1951 Cadillac Series 75 Imperial Sedan

Cadillac has a history of excellence, and the 1950s helped secure its permanence as the de facto luxury brand of North American automobiles. They entered the post-War era with refreshed exteriors and engineering innovations. One such example is this uncommon 1951 Cadillac Fleetwood eight-passenger limousine, the result of the Series 75 subtle reworking under the guise of Harley Earl's associate Franklin Q. Hershey.

As was common throughout much of history, the limousine body styles were reserved for the titans of industry and commerce, the political, the most famous, and in some cases like organized crime, even the infamous.

This example is one of just 1,085 eight-passenger Imperial Sedans produced that year. The Fleetwood nameplate was the pinnacle of Cadillac market branding, denoting the very highest levels of sophistication and elegance.

This Series 75 Limousine features the original interior complete with the glass divider panel, jump seats, power windows, air conditioning, and even a clock in the rear passenger compartment. It rides on a 147-inch wheelbase Series 75 body and it has the hint of fins that would later dictate industry-wide change as the decade continued. There are broad-sided, well-blended sheet-metal cues augmented by the goddess hood mascot, chrome accenting, bullet-shaped bumper guards, optional fog lamps, and tinted glass. Power is supplied from an overhead valve 331 cubic-inch V8 engine mated to a Hydra-Matic transmission. It rides on wide whitewall tires mounted on steel wheels accessorized with chrome wheel discs. There is an upgraded stereo, zoned air conditioning, factory power windows, power steering, and a clock in the rear passenger compartment.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017