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WW2 years

1952

Derham (USA) formal sedan (SS 1/93, p.7). Late extra [Feb. 2004]: a car like this [or even THIS car] was acquired recently by an enthusiast in Georgia who uses the car to ferry passengers to and from his Florida-based classic motor yacht ...that is five years older than the car.

 

Fisher/Fleetwood? (USA) Special 1951-52 Cadillac roadster conversion on 1951 Series 62 (style 6237DX) coupe chassis. This was custom-built as a gift from Harley Earl to his good friend  Harold R. "Bill" Boyer who was then executive VP in charge of tank production during the Korean conflict. Wheel base was shortened 10 inches and the overall height by 6 inches. Seen here with modern-day Cadillac wire wheels, the car is owned [2003] by Boyer's grand-daughter, Priscilla Roney. The car was photographed at the CLC Grand National in Detroit, in August 2002 by J. Scott Harris. On the front seat (you can see it in one of Scott's photos, below) was some original factory art work relating to the car.   An article published  in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on October 6, 1952 describes it as the Tank Manager's Special Speedster; the text reads: The sports car builders have nothing on Harold R. Boyer, manager of the Cadillac tank plant here, who has rigged up something ultra-ultra for his personal use.  Boyer is shown getting into the car [there is a photo]. Powered by a special 230HP Cadillac engine [like the one used later in the 1953 Eldorado], the speedster is 10 inches shorter than the standard Cadillac convertible and it is 6 inches lower. Width of the body, however, is the same.  Boyer's car, which was designed to his specifications by the General Motors Styling Section, can attain 130 mph with ease, has dual carubretors and a special ignition system. The convertible's top is pretty special too, it disappears completely with the press of a button, after which a lid drops over it in the rear. It's a two-seater with plenty of room for three and an armrest in the middle. There's hydramatic transmission, power steering too. Weight of the car is 4200 pounds. The aircraft type instrument panel has manifold, pressure gauge, electric tachometer, oil temperature and aircraft type clock.  G.M. is so impressed by the vehicle that there is a great possibility it may be factory-produced before too long. This rare custom was completed shortly after GM's Le Sabre show car, that was built on a Buick chassis; it incorporates a similar, shortened folding top and metal boot cover as found on Le Sabre. Shades also of the prototype Eldorado convertible built for GM's 50th Anniversary show in 1952 ?  The Le Mans single-seat sports roadster shown during the 1953 Motorama ?  The production Eldorado that came out in 1953 ?  You may read more about this car in Car Collector for March 2005, pp10-16. The article is by David W. Temple;  photos are from GM archives and others by Dennis Adler. Late Extra [8/2005]: the car was sold for an incredible $320,000 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'élégance in August, 2005, whereas a unique V-16 sedan (Fleetwood job #9002), built for former GM President Bill Knudsen, sold for "only" $297,000 !

   

          

   

      
All pictures © 2002,  J. Scott Harris

   
[ Photos:  Gooding Co., auction catalog, 8/2005 ]

 

Fleetwood (USA), special Golden Anniversary model, [1952 Motor Show prototype], dubbed the Cadillac Eldorado by Mary Ann Zukosky [now Marini] of Cadillac's merchandising staff [retired]. This was the auto show prototype leading to the following year's limited-production Eldorado. The press release issued on 22 January 1952 had this to say about the car: Cadillac has created two special automobiles to symbolize its Golden Anniversary. The motorist who shares the craftsman's pleasure in exquisite handicraft will instantly find kinship with Cadillac's fabulous ELDORADO. This exotic convertible dramatically blends two great fields of human endeavor. In an expression of the ageless arts, ELDORADO reveals a treatment of gold on a gleaming, ivory-like surface. For appointments of the future, ELDORADO presents an aircraft-type crash pad and jet-like rear fender air scoops and dual exhaust openings in the rear bumper. A sports car in character, the long, low body of the ELDORADO is finished in a dazzling, white lacquer. Specially designed, the vertical pillar windshield houses extremely curved, tinted, heat resisting glass. Rectangular wings of the same material are installed on the upper leading edge of each door. Radio antennas are mounted just forward of the tail-lights on Cadillac's now traditional rear fender fins. The Antennas raise and lower automatically, depending on the on-off position of the car's radio. Bright, East-Indian, Pepper Red leather heightens the enchanting effect of the artistic interior. Seat cushions are stitched in parallel three-quarter inch rows with a heavy, white, waxed cord. The seatbacks are piped in modern horseshoe pattern with door inserts of the same theme. Crash pad and instrument board top are of an expanded Royalite skin, perfectly matching the leather. The steering wheel carries on the theme with its covering of hand sewn. East-Indian, Pepper Red leather which is baseball stitched on the back. Floor coverings are a modern texture weave backed with deep foam rubber. The ELDORADO's instrument board inserts, door moldings and kick strips are of gold plated, ripple patterned material. The Eldorado story was told in SS for 1/95 and the press release appeared on the inside cover of SSA for 1978. For another photo, see McC p.297.

