Today’s gallery is devoted to Cadillac owners of the past. You’ll notice the proud stances and the satisfaction in their ownership. Their joy is often evident, though occasionally looking a bit uppity. All understandable; they were the content owners of a “Standard Of The World” product during its heyday.
I’ve no idea if all of these are owners, relatives, or visitors eager to pose next to one of “motordom’s masterpieces.” But other than that, feel free to roam around this exclusive set of vintage rides.
The Cadillac had real presence when it wasn’t a low riding fin sled. The idea of climbing down to get into a Cadillac shouldn’t be necessary. The early 1950 cars had the correct attitude in my opinion, but they lose it when they keep their driver and occupants sliding down into a finned land beast. Longer, lower and wider doesn’t present luxury, exclusivity and opulence to me. The older Cadillacs have that.
Being forced to share cowls and greenhouses with other, lesser GM products will do that to you…
Yabba dabba Yes! That lady in the heels, white loves, and veil sitting on an Eldorado Convertible.
She caught my eye too! Very stunning!
Notice , almost none of the houses in the various pics look like they’re big enough to hold two/three residences.
Contrast to the homes we drive by these days.
Most everyone was so well dressed. Certainly do not see that today.
People took pride in their appearance back then. They dressed like that to fly, too. It was a different time; one I wish I was alive to remember. At 63, I just missed that period! Always wished I was born about 1940 instead of 1960.
I like the first shot. Getting photo bombed by a Rambler.
A little Nash rambler was following me, his horn went beep beep beep……
The first picture is interesting with the Caddy’s antithesis, a 1960 Rambler approaching.
The first photo is my favorite. Photo bombed by a… Rambler.
Here’s one of a family in Suburbia. Bought used or new, they are ahppy iwth their Caddy.
You can be proud of your Cadillac and still show your fun side as illustrated with this (I think) 1951 model.
This is a delightful assortment to peek through. Not too hard to guess at likely year(s), but locales not so easy—though I’d love to to track them all down. I suppose the Baptist church in #1 offers the most “clue” of any of these.
On the African-American side of 1950s culture, JET magazine (18 Sept. 1952) has a great article, “Ladies in Cadillacs,” with several women of prominence pictured with their wheels (Google books has it):
George, this is especially interesting to me in that it coincides with the rebirth and growth in popularity of Count Basie’s band after some lean years that led to him disbanding in 1949. By 1952, Basie was back! Few things said success like a Cadillac for the Mrs.
Glad you liked it, JPC. Speaking of jazz, it’s fun also to see Mrs. Illinois Jacquet in that JET article (hubby also riding high in ’52) .
Or maybe this 1952 album cover showed that Mrs Basie’s Cadillac shot the budget that year. 🙂
What a set of fantastic pics. My favorite is the lady in pink sitting on the hood of the (greenish??) Caddy in what looks like a farm drive. That one takes me back because it reminds me of my personal family and farm.
At The Cold Springs Chalet, wherever this is I do not know, these gals are standing in fornt of a 1957 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.
Neat pictures! I like how the turquoise Cadillac matches the lodge’s trim.
This was in California, about 25 mi. east of Sonora. The Cold Springs Chalet opened in 1955, and burned to the ground in 1967.
Ahem! The Autronic Eye was introduced in 1952. Here is the ad for it. The ad shows a 1956 Olds, but the information gathered states “1952” for introduction.
as a little kid I was very interested in the thing on the dash that looked like a pistol. I just couldn’t imagine what it was for but I knew it had to be something exclusive because I only saw it on expensive cars.
In the lead photo, the license plate beginning with B says the car was originally registered in Pierce County, Washington–in and around Tacoma.
Perhaps unintended but these sorts of photos of people standing proudly in front of their objects put me in a contemplative mood. What strange creatures we are to confer such importance on inanimate disposable goods. Most of these cars are all gone now. So too the people they carried but they had the power to change the world. Yes I love cars, old ones too, but people matter more.
I so love those Dagmar Coupes ! .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvHn42XqQLA
The Mark Of Excellence .
-Nate
I love all these old color pictures. Different time and era; sure many people take pride in their rides as always, although back then it seemed at a heightened level if only because we weren’t the crass consumers we’ve been taught to become and your car was one of your few large possessions.
BTW, any idea on how I can stop the constant motion ads? They’re VERY distracting to someone who is easily distracted….
Growing up in the 1960’s all of these Cadillac models, except the ’48 were common sights on the streets. Early ’50’s through late ’60’s models were still well maintained and driven proudly by their owners. Cadillac still commanded a great deal of prestige, probably similar to how Packard was thought of in their prime. It is interesting to see the variations of Cadillac styling over a 15 year period.
Looking at the 56s, the front plate is mounted offset to the passenger side. My 56 60S front plate bracket mounts directly in front. It was originally delivered in Canada though even at that time Michigan (where it is now) had front plates.
I wonder if that was a factory item or a dealer accessory.
My Dad had several Cadillacs. The first one I recall was a 1963 Cadillac Series 62 convertible. This was his last one. A mid 1980s single cut Armbruster-Stageway on the smaller chassis. It was his retirement job.
I can’t help looking at the tires to see which cars were on OEM rubber and which were older and had been re-shod with a narrower whitewall than originally came on the car.
