This past New Year’s Eve found me at a small gathering with other people for the first time in three years. It ended up being sort of a last-minute thing, and though I had already contentedly settled into the idea of getting to bed before the ball dropped, I was glad to receive the invitation. There was a part of me that felt like I needed to go simply out of principle, given that many such gatherings simply couldn’t and didn’t take place for the past few years due to COVID. I had even taken a nap that Saturday afternoon in the hope of ensuring I wouldn’t tire out before midnight. Second-guessing myself is a behavior I’m in the process of unlearning, and in my gut and before I had received that invite, I had looked forward to a quiet night in, reflecting on what had felt like a really fruitful, fulfilling 2022 for which I give thanks.
1967 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.
My ultimate compromise was to arrive and spend time with my gracious host and the other guests, and then cut out to be back in the comfort of my own home well before midnight. I succeeded in executing those plans. I always seem to forget from year to year that the Syfy cable channel will feature a The Twilight Zone marathon of the original 1959 – ’64 shows starting on New Year’s Eve. I need to be clear that I didn’t leave the party just to binge-watch Twilight Zone, but if I was going to split early to spend the rest of NYE cozily at home on the couch in my pajamas instead of being festive and social with others, there couldn’t have been a better show to watch while I reflected on the passage of time as the year rolled over, so to speak.
“You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, the Twilight Zone.”
Rod Serling’s introductory narrative still makes the hairs on my arms stand on end. He may have been the creator, writer, producer, and narrator of this great program, but that theme music at the beginning seems even more iconic and recognizable than his own name. I associated those repetitious, staccato, dissonant chords with Twilight Zone long before I knew who Serling was. This is A-grade Halloween stuff without an ounce of gore, and even more effective in scaring me because its plots were almost purely psychological. Before I made my way back to the CTA “L” station on New Year’s Eve, I spotted a car in the distance on a side street a few blocks away that ultimately turned out to be this ’67 Cadillac. Lit in the garish, orange glow of the street lamps above, the car seemed to be daring me to approach it.
1967 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.
There’s a creepy lull outdoors in some Chicago neighborhoods on a winter’s night, even without a blanket of snow to act as sound insulation, as was the case that Saturday. Even though I had just left a small party, I was already in kind of a noir-ish mental place, simply thinking about the finality and decisiveness of time’s march in only one direction. Some of the other guests at the party seemed to be literally half my age, and I remembered what it was like to be at parties in my mid-20s and encountering individuals my current age, who seemed cool, but old. Some revelers seemed only a handful of years older than the nephew with whom I had just spent time this past Thanksgiving, someone I had watched go from the cradle into young adulthood.
The forward-thrusting, stacked headlight housings of these ’67 Cadillacs make them look angry. The slightly damaged grille of this one made it look almost like a once-distinguished gentleman in a nice suit who had gotten into a row at the local bar and was limping home with a busted lip. Maybe I’ve watched too many car-themed horror movies, but I could almost smell this car’s motor oil and hear its engine hum, though no such scents or sounds were present near this stationary automobile.
The ’67 Cadillacs are frustrating to me in that the Calais and DeVilles are virtually undistinguishable unless one can get a good look at the interior, which I was not about to attempt on a night when maybe 90% of Chicago seems drunk. The Calais, being the entry level Cadillac, had an interior that wasn’t quite as flossy as the DeVille’s, but was still very nice. That was pretty much it for their differences, according to everything I’ve read. A nicer interior and a few other, minor trim bits are what you got with the four-door hardtop DeVille over the Calais in the same body style for an extra ~8% premium.
1967 Cadillac Calais.
This example was devoid of the rear quarter panel badging that would have given me a more decisive clue as to which model it was. This might have been a Calais, but removing the label indicating this was a DeVille, the nicer car, would be like buying a pair of Levi’s and removing the red label and pocket stitching. I do know that the factory Pinecrest Green of our featured car was offered in the Calais line as one of eight available colors, but that factoid doesn’t help me narrow anything down with certainty.
