1964 Cadillac Series Sixty Special Fleetwood

Several manufacturers did not make it out of the 1950s, including Packard, which had been a leader in the luxury car segment for many decades. Lincoln's ultra-exclusive Continental marque, introduced in 1956, produced the Mark II which was essentially a hand-built vehicle and the most expensive American-produced automobile of the time. The Continental's existence as the flagship manufacturer of Ford was brief, ending in 1957. The Chrysler Corporation's luxury automobile brand, Imperial, had a similar fate, existing as a separate make in 1955 and 1956. Manufacturers worked aggressively to provide products that met consumer demands, a task made even more difficult due to the economic depression of 1953 and 1954 and the recession of 1958 (also known as the Eisenhower Recession). Brands caught in its wake include the short-lived Edsel, produced from 1958 to 1960.

Cadillac sales continued to rise through the 1960s and its position in the American luxury field continue to grow as the list of niche manufacturers continued to thin. Its line of vehicles catered to the exclusive and ultra-exclusive luxury segment, equipped with numerous standard features, high-performance powertrains, and attractive styling.

The 1964 Cadillac lineup had prices that ranged from $5,000 to $10,000, and body styles that included coupes and sedans to nine-passenger limousines. The 'entry-level' Cadillac was the Series 62, offered as a coupe sedan with prices of $5,050 and $5,240 respectively, and combined production was just over 35,000 units. The styling updates it received were similar to the ones applied throughout the line, including a new bi-angular V-shaped grille with the outer grille extension panels containing the cornering and parking lamps. In the back were the tailfins that had graced the Cadillac vehicles for seventeen consecutive years, but this time, with a new, fine-blade design. The big news was in the engine bay where a larger 429 cubic-inch engine resided, replacing the previous 390 CID V8. It had overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, a Carter four-barrel carburetor, 10.5:1 compression, and delivered 340 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. They had an automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. All Cadillacs rested on a 129.5-inch wheelbase except for the Series 75 which had a 149.8-inch wheelbase. The Series 75 was the ultra-luxury Cadillac, produced in limited quantities, and often clothed as a limousine or for other commercial purposes such as a funeral car or ambulance. Its base price tipped the scales at $9,750 for the large sedan and $9,960 for the limousine.

The Series 62 DeVille was priced approximately $400 higher than the base Series 62, with body styles that included a sedan, hardtop coupe, and convertible. Styling was similar to its Series 62 sibling, but its list of standard equipment and trim was more extensive. The top-of-the-line Series 62 was the Eldorado Biarritz Sport Convertible priced at $6,630. The combined Deville production was 112,266 units including 1,870 of the Biarritz.

1964 Cadillac Series Sixty Special Fleetwood
The styling updates applied to the 1964 Series Sixty were similar to the rest of the Cadillac fleet, distinguished by clean side styling, the chevron slashes of bright metal on the sides of the roof 'C' pillars, and full-length bright metal underscores. Offered solely as a hardtop sedan, it was priced at just under $6,400 and 14,550 examples were built. The list of standard amenities included dual-speed wipers, tubeless black tires, a heater, a defroster, remote control outside rearview mirrors, dual backup lamps, cornering lights, and power ventipanes.

1964 was the final year for the styling theme first introduced in 1961, and the final year for the X-frame chassis, replaced in 1965 by a full-perimeter frame. The all-new styling for 1965 rested on a longer 133-inch wheelbase and would continue, albeit with updates along the way, through the rest of the 1960s. The 1965 Sixty Special reverted back to being a pillared sedan, wearing the B-pillar which had been absent since 1957. The optional 'Brougham' package was once again offered, adding nearly $200 to the base price.

The Sixty Special, first introduced in the late 1930s, would remain with the Cadillac marque through 1976. It would return in 1987 and continue through 1993.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2021