This finned beauty was bought from the Saint Louis Car Museum located in Saint Louis, Missouri. I contacted the museum following an advertisement I had seen on the internet. It was subsequently appraised by a certified appraiser, who sent me a detailed report of his inspection and test drive. Shortly thereafter, I bought the car and shipped by truck from Saint Louis to Baltimore, MD. At Baltimore it was put in a 20' container and shipped to Antwerp.
Except for a repaint, this car is believed to be entirely original, with a little bit over 70,000 miles on the odometer. Its body is in very good condition, with only one rust spot on the lower part of the left front fender. Although the transmission does have a pronounced clunk when it engages from drive to reverse (or vice versa), the drivetrain is very strong and the engine runs exceptionally smoothly. Handling is excellent for this big old car, although the non-radial tires ask for some change in the driver's cornering habits.
Cadillac offered three different trim levels in this body style for 1959. Bottom of the range was the Series 62 Coupe ($4,892), with the most sober interior of the three. Next was the Coupe de Ville ($5,252), offering a more poch interior, Coupe de Ville rear fender script and some extra standard equipment. Among those Coupe de Ville goodies, not found on a standard Series 62, where: rear cigarette lighters, horizontal electric front seat adjustment, pockets at the front seat backs, rear center armrest and power window regulators. Top of the range in this body style was the Eldorado Seville, selling at the then hefty price of $7,401. A Eldorado Biarritz Convertible counterpart was also available at the same price. Standard equipment on the Eldorado Seville was: air suspension, electric door locks, special wheel discs, fog lamps, 6 way front power seat, safety lights in the door panels, 6 pack engine, radio, 3-way E-Z-Eye rear view mirror, remote control trunk lid, power windows and power vent windows, whitewall tires and heater. The only options available on the Eldorados where Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Headlight Dimmer and shaded front and side windows. The Eldorados also had a distinctive side trim. Instead of the stainless spear running the length of the body, the Eldorados sported a small stainless strip, beginning at the bottom of the A-pillar, becoming wider along the beltline until it reached the taillights. At the taillights, the strip went straight down to the bottom of the body and ran the length of the lower body to the front wheel well. Like the Fleetwood 60 Special, the Eldorados also had a distinctive rear grille and V-ornamented backup lamps. Pictures documenting these styling differences can be found on the 1959 info page.
As said, the car has seen a repaint (only the blue, I suspect). However, the color is the correct one. The body is in Vegas Turquoise Metallic (code 29) and the roof in Dover White (code 12). The interior is original and, apart from a faded carpet, in excellent condition. Upholstery code for the interior is 40: Silver-Black Coronado Pattern Metallic nylon with White Leather Bolsters and Trim.
My car has, apart from the standard equipment, the following options:
Just like the ancient Egyption Pharaos, this blue beauty seems to have a certain curse on the people it encounters. Victims include:
If you want to download some pictures of my 1959 Coupe de Ville, just
go to the Picture Gallery.
