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AACA National HPOF Award Winner, 2012! 98% original survivor with stunning original interior, paint and trim. 66,600 original miles with three owners from new and very interesting ownership history. Runs and drives beautifully.
Only routine service items have been replaced on this amazing 1941 Cadillac 60 Special, including the battery, tires, hoses, belts, and spark plugs. Otherwise, it is 100% as the factory built it, including all original paint and a spectacular interior that has been protected by fitted seat covers since it was new. The car has never been rusty or damaged, and since the 60 Special was one of the last GM cars to use structural wood in its construction (woody wagons not included), it’s a relief to see that the wooden sill plates are still in outstanding condition. The Antoinette Blue paint is about what you would expect for the era, with a soft shine that only vintage lacquer can offer. Vintage Motor Cars recently had the paint professionally color-sanded and buffed, returning a brilliant shine that looks spectacular even from five feet away. Of course there are a few blemishes, a few thin spots in the finish, and other signs of age, but it would be completely inappropriate to repaint this car. The chrome is in good condition, including the critical egg crate grille that defined Cadillac for decades, which shows almost no pitting and a bright shine.
The striped gray broadcloth interior is the jewel in this car’s crown. The seat covers that have protected the seats for more than 70 years were removed just a few weeks ago, revealing original upholstery that’s miraculously untouched and in splendid condition. Things like the door panels and carpets are also very good, although the driver’s footwell is a bit threadbare and the armrest is a little tattered. Vintage Motor Cars had the entire interior professionally cleaned, which has restored it to incredible condition. Note that the woodgrained dashboard is beautifully preserved, and all the gauges are fully functional and intact. Even the plastic steering wheel and matching knobs are in very presentable condition, a testament to how carefully this car has been stored out of the sunlight. The radio is not functional, but does light up and show the original radio station call letters on each preset, a feature that has been digitized in our new cars (the original radio manual, complete with call letters for every single radio station in the country on a visquene sheet is included). Both under-seat heaters and the defroster are operational, and more than 20 feet of fresh heater hose has been installed along with new correct fabric-wrapped radiator hoses and wire clamps. Even the original owner’s warranty card is still in its slot on the passenger’s front kick panel. This car is loaded with every possible option available in 1941, including Hydra-Matic transmission, a back-up lamp, fog lamps, heater, defroster, radio, and a windshield washer system (which seems to work intermittently). The floors are completely rust-free and solid, and even the trunk area still wears its original burlap-type coverings and carries what is quite possibly the original spare tire that’s never been used.
Cadillac’s reliable and smooth 346 cubic inch flathead V8 was the only choice in 1941, but it delivers modern performance and splendid road manners. The 66,588 miles shown are correct and authentic, and the engine has never been opened. Like the interior, it shows signs of use, but all the critical parts are still there with no modifications over the years aside from an electric fuel pump to augment the newly rebuilt mechanical pump, and some heat wrap on the fuel line to prevent vapor lock on hot days. Even the original asbestos wrap is still on the exhaust pipe on the passenger’s side of the engine! It starts easily and runs smoothly with a crisp V8 burble from the replacement exhaust system that was installed decades ago, and with fresh plugs and a complete tune-up, it idles nearly silently with nary a vibration. All the fluids were replaced, including the transmission and engine oil, and the brakes were recently serviced after the car’s long slumber to be sure they are in top condition.
The 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic shifts properly and once the car is in top gear, it will cruise at modern highway speeds effortlessly thanks to the 3.36 gears that were standard with the Hydra-Matic transmission. Having driven the car extensively since purchasing it, I can confirm that it is smooth and confident at 65 MPH, and is commendably quick in stop-and-go traffic. It starts quickly, does not suffer from overheating problems or vapor lock, steering is precise and it tracks straight, and it offers perhaps the firmest brake pedal I’ve ever experienced. The chassis, while a bit crusty and dirty, is completely rust free, and as I mentioned, the wooden sill plates are solid and show no signs of rot or damage. Vintage Motor Cars also just installed $1000 worth of new Lester wide whitewall tires in the original 7.00-15 size, so the car truly sparkles.
The car has that undeniable “all of a piece” feeling that only original vehicles can demonstrate. It’s hard to quantify, but more and more enthusiasts are discovering that nothing else feels as right as a well-preserved original car. With “barn finds” becoming the auction industry’s latest marketing tool, we are hesitant to call it such, but this 60 Special truly is a remarkable survivor in the truest sense of the word. It is scheduled to compete in HPOF competition at the AACA national meet in Hershey in October, where it will surely score extremely well. With an impeccable pedigree, an interesting history, and stunning originality, this handsome 60 Special will undoubtedly be the talk of every event it attends, and it is a wonderful, capable, surprisingly swift car on the road. This car will convince you that Cadillac was unquestionably building the finest cars in the world in 1941.
This car was awarded an AACA HPOF award at the 2012 Hershey national meet, and was one of eight cars to recieve the 2012 National HPOF award, to be presented in February 2013. An incredible survivor that has rightfully won the top awards.
For more information, photos, and financing information please visit www.VintageMotorCarsUSA.com.
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
132141
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