The local repair shop has quite a few old beauties parked out front…
1960 Cadillac
The story begins as I’m driving down the street, and I see these two sharp points sticking up–Oh, yes–I remember those! It’s a 1960 Cadillac, something of a familiar sight when I was a little kid. It’s a car not often seen today (outside of a car show). But what a spectacular design! I know it gets overshadowed by the even more radical ’59, but still–it’s kind of hard to believe that the automakers had the audacity to produce something like this! In 1960, this “rocket ship” was the height of modernity and style!
The paint appears to be original, slightly patina’d on the roof. I’m guessing it’s Platinum Gray Iridescent, a color not usually seen on these.
It reminded me of the roof color of my former ’58 Cadillac which was Cheviot Gray over Prestwick Gray, another unusual selection.
And there’s that familiar face–unmistakably Cadillac!
Story is, somebody showed Harley Earl a grille proposal with these little bullets sticking out. Earl became wildly enthusiastic and insisted that this new design be immediately incorporated on the new 1958 Cadillacs! The grille bullets became a Cadillac styling hallmark for several model years.
I’m using words like “radical” and “rocket ship” to describe this car, but if you compare it to what competitors Lincoln and Imperial were offering in 1960, this Cadillac is, dare I say, quite “minimalist”!
Last inspected in 2000 (expiring in September 2001).
What else have we got? How about a 1949 Kaiser sedan! Believe it or not, THIS was the height of modernity when it was introduced in 1947, with its “envelope” styling (no separate fenders)–one of the first postwar cars to make this sleek breakthrough. However, seen next to the ’60 Cadillac, this car looks stubby, plain, and rather stodgy. The concept of modernity moved fast in the 1950s!
The Kaiser was wedged up against another car, so this is my best grille shot. That’s quite a hood ornament on top!
“Caribbean Coral” is not a model name, but the name of the original color the car was painted at the factory! What do you do if you want to paint your car a different color?
One reason to buy a Kaiser or Frazer instead of something from the “Big Three” is the extra-large trunk (for its time). The license plate suggests the car is a Frazer, but it’s really a Kaiser.
Another reason to buy Kaiser-Frazer is the beautiful upholstery, dashboard, and steering wheel.
Rapid automotive progress in the ’50s was not limited to styling alone. Driving that ’49 Kaiser would be a vastly different experience from driving a ’60 Cadillac. The Kaiser: Think heavy, slow steering and “reluctant” handling; a stiff brake pedal; a balky, unrefined 3-speed manual transmission with a really low “granny” 1st gear; and limited visibility through rather small windows. With its Continental 6 cylinder engine, 0 to 60 was probably around 22 seconds.
By contrast, the ’60 Cadillac would drive and handle with silken ease with its power steering, power brakes, and smooth 4-speed Hydra-Matic transmission. Because of the lower center of gravity, ball joints, and full coil suspension, you would glide along on fluffy clouds, as it were, taking curves and corners without effort. Visibility through the panoramic windshield was outstanding. Acceleration to 60 (with Cadillac’s high-compression 390 cubic inch V8) would probably take half the time.
As a matter of fact, if you went to a Cadillac dealer in 1960 and wanted to trade a ’49 Kaiser for a new Cadillac, I doubt they’d give you anything for it, even if it was in good shape. The Kaiser, being an 11-year-old “orphan”, probably was worth only about $100 retail (if that), despite its postwar styling, lush interior, and fancy hood ornament. So as soon as something on it breaks, into the scrap pile it goes!
Well, that’s all I have for today. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice other Curbside Classics in these photos, but I decided to concentrate on these two. Hey, I can’t do everything!
See also:
“–it’s kind of hard to believe that the automakers had the audacity to produce something like this! “
I know how you feel. I felt the same way when the 1959 Chevrolets were first revealed in late 1958. These Chevys was too much for my 15 year old brain. Horizontal fins? There’s no where to proceed further from this!
One of the “Popular” magazines – Mechanics or Science – (or was it Mad Magazine) predicted that vertical fins would become so big they would need to have windows built into them to aid in visibility.
Despite the relatively calm post war USA political years of Ike and Dick, we were on the verge of chaos, hippies, war, the draft, and assassinations, all of which made the outrageous car designs of the late 1950s a kind of innocent entertainment in retrospect.