   
Few people realize that the first Eldorado was in fact built in 1952, not 1953.  This is that car.
[ BTW, it was not included in the production run of  532 units built the following year ]

 

Fleetwood (???) (USA) Cadillac Townsman, a special Series 60 Special 50th Anniversary Golden Anniversary model. The press release issued on 22 January 1952 had this to say about the special car: The Cadillac Townsman presents the luxurious 60 Special Sedan in appointments of regal splendor as a token of the Golden Anniversary. Lacquered a glistening Nubian black the TOWNSMAN is crowned with a soft, gold-hued top of linen-grained, coated fabric mounted over felt padding. Framing the golden top are moldings of highly polished stainless steel. In the world of automobiles the quest of interior artistry is ceaseless. Many attempts bring common results - a few are fine works. A masterpiece is achieved rarely - such is the TOWNSMAN. Those who view the interior gaze in hushed awe upon the jewel case-like interior of rich gold and soft, deep black. Here,. indeed, the jewels do appear - for crested emblems of gold metallic thread have been woven into the cloth by Jacquard loomsmen. The cloth, on which the symbol of Cadillac has been reproduced, is a rich Deauville (golden beige) nylon. These gem-studded panels contrast elegantly with an edging of soft, black velour. Two accordion folding cases for robes, touring equipment, wraps and other miscellaneous items are built into the paneled font seat back. The cigarette compartment with ash receptacle and lighter is concealed in the upper front seat molding. Door controls are grouped in an oval cluster and are of 14 karat gold plate, as is all interior metal trim. Moldings reveal the beauty of treated New Hampshire limed oak.

 

Fleetwood (USA) Prototype 1954 [future Series 62 sedan]; the photo was taken in1952, on the roof of the GM tower in downtown Detroit.  All the distinctive features of the coming '54 models are there.

[ Photo: ©1952 GM - Self Starter annual, 1998 ]

 

Muntz, Earl "Madman" (USA) here's one of 28 Cadillac-powered sports car (out of a total of 394 [349 ???]) built by Muntz from 1950-54; seeCA 9/85, p.3 + pp.50-63.

       
1952 Muntz Jet-A-Custom sports car; photos at center and left show car #125; this one had an alligator
interior and was painted light green; it was for sale in Chicago in the early seventies

   

   
Here's a restored example from the 1952-54 (limited) production

 

Pinin Farina (Italy) special coupe design (was it ever built). Copy of air-brush rendering by Adriano Rabone (original size given as 70x30cm), seen in book Figurini, p.6 (GM Styling Library - 9/94)

[Unknown, Belgium] Special Custom Golden Anniversary Series 62 convertible.  This car was shipped from Cadillac to GM, Antwerp, Belgium to be prepared for the London Motor Show [Olympia, October 1952?]. In Antwerp, it was converted from LH to RH drive by an unspecified coach builder. At London's Olympia show it was on display with two other Cadillac models. From London it was shipped to Australia for the Melbourne show; after that show it was sold. It had two owners before the current one (one in Sydney up to 1978, and another in Melbourne from 1979-80 up to 1997).  In 1997 it was acquired by the current owner.  He has receipts showing that Aus$40,000 work was done on the car.  The Australian Dean brothers (auto dealers) were involved with this car at one time. It carries an unusual and certainly rare 50th Anniversary badge. More photos will be added on completion of the restoration.

   
During the conversion from LH to RH drive, the rear body was also stretched a full 10 inches

         

   
Left: you can see the 10" rear fender panel insert, before paint was applied (right)

[Unknown, Beverly Hills, USA] Maverick, a sporty-looking convertible coupe a la Jaguar XK150, on the 1952 Cadillac chassis; six of them were reportedly built. [source: Muller & Hensel, Germany]. Another Database visitor, Rob Muirhead, adds that this rare model was built by Maverick Motors of Mountain View, California, from 1953 to 1955. They were three passenger cars on the Cadillac chassis, available with optional wheel base from from 122 to 130 inches; the finished car was 16 feet long. These where available with 1, 2, 3 or no doors and they had a spun copper instrument panel with a Stewart-Warner vacuum gauge, tachometer and a 160 mph speedometer; the car had plastic covered seats and floor and the floor was made from half inch marine plywood. According to Rob's source, 10 were built (not 6), one of them even had a roof [a removable hardtop ?]. 

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom low-rider with "yeegads" zabra-like upholstery

   
[ Photos:  Internet, 2004 ]

[Unknown, USA] Here's another low rider that's been chopped, channeled and nosed; it was offered for sale in Hemmings Motor News for Dec. 2007

   

 

[Unknown, USA] special test sedan (towing its own "rainstorm"), SIA66, p.80.

[Unknown, USA] Possibly Derham or M. Schwartz, special woody wagon on what looks like a Series 75 Cadillac chassis [photo OCW, 22.8.91].

[Unknown, probably USA] 1952 proposal for station wagon with Woodie finish. Photo of designer's drawing in SS 10/96, pp.12-13. Project was shelved up to 1955.

 

[Unknown, probably USA] A similar design is shown below, but without the "woody" trim

 

 

[Unknown, probably USA] 1952 Woodie on Cadillac chassis.

 

 

[Unknown, probably USA] 1952 custom limousine reported to have belonged (or simply have been used) by former US President, Ike Eisenhower.

       

 

[Unknown, probably USA] 1952 convertible "lead sled"

 

1953

Buick "XP 8 Le Sabre" (modified), Alfred P. Sloan Museum, Flint, MI.

Cadillac (USA) Prototype 1953 model

 

Cadillac Club of Finland (CCOF):  This "prehistoric" Cadillac, the Eldosaurus Rex, inspired by Spielberg's Jurassic Park, was on display at one of Finland's American car club exhibitions.

