Cadillac Memories

[billyoung]

When I was 13 I rode with my Father one night to Valley Cadillac in Rochester, New York. I remember well standing next to him in the showroom, the 1968's were just in and two were on the showroom floor the third car was the one the salesman was trying to sell my Father it was a left over brand new Sable Black 1967 Sedan DeVille 4 door pillared sedan with black cloth interior. My Father did not end up buying it. This occurred one more time on a Saturday in the fall of 1969 same Dealership and this time the car was a Biscay Aqua 1969 DeVille convertible with white top and white leather, Aqua dash and carpet now I was fully on board with this one but again Dad did not buy. Shortly after on October 7th. 1969 they bought a used 1968 DeVille convertible in code 30 Silverpine Green with code 6 Sandalwood top and Sandalwood interior. Climate Control six way seat, Am/Fm radio, controlled differential car.

[jwwseville60]

My Dad, a lifetime 55 mph Lincoln owner, had one Caddy, a 1995 Deville Concours (Northstar) the same color as this gold one.

One day he asked me to drive it. "C'mon, boy. Wring this thing out. See what she'll do. I need to use the phone for awhile. Where's my damn Washington Post?"

"Your sandwich from yesterday is folded in it behind you," I said.

"Don't be a smart ass! Take this exit."

I was a 33 year old pro racer back then so I hauled ass onto the wide, long Pentagon (25 mph) onramp from the George Washington Parkway, almost a 360 degree downhill ramp. I mashed the gas. Leaning gracefully, the tires squealed in protest but she held on at a leisurely 75 mph, her tail wiggling like a burlesque dancer. The GM engineers had done a damn good job. Hells-bells, I was impressed!

"Jesus H. Christ sailing a skiff in his boxers! You'll kill us all!" he screamed. "You're a dangerous, reckless criminal, son, a getaway driver for the Mob you sonofabitch!"

I miss my late Dad, but I'll never know why he always told me to speed in a car then yell at me for it.

Back to a Town Car he went after one year. I bought it from him but sold it for a BMW in 6 months. My first Caddy. Cool car, wish I had it now....

[David Greenburg]

Back in the last century, the GW Parkway was often not crowded, and a good place for high speed (mis) adventures. Although my fave was the Dulles Access Road, back when there was pretty much nothing between the Beltway and the airport, and the airport terminal was just the original building. I did not subject the somewhat mechanically tired '59 Fleetwood I had back then to such indignities as finding out how fast it would go.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Being a kid in my stepfathers 86 Fleetwood, and pressing my boots against the back seat with, unbeknownst to me, some dog doo that I had accidentally stepped in prior to getting in.  As a small child I thought it was funny and amazing that my boot magically produced brown goo on the back of his felt seats.  I found out the hard way that it wasn't as "cool" as my little kid brain thought, as there was a profanity laced yelling followed by a spanking shortly thereafter leaving my tush as red as those seats.