I Love Lucy old cadillac

[TJ Hopland]

Anyone know what the 'Cadillac convertible' that Fred bought in one of the episodes was?   I think it was when Ricky got the job in CA and he decided to buy a car.   IIRC he ends up getting a late 50's Pontiac Bonneville or Star Cheif looking convertible.  The car Fred got looks like its from the 20's to me.  It looks to have wood spoke wheels.  I think in the episode Lucy and Ethel get the two cars get hooked together.  I think Lucy said its a 1923 touring car. 

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

You are correct.  When Lucy is on the phone talking to the used car dealer from which Fred bought the car and pretending to be with a movie company that needed a car like that for a picture they were making, she says "1920....." and then realizes she doesn't know what exact year model it is.   She looks over at Fred who says "3" which she then repeats into the phone followed by "Cadillac touring car".

[Otto Skorzeny]

That's episode #108  entitled Getting Ready which aired December 13, 1954. everybody's ready for the trip to CA until they see Fred's new car.

The next episode #109 Lucy Learns to Drive aired January 3 1955. Ricky was teaching her in his new car.

I couldn't find references to the exact models. I'll keep looking.

[TJ Hopland]

I guess I was off a few years.  I assume Ricky's new pontiac would have then been a 55.   Did a 23 touring coupe have any value back then?  Was there anything special about that vintage or that car?

[Otto Skorzeny]

I doubt a 32 year old Cadillac had any serious value in 1954. My dad wanted to buy a 1929 Chandler for $75 in '52 or '53 but his dad wouldn't let him. I imagine you could get a Cadillac like that for a similar price or less.

[Jim Thompson]

I doubt a 32 year old Cadillac had any serious value in 1954. My dad wanted to buy a 1929 Chandler for $75 in '52 or '53 but his dad wouldn't let him. I imagine you could get a Cadillac like that for a similar price or less.

That is true, my dad bought a 1932 Cadillac V12 Limo around 1954 and only paid $50 bucks for it. They used it as a party car. Drinking buddies in back with tub of beer and sober buddy driving. I wish he had kept that car.

[TJ Hopland]

So now I need to be a super nerd and watch really really close in all the episodes that involve Fred's car to see if they are all the same car.  If they were pretty much worthless you would suspect that they had different cars rigged up for different type of scenes. 

I wonder if a car like that was less valuable then because it was such a different style especially compared to the 50's designs?

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

I assume Ricky's new pontiac would have then been a 55. 

You're correct, it was a '55 Star Chief.  In fact, I just saw one for sale on the internet and it was advertised as like the one the Ricardos and Mertzes drove to California.  Fred:  How many horsepower? Ricky: 180  Fred:  Automatic transmission? Ricky:  Of course.

[Otto Skorzeny]

I wonder if a car like that was less valuable then because it was such a different style especially compared to the 50's designs?

I'm sure that's the reason. Look at the vast difference in reliability, safety, speed, etc. Only kids and collectors wanted cars that old. How many people, even today, would by a 30+ year old car with the intention of using it for daily use - let alone taking it across the country?

[Johnny]

  You're correct, it was a '55 Star Chief.  In fact, I just saw one for sale on the internet and it was advertised as like the one the Ricardos and Mertzes drove to California.  Fred:  How many horsepower? Ricky: 180  Fred:  Automatic transmission? Ricky:  Of course.

I guess they had to trade in their Mecury for the Pontiac.

[Greg McDonnell]

No, the Mercury was not part of the I Love Lucy episodes being discussed in this thread.  That car was used to pull the travel trailor in the full-length feature film, The Long, Long Trailer, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. 

I do believe the same car was used in the two episodes.  She did say it was a 1923 Cadillac Touring car when she was speaking to the movie producer.  It was neat how the set guys were able to rig the car so certain parts would fall off when the door was slammed (the headlight). I think one of the doors came off in Ricky's hand when he opened it!  They really made that old Cadillac look like a piece of junk and their new Pontiac look like a dream!

Greg McDonnell
(huge I Love Lucy fan)   

[Johnny]

No, the Mercury was not part of the I Love Lucy episodes being discussed in this thread.  That car was used to pull the travel trailer in the full-length feature film, The Long, Long Trailer, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. 
 

Yes I knew that, I thought I would throw in the car from the film.  Not entirely sure, but I seem to remember that Pontiac was Lucy's sponsor at the time.  I do remember a Pontiac commercial at the time, where there was around 50 Pontiac's lined up like soldiers riding down an expressway.