All ’67 Cadillacs were powered by a 340-horsepower, 429-cubic inch V8, which was then in its last year, to be replaced by a 375-horse 472-c.i. V8 for ’68. Curiously, there was no price difference in each respective line between the pillared and hardtop versions: $5,215 for the Calais, and $5,625 for the DeVille. The sales race wasn’t even close: Only about 21,800 Calaises found buyers, versus 139,800 DeVilles. Go big or go home, as they say. Even if 18,200 DeVille convertibles were factored out, the closed-roof ’67 DeVille outsold the Calais by a ratio of about 5.5-to-1. Cadillac Division production of around 200,000 units that year was good for eleventh place in the industry.
1967 Cadillac Calais.
Getting back to The Twilight Zone, what I came to realize a few weeks ago was that the moral of many, if not most, episodes was that the protagonist should simply have chosen to be content with his or her life the way it was before some major event or superpower changed things irreversibly for the worse. This holds true as I flip through my mental Rolodex of episodes I can remember. I know I’ve leveled complaints at the outgoing year in some of my essays (2020, I’m looking at you), but even with some of the major challenges that emerged in 2020, a lot of significant good also came about, including getting many aspects of my life in order.
Some of my friends have opined to me, and not necessarily as a criticism, that I seem so relentlessly positive all the time. This is certainly not because my life is or has been perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. I suppose that part of this apparent optimism involves choice, thankfulness, and perspective. I have down days, too. I’m a human being.
There’s one particularly haunting Twilight Zone episode titled “A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain” that originally aired in December of 1963, in which an older husband, married to a much younger wife, wished to become younger again to make himself more attractive to her and enable him to keep up with her. (She was physically beautiful, but bratty, entitled, superficial, and just plain gross.) Without giving away too much of the plot, I’ll just say that a certain plan worked initially, then backfired spectacularly with the typically eerie, mind-wrecking consequences this series served up regularly. This ’67 Cadillac was new three years after the last new episode of the original Twilight Zone series had aired, but going back to my earlier “brawling businessman” metaphor for this car, imagine that this Cadillac had wished to become newer, made some deal, and woke up the next morning as an ’82 Cimarron.
Roscoe Village, Chicago, Illinois.
Saturday, December 31, 2022.
New Year’s Eve.
Brochure pages were sourced from www.oldcarbrochures.org.
“…imagine that this Cadillac had wished to become newer, made some deal, and woke up the next morning as an ’82 Cimarron.”
It’s 5:24 am local time and that has me wide awake for the day. Thanks, Rod – I mean Joe – this image is etched into my brain!
This Cadillac is fantastic, and I love how it does not have a toupee. Several months back I wrote up a ’68 Cadillac and the moisture that collected due to its vinyl roof had worked that car over. This ’67 has avoided that “Twilight Zone” type of fate.
Jason, if my ending line served you a wake-up cup, then I’m glad I left it there! Once I was done writing this (as I’m sure you’ve also done with your own pieces), I was tinkering with it, but decided to come back to leaving the ending as-is.
Could that be Hell Toupee? An episode of Amazing Stories that is virtually Twilight Zone equivalent? 🙂
How have I never heard of “Amazing Stories” before reading this comment? Jeff, here we go, with another series I now need to find out more about! Thank you…
I’ve long been mystified by the Calais’ low sales. This was the most affordable Cadillac at a time when Cadillacs were the default luxury car in America. It would be one thing if the Calais looked obviously cheaper in some way, but it didn’t. Yet the Coupe/Sedan de Ville vastly outsold it every year, despite being considerably more expensive, despite not looking or driving much different. I’m stumped.
I think the answer is the psychology of price. Many people view the lowest priced product as risky or inferior, especially for a consumer durable like a car. They prefer to spend a little more for reassurance of quality and features.
