1953 Cadillac Series 62

A principal feature at the New York Motor Show, the 'Golden One' was Cadillac's most expensive model at $7,750. The Eldorado Special Sport Convertible Coupe model is bristled with options, including factory air-conditioning, an 'Auronic Eye' for controlling the headlamps, unique Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels, and signal-seeking radio.

GM enticed buyers with bold new designs that were led by their exciting Motorama cars. These cars were futuristic and gave hints at the direction of the automobile. The Eldorado of 1953 was based on a show car from the prior year. It featured a convertible top, a wraparound windshield, mostly covered rear wheels, and a custom interior. This was the first American production car to have a wrap-around windshield and visored dashboard. It shared its cut-down doors with another limited-production GM special of this year, the inaugural Buick Skylark.

The car cost $7,750, which was nearly double the price of a coupe. With only 532 examples created, it was a very exclusive automobile and rare by modern standards.

Under the hood of the Eldorado was a Cadillac overhead valve 331 cubic-inch V8 engine. The engine was introduced in 1949 and was attractive for many reasons - it was powerful and lightweight. As the years progressed, horsepower increased, and by 1953 it had risen to 210.

Along with the Eldorado Special, the Series 62 line included a sedan, coupe, coupe DeVille and Convertible Coupe. The most popular was priced at $3,670 and 47,318 examples were built. Both the Coupe and Coupe DeVille had similar sales figures (priced at $3,570 and $3,995, respectively) with 14,550 of the Coupe DeVille and 14,353 of the Coupe. The convertible coupe was the most expensive (excluding the Eldorado) priced at $4,145 and 8,367 built.

The Series 62 rested on a 126-in wheelbase, the Series 60 Special Fleetwood (priced at $4,300 for the sedan) had a 130-inch platform, while the range-topping Series 75 (priced in excess of $5,600) used a 146.75-inch platform. All 1953 Cadillacs were powered by the 331 CID V8 with overhead valves, a cast-iron block, five main bearings, 8.25:1 compression, and delivered 210 horsepower at 4,150 RPM.

Styling updates applied to the Series 62 included 'eyebrow' type headlamp doors in chrome, one-piece rear windows devoid of division bars, wheel discs with a new dished design, and a redesigned grille with integrated bumper and bumper guards. The parking lamps were moved to under the headlamps, and the rear non-louvered fenders continued to form tailfins. Bright chrome highlighted the lower portion of the car, and the hood and deck lid carried a Cadillac crest and V-shaped ornamentation.

Standard equipment included a dual-range Hydra-Matic drive transmission, glare-proof mirrors, a self-winding clock, and direction signal indicators. The convertible and Coupe De Ville body styles came with hydraulic window lifts.

A fire broke out at the Hydra-Matic transmission factory in Livonia, Michigan on August 12th, and production would not resume until September 8th. During this time, Cadillac fitted approximately 28,000 vehicles with the Buick Dynaflow transmission.

The Series 62 remained very popular, accounting for approximately seventy-eight percent of Cadillac's total 1953 production.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019