The differences are subtle between 1948 and 1949, but this is a 1949. The 1948 had three horizontal chrome strips under each taillight; these are missing on the 1949. Also, the 1949 has a bright metal trim wrapping from the turn signals up front around the front fender to the wheel cutout.
Is Swedish car culture making its way across the pond? This looks like what they’d call a “pilsner bilar” over there, basically an old American car that looks like crap but is sound mechanically. The name (I think; I could be wrong) comes from the fact that since it looks like crap anyway you don’t care if your friends spill beer on the seats.
Fantastic. Patina like that is hard earned over years (or “aged” at great effort and expense). The red wheels and narrow whites set it off perfectly. I wonder if it’s the original engine or something more modern?
Some parts of Europe is full of the old us iron and luckily my country – Czech Republic is one of them. We have dirty cheap insurance for historical vehicles and possibility to get historical status to sound old car but with original faded paint etc. There is also not much of restrictions for the otherwise banned red turn signal or requirements to pass a smog tests for such a vehicles. Its all ok as long you can pass brake and suspension test and car have very minimal rust.
In my town we have a regular car and coffe meetings every first Thursday in the month and the last time I had a chance to ride at this Caddy – what a nice experience. I’m used to late 60s big block mopars and 80s B-body but such a old ride give you a totally different experience.
This Caddy was not fast by any mean but its comfy leisure cruiser with plenty of space for all on board. Whats better then put the windows down and enjoy hardtop in the hot summer night with group of friends? And dont be afraid to collect some more dents / scratch on the way. Original its only once, you can paint it anytime! 😉
I really envy that. In Russia, its – either pay full customs clearance & register it just as any other vehicle (with normal insurance, tech inspection and all that), or declare it a “cultural heritage item” & carry it on a trailer… there’s a lot of talk about changing that system, but so far its just that – talks.
Cool Caddy, I share you opinion that the original paint in this kind of condition is sometimes (and for some purposes) better that a fresh respray.
The situation is really not bad. The import tax is just 6% VAT and no customs fee. To get a historical license you need to pay annually member fee (typically 50usd) and be classic car club member. This club makes the car inspection every year (just recently changed to 2 year validity) for its cosmetical condition – no significant rust on the body or frame is allowed. And must be older then 30 years.
For this inspection, you need to bring confirmation the brakes and suspension are all OK from regular inspection servise shop. Once you get this historical status, you pay just 1/12th of regular insurance estimated based on the engine displacement (many EU countries finds in this algorithm a logic) with respect to your collected accident free bonuses. So I ended up to pay just 20 usd insurance for my 383 v8 mopar, really. Sure, such a cars are rarely driven more then few thousands miles a year, so the accident chance is reduced. And you can obtain extra insurance for your windshield etc. to spend more if you want.
The only limitation is you should not use it daily. But thats impossible to check / nobody care because it’s not happening.
On the other side, you can not get registration for car in age of 9 to 30 years made not for European market. So 2008 Corvette is not possible to legally use unless was imported from the other European state where was already registered. And even in this case, you still need to pass inspection costing up to 1200usd to check if the cars meets the requirements / changes (amber turn signal etc). No matter the exact car runs there in hundred copies (Ford Mustang for example).
This can be avoided if you register the car in Germany first, which does not have a age restrictins. So not every country in EU have the same legislation.
A lot has changed from communist time in 80s when few cars has shows up for the meeting and in 2 of them were police hidden agents 🙂 it took a lot of skills to keep that cars running, having almost no access for its parts. And if you left the car on the street in the night, police would crash your windshield = not meeting the technical condition to be able to use it. Typically these cars were sold to locals from us ambassy or from abroad tourists who had a accident etc.
But somewhere I saw a pictures from the deep communist time with some us iron presented in Russia, quite surprising. And is it true Chevy Caprice were gangs favorite car in Moscow?
This, for whatever reason, reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit.
“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
I’d paint it black with some true spokes,maybe resto mod it. Nothing like a Cadillac!!!
Is that a 1948 Series 62? That may be the first year of the iconic Cadillac tail lights.
The differences are subtle between 1948 and 1949, but this is a 1949. The 1948 had three horizontal chrome strips under each taillight; these are missing on the 1949. Also, the 1949 has a bright metal trim wrapping from the turn signals up front around the front fender to the wheel cutout.
