Cadillac is King

By: Steve Nally, Photography by: Coventry Studios

Date: 06.03.2024

Big, bold and borderline outrageous, Cadillac's golden era convertibles are optimism on wheels

Cadillac is King

Cadillac began making convertibles in 1916 but demand for drop-tops really surged after World War II and in 1953 the low-volume, range-topping Series 62 Eldorado was launched. Production continued until April 1976 when General Motors announced that Convertibles would be dropped due to falling sales and tighter safety regulations.

Originally only slated for a run of 200 identical vehicles, orders for ‘the last Eldorado convertible’ went through the ragtop and 14,000 were sold, almost double normal sales figures. Cadillac flirted with convertibles again in 1984 with a limited edition Eldorado and in 2009 released the short-lived XLR.

But neither of these half-hearted efforts had the impact of Cadillac’s greatest era of top-down motoring. From 1957 to 1960, Cadillac convertibles were the gold standard in American automobile luxury and elegance.

Long, low, glamorous and outrageously expensive, they were the ultimate four-wheeled status symbol for everyone from captains of industry to film stars. A glistening Cadillac convertible in your driveway announced to the neighbourhood that you had made it. And hair-in-the-air pose value was priceless.

This was the fabulous ‘fins era’, when Cadillac design was influenced more by machines that flew than rolled on the interstates. The Jet Age had arrived and while Boeing’s 707 airliner made international travel available to the masses, not just the rich, the rich could also cruise at ground level in a car that was billed as the American Rolls-Royce.

It was also the dawn of the Space Age when the United States would become a moon-bound technological powerhouse and, fittingly, the 1957-60 Convertibles were loaded with all the technical mod-cons of the day.

The optimism of this period in USA history would not last, just like Cadillac convertibles, which makes Bob Bond’s fleet so important. It is a time capsule of engineering, styling and design that will not be repeated. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers scoured South America in vain for El Dorado, the mythical lost city of old; Bob has gold in his shed.

1957 CADILLAC

The fifth generation Series 62 was manufactured between 1957 and ’58, and Cadillac maintained two-year model generation cycles until 1960. Legendary GM stylist Harley Earl gave the ’57 a makeover, most notably at the rear of the car where new, slightly larger tail fins hinted at what was to come. 

Rocket era styling is by Harley Earl.

"My ’57 is a Series 62," notes Bob Bond. "There are two convertible models: The 62, which has all the Coupe de Ville upgrades like electric windows and electric seats, and the top-of-the-range Eldorado Biarritz.

"This was the real start of the fin era. The ’57 has a subtle fin, but they got more exaggerated in the ’58. Back then Chrysler, Ford and GM were all on a market-share chase and made styling changes to try to gain more sales. Dodge killed them in ’57 with the ‘Forward Look’ with a lower roofline and torsion-bar front suspension, but Cadillac was still the pinnacle car.

"If you had plenty of money you had to have a Cadillac, it was to America what Rolls-Royce was to England. In 1957, the stainless-steel roofed Eldorado Brougham was US$13,000 new and apparently they lost US$10,000 on every car, but Cadillac was able to say we can build the best car in the world."

Bob’s ’57 was his first Cadillac and when it arrived, it was not as advertised. "I bought out of Queensland, it was supposed to be a nice car but it wasn’t that flash," he says ruefully. "So many things were wrong: The brake pedal went to the floor, the windows and hydraulics wouldn’t work and the paint was terrible.

"I spent a lot of money and time on it. It’s got a new interior, the boot has been recarpeted, I rechromed the front bumper and the back bumper could probably do with it too. We had it blocked back and polished and now it looks pretty good. It’s not quite there, but it’s a pretty nice car and drives quite well.

Big engine for a big car.

"We’ll probably sell it to someone and they can finish it off. It doesn’t need much, a few new rubbers in the roof, the fuel gauge needs fixing; just minor things. It’d be a good cheap car for someone and you can’t buy them."

Bob has some buying advice for prospective Cadillac owners. "I’ve bought a lot of cars out of America and every one has been good, but always check out the seller as much as you check out the car." 

VITAL STATS

1957 CADILLAC SERIES SIXTY-TWO CONVERTIBLE

Body: Steel X-frame two-door convertible

Engine: 365ci V8

Power: 220kW (300hp) at 4800rpm

Torque: 542Nm at 3200rpm

Performance: 0-100km/h: 12.0 seconds 0-400m: 19.0 seconds

Gearbox: 3-speed Hydra-Matic

Suspension: Independent, coil springs (f); Semi-floating live axle, leaf springs (r)

Brakes: Power-assisted drums F&R

Wheels: 15-inch

Price when new: USD$6500-7500

1958 CADILLAC

Bob’s jet black beauty was the final iteration of the fifth generation Series 62, and again the tail fins grew taller and sharper but the most obvious styling change in 1958 was the introduction of twin headlights, a controversial decision as they were illegal at the time in some USA states!

