If there was ever a case of a car being way too cool for me, this is it. The seller of this gorgeous 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille says it was restored 20 years ago, but we don’t know if they did the work or owned the car at the time, or if it was a different owner, or really what the story is. They have it posted here on craigslist in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, and they’re asking $22,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Barney for the tip!
I know the ’59 Cadillac is the be-all-end-all Cadillac design for the majority of people, but I prefer the elegant, slightly understated 1960 design. The tailfins are less over-the-top, and for me, it’s not as gaudy and showy. It’s impossible not to be noticed in a first-generation DeVille (made for 1959 and 1960), especially a nice-looking Ebony and Olympic White 1960 Coupe DeVille, whether it has the higher taillights and double-bullet taillights of the 1959 models or not. The wheels sure look huge on this car; are these factory-sized tires (15″) and wheels? The wheels don’t look like anything available on a DeVille, but maybe an Eldorado Biarritz or Eldorado Seville?
Like a wild west gunfighter ready for action, those taillights and fins are cool, mean, and dangerous, and would probably be illegal today. And how about the front end and grille? The restoration costs on this car had to have been horrendous; the chrome bills alone would make me weep like a child. The seller is pretty short on photos, but they hit the highlights, including showing the engine, so that’s great. I never understand why, when you can load up a listing with photos for $0.00 extra money, why there aren’t the maximum number of photos. Who doesn’t want to see inside the trunk? Or the underside?
Or… a photo showing what I’m sure is a beautiful dash? There isn’t a photo showing any other interior bits than one showing the front seats and one showing the back seat. But, beautiful seats they are, so there’s that. Page 7 of this 1960 Cadillac brochure shows the gorgeous Coupe DeVille, or an artist’s rendering of one. The seat pattern and material look similar, so whoever did the restoration of this car 20 years ago must have gone overboard with quality details like that. It gives me a good feeling about the parts of the car that we don’t get to see. And what better car to drive to a friend’s house to check out his antique gun collection? (The two guys on page 7 of the brochure).
Nice, another clean area of this restored car. I like this car more and more. The engine should be Cadillac’s 390-cu.in. OHV V8, with around 325 gross horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. With only three standard features- power steering, power brakes, and a Hydra-Matic Drive automatic transmission- this car is almost loaded with options otherwise, such as power windows, cruise control, a power antenna, and air-conditioning. I’m sure this is a fun car to drive, and the only car that I’ve owned even remotely close to this quality and cache was my 1966 Lincoln Continental Coupe. I’d much rather have this Coupe DeVille; it isn’t even a contest. Have any of you owned a 1960 Cadillac DeVille?
It’s a bucket-list car for sure, Scotty. The Hag puts a #4 car at the same value as the asking price on this car. This car looks better than a #4 car, so this car could be a pretty good deal. Now Howard is gonna say I told ya so.
On a side note, can you ask Jesse is there is any merch? My BF T-shirts need updating if he’s still selling them.
Well, I don’t mean to gloat, but I told you so,,,besides, only the funeral director drove black Cadillac sedans, and he was not a popular guy. I still question the appeal of a car like this today.
I never knew there was a BFs T shirt? If so, every member should get one, for free, considering the abuse we put up with,,,:o
I wouldn’t saw he wasn’t popular – it’s just that his clients were pretty quiet at that point…
This looks just like one listed on BAT from November 2024 that was listed for $48,000, same color combination, pictures too.
It goes to show, if it’s sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, when you see an ad for a car like this, at that price the default position is its likely either a scam or the car is a rust bomb ready to explode.
Steve R
Craiglist, may I say anything further? Run Away fast!
This is a scam ad
I think you folks are right; $22,000 for this car is a ridiculous price. I figured it was too good to be true, but I had a glimmer of hope that it might be real.
This may be real, just needs a visit by potential buyer or a hired assessment by professional. Maybe an estate sale for a GM executive in Michigan?
Still a very nice car wherever it came from. You just never know
what kind of junk ads that this new AI crap is gonna throw at you. So Mister seller, can you please prove to the BF unverse that this car is real, and not computer generated. We await
your prompt response. Thank you.
Ken, I have contacted a seller in the past to let them know that their vehicle made it to BF. Then they participated as the seller. There is a phone number to try.
Sometime in the 1970s I bought a running, driving, white convertible with red leather upholstery version of this car for $100. It was solid but needed tons of minor repairs that I couldn’t deal with at the time and sold it for $200. Of all the scores of vehicles I have owned that is the only one I still regret selling.
The jacked up rear stance may be exaggerating the wheel size, but they do look a tad large.
Thank you, sir. I was wondering about the raised rear/lowered front stance; thanks for bringing that up.
Scotty, what did Jesse say about the merch?
@Scotty
Could be he has air shocks on the rear (for pulling a trailer)? Or for when he has a heavy load?
Sorry about that, Rex. I sent another message to him about it. I don’t see a section on the website anymore for T-shirts and things like that, so I’m not sure. I could sell you my t-shirt for $300… just kidding. I just have one; I could use another one myself!
Angel, you’re probably right. It sure looks jacked up and/or lowered in the front, sort of like we did or wanted to do with every vehicle back in the 70s. “Yeah, put some 50s on the back and 70s on the front!”
LOVE the 1960 Caddy brochure!
Sweet ride!
I owned a ’61 Fleetwood. Not a ’60 DeVille, but close enough for me. After almost 40 years, I still regret selling that car.
This is beautiful. Whether the ad is real or not. . I agree with Scotty, the ’60 is sleeker and a little more toned down from the ’59. And I agree I love that brochure. It was such a different time back then. And Scotty, at least no one can argue with you about the color on this one!!!
there were 4 of these last week in Harrisburg and they all sold north of 50k some even higher. this ad smells dirty. too good to be true.
Hi Angel 😇! Glad to see you saw
this one! Really nice ride from what I see. I’ve looked at the rear
of this car and don’t see a hitch of any type. Or maybe he’s trying
to rake the car to make it more appealing. Or, it might have that
horrendous air suspension that
was such a roaring pain in the ass back then. I had a ’58 Biarritz
hardtop as a kid and always had
trouble with it. Used to take me
20 minutes to blow up the suspension just so I could take a
young lady out to dinner and a movie 🎥. Wound up selling it to
Fanning Cadillac to uee as a static display in their showroom.
Got $1500 for it in 1970. Took that cash and what I got from my
’54 Ford 3/4 ton pickup and bought my ’66 Calais 4-door hardtop from Mom and Dad. Sure wish I had it now.
…And lest I forget, I saw a ’73 Checker up.on.the Old Iron channel on YouTube today. The body was in rough shape but the
car runs and drives and was listed for under $4K. It runs a 250 6 mated to a 5 speed stick.
Good candidate for a Checkillac
conversion. And yes dear, I could
see you now rowing through the gears like you own them! And If
you haven’t seen the ’53. 2-door
HT here on BF, take a look. That
one would make an awesome hot
rod with a 472 V-8 mated to an M-22 rock crusher 4-speed. If
Charlie Ryan can have his hot rod
Lincoln, then I can have my hot rod Caddy! Or maybe Cadzilla?