Is Swedish car culture making its way across the pond? This looks like what they’d call a “pilsner bilar” over there, basically an old American car that looks like crap but is sound mechanically. The name (I think; I could be wrong) comes from the fact that since it looks like crap anyway you don’t care if your friends spill beer on the seats.
The red wheels and thin whitewalls look snappy.
Fantastic. Patina like that is hard earned over years (or “aged” at great effort and expense). The red wheels and narrow whites set it off perfectly. I wonder if it’s the original engine or something more modern?
Some parts of Europe is full of the old us iron and luckily my country – Czech Republic is one of them. We have dirty cheap insurance for historical vehicles and possibility to get historical status to sound old car but with original faded paint etc. There is also not much of restrictions for the otherwise banned red turn signal or requirements to pass a smog tests for such a vehicles. Its all ok as long you can pass brake and suspension test and car have very minimal rust.
In my town we have a regular car and coffe meetings every first Thursday in the month and the last time I had a chance to ride at this Caddy – what a nice experience. I’m used to late 60s big block mopars and 80s B-body but such a old ride give you a totally different experience.
This Caddy was not fast by any mean but its comfy leisure cruiser with plenty of space for all on board. Whats better then put the windows down and enjoy hardtop in the hot summer night with group of friends? And dont be afraid to collect some more dents / scratch on the way. Original its only once, you can paint it anytime! 😉
I really envy that. In Russia, its – either pay full customs clearance & register it just as any other vehicle (with normal insurance, tech inspection and all that), or declare it a “cultural heritage item” & carry it on a trailer… there’s a lot of talk about changing that system, but so far its just that – talks.
Cool Caddy, I share you opinion that the original paint in this kind of condition is sometimes (and for some purposes) better that a fresh respray.
The situation is really not bad. The import tax is just 6% VAT and no customs fee. To get a historical license you need to pay annually member fee (typically 50usd) and be classic car club member. This club makes the car inspection every year (just recently changed to 2 year validity) for its cosmetical condition – no significant rust on the body or frame is allowed. And must be older then 30 years.
For this inspection, you need to bring confirmation the brakes and suspension are all OK from regular inspection servise shop. Once you get this historical status, you pay just 1/12th of regular insurance estimated based on the engine displacement (many EU countries finds in this algorithm a logic) with respect to your collected accident free bonuses. So I ended up to pay just 20 usd insurance for my 383 v8 mopar, really. Sure, such a cars are rarely driven more then few thousands miles a year, so the accident chance is reduced. And you can obtain extra insurance for your windshield etc. to spend more if you want.
The only limitation is you should not use it daily. But thats impossible to check / nobody care because it’s not happening.
On the other side, you can not get registration for car in age of 9 to 30 years made not for European market. So 2008 Corvette is not possible to legally use unless was imported from the other European state where was already registered. And even in this case, you still need to pass inspection costing up to 1200usd to check if the cars meets the requirements / changes (amber turn signal etc). No matter the exact car runs there in hundred copies (Ford Mustang for example).
This can be avoided if you register the car in Germany first, which does not have a age restrictins. So not every country in EU have the same legislation.
You can check some us iron we have there.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jordy_a/sets/72157697168836124
A lot has changed from communist time in 80s when few cars has shows up for the meeting and in 2 of them were police hidden agents 🙂 it took a lot of skills to keep that cars running, having almost no access for its parts. And if you left the car on the street in the night, police would crash your windshield = not meeting the technical condition to be able to use it. Typically these cars were sold to locals from us ambassy or from abroad tourists who had a accident etc.
But somewhere I saw a pictures from the deep communist time with some us iron presented in Russia, quite surprising. And is it true Chevy Caprice were gangs favorite car in Moscow?
Wish you the changes of rules soon!
This, for whatever reason, reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit.
“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
Great book! Haven’t read it since I did 3rd grade a few years ago (I teach).
Nice
Those wheels make me wonder whether this body is sitting on a modern Crown Vic chassis. If so, it might be quite capable and fun to drive too.
Still elegantly beautiful.
The young Muslim ladies think it’s pretty cool!