1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
Of all the automobiles designed during the “Jet Age,” perhaps none were as extreme in looks as the 1959 Cadillac. GM Design Chief Harley Earl was enamored with jet aircraft, and his influence was clearly evidenced by the car’s astonishing attributes: giant tail fins rising 42 inches off the ground; massive chrome bumpers; dual bullet tail lights; and dashboards looking as if they were borrowed from a jet fighter.
The term “Wretched Excess” was coined to describe cars in the late 1950s, and the 1959 Cadillac, with its 20-foot-long, low slung profile was the most wretchedly excessive of them all. It exhibited the kind of material excess to which most Americans aspired and represented the collective prosperity felt by the nation after World War II.
This 1959 Cadillac Series 62 convertible is finished in black over a black and white leather interior and powered by a numbers-matching 390ci V8 paired with a four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.
Each Cadillac model featured an overall length of 225″ for 1959. The 15″ steel wheels on this example wear chrome covers and wide-whitewall radial tires. Power-assisted front disc brakes and a dual-reservoir master cylinder were added under previous ownership, reportedly while retaining the factory wheel spindles and A-arms. The car was equipped with power steering from the factory.
The cabin was reupholstered in its factory black and white leather (20) under previous ownership and features a color-keyed dash, door panels, steering wheel, carpets, and rubber floor mats. Power windows, and a six-way power-adjustable front bench seat were standard features on Series 62 convertibles.
Long, low, and sleek…with an elegance all their own – the formidable “Standard of the World” ruled the road. Cadillac had them all running scared by introducing technology and advanced automotive design. As a luxury car, it was complete; its poised dignity was not an afterthought. Power, performance, and presence were the true hallmarks of the brand. Whatever one sought in a luxury car…Cadillac could provide. Luxury and elegance makes another cameo appearance…in the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns.”