[ Photo:  © and courtesy CCOF ]

 

Fleetwood (USA) Cadillac Le Mans (special order # 1709); Le Mans is the name of a French provincial town located some 60 miles west of Paris. It is renowned for its annual 24-hour road race. Two Cadillacs were entered in that race in 1950:  an almost stock Series 61 coupe and a racing barquette nicknamed Le Monstre; both cars fared very well, placing 10th and 11th overall (in 3rd place was a Cadillac-powered Allard J2X roadster).

Three years later, Cadillac used the name Le Mans for this sporty, 2-seater dream car. The motoring press were not enthused. Road & Track called Le Mans "that thing".  Following a test drive of the car at the GM Proving Grounds, Motor Trend drivers acknowledged the car’s surprising performance and road-holding ability, but found it nonetheless much too heavy and spongy for any kind of competition.

It has been ascertained that four units were built, including the Motorama show car [Le Mans #1], initially built for Cadillac's own Engineering department. Mr. John Crowell, who owned the car briefly, told me in October 2001 that Le Mans #1 [Serial #2] was badly burned [the original motor was not in the car]; this is the car mentioned in the hobby weekly, OLD CARS, for May 14, 1985; it was destroyed in a warehouse fire (with some other rare collectible cars) in Pleasanton, CA. Mr. Crowell said he still had some cosmetic parts off the car; the remains were sold for salvage by the insurance company. According to enthusiast Charles Barnette who has thorougly researched the four Le Mans models, this one is indeed the Motorama car. It was later customized by the legendary George Barris [read more about it in Dream Cars for 1954-1955]; he added large, chrome-plated imitation tail fins, a la Buick Skylark, as well as a continental kit. It was acquired by shoe magnate, Harry Karl, for his singer-actress wife, Marie ("the body") McDonald. It has been rumored that movie actor, John Wayne, once owned it but there is no proof to this effect.

Le Mans #1 was first exhibited at the Waldorf Astoria, in January 1953, together with the Cadillac Orleans. It was displayed on a revolving stand, the backdrop depicted a night scene from the renowned road race, painted by French artist Claude Genest. Read what the press release had to say about it on this additional page [Motor Trend referred to Le Mans it as "that thing"!].  Late Extra [3/2006]:  CLC member and researcher, David Temple, has published a book on the GM Motorama show cars, including a large section on Le Mans..

   
On display during the1953 GM Motorama

   

   
(Right) Le Mans #1 on display at the 1953 GM Motorama (lower right of photo)

           
I am assuming this is Le Mans #1 and that the photos by Cadillac staff photographer, Hocking, dated May 8, 1953,
were taken just after the GM Motorama closed its doors in San Francisco and was about to move to the next venue,
Dallas, TX; visible in the photo (far right) is the protective material taped over the carpets

           
(Left) youngster admires Le Mans custom wheel (center); right, trunk emblem reads Fleetwood, not Le Mans

    
Again, presumably the original Le Mans show car ( body #1)

   
Le Mans #1, after being customized by George Barris for Harry Karl

 

Le Mans #2 [Serial #3] was supplied to Mr. Floyd D. Akers, Washington D.C. Cadillac dealer, in June 1955.  This was confirmed to me by Richard Sills,  former President of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.  In October, 2004, Richard wrote: Floyd Akers, the Washington Cadillac dealer, was the founder (in 1934) of Capitol Cadillac, a dealership that still exists and remains in the same family after 70 years.  At one point, Mr. Akers was the distributor for all Cadillacs in the Washington, D.C. area.  One of those dealerships was Suburban Cadillac-Oldsmobile in Bethesda, Maryland, now Jim Coleman Cadillac.  According to the local grapevine, the LeMans somehow ended up in the ownership of the Jim Coleman dealership.  Some local CLC members report having seen the "LeMans" many years ago in his showroom. According to Mr. Barmette, this "Le Mans" was owned briefly by Harley Earl; it was painted black. After display in Oklahoma in late 1953 it appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth and was probably destroyed or may have ended up as the basis for another show car although, again, there is no concrete proof of these two hypotheses.

[ Photo: courtesy David temple ]

   
[Left] Seen standing between a brass-era tourer and the black Le Mans roadster #2
is Wilfrid Leland, son of Henry M. Leland, founder of the Cadillac Automobile Company in 1901
[ thanks, Mark, in NJ, for helping to correct this photo caption - I had identified Wilfrid as Henry! ]
Le Mans #2 is rumored to have been owned briefly by the great Harley Earl

 

According to John Crowell again, second owner of  Le Mans #3 [serial #4] (that was acquired first by Harry Karl, the shoe store magnate, for his wife Marie The Body McDonald), Mr. Barnette does not share Mr. Crowell's opinion. According to him (Mr. Barnette) this Le Mans was painted Apollo Gold or yellow and sold to Floyd Akers who painted it white. It was for a while owned by Jim Coleman of Coleman Cadillac before it was acquired by a buyer in the Washington D.C. area, who wishes to remain anonymous. He still has the car; it is tucked away from public view.

LeMans #3 on display at the Coleman Cadillac dealership
[ Photo: courtesy David temple ]

 

We all seem to be agreed that Le Mans #4 [Serial number out of sequence with cars #1, 2 and 3] was the one built to order for J.E. "Bud" Goodman, a personal friend of Harley Earl's and Fisher Body CEO in the fifties. Restyled in 1959 with flat fins and quad headlights, it is currently owned by GM and on display in its Heritage Center Collection. Owing to the volume of information and photos for this particular Le Mans, I created a separate page for it (Click here). This updated Le Mans is featured also in an article on the GM Motoramas, in Automobile magazine for August 2008.

