The modified 1953 Cadillac Le Mans
Le Mans #4 was built to order for J.E. "Bud" Goodman, a personal friend of Harley Earl's and Fisher Body CEO in the fifties.It was updated (remodeled) in 1959 with the addition of quad headlights, tri-power motor, custom tail-fins, etc. [read more about it in the Dream Cars for 1959]. His son Jack still owned the car in the nineties; Jack has the Dixon Cadillac dealership of Hollywood, CA.
In 1997, this car was offered for sale by Frank Corrente, a California used car dealer, for $375,000! It had a reported 18,434 miles. In February, 1999, the mileage was reported as 18,635 and the car was offered again for sale, this time for ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!
It is believed that Le Mans #4 is currently [1999/2000] in the Cadillac Historical Collection [6/2000]; Todd Fitzgerald, a member of the CML (Cadillac Mailing List) saw it in the "back room" to the collection, in 1999, where it was being restored! He said she was a beauty to see up close!
About the Le Mans show car the company had this to say in a 1953 press release:
"Le Mans - Cadillac Luxury Sports Car in GM Motorama of 1953. Cadillac's newest American-styled luxury sports car - the Le mans - is fascinating spectators at General Motors' Motorama of 1953.
A single seat convertible type, the Le Mans represents an ideal of motor car enthusiasts - combining elegance with power. Its silver-blue body is constructed of plastic fiberglass. The car is low - only 51 inches in height to the top of the deep-angle panoramic windshield.
Le Mans is powered by a stepped-up Cadillac V-8 engine which delivers 250 h.p. at a 9 to 1 compression ratio. This three-passenger sports convertible has speed, power and roadability. The Hydra-Matic transmission has been adapted to the increased engine output. The engine is painted in a silver-blue with chrome trim to match the elegance of the car.
The Le Mans has an overall length of 196 inches, shorter than the standard Cadillac. Part of the reduced length is accounted for by reduced bumpers which in the rear are vertical strips of steel. They appear to be part of the body design but are internally braced and capable of withstanding shock the same as the more familiar bumper.
A view of the interior from the driver's seat provides a thrilling taste of sports car emphasis in a setting of sheer luxury. The instrument panel presents a matching series of chrome housed dials extending the width of the front compartment.
Instruments include a tachometer to show engine revolutions [no kidding!], a speedometer, fuel gauge, radio dial, ammeter and oil pressure gauge and clock. An engineering advance is represented in the radio by single pushbutton tuning. Twin speakers are recessed behind the panel.
The Hydra-Matic indicator has been moved from the customary place on the steering post and customized into the instrument panel between the tachometer and speedometer. The entire instrument panel is topped with a crash pad insulated with a special, slow recovery plastic which eliminates the rebound found in rubber.
As a special complement to the exclusive workmanship in the car, the creation of many details were entrusted only to specially skilled craftsmen.
Leather workers from England were assigned the task of embossing the Cadillac "V" and Crest into the fine leather of the seat back. Jewelers fashioned the hand engraved surfaces of the hood emblem, the Le Mans script on the wheel discs and the lettering on the instrument panel. As an extension of this artistic refinement, the carpeting is specially created nylon needlepoint.
A special feature of the Le Mans is the "memory" seat. Electrically controlled, it automatically slides back as the door is opened to provide easier access and egress. When the door is closed it "remembers" its former position and returns to it. The seat is, of course, also adjustable to the comfort of the driver. [this feature was later incorporated in the exclusive Eldorado Brougham 4-door sedans of 1957-58].
Upholstery of the Le Mans is of finest hand-buffed leather of a matching silver-blue and embossed with the Cadillac "V" and Crest in the leather at the center of the seat back. The bolster at the forward edge of the seat contains a tube for umbrella storage. The tube has a chromed cap carrying the Le Mans insignia and when the cap is removed the umbrella is pushed out by an ejector spring for easy grasping.
The top of the Le Mans is silver-blue Orlon and, when lowered, is recessed in the rear deck. In addition to the manually operated control, the top is also automatically actuated by a rain switch to provide automatic raising if the car is left out and a shower comes up.
For this special convertible the wheels are distinguished by chromed blades radiating from the hub - a design inspired by the flashing appearance of an aircraft turbine."
