It’s big and purple! Well, not really, it’s more of a violet, what Cadillac called code 47 “Wisteria” and this visual feast of a 1969 Cadillac DeVille convertible wears it well. Oh for the days of a high-powered, drop-top whammer-jammer like this product from the automotive “Standard of the World”. If you’re a fan of such motoring extravagance, you’ll find this very original luxury specimen cooling its heels in Minot, North Dakota where it’s available, here on eBay for a current, no-reserve bid of $13,150 with 51 bids tendered so far.
GM introduced just such an exterior shade in 1965, most notably with its Chevrolet division where it was known as “Evening Orchid”. Pontiac got in on the action with their version which was referred to as “Iris Mist”. I thought it was a long-discontinued color by ’69 but here’s Cadillac proving that I’m wrong. The seller advises, “Everything about the car is factory original with the exception of the radio” so I’ll run with the assumption that this Wisteria finish is the born-with paint job. It still presents well, and considering how much of it there is to view, spread across 225 inches of length, you’d know if it had issues. The depth and newly applied shine may no longer be completely apparent but considering that this is a 54-year-old lacquer application, there are no complaints! There are two images of the folding top and it checks out but I am surprised to find a plastic rear window and not a glass piece which GM did employ before 1969. As far as the underside goes, there are no worries regarding the integrity of this 72K mile example.
A Caddy of this era wouldn’t be a caddy without a big horsepower, high torque powerplant, and in this case, it’s a 375 gross HP, 472 CI V8, which I believe was the largest displacement V8 employed by any domestic automaker at the time. With 525 pound-feet of torque on tap, this monster V8 should have no problem getting this Cadillac’s 4,800 lbs. of curb weight up and moving. The seller claims it, “runs/drives like new” with all of that power being channeled via GM’s excellent Turbo-Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission.
When I review a convertible, I like to pay particular attention to the interior as lots of top-down time or an unexpected shower can eventually wreak havoc on upholstery. This convertible’s lone interior image is not that revealing but what can be seen looks OK. I say “looks OK” because the white leather seats are showing lots of indications of cracking and embedded dirt. It may be a situation where the leather can be cleaned and rejuvenated but we would need more detailed images to know with certainty. This is one of the drawbacks of white upholstery, it looks great when it’s new but it doesn’t always age well with yellowing and the ever-present dirt component – it can be a bear to keep clean. As for that non-original radio that was previously mentioned, it’s not discernible in the interior image.
A big Cadillac convertible is a cool car in its own right and the rare Wisteria finish makes this one all that more inviting – though I will admit that it’s probably not a shade that I would have intentionally selected. As I have said so many times before, cars like this will not darken our doorways again, so if you like big two-door convertibles or hardtops, here’s a chance to acquire one of the finest – no regrets, right?
Beautiful car, big, heavy, huge chrome bumpers, big Cadillac engine, style and class!!! A friend had a 69 Coupe Deville many years ago, bought from the original owner, it was a maroon color with a tan leather interior. It was fast and fun, with a great ride.
One would think a engine compartment detail would certainly present a nicer picture.
Beautiful color!! My Mom had a ’76 midnight blue Coupe de Ville. No car rode as smooth as that!!
I showed this car to my Corvair club friend because the color looks like 1965 evening orchid but I think this color although similar has some purple hue to it. It’s definitely a rare love it or hate it color. Like evening orchid not many were sold but the color is sought after nowadays.
Had the evening orchid color on my ’65 Corvair purchased new. Color faded after a year and GM paid for a repaint.(went with blue). But the lavender color got lots of attention!
Grandpa had this in blue, he put close to 300,000 miles on it.
You’d get seasick it rocked so much.
This looks a little high in the rear.
NORMA, of course this doesn’t compare with your Isotta Frascini, but couldn’t MAX find room in the garage on Sunset Boulevard now that Mr. Gillis is gone!
….Had one of these from.74 to 78…towed many times… unfortunately…
I too thought this color was “one and done” in ’65,but I guess I was mistaken. This is one nice Caddy I wouldn’t mind having in my driveway. Back when cars were cars.
1969 opulence in it’s finest. I like convertibles and I like huge, gas guzzling cars. This fits that bill nicely, and I even like the color.
This one is a good slap in the face of “Sleepy Joe” and the rest of his ilk.
That’s right, bring politics into it. Ugghh.
This car has nothing to do with today’s politics. WHY do you have to take it there??? Totally Lame.
My Dad work for a Lincoln-Mercury in Detroit back in the 1960’s and 1970’s but he drove Cadillacs instead of Lincolns. He would buy a different Cadillac when one would come on in on a trade. Around 1977 he bought a 1969 coupe de’ville hard top with that same color as the convertible in the article. I even have a couple of pictures of it. Unfortunately he kept it a short time not because another Cadillac came on the lot, he could not get use to the color. He said he felt like he driving in a gasket with that color L.O.L!
Many TRADITIONAL Cadillac buyers probably did Blow a GASKET over that color! 😮 LOL and Happy tail fins to YOU! 😉
Magnificent Cadillac. After three years of Cadillacs vertical headlights, introduced in 1965 , they changed the front clip to a very powerful, but graceful one , with horizontal lights .
The 69, 70 , Cadillacs sold broke sales records, for the already dominant Cadillac Division.
They made very beautiful colors.
One could have bold, class , sedate , for your Cadillac.
Choice, and image was a part of the Cadillac mystique.
This ” Wisteria ” , had been Heather in the early sixties.
People often aspired to : ” Drive a purple Cadillac !”
I believe the 56 Lincoln had WISTERIA as a color choice. For 1970, Cadillac offered a color similar to this. ChATEAU ROSE FIREMIST. Oh for those days when model and color names were The Standard of the WORLD! Love these Great American Land YACHTS!
