More than 80 years later, Cadillacs like this one are becoming increasingly hard to come by unmodified examples, save for exterior colors. This Series 61 2 door fast back (Sedanette) is in exemplary condition through out and a show winning head turner!
The previous owner purchased the car in 1970, providing more than 50 years of loving car with the same sympathetic owner. About 2011, the car was sent to Past Times, Inc., in Estes Park, Colorado, for a comprehensive restoration. The car was stripped down to bare metal before a professional two-stage paint job, all new chrome and bright work were professionally refinished.
This Series 61 Cadillac presents well and specs out as original. Decoding the trim plate reveals that it left the factory in Antoinette Blue while inside was a blue-gray ribbed cloth interior. While the interior remains, the Antoinette Blue has been in an exquisite shade of periwinkle (one shop in the car’s documentation termed the hue “Blurple.”) The color was chosen during the car’s restoration to accentuate it and it does that job very well; it is quite striking.
The car was serviced in November 2022 for a total of more than $4,400, ensuring the vehicle is ready to be driven and enjoyed.
The paint and trim are in overall excellent order, displaying the good care this vehicle has received since its restoration. Note the split windshield. The bodywork is straight and solid, the chrome bumpers fit tightly to the body and the engine bay is extremely tidy. The cargo area is in satisfactory order, too.
This big coupe rolls on Firestone Deluxe Champion wide whitewall tires, size 8.20-15 at all four corners. Each one is mounted on a steel wheel topped by wire spoke wheels. The wheels are in excellent order while the tires are in very good shape.
Under the hood is a 346 CID L-head V-8 engine using a single downdraft carburetor and backed by a three-speed manual transmission with a 3.77:1 rear end.
Inside, the blue-gray ribbed cloth interior (code 31) is completed by a burled wood dash with matching inner door panel trim for more warmth. There’s a full array of ancillary gauges that complement the circular speedometer and matching circular clock. The inner door panels, besides wearing wood accents, are in fine shape. The front and rear bench seats look fantastic, a big, two-spoke steering wheel faces the driver and is ready for adventures. A column-mounted shifter and a pushbutton AM radio complete the interior.
In 1941, the Series 61 returned to complement the Series 62, which was introduced in 1940, and the Series 61 replaced the former companion-make, LaSalle, in the Cadillac pricing structure.
All 1941 Cadillacs used the same Monobloc V-8 with the same displacement of 346 CID when the Cadillac V-16 engine used in the Series 90 was cancelled. Another break from the past came with the efficiencies gained from Cadillac’s adoption of a single-engine philosophy for 1941 and beyond. Displacing 346 CID, Cadillac’s proven L-head V-8 now capably propelled the entire Cadillac line. It had the ability to yield outstanding 100-mph capability on the open road. Equally important, Cadillac’s V-8 engine was a silky-smooth paragon of refinement with nearly silent operation. Ride and handling qualities were excellent with independent front underpinnings and continue to impress collectors and marque enthusiasts who like to drive their classics today.
The most notable technical advancement was the introduction of the Hydramatic Drive semi-automatic transmission. In 1941, the one-piece hood came down lower in the front, included the side panels and extended sideways to the fenders. A single rectangular panel of louver trim was used on each side of the hood. The rectangular grille was wide, vertical and bulged forward in the middle. Rectangular parking lights were built into the top outer corners of the grille. Headlights were now built into the nose of the fenders, and provision for built in accessory fog lights was provided under the headlights. Three chrome spears appeared on the rear section of all four fenders. Rear fender skirts were standard.
The 1941 Cadillac models marked a clear break from the past in terms of styling, with the old upright, V-shaped radiator grille replaced by the bold, horizontal “egg-crate” grille treatment that remains a Cadillac hallmark today. Conceived by Art Ross, this design element was quietly brought to Head Stylist Harley Earl’s attention by Bill Mitchell, his eventual handpicked successor. Wider in visual appearance than ever before, the 1941 Cadillac models also featured the debut appearance of fender-mounted headlamps, one of Mitchell’s favored design cues. Looking fast even while at rest, the 1941 Cadillac line possessed a rare combination of sporting vigor with timeless elegance, and a cohesiveness of design matched by few, if any, of its rivals.
Documentation includes invoices, insurance documents, assorted parts and miscellany.
Coupe competition to this Cadillac in 1941 included Buick’s Century, Chrysler’s Windsor Series, DeSoto’s Custom S8C Series, Lincoln’s Zephyr, Mercury’s Series 19A and Oldsmobile’s Series 76.
This survivor Cadillac harks back to the good ol’ days of the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, and his musical licorice stick (clarinet), early melodies from Frank Sinatra or the Mills Brothers and a time before war ensnared most people’s lives later that year. Swing on by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today and look-see for yourself!
Price: Auction
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Location: Fenton, Missouri, United States
