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classiccarslovers on Monday, August 22, 2011
Depending on your taste -- and maybe age -- the 1959 Cadillac Series 62's soaring tailfins are either the literal height of period excess or a campy icon for Happy Days exuberance. The result of a crash General Motors redesign effort prompted by Chrysler Corporation's '57 "Forward Look," the '59 Cadillac was almost as radical as that year's "bat-wing" Chevrolet, though the towering fins and bomb-shape taillamps were nicely balanced by lower-slung bodies with tapered lines. There were also worthwhile technical improvements, headlined by a larger 390-cubic-inch V-8 (up from 365) with 325 standard horsepower and a rousing 345 in Eldorados.
The 1959 Cadillac Series 62's distinctive tailfins defined an automotive era.
The Eldo convertible remained queen of the line at $7401, but the less glittery $5455 Series 62 version was no less arresting. It was certainly more numerous, with a record 11,130 built versus just 1320 ragtop Eldos. Today, all '59 Cadillacs are firmly enshrined as emblems of their era, thanks to those fins -- and the fact that Cadillacs would never look so wild again.
The 1959 Cadillac Series 62 are prized by collectors for their unique styling.
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classiccarslovers on Sunday, August 21, 2011
It seemed Cadillac could do no wrong in the mid-'50s -- each year's cars carefully planned to build on the appeal of previous models, as with the 1955 Cadillac Series 62. Take 1955. The '54 Caddys had been fully restyled to look more contemporary yet still unmistakably Cadillac. Because size was everything, wheelbases stretched three inches across the board, out to 129 on the volume Series 62. A deft facelift made this package even more attractive for '55, highlighted by a smoother hood, broader grille, and artfully revised exterior trim.
The 1955 Cadillac Series 62 offered stylish improvements over the previous year.
Cadillac's 331-cubic-inch V-8 was still state of the engine art, and retuning added 20 horsepower for '54. Higher compression and improved breathing yielded 30 more for '55 -- 250 in all except for the plush Eldorado convertible, which had moved from 1953 limited edition to regular-model status; it boasted an exclusive 270-bhp V-8.
Besides a consistent product formula, close attention to customer tastes fueled much of Cadillac's success in these years. For example, the division responded to buyer preference in transmissions by standardizing self-shift Hydra-Matic for all its '55s. Cadillac had obviously gauged the market well, as sales of the 62 convertible, for instance, jumped by 1840 units to 8150.
The 1955 Cadillac Series 62 gave its customers exactly the features they wanted.
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