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1973 Cadillac Seventy-Five

The Cadillac Series 75 was a large and luxurious automobile with body styles typically reserved for commercial applications such as Limousines and Hearses. The 1973 Cadillac Series 75 had a wheelbase that ranged from 151.5- to 157.5 inches and had an overall length of 251 inches. The factory price for the six-passenger sedan began at $11,950 and the limousine began at just over $12,000. These were the most expensive automobiles in the 1973 Cadillac lineup, nearly twice the price of Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham. Power was from an overhead-valve, 500 cubic-inch V8 engine that had five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, and delivered 365 horsepower at 4,400 RPM.

Design elements of the Series 75 included thin, horizontal bodyside moldings, front fender nameplates, low-cut, extra-large rounded corner side window treatments, and large 'coach' windows cut into the rear roof pillars. There was Fleetwood-style laurel wreath badge ornamentation, carpeted footrests, fixed ratio power steering, right-hand outside rearview mirrors operated by remote control, bumper impact strips, Automatic Climate Control, and rear seat window defogger. Options included a heavy-duty cooling system, cruise control, controlled differential, eighty-amp generator, Automatic Level control, remote control trunk lock, and a theft-deterrent system.

The total 4,272 examples of the Series 75 built in 1973 accounted for just over 1 percent of Cadillac's total production. Cadillac had considered removing the Series 75 from its lineup as far back as 1948 due to its low production numbers, but the luxury class market dictated the retention of these exclusive models, especially for commercial purposes.

by Dan Vaughan

Limousine

This car was originally leased by General Motors to the White House Motor Pool for the sum of $1 per month. It was used exclusively as transportation for First lady Patricia Nixon. Following the resignation of President Nixon, it was assigned to the Secretary of HUD. Upon the lease expiration, the car was returned to Capital Cadillac in Washington, D.C., where it was sold to its current owner. This factory-built limousine has a special locking feature that deleted the standard power door locks to limit access from the outside to the rear seating area. When locked, the Secret Service used a special key to open the rear doors. Additional chrome trim was added to the hood to identify this car from the air.

The Cadillac Series 75 was the marque's flagship V8 from 1936 onwards, though the lower-priced series easily outsold it. Production of the full-size V8 powered Cadillac's would continue from the 1930s through the 1950s. It served as a replacement for the outgoing 355-D and was introduced around the same time as the less-expensive Series 60 model. Outwardly, the Series 80, including the 85, were similar in appearance with the main difference being underhood. The Series 80/85 featured a V12 engine while the Series 70/75 had a V8. The V8 produced 135 horsepower while the V12's output was 150 hp.

In 1941, the short wheelbase Series 70 was replaced by the Series 62 and the long-wheelbase Series 75 was integrated into the Fleetwood line. Cadillac would continue the '75' name until the mid-1960s.

The V8 Series 70 of the mid-1930s were powered by a Monoblock V8 engine that displaced 346 cubic-inches and produced 135 horsepower. A total of 5,248 examples were sold in 1936. There were three body-styles available for the Series 70 from 1936 through 1937 consisting of a 131-inch wheelbase for the 36-70, a 138-inch version of the 36-75 and a large 156-inch platform for the 36-75 Commercial version.

There was a wide variety of body-styles to select from and all wore badges of Cadillac's in-house coachbuilder Fleetwood. The list ranged from two-passenger coupes to seven-passenger town cars with 14 cataloged styles offered.

The Fleetwood Metal Body Company had a history that dated back to 1905 when they were formed in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. During their early years, some of their best customers were Packard, Pierce-Arrow, and Cadillac. Lawrence Fisher, head of GM's Fisher Body Company and later president of Cadillac was pleased with Fleetwood's coach-building work and felt the union between the two companies was appropriate. The company was purchased by Cadillac in 1925 and the sales and design offices were moved to Detroit. Additional plants were built in Pennsylvania for body production and Fleetwood continued to accept body-requests from non-GM companies.

A Fleetwood plant was built in 1929 in Detroit, adjacent to the Fisher Body facility, and by 1931 all production had migrated to this location. Later, the production was absorbed by General Motors Art & Colour and Fisher Body. The Fleetwood name persisted for many decades, often referring to limited and low-production styles.

In 1939 the Cadillac V8 models were given a new frontal look with a matching textured grille. On either side were two side grilles. The engine still displaced 346 cubic-inches but further tuning had increased the horsepower output and its compression.

The Series 72 was a Fleetwood car that rode on a shorter, 138-inch wheelbase.

Production ceased during the Second World War and resumed in 1946. When it did, the Series 75 became Cadillac's largest model offered; now riding on a 136-inch wheelbase. The 346 L-head V8 engine was the same as was most of its basic styling. Just like most other automakers, a 'new' model would not be introduced for several years.

For the Series 75, this did not occur until 1950. It had a 146.7-inch wheelbase with seating for seven. Engine options included a 346- and 365-cubic-inch V8.

The wheelbase size was again increased by 1954, now measuring 149.8 inches. To carry the extra weight Cadillac increased the horsepower to 230. The following year it rose again to 250 hp, with an optional dual-four barrel carburetor version offered that produced 270 horsepower. 1956 saw another increase in horsepower, now ranging from 285 to just over 300.

Another restyling occurred in 1957 and would remain until 1965. By now, the name '75' had all but disappeared. Horsepower hovered around the 300 to 325 range depending on the engine and the setup. The long version of the Fleetwood became known as the Series 6700 in accordance with the new Cadillac naming scheme.

by Dan Vaughan