The Cadillac Series 36-60 was Cadillac’s entry-level product when it appeared in 1936, competing with the entry-level Packard Six. Each model year added a year prefix to the series, as 37-60 and 38-60, following the numbering convention of the time.
Cadillac Series 60 at a glance
| Maker | Cadillac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1936-1938 (as Series 36-60, 37-60, 38-60) |
| Predecessor | LaSalle, upgraded with the Cadillac name |
| Wheelbase, 1936 | 121.0 in (3,073 mm) |
| Wheelbase, 1937-1938 | 124.0 in (3,150 mm) |
| Engine, 1936 | 322 cu in (5.3 L) Monobloc V8, 125 hp |
| Engine, 1937 | 346 cu in (5.7 L) V8, 135 hp |
| Bodies | factory body on the GM B platform |
| Suspension | Knee-Action independent front suspension |
| Brakes | Bendix dual-servo |
| Successor | Series 61 from 1939 |
| Related line | Sixty Special, built on and off to 1993 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Series 60. The video attached to the old record does not clearly show this series, so the article has none.
History of the Cadillac Series 60
The Series 60 was the idea of Cadillac’s new manager Nicholas Dreystadt. When it debuted in 1936 it filled a large price gap between the LaSalles – of which the Series 60 was the upgraded version carrying the Cadillac name – and the much more expensive Series 36-70 Cadillacs. It rode on a 121-inch wheelbase and shared its B body with LaSalle, Buick and Oldsmobile cars; the wheelbase grew to 124 inches for 1937 and 1938.
New look and new engine
The exterior was a new Harley Earl design with a tall, slender grille and a split vee-shaped windshield, and the body used Fisher’s new Turret Top one-piece roof and Bendix dual-servo brakes. Knee-Action independent suspension, which Cadillac had first offered in 1934, was a novelty in the mid-price market. Under the bonnet was the new and cheaper Monobloc V8 of 322 cu in and 125 hp, only 10 hp less than the engines of the larger Cadillacs.
Best seller at once
The Series 60 immediately became Cadillac’s best-selling model, making up half of all Cadillacs sold in its first year. For 1937 the displacement of all Monobloc Cadillacs went up to 346 cu in and output to 135 hp, more than any Cadillac V8 of a few years earlier. The Series 60 was then upgraded to the Series 61. A model derived from it, the Sixty Special, continued on and off through 1993.
Design and features
- Monobloc V8: a cheaper 322 cu in engine giving 125 hp, later 346 cu in and 135 hp.
- Knee-Action suspension: independent front suspension brought into the mid-price class.
- Turret Top body: Fisher’s one-piece steel roof and Bendix dual-servo brakes.
- Entry-level pricing: designed to beat the Packard Six at the bottom of the luxury market.
Cadillac Series 60 versions
- Series 36-60 (1936): 121-inch wheelbase and the 322 cu in engine.
- Series 37-60 (1937): 124-inch wheelbase and the 346 cu in engine.
- Series 38-60 (1938): the final year before the Series 61.
- Sixty Special: the longer derivative that outlived the series itself.
The Series 60 was replaced by the Series 61 and stood below the V-12 and V-16 models. More Cadillacs are in the Cadillac collection.
Sources
- Cadillac Series 60, English Wikipedia: origins, chassis, engine, sales
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