"Mine’s an entry-level model, not a Biarritz," Bob says. "Series 62s are becoming more popular because there are more available, you can’t buy a Biarritz and they’re around USD$150,000 if you can find one. Series 62 prices are starting to overtake Biarritz’s; a ’58 is getting $200-225,000 in the USA now. They used to be nowhere near that money." 

The ‘fin race’ between manufacturers was in full swing by now, Bob says. "Cadillac started it, they had tiny fins from the early 1950s, based on the twin tails of the WWII Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter. Then (Chrysler designer) Virgil Exner took it to a whole different level with the Forward Look, but by 1960 fins were almost over."

Period Continental kit does not ruin the classy lines, but adds significant length to this monster.

Bob admits to being a Chrysler man first and foremost, and he has a formidable collection. He agrees that Chrysler styling was more aggressive than Cadillac’s which was aimed at a more well-heeled and, ahem, sophisticated buyer, as magazine ads of the era depicted. In many of those ads, Cadillac drivers always seemed to be dressed in tuxedos and ballgowns.

"Cadillac had to have a point of difference and that was the class thing," he says. "They had a quality Fisher-built car. Fisher bodies were killer right back to the ’40s, they built a quality car. Even though Chrysler gave them a real shake up in the late ’50s, Cadillac maintained their quality edge." 

Yearly model changes not only allowed Cadillac to stay ahead in the styling wars but also to improve their cars in all areas, Bob reckons.

"By the time you get to the second one (in a generation) they’d refined it, made it look a bit better and ironed out bugs that might have been in the first design. The last model was always the better car."

Styling changes on the ’58 make it look longer and lower than the ’57 to the untrained eye, but not to Bob’s practised gaze.

"I don’t think it is much longer, maybe about a foot," he estimates. "It looks lower but it’s actually not, it’s probably the same height. If you compare a ’59 and a ’60 Cadillac, they’re almost identical except for the fins and slight grille differences, but basically they’re the same length. They couldn’t totally re-engineer the car every year with such a quick model change around, so it was mostly cosmetic and detail changes. By the time they built the last one before a model change it was the best car they made." And the best American-made car. 

Simple yet elegant.

VITAL STATS

1958 CADILLAC SERIES SIXTY-TWO CONVERTIBLE

Body: Steel X-frame two-door convertible

Engine: 365ci V8

Power: 230kW (310hp) at 4800rpm

Torque: 542Nm at 3200rpm

Performance: 0-100km/h: 12.0 seconds 0-400m: 19.0 seconds

Gearbox: 3-speed Hydra-Matic

Suspension: Independent, coil springs (f); Semi-floating live axle, leaf springs (r) (Air suspension optional)

Brakes: Power-assisted drums F&R

Wheels: 15-inch

Price when new: USD$6500-7500

Bob’s ’58 is absolutely immaculate.

1959 CADILLAC

The sixth generation 1959 Convertible got a whole new look penned by a new stylist, Chuck Jordan, to counter the popular futuristic and less fussy designs of Virgil Exner at Chrysler.

The fact that Chrysler’s 300-C was also the most powerful American car at the time wasn’t lost on GM executives either. Cadillac needed to up its styling and power game and with the ’59 it did just that, creating an instant classic. It was the pinnacle of Cadillac’s fin era, at least in terms of fin size.

Lower, longer and wider with remodelled fins, eye-catching dual ‘bullet’ tail-lights and stunning new grilles front and rear, it came with a long list of standard equipment including six-way powered seats, remote-control deck lid, air suspension and a bigger donk under that long, long bonnet. The new 6.4-litre V8 (up from 6.0 litres in previous models) lifted power to 257kW, depending on variant. 

"The ’59 was the top of the tree regarding fins," Bob smiles. "The 1959 Series 62 and the Eldorado Biarritz look identical, they just have different side styling mouldings and different trim levels inside. The ’59 has this beautiful sleek moulding down the side, running into a more refined rear bumper.

The car that non-car people even recognise.

"The fins were the selling point, that’s what everybody likes about a ’59. GM saw what Chrysler was doing and said we’ll build the biggest fins out there and, bang! Cop that! They did!

"It’s a beautiful looking car at the back, although I always thought whoever designed the rear of the ’59 didn’t design the front. The ’58 is probably a more integrated package, whereas the ’59 rear bumper is quite heavy-looking when you compare it to the front bumper."

