1950 Cadillac Series 62

1950 was a banner year for Cadillac, as they finally surpassed Packard in sales and would go on to dominate the American luxury market for several generations. Along with styling, elegance, and luxury, the performance aspect of Cadillac was taken to new heights with Briggs Cunningham entering a new, stock-appearing 1950 Cadillac Coupe in the 24 Hours of Le Man's race in France and finishing 10th overall. It averaged 81.5 mph for the entire 24-hour event with top speeds of around 120 mph achieved on the Mulsanne Straight.

The entry-level 1950 Cadillac was the Series 61, which was offered as a four-door sedan or a club coupe. The Series 62 added a Coupe DeVille and the convertible coupe. The Series 62 was popular, accounting for over 57% percent of Cadillac's total 103,857 sales. The most popular body style in the Series 62 lineup was the sedan which found 41,890 willing buyers. 4,507 selected the Coupe DeVille and 6,986 purchased the convertible coupe. Power was from an overhead-valve V8 engine offering 160 horsepower and backed by a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. No manual transmissions were offered. The wheelbase measured 126 inches and drum brakes were placed at all four corners.

The 1950 Cadillac Series 61 and 62 received long rear decks, sweeping front fenders, a broke rear fender line, and lower and sleeker contours. In the front, the egg crate grille grew in size, and the hood extended farther out than in prior years. There were round parking lights, long tailfin rear fenders with imitation chrome air slots, and a one-piece windshield. Both the Series 61 and 62 lacked rocker panel moldings and quarter panel underscores. A distinguishable feature between the two was the presence of rear Ventipanes on the Series 62. They also had hydraulic window lifts and a Hydra-Matic transmission as standard equipment. The entry-level Series 61 rested on a slightly shorter wheelbase, while the better-equipped and trimmed Series 62 was given a full 126-inch wheelbase platform and additional chrome decoration along the length of the lower body.

The Coupe de Ville featured a new innovation introduced the previous year, the hardtop. The convertible was the only 'convertible' in Cadillac's model line-up that year. At a base price of $3,654, the convertible was the most expensive vehicle in the lineup apart from the Fleetwood. The convertible came with hydraulic windows and power steering as standard. The extensive options list included windscreen washers, a power front seat with under-seat heaters, a Wonderbar radio with a power antenna, whitewall tires, and chrome wheel discs.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020