There is a lot of goodness in that parking lot, but I will stick to the two here. On the 60 Cadillac, I have mixed feelings. It is far cleaner than the 59, but has a bit of blobbiness to it (for lack of a better word). It is kind of melty and droopy in my eyes. But I still think I like it better than the 59. I still remember as a kid noticing the difference between the 60 Cad’s over/under round lights while the 61s were side to side.
The Kaiser – what a scrumptious interior! I have been staring at that body design for several minutes and still don’t know what to make of it. It is funny that the first and last new postwar designs looked so alike (47 Kaiser, 49 Chrysler products that came part way through the model year). The Kaiser was certainly modern for its time, but has some awkward details – the C pillar shape that seems overly thick, is one of them.
My fave Caddy (other than the 59-60s made in Italy) was the 1961s.
I don’t know what to make of the Kaiser either.
I think the main problem is the amount of crown in the roof panel; it makes the windows look small. But if the windows were enlarged upward to take out some of the effect of the crown, they’d be too large. In short, it neeeds a flatter roof panel, and that’s for starters…
While basically a more modern design than the 1947 Studebaker or the 1949 Chrysler products the Kaiser design is also lacking in any dynamism or tension. They pretty quickly went to a completely new, unusual and arty design in 1951. The 1949 Fords were also very simple and lacking in any kind of reference to fenders but managed to add enough flair to make it work. And it still does.
Hats were still common at that time for men (and women)…perhaps the extra height was to accommodate them at least for those with long torsos.
My Grandfather bought a new ’51 Chrysler Windsor which looked quite a bit like this Kaiser. It was his first (and only) car. He owned a mom/pop grocery store that had a walk-up clientele (almost no parking nearby) and though some delivery trucks would park halfway up on the sidewalk to stock the store, there were some that didn’t so the Windsor was also used for that too. Both my grandfathers wore hats well into the 60’s, as actually did I (at least on Sunday). I remember my Grandfather even having to be persuaded to wear shorts instead of long pants even when he was on vacation and though the weather was extremely hot..but he still wore hats well into the 60’s. I think people tended to be more formal then in general…my Grandmother addressed her neighbors (about her age) as “Mr. xxx” or “Mrs. xxx” rather than by their first name, even though she was well acquainted with them…and I think how people dressed more formally (most of the time, at least when they went out of their homes) was part of that.
Wonder if the much shorter headroom on cars in the 60’s was at least part of the reason you started seeing fewer people wearing hats around that time?
I thought I saw a Tucker in that scrap car pile for a second, but no.
The Kaiser interior and dash look like similar vintage Chryslers ~ glorious .
-Nate
What a terrific find! I’d love to stumble upon a lot/service center with cars like that. Often on my way home from work (when I take the scenic/long way), I drive past a small shop that specializes in Mercedes Benz (I’m in the southern California area, so most of these shops do the imports). I always think that I will stop there some day just to snoop, but never do.
For some reason, I’m not a huge fan of the fins. My favorite cars from the 50/60’s would be the 65/66 DeVille. Love those long and razor sharp lines.
The most radical bits on the Cadillac are the A and C pillars.
Yes. The roof has pretty much no support! Be sure not to roll it.
Cadillac probably spent more money and labor on their grills than they did on the cast-iron OHV V-8 it sits in front of. Probably weighs about the same as well. Wasteful indulgence or glorious extravagance?
That dealership looks terrific to me, as does the Cadillac grille.
Guess what. The Sherman Oaks Cadillac dealership today:
Beautiful photos, and informative biographical information. Thank you!
The Kaiser is such a clean design inside, and out. Deserved to succeed.
Your former Cadillac is gorgeous. Great colour combination.
When I used to walk to school (fifth grade) in the mid 1960’s I walked past a 1960 six window and a 1959 flat top Cadillac sedan parked at the curb. Some days I’d just run my finger along the chrome trim that edged those incredible fins. Other times I would spend a few minutes admiring the fancy cloth upholstery and chrome interior.
No wonder I became a Cadillac fan and later owned several vintage models. I’ve been without a Caddy now for years, but I see an XTS in my near future.
I admire Kaiser for their forward thinking, they even considered FWD, but were they dull! Even a ’50 Chevy Bel Air had more pizazz.
How would you like to get impaled on that hood ornament? Makes today’s pick-up trucks look pedestrian friendly in comparison.
I like the simplicity of the pontoon styling, but somehow the side window treatment looks awkward on these. The roof somehow looks fat and out of proportion.