The color that you are trying to remember is Chateau Mauve, And it was not similar. It was a much darker hue.
Thanks for clarification. I didn’t think Chateau Rose was quite right, but remember Chateau and also believe it ended in Firemist.
I need to spell check before sending, I meant to say “ He said he felt like he driving in a casket with that color L.O.L”, not gasket lol!
The stereo may not be apparent, but the speakers in the door panels certainly are.
What a beauty! Can’t tell if the paint is still decent on the top sides from the photos. If it hasn’t been repainted it likely needs it. The seat bottoms get funky and need to be redone usually. From the photos it looks like that’s the case on passenger side. Also, it’s a shame somebody chopped up the door cards for the speakers. Fairly sure replacement is the only solution. No photo of what was done to “retrofit” the radio. As I remember there are separate holes for knobs on either side of a center radio display. If the original radio was removed for a modern radio head unit metal cutting is required and that ain’t good. I always feel like a newer head unit should go inside the glovebox and leave the original radio intact not working. The left and right exhaust manifolds crack and usually need replacement. So those are the challenges I see. I have had this car in 1970 version and they’re ostensibly the same except taillights and grille. No visible rot anywhere just surface stuff. The lower rockers on bothe fenders are usually the first to go. Don’t see that again, unless it’s been repaired or replaced. The engine bay looks normal for an unrestored vehicle. Same with the chassis. It would be hard for me to take a chance without thoroughly inspecting the car first, but I know some people will do so just on photos and talk. Not me. Ohh. One more thing, on the dash, all of them, the silver chrome-look bezel outlines are worn off partially or totally. I can see it here too. I thought at, one time there, I saw there was a paint product you could buy to restore the cluster. Has anybody seen this product?
In inclusion, since I’ve already had this car I’m not sure I’d go to the trouble of getting another one, but if you’ve never had one, they’re really great cars. Typical GM of the era for sure. The best you could get. This color, “Wysteria”, is gorgeous!
And in addition to the lights and grill, the gas gauge is different, and the 70 has a flat back window. The 69 also had a clever hidden horn ring embedded in the wheel that was always at your finger tips, unlike the 70 that needed you to lift your hand to hit the horn mounding. I think the 70 did not have a power antenna.
I never heard of the ring thing you’re talking about, but sounds interesting. As for the back window, do you mean the rear window is made of glass? “flat”? The 69 and 70 came either with or without power antenna, but both could also be had with the antenna embedded in the windshield – I THINK it depended on which “sound system” you got. I love ’em, just wouldn’t buy another at this point.
I had one in pink, with a red interior. I bought from a large black lady in 1987. I had a blast with that car for a summer. She told me she came into a pot of money and ordered herself a Cadillac. I had to fold up a blanket and put it on the driver’s side of the seat because it was flat down to the frame. There wasn’t anything better than rolling onto the freeway with Aretha blaring through the speakers, singing “drop the pedal and go”. That car ultimately went to Sweden where it likely still motors about. I currently have a decent 70 squirreled away. For me it is 59 or 60 and then 69 and 70. These are great cars and this one here is a great color. My 59 is simular in color but a little darker.
🎵 Love Drivin 🎶 in my 🎵 PINK 🎶CADILLAC 🎶 ! YEAH!
Nearly 20’ long? At least 2 or 4 parking spaces in public. Good thing my dad made sure the garage could hold a yacht?!?😂😱. He was a MOPAR guy, but I think he’d forgive me for parking this one his garage!
Interesting car to have in Minot, North Dakota. I’m sure it gets colder in International Falls Mn but not by much!
I wonder if it will go to SoCal where you could drive it every day…..except today of course.
Aretha Franklin blasting from the speakers would certainly set some of the younger folks straight :)
Beautiful ’69. Honestly I love the color of it and it serves the car right. Simple as that.
I believe Cadillac referred to that color as Wisteria
Need to talk to owner ! 540 230 0077 cell Gary Duncan
Considering what we are paying for new cars at half the size this is a bargain. You can repair a lot of stuff and drive the wheels off this car and still not pay as much as you would for a new car. I’m heading in that direction right now.
Yes that is an unusual color. My grandmother would have liked it, she always had pink ones. I liked that year, sort of and had several but the 69 was one of the poorest designs. First, I hated the back “V” window, harder to see. The high back seats made it difficult to partially rotate and throw my arm over the seat when backing which was a given back then in real cars. Toy Jap cars with 2 mirrors did not count. The huge dash was funny because Cadillac could not locate the wiper control anywhere except for that ugly control sticking on the door and it’s the only older Cadillac I had where it was not lit at night. The center point in the dash, facing the middle front passenger felt rather dangerous staring you in the face. The clock and radio were in the console so the passenger could not see or operate them. The gas gauge was very misleading as it was vertical but it was an arc type movement making readings very different depending on viewing angles Fortunately, that changed in 1970 with a flat gauge. What did I like? The high wrap around back up lamps which illuminated the sides as well.
I used to have a neighbor who was a Chevy salesman. I’ll never forget when he came home one day with a 65 Chevelle SS in this color. I almost passed out. Thought it was beautiful. I’d give anything for that car.
I also have one in Wisteria but with Dark Mauve (Deep Purple) interior. It’s amazing how much positive attention it gets. In a collection of over 20 cars, it’s is always a favorite to take out and share. This is 1960s Americana at its best.
That color was made before 1965. It was called Heather Amethyst in 1962. It was a color available for 1962 Cadillacs, it was a special order only and came on 13 Shriners of Omaha Corvettes.
SOLD for $22,800.