LeMans #4 got a custom hardtop briefly
[ Photo: courtesy David temple ]

   
Above 2 rows: the 1959 modified Le Mans (#4) with restyled, flat fins and quad headlights

Le Mans #4 at Pebble Beach, 1992
[ Photo: Dennis Adler ]

One of the four Le Mans during a Glidden tour in Ohio

Amateur attempt to replicate a custom Le Mans roadster from 1953;
it combines elements of the original with others from the Le Mans that was modified in 1959
[ Photo:  Self Starter ]

 

Le Mans summary by CLC member, Charles Barnette: Four Le Mans custom Cadillacs were built in 1953.  Le Mans #1 had serial number 02 [serial #1 was used for the Orleans  show car that year],  Le Mans #2 had serial number 03, Le Mans #3 had serial number 04 and Le Mans #4, that was built much later in the year, has a serial number that is out of sequence with then other three. Naturally, there is sometimes confusion between Le Mans serial numbers and production sequence numbers. The first Le Mans (serial #02) was the Motorama show car; subsequently customized by George Barris for shoe magnate, Harry Karl, it was later acquired by John Crowell; this one was destroyed in a fire in Pleasanton, CA, in 1985. The second Le Mans (serial #03) was owned briefly by Harley Earl; it was repainted black; it was on show in Oklahoma in late 1953 and then disappeared, never to be seen again. The third Le Mans (serial #04) was painted Apollo Gold (a pale yellow hue, used later also for Cadillac's La Espada); owned for a while by Floyd Akers, it was repainted white, spent some time at Coleman Cadillac then entered the collection of a discreet Washington D.C. resident who still owns the car; it is not available for public viewing. The fourth Le Mans was built for Jack Goodman of the Fisher Body Corporation; restyled and fitted with a new motor in 1959, it was for a while on sale/display in the showrooms of Frank Corrente, in CA; currently it is owned by GM and is on display in the Heritage Center collection. I hope this helps. Charles D. Barnette

Le Mans replica project, 2008

       

   

Fleetwood (???) (USA) Cadillac Orleans (special order #1619). Like Le Mans, Orleans is the name of a French provincial town located approximately 35 miles south of Paris and east of Le Mans. This was Cadillac's first true pillarless 4-door hardtop sedan, precursor of  the 1956 production Sedan de Ville and the later production Eldorado Brougham sedan. It was a much modified Series 62 sedan. The press release on this car reads: "The Orleans - Exclusive Cadillac Design Eliminates Sedan Center Post. The Orleans, Cadillac's custom-built Sedan de Ville, presents the ultimate in closed car luxury with unrestricted side window opening. The car reportedly began life as a Coupe de Ville; the addition of a pair of suicide rear doors and a wraparound Eldorado windshield resulted in this exceedingly beautiful custom creation ...that may have survived !

This singular body style is an engineering feature of the General Motors' Show at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Specially designed to explore the extension of airiness for closed cars, this model combines the smart style of the Cadillac Coupe de Ville with the additional roominess of the four-door sedan.

In creating this intriguing car of the future, the designers eliminated the usual sedan center post. Both the front and rear doors open from the center of the car. The rear of the front seat forms a structural brace for the body.

As a safety feature, Cadillac engineers have designed special electric locks, automatically controlled by the Hydra-Matic shift lever. With this mechanism the rear doors can only be opened when the gears are in neutral [could not this create a hazard in case of an accident?].

Designed with the panoramic windshield, vision obstruction for passengers in the Orleans is practically eliminated.

The Orleans is finished in Damascus Steel Grey with a contrasting beige colored vinyl-covered top. The luxuriously styled interior combines contrasting nylon beige panels with a gun metal finished leather. The carpet is nylon frieze. Zipper fastened pockets are built into the doors beneath the armrests.

   

As an exclusive "first" the Orleans is equipped with a standard household electrical outlet. A converter which changes the generator's direct current into alternating current permits the operation of radios and other electrical appliances requiring up to 40 volts. A compartment in the backrest encloses a standard electric razor and there is also a vanity case for Milady.

The car is equipped with the Cadillac air-conditioning system. The Orleans is powered by a Cadillac V-8, 210 h.p. engine."

See SSA 1984, inside front cover, CS12, p.103. Got interior view from GM Styling library, 9/94.

Fleetwood (USA) prototype of 1954 model; front view

Fleetwood (USA) advance styling models for 1955 Eldorado [ELD pp.27-28]