I suspect the Calais would appeal to fleet buyers, such as firms who would supply a Cadillac to senior staff as a perk, but still kept a close eye on the bottom line. I’m sure some skinflints also bought the cheapest Cadillac for themselves, but perhaps more likely they’d buy a Buick instead.
My memory is a bit vague, but didn’t the Calais come with roll-up windows? And maybe missing a few other things?
From that brochure photo, it looks as though it even has painted window frames. I’d have thought that was too Biscayne for Cadillac!
Not to mention Biscayne seats .
Neither of our “Biscayne’s had seats that nice!! lol Both had “flawless radio delete plates”.
All great comments – yours, and also the responses… I’m still thinking about whether I would have had an entry-level Cadillac or an upscale Buick. Even as I look at things in my house, how often have I spent extra for a lower-level thing from a reputable brand versus something nicer from a brand with which I’m not that familiar? Honestly, probably more of the latter than the former, to Poverty Motors’ point. But it’s all great food for thought.
Perfect ending, Joe! Careful what you wish for, indeed! 🙂
My New Year’s Eves are typically low key, spent with my wife, parents, sister, and brother-in-law. Anyway, this year my sis and BIL had the Twilight Zone marathon running on the TV while we played Cards against Humanity, which is always funny with my parents who are in their 70s (but accustomed to the generally stunted maturity of their offspring). It may be time to revisit that show – it’s been a long time.
Thanks, Aaron! And I’m also a fan of that card game. I don’t know how well I would have been able to concentrate with Twilight Zone on in the background. I might have been ditching the cards I didn’t like with each round as I tried to catch bits and pieces of the plot.
Funny thing about the ’80s reboot: I remember liking it, even though I was elementary school aged. That’s the one I’m curious about now, to see how well it has held up.
I’m usually always asleep before the new year rolls in.
This one brings back a piece of my childhood. My Uncle John’s parents bought a new 1967 Calais 4 door hardtop. It was like this one in lacking the vinyl roof, but painted in that light gold color. They were a small town couple who lived simply as teachers but had inherited some money in their old age.
I remember two things about the Calais – it was the only Cadillac I was ever in that had crank windows, and that the bolsters around the seat fabric were vinyl. Once the original owners aged out of driving in the mid 70s, Uncle John and his family took it over as their second car, a role it served for quite a number of years. I recall it as a really good car – and a fast one, which I discovered when a cousin floored the gas.
I love the Twilight Zone tie-in. It reminds me that Cadillac’s automatic on/off headlight system was called Twilight Sentinel. A perfect feature for the Zone.
Sounds like you got a lot more than some trim bits and different seat fabric moving up to a d Ville . I can’t imagine many people wanting a Cadillac without power windows.
Oh, yeah – Twilight Sentinel! Funny story – my grandparents, who owned a couple of Chrysler M-bodies from the early to mid-’80s, used to call that same automatic headlight system on their LeBaron and Fifth Avenue “Twilight Sentinel” – though I’m sure Chrysler had some other name for it.
Actually, in looking this up right now, it looks like Chrysler did offer something called “Twilight Sentinel”! Maybe the GM copyright department dropped the ball somewhere…
I’ve never really understood the Calais either. A quick glance at the 1967 brochure shows that it is missing a few pieces of standard equipment vs. the DeVille (notably a power seat). By the time you add back all the stuff that people expect on a Cadillac to the Calais, you are probably looking at close to the same price as the DeVille.
Dealers probably weren’t too interested in selling the Calais either – lower price means less profit.
Great points, Tom, and now I’m really curious as to what the price differential would have been between a Calais and a DeVille with exactly the same equipment (if it was possible to order a Calais that way).
You just explained why the Calais sold in such poor numbers. It made no sense to add the options to a Calais that the DeVille came with standard. So the Calais was targeted to those few that wanted a stripper Cadillac. Which is essentially what it was.
