at various old car meets over the next 10-15 years.  The current owner estimates the car to be worth around $500,000. It is currently (2002) in the Blackhawk Collection (Don Williams, owner), Danville, CA and has been advertised for sale a number of times on the Internet. No doubt we shall see and hear more about this gaudy "European" Cadillac. One source asserts that TWO of these Saoutchik Cadillacs were built. I believed that statement to be pure conjecture but Matt Larson, a CLC historian and researcher like me, asserts that there is indeed a second Saoutchik like this one, owned by a CLC member who actually showed it at the 1997 Grand National in Chicago. See also Sch40 p.171, McC p.277. Late Extra [6/2006]:   CLC member, Cliff Graubard, told me the car currently (2006) was owned by the same collector who has the Zagato-bodied 1970 Cadillac Eldorado [see this page].   He sent me some updated color pics, below.  Thanks Cliff.

   
Above two rows:  1948 Delahaye that may have inspired Saoutchik's design on the Cadillac chassis, below

   
Left: The Saoutchik dream car arriving at the Paris Salon in the Fall of 1948
Right: participating in an old car meet, in the USA, in the seventies

    ;
I'm guessing these ywo snapshots were taken in the USA, in the seventies, before the car was restored, as below

          
(Left and right): front and rear ¾ views; (center) the Saoutchik hood ornament consisting of the intertwined initials
"JS" above the nameplate featuring  the coach builder's address "J. Saoutchik, Av. Jacques Dulud, Paris-Neuilly"

           
(Left)   profile view; could you tell this is a Cadillac? Top half of door and quarter panel have applied cane work
(right) Interior upholstery and trim color is reminiscent of my 1960 Eldorado Seville
[ All color photos above two rows: ©1998, Yann Saunders ]

          
Left: Rear view with (fomer) white top in position
Center and rght: two interior views of the lilac upholstery (fter restoration)

Most recent photos [June 2006]

   
Deleting Saoutchik's signature hood emblem and nameplate [5th row down, above] and
replacing it with this gold "V" and monogrammed crest [above, left] in my opinion have put
"over the edge" the French coach-builder's original - and already   "extreme" - design

[ Photos in above three rows: © 2006 and courtesy Cliff Graubard ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom low-rider

[ Photo :  Internet, 2004 ]

[Unknown, USA] Twin-engined Cadillac tractor used to haul gliders aloft.

 

[Unknown, USA] Imperial limousine, chopped-top, customized show car, with Ford 429 engine, offered for sale by Kruse, 8/1996

[Unknown, USA] Imperial limousine with custom wheels

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom red

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom hot rod made up from 1948 4-door sedan

           

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom pickup on Cadillac chassis; this one was seen offered for sale at auction in the year 2000; it was said to have 36,000 actual miles and was painted maroon.  It sold for $8,750.

[Unknown, USA] This one was signaled to me by Hugh Nutting, a regular visitor to the Cadillac Database: Another Cadillac custom in Palm Beach at the time [the early fifties] belonged to Briggs Cunningham.  It was a 1948 fastback 2 door painted dark metallic green.  The hood was cut down to look something like a 1953 Studebaker.  It had re-worked '48 Olds 98 rear fenders, and the vertical grill bars were removed.  I told Jim Sitz, the Cunningham Historian about it several years ago.  He came up with a picture of it in an old magazine.  Jim thought it belonged to one of Briggs' friends who was a Cadillac engineer at the time. The engineer actually had a '51 Cadillac convert with Borrani wire wheels.

[ hoping for an image ] 

 

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

 

 

1949

Allard, Sidney (UK) special Cadillac-powered racer "J2"

   
Photos:  Internet, 5/2000

Here's a J2X I photographed in California in 1978

Bohman & Schwartz (USA) special woody wagon for MGM studios; the car services; it is fitted with a long, roof-mounted luggage carrier. This 7-passenger car currently [2001] is owned by Charles Cawley of Wilmington, DE.

[Photo: © Larry Wright, Detroit News Online]

 

Bohman & Schwartz (USA) [unknown] on a tip from a friend, I sent a fax to this number, in France, on March 3, 1999:  (33) 1-4-043.1908. The person in question was said to own a 1949 Cadillac with a body by this coach-builder. I never got any reply and appeart to have mislaid the contact address.   If this rings a bell, anyone, please contact me.