Ghia (Italy) Founded in 1926 by Giacinto Ghia, the former Carrozzeria Ghia was taken over in 1947 by Mario Felice Boano. In the late forties, Ghia-Boano set up a joint venture company, Ghia-Aigle, in the Swiss town of Aigle; within the year, however, the Swiss "branch" was operating totally independently.  In 1953 Boano left and the Italian operations were taken over by Luigi Segre who had been hired by Boano initially to handle the firm's commercial interests. When Segre passed on, his family sold the majority of their stake to Raphael Trujillo, son of the former dictator of the Dominican Republic, who was assassinated in 1961¹. Trujillo had little interest in Ghia and left the business, leaving Giacomo Moro to handle things for Segre's widow.   In the fifties, under chief designer Giovanni Savonuzzi,  Ghia produce a variety of aerodynamic "concept cars", mainly for Chrysler. Among them, however, were one or two creations on the renowned Cadillac chassis. One of these was reported to have been acquired by the Aga Khan as a gift for his wife, Rita Hayworth; that car was in the Blackhawk collection in 1999; it appears to be currently (2004) in Don Williams' Imperial Palace collection, in Las Vegas [see second entry, below].  The first photo (immediately below) was taken in Italy when one of the two (?) cars left the Ghia works; it was painted metallic blue and had black wall tires as well as regular 1953 Cadillac wheel covers; tis photo most closely resembles "Ghia car #1", below. A color illustration appeared in Road & Track for January 1955.  I have photos (next two rows, below) of what appear to be two different, restored cars.  Both are (were?) painted black. The first one (center two photos) appears to have the original egg-crate grille and the original parking lights on the leading edge of the front fenders; bumper guards appear to have been added; it has lost the Cadillac script at the rear edge of the front fenders; the stock 1953 Cadillac rims and wheel covers appear to have been replaced with a set of aluminum-alloy "sabre" wheels; these only became available in 1955. On the other (?) car (lower photos) the grille is completely different (it has thin, gold-anodized, vertical grille bars), there are no front fender parking lights; it features two half "bumperettes" in front.  Once again the original steel rims and regular 1953 wheel covers have been replaced with gold-anodized, aluminum-alloy "sabre" wheels. These were available only in 1956. Additional info on the recent history of these two (?) cars would be appreciated. In my opinion, whoever restored these two cars took some obvious liberties with the original design.  But will we ever know who did the restoration(s) and WHEN they were done?
_________________________
¹ ...and whose niece, Jessica Trujillo-Guerra happens to be our son Jamie's godmother!

Ghia car #1 (?)
VIN 5362-253107 (?)

   
Upper photo and drawing: courtesy Ghia archives
[ BTW, the LH photo was used on the cover of Road & Track for January, 1955 ]
[ Y. Saunders collection ]

   
[ Photos:  Internet, 1998 ]

VIN 5362-253107
Newly restored ?  Note how the sabre-spoke alloy wheels
have been replaced by a set of 1953 Eldorado wire wheels
[ Photos credits (left): Richard Rowlands, (right)  Internet, 2004 ]

   
The color looks different in artificial lighting
This one has a bench front seat whereas the other has buckets
[ Photo:  Peterson Museum ]

[ Photo:  Pebble Beach, CA, Concours d'Elegance, 2007 ]

Illustrated in the previosu three rows is the first of the two (?) restored cars.  In March 2001 this car was reported in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA [upper row].  It may have undergone a second restoration between 1998 [second row photos] and 2001 [lower row photo]; the color is now deep burgundy wine and the restored car has acquired a set of 1953  Eldorado wire wheels [in 1998 it sported cast alloy "sabre spoke" wheels from 1955-56]. The front clip looks similar to the factory photo [top row, left], although this car has acquired extra bumper impact guards since 1953.

 

Ghia car #2 (?)

         

   
[ Above 2 rows - except rear interior shot  -  © 1999, Yann Saunders ]

[ Photo:  Pebble Beach, CA, Concours d'Elegance, 2007 ]

               

The second (?) Ghia sport coupe currently is [was?] part of the Don Williams collection at the Imperial Palace hotel in las Vegas.  This one has a different grille, no bumper impact bars and no front fender parking lights, suggesting a possible repair of the front clip following a collision.  The tail lights also are different, as is also the rear license plate holder. Included among the photos, above, are a close-up of the regular Cadillac script, adjacent to the red, blue and gold Ghia logo plate. That Cadillac script and the apparently stock instrument panel are the only clues to the car's US and Cadillac origin.

About these two (?) Ghia specials, this information was received from Hugh Nutting, in March, 2003 (Hugh is a regular visitor to the Cadillac Database): I think the two Ghia coupes should have been registered as 1954 models.  We were in Palm Beach over Christmas of 1954.  I saw [one of] the Hayworth Ghia[s] on a side street there, and I was going too fast to get a picture of it .  I was 15 at the time, not yet driving.   When we returned home, my January Road & Track  came so I then knew what I'd seen.  The Rita Hayworth coupe was black with the side insert red [interesting], while the R&T cover car was blue with  a white insert [I guess R&T used the factory publicity shot that I have shown above, top row, LH side]. 

Late Extra [December 2005]: from Database visitor and Cadillac enthusiast Howland Blackiston :  The car is for sale (again); Mr. Williams is "certain" that this one is the Rita Hayworth car although (so far) he has no documentary evidence of that original ownership. 