Who bought a Biscayne and then optioned it up heavily? Nobody? You bought an Impala instead. And the Impala outsold the Biscayne by a huge margin. For obvious reasons.
I know you’re quite good with the camera, JD. Your photos always have kind of an edgy look to them. Definitely appropriate for a large urban city like Chicago.
Thank you! Good, interesting photographs are what I aim for.
Before the De Ville level became the standard, the series 62 was the base level. Go back to the late 40’s and there was even a series 61, which differed in not only trim, but often in the roof style ( four window vs. six window configurations) and was often on a shorter wheelbase. These were the descendants of the La Salle companion car. It was sold as a separate model from 1965 to 1976.
I had a full catalog brochure for 1970, the Calais was offered as a two door hardtop or a posted four door hardtop, frame less windows with a B pillar. Actually this would have been the best configuration, not only would it have more solid construction, it also resembled the more expensive Sixty Special.
According to an inflation calculator I found online, the 400.00 price difference would translate to approx. 3,600 dollars. While many customers could easily afford to pay the difference, I suppose there was a certain cohort of Great Depression survivor buyers that would not allow themselves to abandon themselves to total luxury.
Simpler body trim sans vinyl roof, simpler upholstery, manual windows, seats, no a/c,or cruise control, allowed their Puritanical mores to coincide with the idea of buying a new Cadillac.
I read once that into the ’50’s, “traditional” Cadillac buyers would trade in their two year old model as a down payment, and pay off the balance for the new car in cash, with no financing.
Perhaps the Calais was kept on as a choice for this kind of careful buyer?
The ’67-’68 models really embody the Cadillac styling aesthetic for the 60’s, as much of an icon as the finny ’59’s. The forward leaning stance is pure aggression and power, as Chuck Berry sang, it’s ” a car that would eat up the road!”
Thanks Joseph, for the great photos and post, all the best to you in the New Year.
Thanks, Jose, and I also hope your 2023 is off to a great start. The LaSalle… I think it was J.P. Cavanaugh who had written up a dark green LaSalle maybe last year or the year before, and it was a great refresher for me on what was considered to be Cadillac’s “junior make”. So to your point, the Calais (and the earlier Series 61 and 62) were kind of like a reintroduction of that idea.
Am I mistaken, or was “LaSalle” also in the running for the model name for the ’75 Seville when it was being developed? Interesting how the smallest Cadillac ended up being the most expensive (save for the Fleetwood Series 75).
“Some of my friends have opined to me, and not necessarily as a criticism, that I seem so relentlessly positive all the time.”
That’s a positive (pun intended) trait – keep it up!
Roger that, Roger! I just keep being me, even if it means some unintentional (or intentional) ribbing from my friends.
Interesting, as I grew up a couple hours west of down town Chicago. So I’m an IL guy at heart. Also, in 1993 I picked up a really nice 1967 Cadillac Coupe DeVille in that yellow with black interior. The owner had the car fully re-pained but opted to leave the factory black vinyl top off. I found the car in a cars for sale magazine and it was in a western Chicago suburb! Anyhow, I purchased the car, drove it home and enjoyed it a lot. I ended up putting the factory correct top back on in black and it looked much better after that. We used that car in our wedding to drive from the church to the reception and then home. It was big, comfortable and reliable for the time that I had it.
Another interesting thing is that I am now an owner of a pristine 1988 Cadillac Cimarron. And you know what? If I had to drive it or the 1967, I’d take the Cimarron.
This is great! To your point, as I think about driving in this city, the suburbs, on the Dan Ryan Expressway, or on Lake Shore Drive, I have to agree that in this urban environment, your ’88 Cimarron would be the way to go in terms of ease of semi-regular use. I like that you have one from the last model year.
Where did you find the Cimarron? I’d love to see how its V6 compares to the Turbo Sunbird I had in the 80s.
