Spoof story about designing the 1959 Cadillac

[DavidB50]

Hi

I have previously read a funny spoof story of "the night they designed" the 1959 Cadillac.  There were bits about sending out for bottles of whiskey and a group of men all egging each other on with wilder and wilder ideas about how to best respond to Chryslers latest designs. Ideas like: "let's put 4 bullets on the front grille" then quickly evolved to "damn it! make it 60 bullets". 

I would like to find this story again but can't remember anymore, I'm afraid.  Can anyone help?

Thanks
David

[59-in-pieces]

David,

There is another story, that when the designers showed off the 59 to the Brass, the Brass said lower the fins and proceed.
After the Brass were gone, Harley Earl said to the designers - don't touch the fins - go to production.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[billyoung]

There was a semi soft cover book written many years ago called Cadillac Eldorado, it has three red 1950's Eldorado convertibles on the cover and the whole book is filled with interviews with the designers. I highly recommend it.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

There are many stories behind the 1959 Cadillac design and its fins. GM designer Dennis Little's version is this:

When the design was nearing completion, Harley Earl was asked to stop by the studio and give it his final approval of the clay mock up. Apparently he'd almost always have some criticism to make or order some small change no matter what. In the case of the '59 fins, he said they should be an inch lower. The studio didn't agree. Instead of trying to persuade him, they raised one of the fins one inch. When he returned, to see the "lowered" fin, he said, "That's perfect."

On a side note, the fins on the Series 75 are indeed an inch lower than they are on standard models. I've never been able to find out why. A shame that nobody ever thought to ask Dave Holls when he was still with us.