This post started out as a note to the Cohort to let you know you have not been forgotten. There’s been a deluge of fantastic cars posted recently, and I (and perhaps others) will try to get to the most interesting ones asap. Keep in mind that I tend to pick cars that we have not done before, or at least in quite a while. And if you include some text to go along with a car, that will increase the chances of it getting posted even more. Now about this car…
I decided to randomly pick the very latest Cohort picture for this post, and it is a car we haven’t done yet. I’ve got a fat-boy Brougham shot, but not one on the racetrack. LDeren posted it, and here’s his comment/explanation: Used as a mobile starting gate at the 2012 Fryeburg Fair Harness Race. The car is equipped with these metal wings, which are kept extended before the start of the race and the horses line up behind it. When the car passes the starting line the wings fold and the car accelerate and pulls off.
Now, there’s a real thoroughbred!
Hmmmmmmmm interesting. The headline made me think of a Cadillac living its life 1/4 at a time. 😛
“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from my Brougham!”
Bada bing…
Well I have to comment, as a Mainer by birth (though not native, that’s a longer commitment) and one with pleasant memories of the Caddies at harness track Scarborough Downs. LDeren’s def is spot on, though I only remember the wing cars being ’71-’76 Sedan de Villes.
Syke is going to be sporting a long face when he sees another Brougham feature!
Usefull for starting horse races at least it can out run those 1hp models
An LT1 Brougham, or an LT1 Caprice or Roadmaster for that matter, is no slouch. As can be seen with the Impala SS, a few quick mods turn these cars into performers. No unlike the full size performers of the 1960s. The Impala SS was really an unusual throwback to a time gone by. And probably not hard to imagine why they were popular and sentimentally thought of today, and quite expensive in the used car market for clean examples.
As for the Cadillac versions, well the 93-96 were the last of the traditional full size body on frame RWD Cadillac of yore. The swan song of the B/C/D platform for GM. They were moderately popular, even by 1996 standards, and probably could have continued for some time if GM had not decided to convert the Arlington plan to SUV production.
I personally prefer the crisp old body style but that is just me. These were nice cars, capable and efficient considering their size and design and real classics of their time.
Speaking of the Cohort, the white space here on CC is so refreshing after after my New Flickr-induced eyeball ache.
Quite agreed. Why??
I have no idea, but Gizmodo has an article on what Yahoo’s done to Flickr that should sound sadly familiar to anyone who’s read any history of GM ever:
http://gizmodo.com/flashback-how-yahoo-killed-flickr-and-lost-the-interne-508852335
Would love to see this mobile starting gate in action. This body style never really sat right with me, compared to it’s classic predecessor. However, the motor in these cars was easily the best since the 1980 models, which had the 368. That LT1 could make even a full size Cadillac move in a respectable amount of time. Here’s a great review of the big 90s FWB:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cMelRBP9rAE&feature=plpp
I think a Roadmaster Estate Wagon would work better – probably no need for the roof mod. on a Roadie with the third (“way back”) seat used for the starter type guy. And a woodie would look just right at a horsey type facility.
There are still some of these based on 30-40 year old cars, nothing newer will take the weight although I think they are gradually being phased out by utes.
You need the extra roof height for the observer/controller to communicate with the jockeys/drivers and see over the booms, which are well mounted out of a trunk – the roof of a wagon would be in the way.
If the Caddy won’t start, I’ll bet he gets sulky.
There’s the Caddy where’s Tiger Woods?
Seen lots of these things in action at trotting races in Aussie and yep they do use cadillacs probably aquired used from the US already set up the equipment seems to transfer onto a local ute eventually, they only need to hit 45 or so to get away from the horses.
Up here in eastern Canada, our local harness racing track had a ’70s Caddy doing this same duty. I haven’t been to a race in a long time, but last time I was there, it was still in use.
that could be anywhere, sweden… trotting racing is uber popular and most tracks use an american car for the runnning starts
Is there any particular reason why a big Caddy is used for this as opposed to something else? A truck?
Its called class Homey.
Falcon or Holden utes are used here you only need a Caddy to carry the weight
A local Harness Racing track, Maywood Park, used to have TV ads in the 60’s showing that era Cadillacs running the ‘Mobile Starting Gate’. I would drop what I was doing just to see the Caddys on the horse race track and go ‘look Dad’.
Last one to finish is going to be Burgers…
Just don’t ask what ingredients GM uses for it’s Ponies.
Is this Cadillac a development , ahem “mule” for the 8-6-4-0 Engine?
Quieter than a Lexus.