Even Later [March, 2006] ???: I found the car on the undated web page of the Imperial Palace collection in Las Vegas, NV.  It included the following information, which pretty much follows what I already found out about the car. 1953 Cadillac Ghia Concept Car ID#536253053 1 of 2 built and formerly owned by movie actress Rita Hayworth [my emphasis]. This flamboyant design on America’s premier luxury car chassis earned a cover photo on an issue of Road & Track magazine and, in its restored [modified?] state, this Cadillac immediately draws a crowd wherever displayed. Giacinto Ghia was apprenticed as a young man around the turn of the century to a carriage builder but soon his hometown of Turin was establishing itself as the center of Italy’s infant automobile industry and Ghia was lured to it. After years of work in all phases of this rapidly growing industry, he and a partner started in their own business doing what Ghia had already gained a reputation for, coachbuilding. His talent became widespread earning not only awards but a titled and illustrious clientele as well, which helped flourishing enterprise until the destruction of his factory during WWII. Following his death at the age of 56 in 1944, his widow persuaded Felice Mario Boano to take over the company and he declared his aim of adhering to Ghia’s original philosophy of producing cars in limited numbers but of very high quality. Margarita Cansino was known to the world as Rita Hayworth – The Love Goddess. Rita was one of the most captivating and glamorous actresses in cinematic history. But she was much more than a beautiful face. Rita was an exceptionally talented dancer (she was said to be Fred Astair’s favorite dance partner). Starring in over 60 movies over a span of four decades, she became one of the greatest Hollywood legends of all time. At a 1948 party in Cannes, Rita was introduced to HRH Prince Aly Khan. After a highly publicized year-long courtship, Rita Hayworth married Aly Khan. But the marriage only lasted four years. Rita was not happy living the life of royalty. In 1953, perhaps as a last-ditch effort to keep Rita happy, the prince gave her this unique 1953 “Cadillac”. It was crafted by the Italian firm Ghia, who produced two nearly identical “concept cars” built on the Cadillac chassis. This particular car is the one that was owned by Rita Hayworth [my emphasis].   Although it is not certain what the original color was (we know at least one of the cars left the factory blue), this car is currently painted black. The car has gold Cadillac script emblems at the rear edge of both front fenders. The Cadillac crest adorns the hood, and the stock 1953 Cadillac rims and wheel covers have been replaced with a set of gold-anodized, aluminum alloy wheels (these became available in 1955) [actually, the gold-anodized version was available only from 1956]. The front grille consists of thin, gold-anodized, vertical grille bars. The interior is trimmed in tan leather. This car is currently [when?] in the care of the Imperial Palace Collection in Las Vegas, Nevada.

   

                  
[ Photos (above 3 rows):  Internet web site, courtesy Imperial Palace collection, Las Vegas, NV ]

 

Ghia (Italy) special Cadillac 4-door dual-cowl phaeton for H.M. the King of Saudi Arabia [see also 1953 Saoutchik, below]. This was a conversion done by Ghia of Turin on the Series 75 chassis. Among its features were retractable running boards for the security staff (two each side), with assist handles at the "A" and "B" pillars, standard Cadillac grille but with bumper "bullets" removed and replaced with extra road lights, two-way radio fitted in the trunk (antennae on the front fenders), modified rear fins, secondary windshield between front and rear compartments, wire wheels [on a car this heavy?], refrigerated drinks cabinet on the LH side of the division in the rear compartment, operated by a compressor in the engine compartment (note that the Muslim faith does not favor the consumption of alcoholic beverages), additional bottle cabinet in the center of the division.

The central (bullet) part of the front impact guards on this car were converted to additional
road lights; these were not of much use in case of  impact but signaled to the population
the King's royal presence aboard the vehicle.  One of the two radio antennae is used for the transceiver.
Note the grab handles on the "A" and "B" pillars, as well as the retractable running board "steps"

       
(Left): the radio transceiver in the trunk,   (Center) the refrigeration compressor
for the rear seat mini-bar and (Right)  the mini-bar facing the rear seat.

 

GM (USA) special engineering conversion on standard Cadillac Eldorado convertible fitted with supercharger and visible exhaust piping on either side of engine hood. In "Collectible Automobile" for Feb., 1991, Tony Steiner of Castlemaine in Australia wrote:  In the August 1966 issue of Hot Rod is an ad stating that TWO of these were built.  In your coverge (CA. Aug. 1985) it is claimed that Frank C,. Burrell only built a single unit. One would hope that Mr. Burrell would know how many he built.

   
Poor B&W image at left was found in an original GM-Cadillac photo album of the fifties
that was discarded in a dumpster behind the Clark Street plant in the nineties

       

       
Would the person who sent me the images in the above 2 rows please identify himself, for due credit

   

   
Did the car on the upper row inspire the cartoon car below it? The excerpt is from the French
language version of Mark Schultz' Cadillacs and Dinosaurs].  Have you ever seen a '53 Eldorado
with  four-on-the-floor?  The guy is saying to the gal, Try fourth gear... press down on the
clutch pedal... put it in gear and let out the clutch  slowly... while depressing  (the gas pedal)...

 

Pinin Farina (USA) special Cadillac Sport roadster for Luigi Chinetti, NY Ferrari importer. Painted silver gray with tan leather upholstery, this 2-door, 2-seater sport roadster is hardly recognizable as a Cadillac. The 1953 Cadillac wheel discs and the Cadillac emblem on the heavily-chromed oval front grille give it away, as do to a lesser extent the front bumper "bullets" and the large, gold "V" on the radiator grille. I have original photos from PF's archives on file. I believed this car had been destroyed; it was a pleasant surprise, therefore, to see it illustrated anew in the French magazine Auto Retro #170, in October 1994, although in somewhat modified form. The PF emblem has been moved from the front fender (where it was located just ahead of the door) to the rear fender, just behind the door; large front fender air scoops a la BMW roadster have been added to the LH and RH front fenders; the large 1953 Cadillac crest on top of the grille oval has been removed and a smaller emblem affixed to the body, back from the grille. The car was on show again at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, in August 2002. The current owner, Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, OH, bought the car around 1992 and presumably it was he who had it restored to its current, modified condition. I have seen the car valued at $300,000 but, IMHO, it is not worth more than $100,000, owing in part to the modified PF design.

