This 1952 limousine was evidently sold. The link is:
http://www.autabuy.com/Vehicles/Details.cfm?VID=3031319
It had several interior photos that showed what appear to be a (simulated?) walnut finish.
See attached. The interior trim looks much like what came on the limousines before WWII. Is this authentic? Did Derham build cars like this in the 1950s? I don't recall even seeing an interior like this on Cadillacs from the (early) 50s.
John Emerson
Middlebury, Vermont
1952 Series 6219X Sedan
CLC # 26790
John,
That's a beautifully done dash but it not a stock 1952 finish. GM used a decal type transfer for dashes in the '40s. If it was done off line by GM,
it would have to be made from available sheets of Di-Noc, and it would not have the high gloss finish shown.
Derham had technical ability equal to your check book balance; so they could have done this originally.
The finish looks more like a professional regaining by any number of vendors offering such services. From the little I can see in the picture, I think it looks great.
You stated the model is a 6219X. It is a series 75, so it would be a 7519X (five passenger, no divider). This not formal car (no division) would be considered an owner driven car, and would not have the black or painted dash that a formal division car would have. Both my 56 Derhams had painted dash and leather (with division window) as would most chauffeur driven cars. Moreover, nothing denotes this car as being a Derham, the rear quarter windows are not blocked out. I had a 49 7519, and the dashboard and front window moldings were all wood grain, as were the rear. In fact as I remember, the window moldings were real wood.
Ralph and Tony,
Thanks for interesting replies. So it is clear that this interior trim graining treatment did not come from Cadillac and most likely did not come from Derham either. It is a stunning treatment and I hadn't realized that there were shops that would do this (apparently) very high-quality work. The car appears otherwise to be a stock (non-formal) limousine.
There is also a listing of a 1953 Derham (formal with divider) limousine, but this one has regular painted interior trim. See:
http://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=37119
One small point: I didn't say that the 1952 limousine was a 6219X -- that is my own car and is just part of my signature line. I'd love to have either of these two limousines, but my pockets aren't that deep!
Tony, it's interesting that your 49 Series 75 (formal) had wood trim and that the window moldings might even have been real wood. The 1948 and 1949 75s were not the new postwar body, so they were essentially slightly updated version of the 1942 models. Stunning cars too! I think I recall a 1942 Series 75 at the Lake George Grand National. (I don't recall if it had a divider.) I'm quite sure I've never seen a 42 limousine anywhere else...
All this reminds me of just how special the Cadillac from 1950 through 1953 was. They are very tasteful designs (slightly less so with the 1953, but I do love that model too). Clean, classic Cadillac lines. yet these models don't have the collector appeal of the ones that followed them through 1960. I don't suppose they will ever generate the interest that the 54-60 models do.
John Emerson
Middlebury, Vermont
1952 Series 6219X Sedan
CLC # 26790
John,
After reading Tony’s post, I’m going to retract something I said because I didn’t look at the ad. In ’52 the rear compartment came from the factory with “Australian Lacewood†garnish moldings which resembles a tiny burl grain. The literature states the Limousine front compartment had chrome and painted garnish. I haven’t seen anything in the literature about the garnish in the front of sedans. Given that the front and rear of sedans carried the same trim, it reasonable to assume that wood grain on the dash of this car could be correct. The wood grain in the photo appears to be walnut and looks different than Lacewood, so it is technically inaccurate. None-the-less I still think it looks beautiful.
The demise of the factory limousine was probably one of the greatest losses for me. The new limos, where the rear passengers do not sit well behind the front door to me are not luxurious at all. As my parents, and my aunts and uncles have passed away in the last 20 years, riding in these poor excuses of limousines resemble no form of luxury as I remember it. And so it goes...........things change
Ralph is right.
I opened Roy Schneider's ...CADILLAC 1950-1959 Motor Cars and read about the 1952, 75 limousine interior.
Front: Dash board painted in black, leather seat cushions are pleated in flowing lines while the door panels are plain black leather with black trim molding.
Back: Trimmed in luxurious fabric in a tufted motif. Garnish moldings are in Australian Lacewood grain pattern.
So, the advertised car should have leather seat in the front, a black dash board and moldings.
John Emerson wrote:
" All this reminds me of just how special the Cadillac from 1950 through 1953 was. They are very tasteful designs (slightly less so with the 1953, but I do love that model too). Clean, classic Cadillac lines. yet these models don't have the collector appeal of the ones that followed them through 1960. I don't suppose they will ever generate the interest that the 54-60 models do".
It's a generational thing. In 1985, I was offered a 1959 Coupe de Ville condition 2-3 for $2.800. In 1986, the 40s Cadillacs were in demand and I paid 8 times that amount for my convertible.
You like myself and others like the classical proportions ie long hood and short rear deck.
Again, this is not a limousine. It is a series 75, sedan. No jump seats, no division. Even if it has jump seats, and no division, the front would not be leather, and the dash would not be painted.
Quote from: TonyZappone #2624 on June 29, 2015, 12:06:12 AM
Again, this is not a limousine. It is a series 75, sedan. No jump seats, no division. Even if it has jump seats, and no division, the front would not be leather, and the dash would not be painted.
Thanks for the clarification as I thought all 75s were limousines being driven by a chauffeur and or a chauffeuse after the women's emancipation.
Upon further reading, I found the 75s types:
7519X 5P Sedan
7523X 7P Sedan
7533X 7P Imperial Sedan
7523L 9P Business Sedan
7533L 9P Imperial Business Sedan
A question to your expertise. Since they all had a 136" wheelbase, where the extra 2 passengers (9P) would sit?
Thanks,
The livery cars, or the 9 passenger business sedans, had jump had much wider jump seats that accomadated the extra passengers.
Our family's 1949 Series 75 Imperial Limousine has a real wood finish in the back on the divider and the doors. The front is as described earlier, black leather seats and painted dash, plain black door panels and fron headliner.
Jump seats were fun when you were a kid, but if an adult sat there, the seat back rested against the knees of the person in the back seat behind you....
In the late 50's I was stationed in Fort Ord California and the taxi service on base was a private company with all earlier Cadillac sedans with jump seats. For 25 cents you could ride anywhere in base sort of a shuttle with flexibility. Being a young and naive guy I asked a driver why Cadillacs, and he said because they run forever and at 25 cents I can get 8 or more in and make profitable trips.