Vehicle Description
A spectacular restoration! Whether you want an ultimate CARavan
classic or a concours competitor, this fits the bill. We love the
elegant and conservative color combination.
This 1938 Cadillac 75 Series, Fleetwood Bodied Convertible Coupe,
Style 38-7567, has a Body Number 20 of 44 produced. Vin No.
3271124.
A complete body-on restoration, to concours standards but intended
also for touring. The quality of the restoration is easily
qualified to show at the finest of concours events, including
Pebble Beach.
Importantly, of the 44 Series 75 Cadillac convertible coupes made
in 1938, this is one of only two that were built without side
mounted spares. Within the classic car hobby, the side mount
deleted cars are considered by far the most beautiful because of
the unbroken lines that make the car look much longer and sleeker.
The side mounts really shorten the look of the front.
A brief history of the car:
Built in Detroit and shipped by truck to the South Chicago Cadillac
Agency where it was sold. It did not spend a lot of time in
Chicago, as the owner found a business card in the trunk when the
restoration was started from a tailor shop near Wilshire Blvd in
Los Angeles with a telephone number of WA-0691 (dates to the
1950's). Ed Gunther, a long-standing member of the Cadillac LaSalle
Club, remembers this car being for sale in L.A. back in the 60s. It
was sold and Ron VanGelderen restored the car the first time and it
was awarded a Senior Badge from CCCA, #697 back in 1975. It was
also the cover car for the January 1986 issue of the Self Starter
with an accompanying story of the car.
Dick Haeberle from New Jersey owned the car which was sold in 1992.
It then bounced up to New York for a while owned by Burdette
Pomeroy who sold it in 2000 and the present owners purchased it on
Feb 15th, 2003, from Randy Hall of Saratoga CA. Randy had purchased
the car while he was restoring his 1938 75 Series Convertible
Sedan. The car at that point was somewhat drive-able and in need of
a total redo. Shortly after that, a ten-year nut & bolt restoration
began.
Features of the car:
To put it mildly this is one massive automobile with a 141-1/2 inch
wheelbase. All 75 (V-8s) and 90 (V-16s) series Cadillacs in this
era were on the same chassis and almost identical custom built
Fleetwood bodywork. They were offered in many different custom
built body styles, the majority being seven passenger sedans. As
mentioned, this is one of only two non-side mounted 75 Series
convertible coupes made in 1938.
New features for 1938:
The gearshift was moved from the floor to the steering column. Also
new for '38 was the fact that there was no longer a rumble seat on
this model, instead there were two jump seats behind the main seat
giving this car a trunk that is almost seven feet deep!
The car is equipped with the following options:
Pleated (or tufted) main seat, a working master radio with a cowl
mounted antenna, very rare script Cadillac 6 inch diameter amber
fog lights, a cowl mounted heater-defroster unit, full wheel discs,
two outside rearview mirrors and the correct car jack and period
tool kit. There is also an original, never used key case from the
delivering dealer!
Additional features that have been added for safety and comfort
are:
A Gear Vendors Overdrive unit for better drivability (as the only
rear end ratio offered was a 4.58), two period correct Harrison
under seat heaters for greater comfort while motoring with the top
down. These units became an option for Cadillac about two years
later, front seat extenders moving the seat further back and
tilting it back also giving a much more comfortable driving
position, a master dis-connect electrical switch, a Pertornix solid
state ignition system, two lap style seat belts, 5 Michelin radial
tires with the sidewalls buffed clean, self-cancelling turn signals
that are incorporated into the fog lights and rear lights, a
special tonneau cover for the entire rear compartment in addition
to the regular tonneau. The conver