Coachcraft Ltd. (USA) custom, shortened, de-chromed, 2-passenger coupe for Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Adams. This car was reported as having been offered for sale in a rather poor condition in the mid-eighties. According to SS member Hollis Weihe, it was still owned (1996) by a Mr. Phillips,   Mrs. Adams' brother. Photos Sch40, p.173, SSA93, pp.10-11. The Hollywood firm had been commissioned also to build for the Adams' a custom town car but owing to a disagreement between them and Coachcraft with regard to the cost of this coupe, the project was given over to Maurice Schwartz for completion [see below, Schwartz, Maurice].

Friend and Cadillac admirer, Jeff Stork had this to say about the Adams' cars in March 2001: The Mrs. Morgan Adams car, in it's circa 1962 modified condition (blood red, modified front clip) disappeared off the face of the earth for decades and resurfaced two years ago at the classic car auction at Pebble Beach. I have several friends who recognized the car.  The Town car was last seen publicly in 1963. I have not heard of a trace of  it since then - has anyone else?

Another "Database" user, Dick Benjamin said he did not personally know the data on this car. He told me that Joel Shapiro has followed the car since new and has talked to the first owner. He says: I believe he also has some documentation on the car. His contact information is in the message I posted, and I assure you he will be more than happy to tell you what he knows about the car. If you would like me to pass along an address for you, I can do that, or you can short-circuit the middleman and call him directly, at 323 664 2873. He is an accountant, so this is a very busy time for him, but if you call and he is not in, his office will take the message and he will contact you. Latest [01/2008]: More on this car in the Self Starter issue for January, 2008, thanks to enthusiast, Joel Shapiro.

   
In this B&W photo,  the car was actually painted  blood red!
Photo at right, courtesy Joel Shapiro and Self Starter shows (IMHO) horrible nose job

   
The Coachcrfaft coupe, restored to its former, original appearance
[ Photos: Pebble Beach, CA, Concours d'Elegance, 2007 ]

 

Derham (USA) modified 60 Special with padded leather roof and small back light. Photo: Sch40 p.161.

Derham (USA) modified Series 75, with padded leather roof and small back light. Was for sale in the CLC Self Starter in 2002 (located in St. Charles, MO)

 

Derham (USA) stretched 4-door, 6-passenger convertible sedan on 163" wheelbase Series 86 commercial chassis, built for eastern potentate; this car had wide tires for added traction on sand-bound desert roads; Sch40 p.174, McC p.294

 

Derham (USA) custom limousine, SS 3/94, p.23

This car has a light colored cloth or leather roof covering

 

Dore, Dick ( USA) Custom  "lead sled" conversion, built in 1995, painted Candy Tequila Sunrise. Cadillac 472 engine, show chrome. This car will be offered for sale at the annual Barrett-Jackson venue in Scottsdale, AZ, in January, 2003. Here's part of the catalog description:  Bill Reasoner chopped top - 4" in front and 5" in rear with all chrome trim shaved off, headlights frenched, and many more body modifications. Painted in a  toned candy Tequila Sunrise (orange), suspension was lowered with dropped front spindles and a set of "Unkel Al's"  low glide springs. A 472 Caddy motor rebuilt  by Desert Cylinders in Phoenix. Completely show chromed. Automatic transmission - 3 speed. New radial white wall tires, tan cloth and similar leather custom interior. Power steering, power brakes, 12-disc CD player with LCD display screen. 8092 miles on odometer since built. The real "Majestic" by Rick Dore.

   
[ Photos:  Internet, 2001 ] 

 

Fleetwood (USA) prototype Series 75 limousine [1948 design]; sadly, it did not go into production. It was a beautifully balanced car for its size; artists' proposals, SIA11, p.14.

 

GM [Cadillac] (USA) This drawing is entitled Cadillac Tomorrow and is dated 02.21.49

[ Information and photo: courtesy CLC and Steve Wolken ]

 

GM Styling (USA) Special "The Caribbean", custom Series 60 Special built for the 1949 GM Autorama at the Waldorf Astoria. The rear seat back incorporated  fold-down trays  masking smoking and vanity sets. The car featured door saddles, a design trait more common to classic cars of the early thirties. The interior was trimmed in French broadcloth piped and trimmed with iridescent green leather. The headliner was green broadcloth and the instrument panel was painted to match the exterior, painted a metallic color called "Caribbean Daybreak". Photo: , Sch40. p.166, McC p.283.

   

 

GM Styling (USA) "El Rancho", special convertible for 1949 Autorama, Sch40 p.170, McC p.283.