After the design and mechanical upgrade in 1959, the car remained the early metallic blue
seen on the Motorama show car in 1953; later it was repainted metallic gray (below)
These are good shots
of the remodeled front and rear clips
This 1953 Cadillac Le Mans roadster is #4 of four built to special order. It was returned to the Cadillac styling studios in 1959, for major 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.
As the last century came to a close, this modified Cadillac show car was offered for sale on the Internet for a MILLION dollars [!!!]. I don't recall where I saw that ad; I believe the car was, at the time, in the care of California used-car dealer, Frank Corrente. Late Extra [6/2006]: Frank denies that either he or his company advertised the car for that ridiculous amount (I did find one ad where it was listed at $325,000) . Does anyone remember the $1 million ad?
It was seen at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California in August, 2002.
At that show, the ID tag said it was being shown by GM in Detroit, MI. However, it still carries a 1963 California plate on it (presumably the one issued in the name of Jack Goodman).In the movie, The Buddy Holly Story, the car appears in one of the scenes about half-way through the movie; it was filmed inside the Cadillac dealership of Jack Goodman, in Texas; the actors palying Buddy Holly and the Crickets are seated in car.
To read more about this car, check out SSA 1984, pp.22-25, special issue CCON, p.29, CS12, p.102, SIA #169, 2/99.
I have many photos of it, including a series of color shots 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 also in an article on the GM Motoramas, in Automobile magazine for August 2008.
The modified Le Mans #4 was shown at the Bagatelle meet in Paris in the nineties
Photo (left): © Cadillac-LaSalle
Club, Inc. Other two photos from the Internet.
Above: (left) distinctive cast alloy wheels, (center)
Cadillac's first wraparound windshield, (right) new air scoops
Below: (left) grille script, (center) '59 power plant, (right) power seat medallion
Cockpit, Instrumentation and Controls
Carl Steig of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc. provided the following description of the instrument panel of the Cadillac Le Mans roadster:
The Le Mans interior pre-dates the Space Age, but has that look; or at the very least is the aircraft type, with full instrumentation and lever controls. Note the push-button for inside door release, next to the two buttons for left and right power window lifts.
The arm rest has a built-in ashtray at the leading edge.
The ribbed steering wheel says "CADILLAC" in block letters at the top.
Chrome plates at the floor edges are next to the finely stitched kick panels.
Starting at the left, the first instrument is the tachometer which reads "ENGINE REVS x 1000" over the odometer window, for a record of engine life separate from the mileage of the car. The tachometer itself reads from 0 to 50 and says "x 100" under the letters "RPM".
Between the tachometer and the speedometer, a rectangular window for the Hydra-Matic indicator has the letters "N DR Lo and R". Above it is a window which will glow red for high-beam indicator. The speedometer, reminiscent of the early forties, reads 130, but is unmarked. We presume it means miles per hour.
Next we find four levers marked "VENT, TEMP, DEFROST and VENT". Below them are the ignition lock, starter combination and cigarette lighter. Above them, almost as an afterthought we find the wiper switch. The next gauge is marked "GASOLINE" and reads "E, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, F".
The next dial is for the radio and reads from 6 to 16. A small crescent shaped button at the bottom of the dial reads "SELECTOR" and is the pushbutton Wonderbar which signal seeks the next strong station. The button on the left of the radio dial manually selects the stations while its collar button selects more or less stations for the Wonderbar. The button to the right of the dial is the on-off switch and volume control, while its collar adjusts the tone [Twin speakers are recessed behind the panel].
The next dial reads "TEMPERATURE" and has numbers from 100 to 240. Next to it we find the glove compartment door button and lock. The door opens downward to reveal the compartment below the four dials on the right.
The next dial is divided into two halves, the upper being marked "BATTERY" and showing "-D" [discharge] on the left, "0" in the center and "+C" [charge] on the right. The lower half says "OIL" and reads "0, 30, 60".
The last dial is for the rather standard electric clock with an adjustment knob at the 6 position. The inside mirror is mounted on the dash, rather than hung from above, and the dash is specially padded.
The steering column is chrome plated, the headlight dimmer switch is on the floor to the left, and the brake and accelerator pedal which were found lying around somewhere at GM will look familiar to many Cadillac collectors.
The entire instrument panel is topped with a crash pad insulated with a special, slow recovery plastic which eliminates the rebound found in rubber.
Driving position; are the gauges on right only for
passenger's information?