[ Photos:  courtesy Fredy Valentini, PF Archives ]

   
Sport roadster by Pinin Farina, Italy, on 1953 Cadillac chassis [Photos, above: Pinin Farina]. 

    
Note on the restored roadster, above and below, the non-original,
BMW-style air scoops on the front fenders
[ Photo (left): courtesy Jim Butler, PA; right and below:  Internet ]

   

       

   
[ Photos (above 2 rows):  Pebble Beach, 2002 ]

Late Extra [10/2007]: some new and astounding information has come to light regarding this custom-built automobile.  It MAY have been built, in fact, for Belgium's King Leopold III. Remember him? He is the head of state who was involved in a tragic accident on the shores of Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland, on August 29, 1935; tragically, the King's 29-year-old bride was killed in that accident. She was Astrid Sofia Louisa Thyra, daughter of the Duke of Yastergotland (Sweden) and niece of King Gustaf of Sweden. Anywhooooo ..., a photo has turned up in the archives of the Antwerp Gazette for 1957 that is purported to show the wreck of ANOTHER of King Leopold's vehicles; the car's unmistakable front grille identifies it as the 1953 sports roadster by Pinin Farina that is described here! In that second "royal accident",  that happened on the road to Dobbiaco near Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Piedmont, Leopold's passenger is believed to have been killed. You can view that photo here.   IMHO this is definitely the PF car ...unless TWO identical ones were built (were that the case, however, I'm sure PF would have some records - they don't). I have to assume, therefore, that the roadster was subsequently recovered and returned to Turin to be restored by the Italian coach-builder.   It may subsequently have been sold to Chinetti. Now, you ask:  why was that second tragic accident never reported in the world press? My guess is that it was probably hush-hushed owing to the earlier tragedy thad had befallen the Royal household. Some of you who have the time and inclination may want to carry out an in-depth investigation into that accident and why it was covered up. I doubt very much that an event of such importance could be simply "wiped from the records." Just for information, Cortina d'Ampezzo was the venue for the 1956 edition of the 7th Winter Olympics.

Left and center: the overturned car; that circular front grille opening is unmistakably PF Right:  this is an upside-down view of the actual grille of the 1953-54 custom PF roadster; unless PF built TWO identical roadsters, I would say that the overturned wreck and the PF special used by Luigi Chinetti are one and the same car

 

Saoutchik (France) special creation #1 for the Saudi Arabian royal household (no details available)

Saoutchik (France) special creation #2 for the Saudi Arabian royal household (no details available)

Saoutchik (France) special creation #3 for the Saudi Arabian royal household (no details available)

Saoutchik (France) special creation #4 for the Saudi Arabian royal household (no details available)

Saoutchik (France) special creation #5 for the Saudi Arabian royal household (no details available)

Saoutchik (France) special creation #6 for the Saudi Arabian royal household (no details available)

Saoutchik (France) special creation #7 for the Saudi Arabian royal household.  This  is a stretched convertible sedan (23½ feet long!) on the Series 75 chassis built for King Ibn Seoud of Saudi Arabia [believed to be still in the Saudi royal garage]. It was ordered in May 1952, as a gift, by the younger brother of the Prince who was to be King upon the death of his lather, the late Ibn Seoud. The car was ready for shipment late in 1953 and arrived in Saudi Arabia in time for the coronation ceremonies and festivities, early 1954.There was a write-up about it in the Swiss annual Année Automobile, 1953. My translation follows: A Masterful Example of French Coachwork: The Car of King Seoud: Last May the younger brother of the man who was heir to the Throne of Saudi Arabia, and who since has become King following the death of his father, the well-known Ibn Seoud, ordered this beautiful automobile from the Saoutchik workshops in Paris, France with the intention of giving it to his brother as a coronation gift. It has just been shipped to Arabia where it is hoped it will arrive in time for the Coronation ceremonies due to begin early this year.

This is not the first car commissioned from the French coach-builder by the Arabian Royal family. This will be the seventh such car delivered by Saoutchik.

You will notice just below the front door the automatic retracting running board where the security guards ride, and between the front and rear door glass an assist handle. This body was built on a long chassis such as is used in America for ambulances. The fittings, therefore are exceptional and most probably unique in the world. It is fitted with the longest hydraulically-operated convertible top measuring a shade over 5 meters [i.e. 17½ feet]. The car can accommodate 6-7 passengers and the rear seat also converts into a bed. The grille was modified so as to represent two gold scimitars and a golden palm tree, which constitute the royal emblems; the color scheme is ivory white and Arabic green, the country's national colors.

   

There are captions to four smaller illustrations in addition to the front, ¾ LH view of the Royal car: these read as follows: There is good visibility all round, but especially forward. The radio may be controlled from both the front and rear seats. Everything including the steering wheel is finished in ivory and green. The thickness of the door is like the rest of the body which gives the car a 'boatish' look. However, the use of aviation alloys helps to keep the weight down. Above right: the [non alcoholic] drinks cabinet with its gilded goblets and flasks. Above it the clock, altimeter, thermometer and other gauges set in a folding tablet. Lower right: floor covering is of silky, close shaven , silky smooth mouton fur; upholstery is done in green leather. The controls at each side of the rear seat operate the windows by electric motor rather than by a central hydraulic power unit."

