I still remember the first time I saw a late ’50s Cadillac DeVille, I was absolutely mesmerized by those massive tail fins. In stock form, you don’t fully realize just how massive these fins are. Looking at this custom built DeVille Pickup you really notice the excessive size and shape of those fins. That’s right someone decided that they needed their luxurious Caddy to offer them more utility, so they cut the roof off the rear half of the car and turned it into a truck bed. The work was done sometime in the ’70s and looks to have been done quite well. Whoever built this truck also converted it to propane, which should help keep the fuel bill down. This really is an odd creation, but as long as the conversion was done correctly, it could be one cool driver! Find it here on eBay in Sacramento, California with bidding already approaching $26k. Thanks to Alan F for the tip!
I read once that the 59 Cad is the most Iconic and collectible cars of the era. I agree, they are as cool as it got. I’ll never forget my first experience with one, when Bob Bender was getting his dad’s new green 59 convertible ready for a halftime event at a Cedar Falls, Iowa, High school football game. On a cold night, you had to heat up the plastic back window before you put the top down, or you would crack it. That new CAD, with those fins and taillights glowing, with the engine and heater running, behind the bleachers at the game, made an impression on my young car freak mind. This one I think is beyond cool.
Tow a Air Stream trailer with this and be the hit of the RV park.
These are probably the best example of the ‘luxury/comfort’ approach to car design that GM had beck then. I drove a neighbor’s ’59 cad convertible to the garage where my father worked and was going to fix something minor of the car. The top was down and the floaty ride made you think the wide bench seat you were sitting on was just floating on down the highway. Give it some gas and the front rose up and the rear squatted down. Touch the brake the the front dipped down and the rear rose up. Alternate gas and brake and it was like riding ocean swells in a small boat. It was way softer than any other car I have ever been in before or since.
This one is pretty cool and would probably be the center of attention at any Show ‘N Shine, but I’m not sure I would do this with the car. They made only about 22K Coupe de Villes in ’59, and that was the highest production model. I’d rather have it original, if only because then you could bring more people along for rides on summer evenings.
Greetings All,
Seems a lot of work to go through when there were Cadillac flower cars built for the funeral business’s. Not sure who built them but have seen a half a dozen of them from this era, usually pressed into service as a pickup, which it is, just made for funeral wreaths and occasional a coffin.
Had an acquaintance in high school who had a early 50’s Caddy hearse, it was a great car for going to the beach. There were a lot of stainless steel compartments that we filled with ice for refreshments. These areas already had drains to the outside..
Later found out that when the vehicle was used originally, the largest of those areas would hold the occupant when they were collected before they were embalmed.
Refreshments still tasted better cold.
I spilled my beer this car is so cool.
Yep! I have to agree. This car is cooler than the bottom side of the pillow.
With the exception of the sagging rear bumper, the conversion of this car looks to be very well done. Even the headliner looks like it was factory fit. I am not sure of the parts though.
The steel roof appears to be from a 59 el camino, it has that distinctive overhang. I cannot place the rear window. It is possible its custom cut glass, but the age of this work makes me think the builder found an existing window out of another car and adapted it. Maybe someone else recognizes it.
Proportions wise, i think this was based on a sedan body, not a coupe. The front doors would be longer if this started life as a coupe, though it may all have been changed when the car was cut apart. There is always the possibility that this was built as a flower car by one of the hearse couch builders back in the day. You don’t see then much any more, but when I was a kid, there were still a few old Lincoln and caddy flower cars around.
I would be amazed if this didn’t go for ridiculous money at the next barret-jackson in Texas.
59 caddy pickup truck? They might as well put steer horns on the front now.
The 4 door hard top Caddy has the same rear window , I think , all the 59-60 GM’s like chev , Buick, FOUR-DOOR hardtops were the same . I think
The builder started started with a 4-dr ‘flat-top’ Caddy …
This is definitely a sedan conversion, not a former flower car. A flower car built on the commercial chassis would have a taller windshield and roofline, a feature unique to the commercial and limousine bodies. And the doors would be longer if it was originally a coupe.
It looks exceedingly well done, in any case. Both the workmanship and the styling are really, really nice. I’m guessing the roof and rear window are the from the original sedan, but that’s only a guess.
So I did a little more digging. You are right about the commercial chassis having a different windshield, nice catch, I didn’t spot that.
It appears they made 2 different roof lines in 59. this car looks to be based on the “Series 62” model, which was essentially a 4 door hard-top. (no b pillar).
It not only has that giant curved window, but the same roof line.
Today i Learned something new.
A great car, someone had great design sense, it seats one more than my Allante, or anyone’s Corvette, so it is perfect for someone!
I love it! Would make a great parts chaser or haul stuff to the swap meets. Not to mention the fact you wont see another one on cruise night.
…the ultimate surfboard hauler…very cool….
…love seeing those rear lights aglow…nothing like it..
I love the old flower cars, but this one is more attractive than any of them. I think that the regular windshield vs the commercial one makes all the difference. A Caddy El Camino (or whatever) might have sold a couple of dozen units back in the day – be the talk of the neighbourhood!
Barry Thomas’ “Wheel to Wheel” blog
There have been a number of sedan-to-pickup conversions recently featured. This one is fun, and I missed the listing when it was first posted.
But I am doing some reading tonight, and some grinning as well. Could not help but want to contribute another one which just popped @ Mecum for $11K: https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail/HA0415-207598/0/1978-Mercedes-Benz-450SEL-Custom/Automatic/
Apparently, an El Camino or Ranchero style pickup can be made from nearly anything…
This looks like it started life as a flower car for a funeral home.
What an incredible conversion from a 4 door sedan to this unusual “truck”. Too bad the ad has expired. I wonder what it sold for.
I love Cadillac’s and I love El Camino’s, however this is just over the top! Excellent job of transformation though!
I don’t think that it is off an El Camino. The EC 1959-1960 rear window was not nearly as wrapped around. The roof could be off any GM 1958-1960 flat top roof car. Those roofs were on 4 door cars and would obviously need to be sectioned to fit a 2 door. Does anyone know what happened to this specific car? What it sold for?