1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (by Other People’s Things)
I love badges that come off the body on an angle.
1961 Cadillac Convertible Series 62 (Owner: Richard Jack Jr., Photo by Mary Jane Protus in August 2012)
Lincoln’s look lousy,
Cadillac’s look cheap,
Jaguars look just terrible,
when compared to thee,
Perfection, thy name is Imperial.
TRUE AMERICAN CLASSICS:
1930 Cadillac V16 452 Armored Imperial Sedan By Fleetwood
From sea to shining sea!
Cross-town traffic | Manhattan in April (1967). 2421mm.
I’m glad I was sitting for this… A GT-40 and a Cadillac.
2011 Cadillac CTS V Sport Wagon (via Motortrend)
I want to do filthy things to this car. I want to get it muddy.
Rant Topic: The increase in cost when producing a new vehicle has created movement in the automotive industry away from model specific components such as engines and transmissions. Companies like Maserati and Lamborghini have within the last 20 years merged with larger corps in order to more effectively parts share. Do you feel that the industry is worse off for this reason or that the greater cost that necessitated these changes forces the production of safer and better cars?
AnonymousWhat a specific rant topic from you “anon”. My answer, like the question will be multifaceted.
I would first like to say that while it was probably neccisary for Lamborghini to sell itself to Audi to keep itself solvent, I feel that with it they lost some of it’s Lamborghini-ness. Yes, the new cars all work right, and have air-con that isn’t a mouse coughing on you, and yes, they still come in colors like “new money lime” and “self made man orange”, they lack the charm and quirkiness of the older cars. The Miura’s tendency to liftoff over 120mph because the fuel tank was located over the front wheels comes to mind.
I would love to be able to walk into a Buick dealership and be able to order a brand newnew LaCrosse with the LSA V8 from the Cadillac CTS-V, like one could do in the old days with an Invicta. But I can’t.I think in this modern age of globalization, where one has to compete with Japanese imports, it wouldn’t be feasible for a large company to re-tool an assembly line to make what would amount to a very small number of special models for speed freaks like myself. Plus, it does hurt Ford and GM a bit that the entirety of the German manufacturing sector hasn’t recently been turned into ash by a flying fortress, which may be something to look into doing again. Just to remind them who won.
General parts sharing though, I have no problem with, usually. I say usually because it would do us good to remember the horror that was the Jaguar S-Type.
My heart is lightened and overjoyed though, when I remember that there are still car people working at General Motors, not just bean counters. Evidenced by the new CTS-V, available in wagon form with a 6-speed manual.
I want to lick it.
This is in response to a question I was asked, about why I seemingly love cars, and in response I can only say the following.
I will never understand people who don’t love cars. I mean, absolutely, positively, 100% think they are the greatest invention ever. Because they are. They are the greatest force for personal freedom in the world, this side of the Bill of Rights.
Get in yours, and drive away. Drive until you run out of land on which to drive, and maybe don’t come back.
And I love cars, American cars especially, for what they represent, even more then freedom. The three cars I posted here, all represent something uniquely American. The Chevrolet Bel Air, the Buick Roadmaster, and the Cadillac Coupe de Ville are the epitome of 1950’s and 60’s, post WWII American industrialism. Like the Model-T before them, helped bring style, comfort, and freedom to the massively expanded post-war-suburban-middle-class that makes this country great.
They are icons, they are Marilyn Monroe. They are heroes, they are Jackie Robinson. They are are American.
And I will never understand people who think that a car is just a car.
