- Seller: George F
- Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
- Mileage: 89,468 Shown
- Chassis #: 3422684
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 346 cui V8
- Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic
UPDATE – The seller has provided us with additional information about this Cadillac, so they have requested that we end the auction to update and relist it.
Few cars in 1947 conveyed an image of sheer wealth and privilege better than a Cadillac Series 75 Touring Sedan. Riding on a stately 136-inch wheelbase and carrying either five or seven passengers, the Cadillac was truly the “Standard of the World.” This limousine hasn’t delivered any dignitaries to their black tie events in the last fifty years or so, but our seller claims that it’s the most complete of the Cadillac projects in our current crop of Barn Finds Auctions. Given that it’s a solid example of a car that wasn’t too common to begin with, a restoration or a driver-quality rehabilitation isn’t outside the realm of possibility for this majestic Seventy-Five.
By 1947, it wasn’t uncommon for a new Cadillac to be ordered with GM’s famous Hydramatic four-speed automatic, and indeed the original owner’s chauffeur didn’t need to worry about a clutch pedal when he was plying the streets of some major metropolis. There are stacks of parts in the interior (see the pictures below), so I can’t tell if this is the five- or seven-passenger model, but it’s little matter; there will be plenty of legroom either way. And it would be hard to find a better method for showing off.
The engine looks complete, down to its Stromberg “Aerotype” carburetor and high-mounted exhaust manifolds. Serviceability is magnificent in these old Cadillacs, aside from having to lean over those wide fenders to get to anything. The engine itself is Cadillac’s long-running 346-cubic-inch flathead V8, producing 150 horsepower in its last few years of production. We don’t know if the engine itself is free, but it appears to be stored in a fairly dry location, so chances aren’t bad that you could get this Cadillac running given a little time and patience.
The undercarriage is fairly clean, although there are a pair of crudely welded patches behind the rear axle. Given the amount of work the car will need, cutting those out and giving them another try won’t be more than a bump in the road on this journey.
I hope there’s more life ahead for this big, glamorous, Fleetwood-bodied limousine. The Series 75 was the choice of executives and diplomats from around the world, and Cadillac’s reputation was practically unmatched. It would be foolish to forget that cars of the 1940s, even locomotives such as this, aren’t being restored with such veracity as they once were, but maybe this is a fun project for you. If so, bid now!
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