1959 Cadillac 50th Anniversary interesting/funny/unusual photos

[J]

  not mine but its a beuty

[Misfit]

And I'd kill for the Lime Green SuperBird in the background.

MisFit

[Otto Skorzeny]

You beat me to it. I've wanted one of those since I was a kid. Ain't gonna happen, though.

[Mike Welch]

Beauties http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=59+Cadillac&m=pool&w=38807227%40N00&z=t
Beasts http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=59+Cadillac&m=pool&w=50445399%40N00&z=t

[Charles D. Barnette]

This has been a great thread concentrating on the great 59 Cadillacs in honor of their 50th anniversary. It appears that tomorrow will be a black day however for GM. The news reports are that GM will file on Monday bankruptcy under Chapter 11. When that happens a great era will have ended that produced cars like the 59 Cadillac full of luxury, beauty, and grace. There will be alot of people who will lose their jobs, retirement benefits, health benefits, and GM dealerships. Perhaps it will be for the good in the long run for GM to be owned by the US Government (as has been reported); but in the short run, it is going to hurt! Some solace can be had I think by rereading this entire thread when GM was at the top of their game. One car that has to be mentioned here is the 59/60 Cadillac Cyclone show car. The Cyclone sought to emulate jet aircraft fighters-hence the two cones on the front fender had radar. Carla will post tomorrow an interesting picture of the car from my collection of its debut at the 1959 Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.  Strangely the car never appeared at the 59 GM Motorama or the final 1961 GM Motorama (there was no 60 GM Motorama). The picture shows the car (on the racetrack) sitting very high with large fins in the 59 configuration-not sitting low as we know it. Carla will also post three additional pictures of the car in its 1960 configuration where gone are the high fins. A more tailored fin appears similar to the 1961-62 Cadillacs upon which the bottom edge "skeg" fins of Cyclone also appeared. These three pictures were taken by me (one in 1992 at the GM Clark Street plant with top canopy in place and the remaining two at the Cadillac Museum in Warren, Michigan, in 1997). Perhaps these pictures will also give some comfort to us. Charles D. Barnette

[Misfit]

Looking forward to Carla's posts.

MisFit

[Carla]

Here is the Cadillac Cyclone in its 1959 configuration at its debut in Daytona.

[Carla]

Here is the Cadillac Cyclone in its 1959 configuration at its debut in Daytona.

[Carla]

Here is the Cadillac Cyclone in its 1959 configuration at its debut in Daytona.

Correction...This picture was actually taken at the Clark Street Plant of GM in 1992 when the canopy top was in place.  The car is actually in its 1960 configuration.

[Carla]

Here is the Cadillac Cyclone in its 1960 configuration photographed at the GM Cadillac Museum in Warren, MI, in 1997.

[Charles D. Barnette]

Sorry about the mis-labeled first picture on the Cyclone above. However it allowed us to show a special feature of "photo shop", because when first posted above we added a red tint to the picture; when posted a second time with the correct label we removed the red tint. Isn't modern technology wonderful? I do hope these pictures ease the tension of GM filing for bankruptcy on today's date June 1, 2009. Let us hope that today's efforts will save GM! Charles D. Barnette

[Otto Skorzeny]

Don't hold your breath, Charles. Good by GM, Hello British Leyland.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Here are links to the dealer filmstrips about the 1959 Caddies.

1 of 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T7QXmu4vYA
2 of 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oKR8Z5VdbE&feature=related
3 of 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHL-yRXUdwQ&feature=related
4 of 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWskzHHd4Y&feature=related
5 of 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBj9tnH5SdE&feature=related
6 of 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmERquxbnLU&feature=related

[Charles D. Barnette]

Dan, these filmstrips are awesome! I must confess after watching number 6, I was unaware that cruise control was available for the 59 Cadillac. I wonder how many 59 Cadillacs were so equipped? Charles D. Barnette

[Charles D. Barnette]

I am now seeing that cruise control was standard on the 59 Eldorado Brougham, Seville, and Biarritz. But how many other 59 Cadillac models opted for this feature?

[Dan LeBlanc]

I think it might be difficult to determine just how many have cruise control if they're anything like the 61's and 62's as it was also available as a dealer installed accessory.  I know that cruise control parts for my 1961 are extremely difficult to find as the 1961 was a 1 year only unit.  1959 and 1960 might be a bit easier and may share components with Chrysler's Autopilot as they were both made by Dana corporation.

[Charles D. Barnette]

I have now consulted what I believe to be the primary reference of information on Cadillacs of the fifties, "Automobile Heritage's  Illustrated Guide to 1950 thru 1959 Cadillac" by Roy A. Schneider. From his book I read that the only 59 Cad body style to have the cruise control feature as standard equipment was the 59 Eldorado Brougham. If that is true, then that only gives us the 99 EBs of 59 plus other 59 Cadillac models special ordered with the feature or those that were possibly dealer added. The feature would be located in the left hand side round pod on the dash as you face the steering wheel which would have either the cruise control feature or a medallion if no cruise control. I suspect only a hand full of 59 Cads had the option. The option was not available to the 59 Buick I am told. I digress to reveal a fantasy of mine of retrieving the 1959 EB chassis that was accidentally dropped in the ocean while loading. According to Mr. Schneider on page 235 of his book as follows: "According to legend, 100 Broughams were to have been completed during the 1959 model run, but one chassis was dropped in the harbor while being loaded thereby reducing the number to 99." The chassis was in the process of being shipped to Italy to receive its Pinin Farina body. Also while I am in my fantasy, I would like to retrieve the green 1959 flat top 4 door Buick that lies at the bottom of the ocean between Cuba and Miami. Some enterprising Cubans a couple of years ago fitted this 59 Buick with a boat bow, pontoons, and propellers powered by the Buick's motor to illegally come to the U.S. The 59 Buick "boat" was promptly intercepted by the US Coast Guard, taking into custody the Cubans, and deliberately sinking the 59 Buick seaworthy "contraption"! Charles D. Barnette

[Misfit]

They also tried this with a '42 Chevy. It met the same fate. Sank by the Coast Guard in the Straights of Florida.

These are the kind of people we need here. Not the ones with their hands out.

They were sent back home because they never reached U.S soil.

MisFit
Ft. Lauderdale Fl.

[David Greenburg]

Cruise was certainly not a common option in '59, but over the years I've seen quite a few with it, especially Eldorados and Fleetwoods.  As with most new technology, it trickled down from the top.  If you want a rare car with cruise, when in high school I drove a '60 Chevy Impala flat top with cruise.  The original owner was an engineer with GM's Perfect Circle Division, which built the cruise system, and I was told it was one of only a handful with factory cruise.  By the time I got it, it was pretty beat.  After I graduated, the timing chain broke, and my parents had it junked when I left for college.  At the time it was just an old car; not at all collectible.

[Carla Tynes]

Here is a tin sign by the AAA Sign Co., Coitsville, Ohio, depicting the beautiful "golden" 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special.  Happy Anniversary to the 1959 Cadillac.