Being a resident of Rod Serling’s hometown – he grew up here in Binghamton – I’ve come to know much more about him, though as a kid and young adult I loved the original show even then. Several episodes: the “bus station” and “carousel/time travel” episodes come to mind, are set here. He was a fabulous writer who died of cancer way too young, it would have been so interesting to see what he’d have come up with in later life, had he had one.
This poor survivor Cadillac reminds me of an old has-been boxer, missing teeth, listing a bit, sadder but perhaps, we hope, wiser, and doggedly keeping on in the face of bitter adversity. I’ve always liked the ’67/68 models, perhaps because I had quite a few rides in our neighbor’s new charcoal and black ’68 Sedan DeVille, really a quite elegant and understated color combination that was perfection on the rather expressive ’67/68 body design. The black brocade cloth seats were superbly luxurious to sit on as you quietly and serenely wafted over the bumps and potholes of life on the turbulent streets of 1968 Baltimore. Those great memories survive to this day and recall these particular vintage Cadillac’s, though no longer at their peak perhaps, many enduring positive qualities. This tired and battered survivor demonstrates that, when it comes to US luxury cars of the ’60s, the beauty wasn’t necessarily skin-deep.
Best wishes for a safe, healthful, and productive 2023 to Joseph and all!
Being a resident of Rod Serling’s hometown – he grew up here in Binghamton – I’ve come to know much more about him, though as a kid and a young adult I loved the original show even then. Several episodes: the “bus station” and “carousel/time travel” episodes come to mind, are set here. Binghamton was known as The Carousel City and still has 5 that operate in season. He was a fabulous writer who died of cancer way too young, it would have been so interesting to see what he might have come up with in a later life, had he had one.
This poor survivor Cadillac reminds me of an old has-been punch-drunk boxer, missing teeth, listing a bit, weaker, sadder, perhaps, we hope, wiser, doggedly keeping on in the face of bitter adversity. I’ve always liked the ’67/68 models, perhaps because I had quite a few rides in our neighbor’s new charcoal and black ’68 Sedan DeVille, really a quite elegant and understated color combination that was perfection on the rather expressive ’67/68 body design. The black brocade cloth seats were superbly luxurious to sit on as you quietly and serenely wafted over the bumps and potholes of life on the turbulent streets of 1968 Baltimore. Those great memories survive to this day and recall these particular vintage Cadillac’s, though no longer at their peak perhaps, many enduring positive qualities. This tired and battered survivor demonstrates that, when it comes to US luxury cars of the ’60s, the beauty wasn’t necessarily skin-deep.
Randerson, thank you, and same to you! Revisiting Twilight Zone with the readership has made me want to dive back in and watch a bit more. How cool for you to have that connection with Serling by living in his hometown. I hadn’t realized he had passed on at such a young age before I had first-drafted this piece. He wasn’t that much older than my current age. He certainly left a lasting legacy and impact on the history of television here in the U.S.
I think the ’67 / ’68 body has the right amount of added character compared with the previous couple of model years, without looking overwrought. I’ve only appreciated them more and more as the years have passed.
You couldn’t get a factory vinyl roof on a Calais until the mid 70s. Automatic Level Control was not an option (but was on the Deville), so the rear springs had to be stiffer than those that had it. My grandmother’s low mileage ’72 Calais wasn’t nearly as smooth and quiet as my worn-out ’74 Fleetwood.
GM’s late 60s pillared sedans had significantly more rear seat room than the 4 door hardtops, but I don’t think the slight curves in the greenhouse work well with the sharp edges and creases of Proto-Art & Science. OTOH, the hardtops need a wider sail panel. What a caboose!
Ralph, yours are interesting points, and now I feel like I need to flip back and forth between pictures of the rooflines of the pillared and hardtop versions of these cars. Was there that significant of a difference in the curvature of the side glass / tumblehome? Wow. And then there’s the difference in rear seat room.
As a buyer, I’m pretty sure I would have gone for the pillarless hardtop look and feel. Granted, that’s pretty novel to someone in my age group who didn’t grow up with hardtops being the norm for many families.