   

This comical letter to the editor was released by "Associated Newspapers" at the time: Gents, I have just read the advertisement for your new Cadillac model called the El Rancho convertible. It reads "this model is upholstered in waxed saddle leather selected from hundreds of hides for colour and texture, trimmed in dark sueded kip's hides and saddle-stitched in white cord; all interior trim is antiqued and hand-engraved silver in the western motif." Well, I am breathless, as it is just what I have wanted all my life. I have been riding around with unwaxed saddle leather long enough, and if any man has felt frustrated on the highways through a lack of selected hides I am that guy. There is no true happiness in today's traffic until you know you have leather upholstery and that it has not just been taken from any old cow but that somebody with the right taste has gone over the hides and selected some with taste. I crave the feeling that behind my car stands a skilled hide-picker and I don't mean a traffic cop with a spear. Also I am a sucker for waxed hides, not just hide that has been gone over quickly with some polish, I want wax, and plenty of it when I go out motoring. I have not been very happy when out in an automobile for some years; maybe it was the lack of wax, the feeling of humility that comes with a realisation one is improperly waxed and on the red light where everybody can see. I liked your emphasis on colour and texture. What good is a hide if the color and texture are not up to snuff? The wrong shape can ruin a Sunday trip to Mulligan's cove and I have a friend who went to a house party with leather the wrong texture and got treated like a mere nobody as soon as the word got around. I would like a rich oxblood shade. On the matter of kip's hides I will take a chance; I have never been much of a kip's hide motorist but the saddle stitching in white cord sounds good. My saddle stitching requirements have long been neglected by the auto industry. I got on a waiting list for white cord some years ago but never heard any more about it. White cord will give me a greater feeling of self-confidence on the road. The interior trim of hand-engraved silver is swell, especially in the western motif; I like western motifs in heavy traffic and trust you will throw in a sombrero, lariat and a couple of six-guns. Could I get autographs of Hopalong Cassidy and Tom Mix on the back seat? Also some spurs and chewing gum. Hey-ho, Silver! You have no idea what the mere description of the El Rancho model has done for me. Yours with enthusiasm,

[signed: Elmer]

P.S. send an extra can of wax, the big economy size.

GM Styling (USA) "Embassy", another special 60S for the 1949 Autorama. It had a leather-covered top and a small back light. The rear fender simulated air-scoop was special as was the chrome beading around the front wheel openings. Black leather was used throughout the front compartment and a tool kit [with chrome-plated tools] was recessed in the RH front door. There was a similar pocket in the LH door for maps. On the RH side of the front seat was a special tubular storage pocket for an umbrella [a popular feature of some Thirties classic Cadillacs. There was a hydraulically-operated division between front and rear compartments. Rear seat upholstery was custom-woven broadcloth; door panels were done in black leather. In the LH rear door was a VHF radio and in the RH door a vanity case. The backseat had a wide center arm rest [11 inches]. Photo: Sch40 p.167, McC p.283.

 

GM Styling (USA) special 60S "Coupe de Ville" on 133" wheelbase chassis for the 1949 Autorama, identified in factory records as style No. 6037X. Features included a simulated rear fender air scoop (as used also on the Cadillac "Embassy"), rear fender stone guards, a short, chrome-plated kick-pad below the doors [later extended the full length of the door], chrome edging around the front and rear wheel openings and "Coupe de Ville" script on the rear fenders, above the rear wheel openings; this trim as well as the "Cadillac" script on the front fenders was later removed and protective fender spears were added front and rear. Contrary to the other Autorama cars for 1949, this one had a full-width curved windshield in lieu of the standard split windshield; the back light. also was like the one used on the 1950 Series 75 sedans and limousines. All windows including front vents were hydraulically operated. The interior, including the headliner was upholstered in light gray leather to match the roof color; exterior color is not known but was probably a metallic dark gray. A short-wave radio transceiver was installed in the glove compartment; the rear arm-rest received a vanity case and writing pad. The car was used by GM President Charles E. Wilson who presented it in 1957 to his secretary. More photos: Sch40 pp.168-169. McC p.283.

This Autorama show car was used by GM President
Charles E. Wilson; in 1957, he gave it to his secretary.
Photos below show how the car looked in the late fifties

   

 

Pinin Farina (Italy) 2-door fastback coupe proposal by the Italian-based coach-builder;  note the Alfa-Romeo style grille (a PF Trademark) and the typical 1949 Cadillac impact guards on the front bumper. It is believed that PF did not build this one ...the more's the pity!

 

Schwartz, Maurice (USA) custom coupe by Maurice Schwarz for a Mr. W.A. Woodward, an Oregon resident, Sch40 p.121, McC p.283 and MH, p.279

 

Schwartz, Maurice (USA) custom woody wagon on stretched Series 62 chassis, built for Mexican President, Miguel Aleman, Sch40 p.175, McC p.284 (has vent windows also in rear doors, roof rack, high sprung).

