The Cadillac Sixty Special was a long-wheelbase version of the Series 60, introduced for the 1938 model year, with Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell styling and combined with unparalleled levels of luxury. It rode on a wheelbase of 127-inches that was seven inches longer than the Series 38-60, albeit shorter than the range-topping Series 38-90 resting on a 141-inch wheelbase (and shorter than the Series 38-65 and Series 38-75).
The Cadillac Sixty Special's wheelbase grew to 133 inches in 1942 and gained all-new styling. It was now Cadillac's longest non-limousine model and for twenty-eight of the next thirty-four model years of its existence, offered greater headroom and legroom on its stretched GM C-Body platform.
The generation of styling introduced on the 42-60S (Sixty Special) of 1942 would continue through 1947 and offer exclusively as a five-passenger car through 1948 (a two-door Special Coupe DeVille joined the 60 Special in 1949). Design cues included 'pontoon' fenders, bumper 'bullets' (a.k.a. 'dagmars'), separate bright metal window surrounds on conventional style doors, a one-piece hood, and chrome louvers positioned in three locations including behind-the-wheel well openings on the front and rear fenders, and on the roof behind the rear door opening. Along with the chrome louvers, the wider 'C-pillar' gave the Series 60 a distinguishable appearance from its Cadillac siblings.
Powering the 1942 Series Sixty Special was an L-head, 346 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine with three main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and developing 150 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. Cadillac produced approximately 1,875 examples in 1942, prior to the United States' entry into World War II.
Civilian automobile production was placed on hold while factories were transformed in support of the war effort. Following the war, automobile manufacturers quickly returned to vehicle production using pre-war designs and technology in an effort to meet the pent-up demand.
The 1946 Cadillac
The 1946 Cadillac model lineup included the entry-level B-Body Series 61 offered as a club coupe priced at $2,050 and the sedan priced at $2,175. It rode on a 126-inch wheelbase that was three inches shorter than the C-body Series 62. Body styles available on the Series 62 included a club coupe, convertible coupe, and sedan with prices that ranged from $2,280 to $2,560.
The range-topping model was the long-wheelbase Series 75 Fleetwood resting on a 136-inch wheelbase and measuring 227 inches in length. Five- and seven-passenger sedans, a seven-passenger Imperial sedan, and a nine-passenger business sedan, and Imperial Business Sedans were priced in the low-to-high $4,000 range.
Occupying a unique place within the lineup, the Series 60 Special Fleetwood sedan was priced at $3,100 and rode on a 133-inch wheelbase, and had an overall length of 224 inches. It offered more legroom than the lower Series 61 and Series 62, but without the limousine-type / parade car appearance of the Series 75. They continued to wear the four slanting louvers on the rear roof pillar and had a unique type of roof drip molding that separated each door opening.
The engine powering all 1946 Cadillacs was the 346 cubic-inch L-head V8 from the pre-war era. A new overhead valve V8 would be introduced in 1949, a year following the all-new post-War styling of 1948 (on all models except the Series 75, which would have to wait until 1950 for their update).
The 346 cubic-inch engine received dual downdraft carburetors, 7.25:1 compression, hydraulic valve lifters, three main bearings, an oil bath air cleaner, an intake silencer, a mechanical fuel pump, an automatic choke, and delivered 150 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. New mechanical updates applied to all 1946 Cadillacs were ball-bearing steering, permanently lubricated universal joints, Super-Safe hydraulic brakes, front coil springs and wax-lubricated rear springs, a hypoid rear axle, sealed beam lights, a synchromesh transmission (the Hydra-Matic was a $176 option), slotted disc wheels and low-pressure tires, and safety plate glass.
The front grille grew even larger on all 1946 Cadillacs, complimented by bullet-shaped fenders in the front and rear, chrome-plated rear tail fins, and skirted rear wheel openings. The chrome bumper wrapped around the front, round headlights were mounted in the front fenders, the split windshield was slanted, and chrome trim decorated the bottom of the vehicle.
