Cadillac enjoyed a banner year in 1941, with 66,169 cars rolling out of dealerships and into the garages of new owners. However, one of the rarest of these was the Series 62 Convertible. The company produced a mere 3,100 of these classics, and it is unclear how many survive. The seller purchased this one as a donor for another project, but with that build now pursuing a different path, this Caddy must find a new home. It is largely complete, is rock-solid, and the seller has coaxed its V8 back to life. Returning it to its former glory seems straightforward, with the Convertible attracting plenty of attention since the seller listed it here on eBay in Mountain Ranch, California. Bidding sits below the reserve at $11,100, although there is a BIN option of $30,000 for those wishing to bypass the auction process.
Cadillac introduced its First Generation Series 62 in 1940, with the new model remaining in production for two years. The styling was low and sleek, with no evidence of the running boards, a typical feature of cars from this era. Our rare feature car is from the second production year, with its original owner ordering it in classy Valcour Maroon. Its history is unclear, meaning there is no information on whether it has received previous restoration work. The panels are relatively straight for a car of this vintage, with only minor bumps and bruises. The paint has a wide selection of imperfections, and although it is presentable, a vehicle of this caliber deserves to be returned to its former glory. The process won’t involve hundreds of hours of cutting and welding because the exterior is clean, and the underside shots confirm the floors and frame are rock-solid. The Black power top is as tight as a drum, with no rips or other problems. Every piece of exterior trim is present, and while items like the bumpers require a trip to the platers, the remaining items might respond positively to work with a high-quality polish.
The shopping list for this Caddy’s interior won’t be long, but the parts required may prove expensive. The beautiful wheel is badly cracked, the radio is missing, as are the door trims and front carpet. The window regulators are in the trunk, but the seller is unsure whether these are complete. Otherwise, the news appears pretty positive. The seatcovers are in good condition, with no signs of significant wear or physical damage. The dash is tidy, and although it might benefit from a refresh, its presentation is acceptable for a driver-grade restoration. The bright trim looks nice, and the gauges and factory clock lenses are crystal clear.
Lifting the hood reveals the 346ci flathead V8 that produced 150hp and 283 ft/lbs of torque when this classic was shiny and new. That power was fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission, allowing the 4,060-lb Cadillac to achieve a top speed of 100mph. This car’s engine bay looks tidy, missing only the air cleaner. The seller believes the V8 and transmission may have been rebuilt, although they can’t confirm this. It hibernated for many years, but they have coaxed the motor back to life and driven the vehicle around their yard. It shouldn’t be considered roadworthy, but reaching that point may be an achievable and affordable short-term goal.
It is always nice to find a classic that has avoided the fate of becoming a donor for another project. This is especially true when the vehicle is as rare and solid as this 1941 Cadillac Convertible. Some enthusiasts find the idea of restoring a car of this caliber daunting, but they shouldn’t. Taking their time and paying attention to finer details can yield surprising results because the engineering in these cars is no more sophisticated than that of many cars produced by General Motors during this period. Achieving a high-end result should yield a value above $50,000 in the current market, making the BIN figure appear realistic. It has already attracted nineteen bids, and I believe that total will climb as the end draws near. The big question is, will you add to that number?
She’s a lady
Buying two things this week:
1). The winning mega-bucks lottery ticket (with winning numberyof course), and then
2). This 41 Caddy.
Will let you know when I pick it up and then be right over to give you a ride in it!
Not if get it first….lol
Judging from the rest of this old boy’s collection, it wouldn’t have been for anything so lame as a hot rod, What is the orange car next to it? I love exploring people’s garages in pictures like this.
Looks as if it already has donated its radio, carpet, interior door-trim pieces, and air cleaner. Why would ANYone buy a car like THIS as a,”donor”?
wondering if the top actually operates? these are very complicated. Also, it appears that the floor boards have been replaced by simply overlapping them into position?
Man oh man………calling Philo Vance or the Lone Wolf……what a car!.
A similar Caddie is in the movie ‘Home Sweet Homicide’ starring Randolph Scott from1946.
Sort of peculiar parts missing. Seats are wrong. But with enough time and money you’d have something worthwhile both value wise and aesthetically.
Surprised the seller isn’t trying to bring it back to snuff given what it is.
I agree. But I always am suspicious when I see SEAT BELTS in a car such as this. Why is the interior so tampered-with? If it came as nice as it now looks, then why was its originality violated in odd ways? What became of the radio? Was it a “donor” piece for another car? Was it removed to make room for some modern replacement? What problem caused the interior door-handles to be removed? To the point, if someone was attempting a restoration, what caused them to give up? I would be apprehensive about this one, unless I had a detailed history of just what was done to this car, when, and why, and where those missing pieces are. And did someone take a decent steering-wheel out, and substitute this one from another car? Given that off-kind upholstery and seat-belt, was someone contemplating a resto-rod? My problem is, this is not an unmolested classic, as lovely as it looks: it has a “history” which looks risky for anyone looking to restore it to original condition.
What a beauty! Would make the perfect garage mate for my friends 41 Roadmaster convert that’s the same color.
The 41 Buicks had the most notable face appearance/grill to adorn a USA made car of all time and especially realizing it somehow symbolized the American flag. Who at GM’s Buick division had a chrystal ball looking ahead to December 7, 1941?
Of course this is just my opinion.
MY opinion is, the 1939 Buick grille is the nicest one of theirs, ever! Of course, I like the 1938 Ford DeLuxe, also — far prettier than their ’39 re-style — and I never cared for their 1940 (the ’40 Standard was okay — kind of a dressed-up ’39 DeLuxe).
1951 Buick Rivera had the best grill….I owned one for a few yearsreplacement grill cost more than the car.
At 30k this is a bargain.What lovely graceful thing. Long ago when you could buy a 59 convertible for near nothing, units like this were quite expensive. I could never afford any of this era cars that were even decent. Drivability and folks that loved these are fast fading and foreign buyers were and still lack heavy interest in pre 55 American iron. I need no more cars but I would love to have one from this time. I am glad I am not stupid rich. Keep the Lambos and Ferraris.
Hello, Mike! With all due respect, the 1951-’52 Buicks never did thrill me. They were RELIABLE for years and years — but their styling always looked a bit frumpy to me, right from the time they were new. Still love that ’39! Buick also made a concept car back in the late 1930s or early 1940s which was smooth and sleek and had hidden headlights and an art deco grille which was far more interesting than the ’42-’48 which most resembled it. Cannot recall the name of that one-off, though, nor exactly the year when Buick was showing it off.