The pillared greenhouses were both taller (1.4″ on the Electra) and longer, so the back seat was further back and possibly higher. It looks to me like all three C body sedans shared the same roof, which explains the lack of Cadillac creases; it’s hard to tell on the 4 dr hardtops, which were higher volume. I don’t recall a significant difference in the tumblehome, but the larger windows would make it feel roomier even with a pillar.
I remember my Dad saying the pillared ’68 Electra he bought had more rear legroom than the Sedan de Ville, despite its 3.5″ shorter wheelbase (thinner seat backs?), but the Cadillac turned more sharply, despite its longer wheelbase. His second choice was a Fury, but his father usually had a big Buick since 1918, so the more expensive Buick won–and we soon needed the extra room. Dad and Grandma were mortified to be seen in a ’37 Plymouth after the ’30 Buick was traded in. Neither Dad nor Grandpa would ever go for a Cadillac, but Grandma did as a widow and I do now, though hers were new and mine have all been
usedpre-owned.The New Year’s Eve Twilight Zone marathon is a fixture of my decidedly stay at home and maybe stay awake until the ball drops holiday festivities. Although this year, I opted for a DVD-based Godfather and Goodfellas marathon. The latter of which has several memorable scenes involving Cadillacs, albeit several years newer than your ’67.
Happy New Year to You!
Jeff, Happy New Year to you and yours. It has been great to read in the comments that there are other CC readers who are also fans of the Twilight Zone marathons. I have the original Godfather that I won as a white elephant gift, but it’s on VHS and I no longer have a VHS player. It may be a candidate for the local resale shop, as I don’t foresee purchasing another VHS player the way I still buy CDs.
“I suppose that part of this apparent optimism involves choice, thankfulness, and perspective. ”
*Very* well said Sir .
I remember occasionally watching the original Twilight Zone shows (! Billy Mummy !) it friends houses, we didn’t have a T.V. set then , a good thing I think .
I too loved the messages Mr. Sterling deftly put into each episode .
This car looks old and a bit tired, maybe not even in regular use judging by the dirty windows but it still has an immense presence just sitting there .
This year I fell out before midnight but I am also cautiously optimistic as 2022 wasn’t nearly as bad as the two previous years .
I had no idea the ScyFy channel had those re runs .
So far in 2023 my Mercedes’ engine exploded on the freeway and the water heater died, always something to keep one on their toes .
Keep up the good works .
-Nate
Nate, thank you for your good words, and I’m just glad you appear to have made it out okay after the Mercedes incident. As for the windows on the car, I hadn’t really gotten the sense they were dirty so much as full of condensation, which then made me wonder if it was a little musty inside the car. It’s possible.
I think Cadillac’s styling peaked with the 67, so taking it further being careful what you wish for with Cadillac chasing volume through the decontenting and badge engineering only to end up a Cimarron is a perfect twilight zone episode!
Seriously though, there’s something about the 67-68 Cadillac’s style that fits in so well with Chicago specifically, it matches the whole style and swagger of the city perfectly.
Matt, I like the parallel between this Cadillac’s swagger and that of Chicago. One thing I really love about this city is its no-nonsense attitude. This ’67 Cadillac does also seem to embody that.
Joe:
Great imagery, great narrative.
I think Rod Serling would have loved your article.
I know I certainly did.
Well Done!
Thank you, Carmine!
I have a 67 Calais, that has power seats and Windows,
And a rare mirror mounted map light.
I believe you could order any option you wanted on the 67s.
I love mine had it 30yrs,. And will Never part with it.
Wing Waxer from Ct.
Great article and pictures of the Caddy. My first car was a 1965 Cadillac Calais. It had power windows and nobody seemed to differentiate between it and a Coupe Deville. It was the same car anyway. That big powerful smooth 429 and that soft ride were the same. Everyone just called it ” the Caddy” . My dad forced me to sell it and I miss it to this day. .