Posts Tagged de Ville

Years ago, when I was growing up in the ‘60s, there was a television cartoon superhero named Batfink. Batfink was a spoof of the campy TV series “Batman”. Batfink drove in the “BATILAC” as he and his sidekick “Karate” saved the world from evil. I grew up loving cars with fins, although our family never owned one.

Fast forward to 1997. Read the rest of this entry »

As I was 16 years old, a friend of my father visited us with a wonderfull black 56 fleetwood sixty special. You must know that we live in Germany and this was the first time that I ever saw a real big old land yacht. This was in 1984 – only seven years later in 1991 I bought my first Cadillac: it was a 1956 Coupe de Ville yellow with alpine white top.

Even today I think the year 1956 is my favorite Cadillac year – even when collectors prefer the year 55 and 54 because the 56 models should be besed with mechanical problems. But in my opinion Harly Earl (the designer at GM) and his crew spended the model year 56 the best desgin in the line of 54, 55 and 56.

As I fullfilled my dream of a 56 Coupe de Ville I started to dream from a lower and “newer” looking Cadillac – in 1992 I got my Cadillac sedan extended deck build in 1958.

That´s my story and why I´m Cadillac crazy. Born on 15-jun-68 in Lübeck, Germany, I was grown up in the back of my parents ’59 Opel P1 convertible that is even today owned by my parents. Only a handfull were build by “Authenriet”,a company that handcrafted the convertible based on the coupe. The car was influenced by the design of American dream cars more than all other German cars: It has a panoramic (wrap around) windshield, white wall tires and a grill that looks like a 57 Buick (mouth with teeth). Even the chrome trim at the side of the car has the same curve that was so typical for the Buicks. Front and rear bumpers borrowed from the 56 Chevrolet and chrome wherever you look. The ’59 Opel P1 looks like an American car just with German dimensions (it´s a very smal car compared to a Cadillac). So the Opel P1 was a German dream car for a moderate price that not only the top 10,000 could afford!

And the convertible was the last cry even in the times when I was a baby: It had two seperate front seats (like the rare optioned bucked seats in the 59 Eldorado Convertible), leather interior, an improved frame in order to cut off the top, stretched doors – they were longer than the doors of the coupe – and all these changes were handmade for less than 20 cars. I have heard that there should only 3 convertibles of that type be builded but that´s hard to belive. Click here for pictures of the 59 Opel P1 convertible together with my 56 Coupe de Ville

I guess this 59 Opel P1 convertible is the reason why I felt in love with cars and especialy with the design of the American dream cars. The first contact to a real American dream car was in 1984 as I was 16 years old. I mentioned it above. You must imagine that German cars never had such dimensions like the Americans used to have. So my first impression to the 56 Cadillac fleetwood sixty special was only “wwwooowww – what´s that”. I think it´s normal for a German boy and even for other Germans that see my cars today. They have often never seen such a car in reality; perhaps in movies. Back to 1984, the first year I heard the sound of the 365 cu. in. (6 liter) V8 engine that from now on became a part of my heartbeat. I asked all the questions that I was asked today: how long is it? what does it weigh? what sort of gas mileage does it get? (Ok, to be correct: in Germany we do calculate how much gas you need for a 100 km trip) And the highlight of that day in 1984 was a ride (I sat in the back of the car behind the driver) that I will never forget. By the way, as a German boy it was my first ride with a automatic transmission, as well.

Everyone want´s a pink 59 convertible coupe.The most people I have talked and written to do like the Cadillacs of 1959 most: everone seems to want a 59 convertible. I can understand that – but my personal favorite is still the 56 – perhaps because it´s my first &”lady” and I have done so much to her – I can´t count the hours I spended with her – driving and restorating. I think the 56 don´t has the cool desing like the 59 and 58 – but for me it has a little bit more soul – but that is my very personal opinion.