1959 Cadillac Series 62

Description

This is it, THE ULTIMATE in '50s fins, the 1959 Cadillac. They would never be taller, longer, or sharper than those found on this lovely yellow coupe, and if travelling in high style is your thing, there's simply nothing that can do it better than this.

That gorgeous paint is fresh code 40-12 (Dover White over Gotham Gold) that exactly duplicates the soft pastel hue that is so integral to the fabulous fifties look. There's about an acre of sheetmetal to cover, but as a very well-preserved original car before the paint job, making it look this good was relatively easy. The pillarless coupe body style was perhaps the most dramatic of the 1959 Cadillacs, even more so than the convertibles, as the top seems to hover over the bodywork suspended on vast sections of wrap-around Soft-Ray glass. Panel fit is excellent and Cadillac quality was certainly not a joke in 1959, so the doors open and close with exquisite precision and detailing is just spectacular. All that chrome is in outstanding condition, including the grille which is made up of hundreds of separate pieces that each must be filled, polished, smoothed, and plated, a job that costs thousands of dollars all on its own. And can you imagine any car today showing up with bullet-like taillight lenses, not to mention the razor-tipped fins that this Caddy wears? Spectacular. Excessive, but spectacular.

The light gray interior is almost entirely original, and this is where you see proof of this car's originality and preservation. The drivers' side shows some light stretching, but otherwise it's undamaged and a shoe-in for preservation-class awards. The sweeping instrument panel hides behind a sleek, almost delicate steering wheel with all the controls at the driver's fingertips. The under-dash A/C unit is a period-correct piece that still blows ice cold and the original AM radio with signal-seek still lives in the dash. Oddly enough, this particular Series 62 has manual windows which is rather rare, but it doesn't dilute the first-class experience of driving this spectacular boat on the street. Stretch-out room in the back seat is impressive, and with a trunk that size, you can take, well, everything you need on any road trip you may take.

Cadillac's brawny 390 cubic inch V8 was the powerplant of choice for hot rodders for good reason. Topped by a single 4-barrel carburetor, it moves the rocket-shaped Series 62 with effortless ease. But don't mistake luxury for silence, because back in 1959, Cadillac wanted you to hear the horsepower, so it has the most wonderful purring exhaust note that suggests great power under the hood. The big A/C compressor dominates the engine bay, but there's also an original generator, air cleaner, and Cadillac Blue engine enamel underneath, all of it quite nicely preserved. Power steering and brakes are really the only way this car was practical, and it glides along on a coil spring suspension, eliminating worries about the problematic air spring setup. The HydraMatic automatic transmission offers firm shifts, and with 2.94 gears out back, this is the ultimate highway cruiser. Gorgeous Firestone wide whites fitted to the original wheels add flash to the shiny original hubcaps.

The '59 Cadillac is the ultimate in '50s outrageousness, and this incredible Series 62 delivers on every promise its wild looks make. Call today!