  

The small illustrations (above) include (a) a view of the steering wheel from the rear RH seat, (b) the rear opening LH front door in the open position showing the green leather upholstery of the driver's seat, (c) the writing tablet with inset instruments and, below it, the open drinks cabinet in the center of the division in the rear compartment, (d) the convertible rear seat with storage drawer below for bedding and accessories. The doors are said to be also electrically controlled (locks?). Below are two rare B&W photos of the car in Paris. A further article about this car appeared in the magazine of the Belgian Touring Club, just after the car was built.

   
(Left) the Royal Saudi car in the courtyard of the Saoutchik factory in Paris, late 1953
(Right) Prior to delivery to its royal owner, this publicity shot was taken on the
esplanade of the Palais de Chaillot, with Paris' famed Eiffel Tower in the background

 

Stevens, Brooks (USA) 4-door Woodie station wagon, McC p.302

 

[Unknown, USA] Special Series 62 convertible with continental kit, photographed at Cadillac meet in Castelsarrasin, France in the mid-Eighties.

[Unknown, USA] Special Eldorado convertible models with continental kit.

[Unknown, USA] Mildly (wildly?) customized Series 62 convertible still in regular service in the streets of Havana, Cuba.

Hard to distinguish in this small, low resolution image
but this car has FOUR fender-mounted rear-view mirrors !

 

[Unknown, France] Customized low rider

   

   
[ Photos: courtesy NITRO Magazine, issue Oct-Nov 2003 ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Special Series 75 limousine said to have been outfitted for the Panamericana (the Mexican road race that enjoyed great popularity in the early fifties); the car was offered for sale on e-Bay (the Internet auction site) in April, 2003. Some features include a 509ci V8 with custom 3-speed automatic transmission, front bucket seats, disc brakes, a/c, seat belts, power windows, dual exhaust, customized stock frame rails, bird cage with 8 point custom roll cage, a '68 Camaro front  clip [on a car outfitted for racing in 1953-54?]. According to the vendor, over $100,000 were spent to modify the car which, at the time of sale, was titled in California.

   

 

[Unknown, USA] Repainted Seafoam Green and Organic Green, this car was featured in the movie Running Wild. Later it got a '53 Cadillac engine and (in 1955) a pinstriped dash by the legendary Von Dutch. Restored in the New Millennium, with an even brighter color scheme, the car is on show in the Petersen Museum.

[Unknown, USA] Cadillac pick-up consisting of 1953 front and 1956 custom flat-bed

           

       

 

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

 

Zanetti, Paul (Australia) "Tequila Sunset", a custom 1953 so-called Eldo-Roadster, based on a 1953 Series 62 coupe that is instantly recognizable as a Cadillac. This custom job is every bit as extraordinary as the Cadillacs displayed during the GM Motorama shows. The car's home is on Australia's Gold Coast (the eastern shore for you non Geography buffs). It was unveiled at sunset, on cartoonist Paul's birthday, at his home (where Gita and I were privileged to be guests in 2005). His lovely wife Michelle was present as were also many of the people who had helped to make the dream a reality. Steve Bowman of   "Kustom City" supervised most of the metal work. Most challenging from an engineering point of view were the remotely-operated, rear-hinged ‘suicide’ doors and the revised belt-line, reminiscent of the bespoike 1953 Eldorado. The bumpers and hood are from a 1952 Cadillac; they had to be reshaped and modified to fit the car. When it was only partly finished, the car was displayed by Kustom City on its 2007 Brisbane Hot Rod Show stand, where it caught the eye of Owen Webb from specialist automotive paint supplier, House of Kolor. Owen offered to supply the paint and personally mix it to achieve the effect of a golden sunset. The embellished transmission shifter is from a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. Timber veneer in blond walnut was used for the dash and door embellishments and was one of the final features added to the design. The seats are from a 1964 Thunderbird, just like the one used by Michelle as her everyday transport. On the dash are a GPS screen for the driver and a DVD display for the passenger, both hidden behind drop-down veneered panels. The tilt steering wheel was not an option in 1953 but is handy technology nevertheless. The windshield is off a 1958 Chevrolet Impala and imparts the car's Eldorado look. The powerplant is a 6.4-litre Chevrolet linked to a Turbo 350 automatic transmission. Hidden below the car and in the trunk is a complex network of pumps, hoses and electrical devices that operate the adjustable air-bag suspension and allow the car’s stance to be raised or lowered at the touch of a button. Paul has the following artisans to thank for their valued efforts in helping to create "Tequila Sunset":  Mick McLennan (panel and fabrication), Elliott Holtom (panel beating), Adam LeBrese (fabrication), Mark Wells (trim and upholstery), Terry Wilmoth (paint) and Matthew McShane (apprentice). Special thanks go also to Owen Webb (House of Kolor) and Steve Bowman (Kustom City).

This is how it all began: 1953 Cadillac coupe "hulk"

   

 

   

   
A real stunner, from any angle

           
Left: side view shows off cut down doors a la 1953 Eldorado
Center image:  Paul and Michelle unveil "Tequila Sunset", with the artisan friends who built her
Note the rear-hinged  "suicide" doors (right), harking back to coach-building techniques of the 20s and 30s

       
Four bucket seats and central console are reminiscent of some Ford Thunderbird models of the early 60s

          
I've also seen that transmission lever somewhere before - yes, that's it:  on a 1969 Camaro
RH images: "Zanetti Custom" V and logo between the two rear bucket seats and on the wire wheel caps

 

Pick one   >

WW2 years