Styling quirks aside, Bob’s ’59 is a stunner from any angle and needed very little tweaking. "It was just about pin perfect, a lovely car," Bob smiles. "I’ve had all the seats out, put in all-new roof hydraulics, the seats are like they’ve just come out of the showroom, the floors are absolutely perfect and there’s no rust in the car at all.

"The guy I bought it from purchased it in 1997 when he was 83 years old! I don’t know where it came from but it didn’t rain much there. He paid $49,000 for it and fixed up some trim, fitted a new roof and tyres, and had the car repainted because one guard didn’t match. It hadn’t been driven for 10 years when I got it, it had been sitting in a shed. It’s dead straight, completely original inside, original carpets, original floors … I’ve basically done nothing to it, it’s absolutely beautiful.

"I was offered $200,000 for it a couple of years ago and the bloke was on the phone again today and said to let him know when I’m ready to sell. In the States they are bringing USD$150-175,000." Yes, 1959 was a very good year. 

VITAL STATS 

1959 CADILLAC SERIES SIXTY-TWO CONVERTIBLE

Body: Steel X-frame two-door convertible

Engine: 390ci V8

Power: 242kW (325hp) at 4800rpm

Torque: 583Nm at 3100rpm

Performance: 0-100km/h: 12.0 seconds 0-400m: 19.0 seconds

Gearbox: 3-speed Hydra-Matic

Suspension: Independent, coil springs (f); Semi-floating live axle, leaf springs (r) (Air suspension optional)

Brakes: Power-assisted drums F&R

Wheels: 15-inch

Price when new: USD$6500-7500

1960 CADILLAC

After Cadillac’s belated attempt to take on Virgil Exner’s Forward Look Chryslers with its wild 1959 convertible, many, including GM designers, dealers and buyers thought they may have gone too far, that the ’59 was a little too over the top. So, restraint was the order of the day to stylists as they went back to the drawing board and hustled to create a design for 1960 that was cleaner, sleeker and more dynamic than ever before.

And they succeeded. Gone were the bullet tail-lights, replaced by thin integrated lamps, the grille was simplified and, most dramatically, the fins were lowered and massaged into a more streamlined shape with a single stainless-steel styling strip running from behind the front wheels to the rear bumper. 

This a car that any Mad Men Madison Avenue advertising executive would feel right at home cruising Manhattan in, it oozes style, class and ambition. 

And it’s Bob’s favourite.

"It’s neater, it’s more contained," he says. "The fins are smaller, it’s just more elegant all ’round. I bought it from a guy in New South Wales, it was in the Cadillac Car Club. His health had gone and he hadn’t driven it for two years and had to sell it, so I grabbed it." It’s also a car that needed virtually no TLC.

"The 1960 is my favourite," Bob smiles. "It’s one of the best American cars I’ve ever driven, it just does nothing wrong. It drives perfectly, it rides like a dream, it doesn’t shake or squeak and it sits dead flat on the road. It’s a pleasure to drive. It’s got electronic ignition, air shockers on the back, it’s never been hit, it’s never been played with, and the paint is original."

When you arrive at Bob’s property you drive down a winding bitumen road that turns into a dirt track before you get to his house and the sheds housing his collection. Dirt and highly collectible cars, what was he thinking?

"I didn’t have enough money to go all the way," he laughs. Sell a Caddy, we joke. Regrettably Bob doesn’t get to drive his convertible fleet as much as he’d like. When will he stop collecting cars, when is enough, enough?

"I’ll stop when I’m dead I suppose," he shrugs. "I enjoy the cars and while you’re still able to do that stuff, you might as well do it. What are you going to do, sit in front of the TV and do nothing? You won’t last long doing that, your brain’s got to keep active. And you’ve got to keep physically active. These things will keep you physically active, just cleaning the buggers!

"I like cars, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like them." 

Bob may not be a NYC Madison Avenue advertising executive but we reckon he qualifies as a Mad Men cast member, in the nicest possible way, of course. 

VITAL STATS

1960 CADILLAC SERIES SIXTY-TWO CONVERTIBLE

Body: Steel X-frame two-door convertible

Engine: 390ci V8

Power: 242kW (325hp) at 4800rpm

Torque: 583Nm at 3100rpm

Performance: 0-100km/h: 12.0 seconds 0-400m: 19.0 seconds

Gearbox: 3-speed Hydra-Matic

Suspension: Independent, coil springs (f); Semi-floating live axle, leaf springs (r) (Air suspension optional)

Brakes: Power-assisted drums F&R

Wheels: 15-inch

Price when new: USD$6500-7500

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