1961 Cadillac Coupe DeVille: Reader ride
Susanna Vitikainen's 1961 Cadillac Coupe DeVille...
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Reader's ride: 1961 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
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Susanna Vitikainen's 1961 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
When my father passed away I inherited his Cadillac and a 1956 Buick Special from his collection in Finland, where I was born. My father always had a fascination with American cars, especially older ones. In 1986, he and my younger brother travelled to the US and came across this car in California and shipped it and a lot of other cars home to Finland.
It was a one-owner car and only has 44,000 miles on it. In the last 25-30 years it’s only been used a half a dozen times for weddings in Finland; it’s basically been untouched for 15 years. It was really the wrong car for Finland where we have really long winters and narrow roads; the Australian climate is much more suitable.
When dad passed away I thought I would sell the two cars but Europe was in recession at the time and there was no market for cars like these and my sons asked if we could ship them to Australia and keep them in the family. My father and brother used to rally cars in Finland and I never really had the same passion for cars but I do love the Cadillac. It’s old and it has its own personality and you have to drive it like it’s an old lady, although I still haven’t driven it yet. All the guys in my family tell me it’s too hard! I just let my sons drive me in it because they absolutely love it.
The car was so dear to my father and I have an emotional connection to it; it always makes me happy when I see it. It has not been modified or restored and has the 6.4-litre V8, auto trans, air-conditioning, white leather interior and everything is electric. I have an agreement with my son Sebastian that the car will be his one day; he fell in love with it when he was five years old. He’s a car person like my father.
*****
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