Every time I encounter a Cadillac Coupe de Ville of this vintage, I’m taken back to a copy of Mad Magazine from years ago that ran a cartoon featuring an outsized caricature of a big, ostentatious Caddy blowing down the road and prominently displaying a Coupe de Hogg badge appended to its passenger side quarter panel. Cadillac or not, everything was fair satirical game in that august publication. This 1959 Coupe de Ville example is a bit forlorn looking, it has certainly lost some of its glitz, but will be an interesting study anyway. Rex m found this Caddy cooling its heels in Buckeye, Arizona and it’s available, here on craigslist for $15,300.
Any way you cut it, a ’59 Cadillac, at 5,000 lbs. and 18.75 feet in length, is a beast of a car, yes, it’s a Whammer-jammer. And all of that size gets lost in the outrageousness of the trim, grille, fins, and taillights. The seller claims, “It has rust, as you can see but not real bad“. It is referenced as a life-long California citizen but surface rust, and some rust-through, is evident. Fortunately, this ’59’s signature chrome and stainless trim appear to all be still attached though it looks like the passenger side fender skirt is MIA.
There’s a surprise under the hood, and I don’t mean the engine, it’s the twin-cylinder air compressor for the optional “Air Suspension“. I believe that this is the first so-equipped Caddy that I have reviewed. Supposedly “most” of the original parts are included but new coil spring bags, claimed to still be available, will be needed. The engine itself is a running 325 HP, 390 CI V8 hitched up to a Hydramatic automatic gearbox. The seller adds, “Engine turns fine on the key and will run, I have a video of it“. The video link is not included in the listing so an inquiry, if interested, will need to be made.
The interior is confusing as there is an instrument panel sitting askew on the front bench seat but it’s not clear if it came from this car or it’s a surplus. The original-looking “Camden” cloth seat fabric, though dusty, shows reasonably well. The passenger side door card has been yanked off and is now residing in the back seat – there’s no image of the corresponding driver’s side. The interior images are not comprehensive enough to get a thorough look at the whole shebang and there’s a lot of whatever, besides the aforementioned door panel, taking up residency in the back seat.
I found this statement to be rather telling, “I can be interested in trades, but ONLY American cars older than 1972 and if it benefits me“. Sounds like a lot of the discourse that is adversely afflicting our various communication channels these days… I’m stuck on what to do with this humongo cruiser. It seems many would go for a restore to stock approach and I’m certain that’s a major league undertaking, certainly in terms of $$$, and probably everything else too. As impressive visually as they are (can you imagine the press needed to form those fins!), I don’t have a lot of reverence for a ’59 Cadillac, so modifying this example into…whatever, wouldn’t tear me up. How about you, what do you suggest?
Perfect car for a Duramax swap .. .
I’d just get the mechanicals up to snuff so I could drive this missile launcher around my neighborhood. I wouldn’t spend/waste money on a cosmetic restoration because there’s just too much to do. It’s the perfect rat rod just as it is.
FWIW Air suspension was an option on the ’58 Impala. Few people bought it and it was troublesome.
My parents also had the air ride in a ’58 Buick Super. It would freeze up in the winter and the car would drop to the ground and look like a low rider. After a few winters of this, my Dad took it to the dealership and had them remove all the air ride stuff and replace it with conventional springs and shocks.
Wow. Every time I see one of these I think this…this was the high point in outrageous car art. What a beautiful piece this design was. So extravagant and so much fu with it.
I love the 1960 Coupe; wasn’t so big on the ’58. But this slotted right into the period at the pinnacle of off the paper and into metal
“So much fu with it”? So much f**ked up with it? So much Feng Shui with it? So much fin with it? Probably, “so much fun with it.” Sorry, drunk again.
It’s amazing this still has the air suspension, even if it’s not totally complete. I think most would have been retrofitted with standard springs when the cars were still quite new. By now it’s a historical artifact that deserves to be restored as is, even if it means the car isn’t well suited to be a daily driver.
Agree completely.. That box would not have been checked often.
Have a 55 Buick Special Riviera. Coil springs with air bag inserts. Probably after market.
Great car!! Love it and it’s a two door.
Once owned a 58 Olds Fieste wagon that came from factory with the air suspension but by the time I bought it that had all been changed to coil springs etc. nice old wagon though it was ten years old when I got it.
Very cool car.
Gotta love where they where going with car designs in those days
That’s one I would do “when I hit the lottery “
I think this is a Series 62 coupe, not a Coupe de Ville. On a de Ville, there should be a Coupe de Ville script at the tail end of the rear quarter panels, just above the molding.
You are correct, but the easiest way to tell is by the front seat. The deVille scripts COULD just be missing, however since the deVilles have a fold down center armrest in both the FRONT and back, the lack of the front one verifies that it is, in fact, a Ser. 62.
You are absolutely correct. Everybody just assumes that they’re Coupe deVilles.
Unless it’s extremely obvious, I always go with the description that the seller uses to promote his own car.
JO
It doesn’t matter about the series. It’s all about the exterior design of the body. Totally cool.
Is the price aggressive or am I out of touch?
That air compressor for the suspension is freaky looking. I’d delete it and do modern air bags instead. And if someone has gutted that instrument panel it’s just more of a headache. A bit overpriced for its condition but interesting find
Reference to it looks like the passenger side fender skirt is MIA, well the drivers side fender skirt is also MIA. Check it out…..
I can see this bagged on the ground, black with red interior, www tires and sombrero like aluminum 20″ wheels. It would look like a rocket
I have a 58 Caddy Limo (75 Series) that originally came with the air suspension. One of the previous owners swapped it out due to reliability issues. There was no sign of the air compressor when I purchased the beast.
I worked at a Cadillac Dealership in the 70’s . Customer brought in a 58 with the Stainless steel top. When I saw the “AIR” suspension had maxed out in the front and was jacked up about 2 feet up, I was told , never bring it in again for service work !! Airlines had to be pulled to lower back to be driven out.
That twin cycle air compressor for suspension is pretty cool to have and sell to someone who for whatever reason would want it. I would do a modern airbag system with compressor relocated to the trunk. In this caddys condition It’s not worth but maybe $8500 to me. If it runs and stops maybe $10k tops.