 

 

Schwartz, Maurice (USA) custom town car for Mrs. Morgan Adams. Originally commissioned from Coachcraft Ltd. of Hollywood, it was completed by Maurice Schwartz following a disagreement on the price of the custom '49 coupe ordered and completed previously by Coachcraft), Sch40, p.121 and MH, p.279. Roy Schneider reported this car as having been sold in Pasadena in 1962 for $2400 when it had fewer than 30000 miles on the odometer. Late extra [4/2006]. This from enthusiast, Dan Orosco: First I’d like to say I found your Cadillac database very informative, your efforts are much appreciated.  I’d also like to report that as of April 2006 the 1949 Coachcraft/Maurice Schwartz custom town car originally built for Mrs. Morgan Adams is alive and well and owned by a Los Angeles collector residing in my neighborhood. The town car appears to be in very good original condition and has a black leather upholstered driver's compartment with a striped gray broadcloth upholstered passenger compartment trimmed with light blue painted moldings and door caps.  In addition to the two piece dividing glass the rear bulkhead contains a clock and a single hatch that appears too small for a jump seat, a liquor cabinet perhaps(?).  I believe the concentric circle hubcaps shown in the photo have been replaced by original Cadillac “sombero” caps; it’s interesting to note that the concentric circle or “flying saucer” -type hubcaps were a common aftermarket accessory of the period and are still available today. Latest [01/2008]: Check out the Self Starter for January, 2008, where   enthusiast, Joel Shapiro, tells his story about this car.

       
The subdued elegance of the  blue cloth interior trim of the passenger compartment unfortunately is lost in this B&W photo
[Photos (center and right): © 2007, Mark Masumoto, courtesy Self Starter]

   

   
These two photos, © 2007, Joel Shapiro, courtesy Self Starter

       
Photos [above 2 rows]  were taken at a recent [2006] car meet

 

Schwartz, Maurice (USA) custom woody wagon for Marie McDonald, wife of shoe-magnate Harry Karl, Sch40, p.121.

 

Schwartz, Maurice (USA) custom Woody wagon on Cadillac "75" Series chassis.

          

Lizard skin inner door panels!

 

Unknown (USA) Town car conversion (?) of Series 75 style 7533X imperial sedan for 7 passengers. Offered for sale at auction in Scottsdale, AZ, in January 2005, it was said to have been completely restored in 2002 and that all numbers matched. The car was bid up to $34,000 but apparently did not change hands.

[ image to be processed ]

 

Unknown, USA:  These two photos were kindly sent in by Peter Berendi, an auto enthusiast from Hungary. He found them on the Pantera International Web site (for all De Tomaso Pantera buffs) covering the club's 2002 Monterey meet. Obviously, whoever built this fine-looking pick-up knew his business, as well as being an admirer of  the Cadillac. Perhaps he will see this entry and give us more details about the car

   
[ Photos: courtesy Peter Berendi, Hungary ]

Unknown, (probably USA) Another side-step pick-up in bad need of restoration. This one was brought to my attention by Robert Johnson, an enthusiast, who found the "remains" of the car in southern Georgia. Compared to the previous photos, it appears that the rear half of a regular pick-up truck (owner was told it could be 46-54 Chevy) was grafted onto a '49 Cadillac front end. Interesting !

Photo:  © 2005 and courtesy of Robert Johnson

 

Unknown (probably USA) 1949 Series 62 sedan powered by a nineties "Northstar" engine. While you are there, you should have a look at the other Cadillac photos on this incredible Web site run by my young Dutch friend. Ruben Baeten.

Unknown (probably USA) These "lead sled" conversions are not the kind of "dream car" I had in mind when I decided to create a section of the Database devoted to "unique" or "exceptional" Cadillacs; nonetheless, it is typical of a certain category of automobile that enjoys great popularity with some collectors.

   
Photo right © 1998, Yann Saunders
[I wonder if the car on the right might be the Dick Dore car mentioned above?
I did photograph that car in Phoenix, AZ, about four years ago]

   

 

[Unknown, USA???]  1949 Cadillac with matching golf cart. This car has been chopped and frenched;  it features 1998 Mercedes-Benz headlights and high beam park light assembly. All the stainless on the side windows has been custom made.   Side moldings are from a 1965 Chevy 210. The golf cart is made from another 1949 Cadillac; it has Cushman front steer and suspension. The charger is in the trunk of the car.

   

 

[Unknown, USA???]  1949 Cadillac low-rider

 

[Unknown, USA???]  1949 Pro-Street rod, prior to completion (offered for sale in this unfinshed condition, on eBay, 2/2005

   

   

 

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

 

Pick one   >

WW2 years