Not quite vintage, but from my wedding in 2020….Igor the 88 Brougham was a big part of it…
That’s a great wedding photo!
Visions of a lost era — when tens of millions more Americans than now aspired to own a Cadillac.
And when a Cadillac was worthy of aspiring to own.
This is so very Texas…me and my 1976 white Eldo convertible in Houston. Wonderful memories with that car.
What gorgeous automobiles, with bodies contoured like artwork. Of all of the Cadillacs pictured, my favorite is the Coupe shown in the first picture. Shares the same color scheme as our “56 Coupe Deville. These beauties turn heads where ever they are driven.
Man, how I love the beautiful cars from the mid-50s and the 60s. Cars were a work of art. If you look closely at the styling you can see the attention to detail that those cars have. I was born in Detroit in 1955, By 1960s they have a more sofistcated, space-look. Growing up in the 60s, I made a point knowing all the makes and models of all the Big Three brands. Every September when the new model years were released, I would ride my bike to all the dealers to check them all out. It was what I lived for. As the 60s turned into the 70s, the 73 oil crisis changed everything, somethings never returned to their normal life. Americans now were mostly interested in cars that got good gas mileage, which at the time meant they focused on imports from Germany and Japan. Detroit was building cars that the people wanted, and that didn’t include good gas mileage, nobody cared about good gas mileage, we didn’t have to, and now that we had too, that left Detroit out of the picture. It took years for Detroit and the American car buying public to adjust to the new priorities. It took more than 20 years to get over the new gas prices. But what I don’t understand is why all the beautiful styling had to go in order to get better gas mileage. I don’t see the connection. In any event, the Cadillac styling that was once was considered cutting edge, was now just large and boring.. I believe that with today’s technology and design capabilities we now have available we can now build iconic cars once again. The 50s and 60s creative styling was the envy of the global automotive industry. But now the Big Three have all adapted to the global automotive looks. That’s just wrong. Those of us that can remember the Golden Age of American cars are lucky. We remember the beautiful colors, the different two tone options that were available, including multiple interior colors and the miles of chrome, we now have to live with the limited colors that are just different variations of grey and black. Boring! And their are all just SUV’s. They tell us that SUVs are the replacement of our beloved station wagons, to that I say; No they aren’t! SUV’s are considered trucks, and as such, they aren’t included in the Federal restrictions that cars are.. I love our beautifully designed sedans and station wagons, with or without woodgrained
paneled sides, even though they make no sense, I’m a big fan of the woodys. I have a few favorite Cadillacs from the past. The 58s, the 65 and 66 model years, and the 72 and 73s are very good looking. Today’s cars make it hard to be a Gearhead. Come on, let’s see some of Detroit’s best looking designs returned. I think they would be just what we need. And that would help today’s youth something to become Gearheads over. If it weren’t for these online articles we wouldn’t be able to relive the glory of the those beautiful cars. At the time we all thought the current cars were just the beginning of what was to come. But that was not what happened, and the reason for that is that damn 73 oil crisis. It changed everything.
William ;
In the mid to late 1950’s there was an import boom that included British fuel sippers .
They sold like hot cakes until the buyers discovered that they had close to zero initial quality control and even at the dealers parts were hard to come by .
When you’re broke and buy a cheapo import to go back and forth to work, it becomes a bad purchase when a simple oil change takes three days waiting for the oil filter .
Plus Little British Cars (“L.B.C.s”) were never designed for the Autobahn nor the wide open U.S. roads, driving them consistently at 65 MPH (that was fast in 1959) chewed them up really quickly unlike the German cars .
The Japanese really started trying to sell in the USA in 1961, they quickly realized wheat the had to do to make a beachhead in the USA .
They began with under license British cars running gear and quickly made the simple and effective changes the Brits flat refused to consider .
The rest as they say, is history .
FWIW, it is possible to make an LBC into a reliable daily driver but few want to make the effort and why should they ? .
-Nate
I don’t know which was more appropriate
“You’ve arrived”
or
“You’ve made it”
Our “Bessy”
She’s glorious Mark .
-Nate
My first love affair with Cadillac was a local bankers 58 black Sixty Special, frequently seen as a kid in our 55 DeSoto. To me that 58 Sixty Special was the pinnacle of OTT excessive chromed luxury. Much more elegant than fabled 59s. Among my numerous luxury vehicles were an 89 Fleetwood Brougham deElegance with plush velvet interior 🏆 and 93 Brougham. The 89 was overall much more in the image of The Standard of the WORLD. So sad to see what now wears the Cadillac name. Glorified trucks 🤮.
About 20 years ago, when I was living in Seattle, I came across a 56 Sedan de Ville for sale that was the spitting image of the one in the lead pic. Besides being a first year SdV, it had been special ordered with the full leather convertible interior in red. Even the data plate showed “SPEC” for Trim. The interior on the lead photo is too dark to tell if it was the same car, but the steering wheel looks white. If my memory serves, the one in the car for sale was red.
Given that others have pointed out that the lead photo car appears to have been from Tacoma, I’ll let my imagination say that maybe it IS the same car.
In any event, I went to go check it out, but despite desperately wishing I could buy it, I just couldn’t scrounge the money at the time. Still think about the missed opportunity from time to time. What a unique car.
Yep cadillac made some nice vehicles