I'm debating on hunting for a 1965 or 1966 Fleetwood. Can anyone give me a good rundown of the differences? I'm leaning more towards the 1966, but purely based on my love for the 1966 Eldorado. Thanks in advance for the knowledge!
Adrian Cazares
Which model? The Eldorado?, the Sixty Special? The Series 75s? or the Brougham?
The Brougham, David. Sorry, forgot to specify!
The 65 has a lot more chrome than the 66, which got dechromed a lot.
The 66 has the variable ratio steering, 65 doesn't.
The 66 has more woodgrain on the door panels.
I'm not positive, but I think the Brougham package came out in 66.
Tim
The Brougham was an option on the 65 Sixty Special. Whereas it was a separate model in 66.
The 66 had the picnic tables, the 65s did not.
Here is the rear compartment of a 65. Nice wood and footrests.
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7346%2F8896038957_4dd7420a82_b.jpg&hash=d74e871c022fbe1e45907eea57f4505e196ec231)
Below is the 66 with the picnic tables and much thicker real wood on the doors.
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.staticflickr.com%2F4122%2F4751742924_45ebd2740d_b.jpg&hash=d7ca52de1b8178729d920720a0158c9f45d90e63)
Having grown up with a 66 Brougham, I think it's far superior to the 65 !
A 65 with the Brougham package is simply elegant.
A 66 Fleetwood Brougham is truly opulent.
Either one is a looker, but those fold down tables in the 66 just blow people away at car shows. It's a shame they dropped them in 68.
I always felt the picnic tables, like the vanities of the 57 brougham was silly, and just done for the sake of saying "look what I got". Can anyone really picture a stately dowager, ala Miss Daisy, using her picnic table to eat her hot dog?
They would make a cool laptop/tablet/DVD player table in this day and age. It seems the usefulness of the amenities they pack in these Luxury Automobiles ebbs and and flows with time. The many ashtray and lighters in my 64 CDV is a good example...but I do use the lighter to charge the iphone, ipod, laptop, and portable boombox. :-)
Perhaps '66 Brougham owners rode about "awsking" one another if they had any Grey Poupon for their hot dogs enjoyed upon the picnic tables. ;D
*The 1965 Sixty Special/Brougham interior gets my vote.
'66 also got the adjustable reading lamps in the sail panels. Really, I think the "picnic table" idea wasn't so much to "eat on the run" but was also attractive to businessmen where they would have a desk of sorts in the rear compartment. Chrysler came out with the "Mobile Director" models in the late '60's as well, catering to the busy executive.
Agreed.
"Picnic tables" is a term of parlance.
"Writing tables" or "Fold-out Desks" was the official description of the feature used by Cadillac- or something similar.
Wow, I am simply blown away by the responses! This is my first post on CLC and am very happy I joined! I think I see a '66 in my future...thanks, guys!
The rear bumper of the 66 had a metal shield below the license plate, the 65 did not. On almost all 66's this plate is bent upwards do to the fact that the center of the bumper stuck out farther then the rest. IIRC, you needed to remove the rear bumper to replace the rear taillight bulbs.