The total production of the Series 60 Special Fleetwood was 5,700 units.
by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012
The Cadillac Sixty Special's wheelbase grew to 133 inches in 1942 and gained all-new styling. It was now Cadillac's longest non-limousine model and for twenty-eight of the next thirty-four model years of its existence, offered greater headroom and legroom on its stretched GM C-Body platform.
The generation of styling introduced on the 42-60S (Sixty Special) of 1942 would continue through 1947 and offer exclusively as a five-passenger car through 1948 (a two-door Special Coupe DeVille joined the 60 Special in 1949). Design cues included 'pontoon' fenders, bumper 'bullets' (a.k.a. 'dagmars'), separate bright metal window surrounds on conventional style doors, a one-piece hood, and chrome louvers positioned in three locations including behind-the-wheel well openings on the front and rear fenders, and on the roof behind the rear door opening. Along with the chrome louvers, the wider 'C-pillar' gave the Series 60 a distinguishable appearance from its Cadillac siblings.
Powering the 1942 Series Sixty Special was an L-head, 346 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine with three main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and developing 150 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. Cadillac produced approximately 1,875 examples in 1942, prior to the United States' entry into World War II.
Civilian automobile production was placed on hold while factories were transformed in support of the war effort. Following the war, automobile manufacturers quickly returned to vehicle production using pre-war designs and technology in an effort to meet the pent-up demand.
The 1946 Cadillac
The 1946 Cadillac model lineup included the entry-level B-Body Series 61 offered as a club coupe priced at $2,050 and the sedan priced at $2,175. It rode on a 126-inch wheelbase that was three inches shorter than the C-body Series 62. Body styles available on the Series 62 included a club coupe, convertible coupe, and sedan with prices that ranged from $2,280 to $2,560.
The range-topping model was the long-wheelbase Series 75 Fleetwood resting on a 136-inch wheelbase and measuring 227 inches in length. Five- and seven-passenger sedans, a seven-passenger Imperial sedan, and a nine-passenger business sedan, and Imperial Business Sedans were priced in the low-to-high $4,000 range.
Occupying a unique place within the lineup, the Series 60 Special Fleetwood sedan was priced at $3,100 and rode on a 133-inch wheelbase, and had an overall length of 224 inches. It offered more legroom than the lower Series 61 and Series 62, but without the limousine-type / parade car appearance of the Series 75. They continued to wear the four slanting louvers on the rear roof pillar and had a unique type of roof drip molding that separated each door opening.
The engine powering all 1946 Cadillacs was the 346 cubic-inch L-head V8 from the pre-war era. A new overhead valve V8 would be introduced in 1949, a year following the all-new post-War styling of 1948 (on all models except the Series 75, which would have to wait until 1950 for their update).
The 346 cubic-inch engine received dual downdraft carburetors, 7.25:1 compression, hydraulic valve lifters, three main bearings, an oil bath air cleaner, an intake silencer, a mechanical fuel pump, an automatic choke, and delivered 150 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. New mechanical updates applied to all 1946 Cadillacs were ball-bearing steering, permanently lubricated universal joints, Super-Safe hydraulic brakes, front coil springs and wax-lubricated rear springs, a hypoid rear axle, sealed beam lights, a synchromesh transmission (the Hydra-Matic was a $176 option), slotted disc wheels and low-pressure tires, and safety plate glass.
The front grille grew even larger on all 1946 Cadillacs, complimented by bullet-shaped fenders in the front and rear, chrome-plated rear tail fins, and skirted rear wheel openings. The chrome bumper wrapped around the front, round headlights were mounted in the front fenders, the split windshield was slanted, and chrome trim decorated the bottom of the vehicle.
The total production of the Series 60 Special Fleetwood was 5,700 units.
by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012
Related Reading : Cadillac 60 / Sixty History
The designation Sixty Special has denoted a specific model since 1938. At first, the name was saved for Cadillacs lowest price range but eventually, the Sixty Special name would be reserved for Cadillacs most luxurious automobiles. 1941 was the final year of Bill Mitchells original Sixty Special design and a brand new 1942 model was in the cards. Nearly 17,900 Sixty Specials were produced from....
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1946 Cadillac Series 60 Special Fleetwood Vehicle Profiles
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