When the legendary Buddy Holly can sing, ‘My love a-bigger than a Cadillac. I try to show it, and you drive a-me back,’ then you know that those Cadillacs are not only large and stately with whopping price tags, but there’s something more driving our passion for those exquisite machines.
The Cadillac has evolved. Who can forget those pictures of those stately Cadillacs of the thirties? Or, how about those tailfins of the fifties, that elicited a feeling of not only classiness but luxury and grandeur? Not to mention the long wheelbase that we loved about Cadillac. Then to see the evolution of Cadillac with their concept cars. Let’s take a journey into some of the sickest classic cars from Cadillac that have excited us over the years.
10. Cadillac Phaeton 5859
Sometimes, the greatest ideas are born from the most difficult circumstances. The Cadillac Phaeton 5859 made its debut during the Depression-Era. For that time, the price tag was beyond the means of the most. But if you were in the market, wait times for this luxury car were up to 15 months.
The Cadillac Phaeton 5859 was powered by Cadillac’s powerful 16-cylinder engine, delivering 185 horsepower. This beast had the power but also the exquisite luxury that we expect from a Cadillac, with its upholstered leather interior, not to mention its sleek body design.
9. Cadillac Mirage
Starting out as a Cadillac Coupe DeVille then converted, the Cadillac Mirage was aimed at the rancher, farmer, or sportsperson. Gene Winfield was the man behind its creation. Winfield was a legend in automotive customization, even working on films to create vehicles such as those seen in Blade Runner and Robocop.
The 1976 Cadillac Mirage is powered by an 8.2-liter V8 engine, delivering only 200 horsepower yet with 400 lb-ft of torque. But what makes the Mirage stand out among Cadillacs is, of course, that pickup truck bed!
8. Cadillac Eldorado Brougham
With only 400 produced in ’57 and 304 in ’58, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was a limited edition piece of automobile luxury. The ’57 Brougham was packed with a 365-cubic-inch V-8, delivering 325 horsepower, along with GM’s four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission.
In ’58, GM’s design boss Harley Earl retired, making the Brougham one of his last designs. Earl was a legend of the company and the Brougham articulated some of the features from previous models into one lavish design, with at the time, a price tag to match its reputation.
7. 1949 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
Inspiration can come from anywhere. And this is no more true than with those tail fins of the 3rd generation of the Cadillac Series 62, produced from 1948, taking inspiration from the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane (thanks to Cadillac’s senior designer Frank Hershey and Harley Earl, who authorized Hershey’s 1948 Cadillac design). The 1949 Coupe De Ville incorporates the tailfin.
Delivering 160 horsepower, the 1949 Cadillac Coupe De Ville was powered by that distinctive Cadillac V8, replacing the L-head, the engine that once powered the Cadillac. November 25, 1949, was a significant date for Cadillac when the one-millionth Cadillac was built at their Clark Street assembly line in Detroit. Yes, it was a Cadillac Coupe DeVille!
6. 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
225 inches long with a 130-inch wheelbase, along with its distinctive tail fins, which were almost as high as the top of the windshield, the 1959 Eldorado Biarritz was one of the great automotive designs of the fifties.
The 1959 Eldorado Biarritz was powered by a 390 ci V8 engine, delivering 345 horsepower. Let’s not forget those rocket-like tail lamps, those smooth side panels, and an interior that transports you back to the fifties, with its leather upholstery.
5. The Cadillac Tank
Cadillac’s wartime involvement was significant. 10,142 light tanks were produced by Cadillac during World War II, according to Charles K. Hyde. Nicknamed the “Cadillac Tank,” the M5 Stuart Light Tank was the result of an expected Continental engine shortage. Cadillac suggested using a pair of Cadillac V8 engines. And so, the “Cadillac Tank” was born.
The purpose of the “Cadillac Tank” during the war was infantry support, flank security, and reconnaissance. Cadillac would end up building other tanks, such as the M41 Walker Bulldog, produced in the early fifties.
4. Cadillac Ciel
Unveiled in 2011, the Cadillac Ciel concept is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine, delivering 425 horsepower, coupled with a hybrid system using a lithium-ion battery pack.
The interior of this four-seat convertible features not only olive wood grain, which in itself is remarkable, considering the painstaking efforts to locate the 300-year-old olive tree from Italy and ship the wood, but also hand-stitched leather seating. Pure class!
3. 1928 Cadillac Series 341A
Al Capone, known as ‘Scarface’, the gangster who found his notoriety during the Prohibition years of the roaring twenties. His 1928 bulletproof Cadillac Series 341A made the headlines in 2020, going up for auction. His Cadillac Series 341A was powered by a V8 engine, delivering 90 horsepower, reportedly capable of reaching 110 mph.
The modifications on Al Capone’s Cadillac were a reflection of his notoriety, installing bulletproof glass and steel armor. Let’s not forget that bootleggers in this era were notorious for modifying their cars, not only to get away from the police, but also to carry more of their prized stock. They were known as the ‘moonshine runners’.
2. 1930 Cadillac V-16 Roadster
January 4, 1930, is a significant date for gearheads. It was the day when the Cadillac V-16 was debuted at the New York Auto Show. The engine, when matched with a Fleetwood Roadster body, created the perfect union of sportiness and class with a technological masterpiece that was also visually stunning.
It was an engine to behold. This V16 engine produced 320 foot-pounds of torque at 1,500 rpm, delivering 175 horsepower. None other than Harley Earl, along with Cadillac chief Larry Fisher, were the masterminds behind this watershed moment in Cadillac history.
1. World Thorium Fuel Concept
Thorium. Abundant in the earth’s crust, even more so than uranium. Also, a source of power, a more cost-effective source than say uranium, while a more environmentally friendly option.
Now, turn to the World Thorium Fuel Concept, created to last 100 years without maintenance. The engine, based on current models, would weigh 500 pounds. Designed by Loren Kulesus, this concept car is arguably the next step in the evolution of the automobile.
