1935 Cadillac V-12 Fleetwood 7 Passenger Town Cabriolet – 3x Pebble Beach Award Winner.
Located near PORTLAND, OREGON.
(Please note: This is a very detailed description of a VERY special automobile. Take your time in reading and do watch the video showing all of the details.)
This 1935 Cadillac 370-D V-12 Fleetwood 7 Passenger Leather-Back Town Cabriolet was ordered on January 21, 1935 from Berkshire Auto Company in Pittsfield, Massachusetts for Mr. Julian Leigh Perkins, a wealthy industrialist from West Springfield. With a cost new of nearly $7,000, it was the most expensive 12-cylinder model from Cadillac. Perkins ordered the automobile for his wife, Mae, as she had been previously involved in several car accidents. Perkins also hired a live-in chauffeur to drive the Cadillac anywhere Mrs. Perkins needed to go.
With the outbreak of WWII, when gas rationing went into effect in 1942, the car was taken out of service with just 36,000 miles on the odometer and stored in an airplane hangar. The rear compartment was filled with mothballs to protect the fine wool upholstery. While there may have been thoughts of using the car again after the war, it remained parked in the hangar for the rest of Mae Perkins’ life. She died in 1967 at age 95.
In 1973, a small 3-line ad in Hemmings Motor News was seen by Los Angeles area contractor, Jack Frank. He and his wife, Carol, traveled to Massachusetts where they found the car, still in the hangar after 31 years, resting on 4 flat tires and the front compartment and top deteriorated, but amazingly, the rear compartment was still in pristine condition – saved by the mothballs. Purchase was arranged and the Cadillac was trucked across the country to Los Angeles.
At this same time, legendary race car driver, Phil Hill, along with his friend, Ken Vaughn were starting their soon-to-be legendary restoration business, “Hill and Vaughn” in Santa Monica. Jack Frank contracted them to fully restore the Cadillac, it being one of the first 5 cars to be done at the Hill and Vaughn shop.
The restoration was a three-year, painstaking process, from 1974 to 1977. No part was left untouched (except that perfect rear passenger compartment!) The original 36,000 mile V-12 engine was removed and fully refreshed. All mechanical components including fuel and cooling systems, suspension and driveline were rebuilt. The body was stripped and repainted in correct original black lacquer. The padded leather top over the rear compartment was replaced, along with the black leather upholstery and folding top in the driver’s compartment. The dashboard and instruments were restored all chrome trim both inside and out was re-plated. Hundreds of other items were either restored, repaired or reconditioned. It was truly a no-expense-spared, concours level restoration in all respects. The work resulted in a stack of receipts approximately 5 inches thick which are still with the car and show every detail of what was done by Hill and Vaughn.
Following restoration, this Cadillac was shown at the 1977 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it received the award for First in Class, Most Elegant and Runner-Up for Best in Show.
It appeared again at Pebble Beach in 1993 and 2014, receiving Class Awards against stiff competition each time it was shown.
Following that first Pebble Beach win in 1977, this car went on to appear at over 60 prestigious concours shows across the U.S. over the next 40 years, racking up win after win.
Just a few awards include:
4 times Best In Show - Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National Concours: 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999.
First Prize and Senior Emeritus Badge - Classic Car Club of America Grand Classic Shows: 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998.
First In Class: 1993 Meadowbrook Concours.
First In Class: Newport Beach, CA Concours d'Elegance: 1978, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1996.
Plus dozens of other national concours wins across the U.S. Show file and many trophies included.
This car wears Classic Car Club of America Senior Emeritus Badge #868 and Cadillac & LaSalle Club Senior Badge #80.
In 2004, this Cadillac was acquired from Jack and Carol Frank by the current owner in Oregon, who was a close friend of the Frank’s and was there the day the car rolled out of the Hill and Vaughn shop in 1977.
Today, 45 years after its restoration, this car look like new and would still score in the high-90’s point range in national judging events. It now shows 43,101 miles on the odometer, just over 7,000 miles since the restoration was completed.
The original 1935 upholstery in the rear compartment is in near-mint condition, which is remarkable after nearly 90 years. The fabric is soft - not dry or brittle – with beautiful original carpeting and headliner. All the hardware in the rear compartment still wears its original gold plating by Fleetwood, which was special ordered. Factory radio and intercom (which Mr. Perkins ordered not be hooked up so Mrs. Perkins would not bother the chauffeur) are both present.
The black paint appears like-new with no signs of wear, chipping or cracking. The exterior chrome plating and trim shows as new. The glass is all excellent, with the windows in the doors and division window operating perfectly. The leather and carpet in the front compartment are excellent throughout. When the windows are rolled up in the front doors and the removable top is in-place, the front compartment is as snug and comfortable as a closed sedan. All rubber seals are soft and excellent. Inside of a secret compartment in the front seat is the original chauffeur’s umbrella in beautiful condition.
PLEASE SEE PHOTOS WHICH WERE JUST TAKEN FOR THIS LISTING AND SHOW CURRENT CONDITION.
Since the pandemic, the car has not been shown or operated much. Still, the V-12 engine starts and runs well. The 3-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly. The vacuum-assisted mechanical brakes stop the car fast and straight. 17” bias-ply wide whitewall tires are in very good condition. All gauges work and register accurately.
PLEASE SEE VIDEO OF ENGINE STARTING AND RUNNING, AS WELL AS CAR DRIVING.
It is impossible to over-emphasize the QUALITY of this restoration. It could not be duplicated today to this level for less than $250,000. Plus, of the eight Model 370D V-12 Fleetwood Leatherback Town Cabriolets built by Cadillac in 1935, this car is the only one remaining today. Thus, it would literally be impossible to duplicate in any way.
The car includes boxes of records with copies of the original build sheet and information about the original owner; hundreds of receipts from the Hill & Vaughn restoration plus subsequent maintenance receipts. Also files of information and entry forms, judging sheets, etc. from many of its show appearances. Many of the beautiful trophies this car received are included (see photo), including an 18 inch long, custom hand-built wood model of the car. Along with spare original upholstery leather there is over a gallon of matching black lacquer touch-up paint provided by Hill and Vaughn from when they restored the car.
If you are looking for a truly one-of-a-kind Full Classic Cadillac with an impeccable restoration and 40+ year major show-winning history, this is the one. It is ready to return to the show circuit and garner more trophies for the new owner, or just be enjoyed as a rolling work of art.
WE WILL HAPPILY SELL TO BUYERS WORLDWIDE AND CAN ASSIST WITH SHIPPING ANYWHERE.
