The Cadillac Series 40-62 was produced from 1940 through 1964. It began as a complement to the entry-level Series 61, became the Series 6200 in 1959, and was renamed Calais for 1965. The Series 62 was also the model line that introduced the Coupe de Ville and the Eldorado.
Cadillac Series 62 at a glance
| Maker | Cadillac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1940-1964 |
| Platform | GM C-body, shared with Buick and Oldsmobile |
| Engine, 1940-1941 | 346 cu in (5.7 L) L-head V8, 135-150 hp |
| Bodies | club coupe, sedan, convertible |
| Price, 1940 coupe | $1,685 |
| 1940 sales | 5,903, about 45% of Cadillac |
| 1941 sales | 24,734, 37% of Cadillac |
| Known as | Series 6200 from 1959 |
| Renamed | Cadillac Calais for 1965 |
| Famous versions | 1949 Coupe de Ville, 1953 Eldorado |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Series 62. No free photographs were found among the candidates.
History of the Cadillac Series 62
The Fisher-bodied Series 40-62 was the new entry-level product for 1940, with a low, sleek torpedo-style C-body, chrome window reveals, a more slanted windshield and a curved rear window. The new body, shared with the Buick Roadmaster and Super, the Oldsmobile Series 90 and the Pontiac Custom Torpedo, was more than 5 inches wider at the shoulders and hips, and it dropped running boards for a streamlined shape 2 to 3 inches lower than before. With a column-mounted shift for the Hydramatic automatic it offered true six-passenger comfort, and it was GM’s competitor to the popular Packard One-Twenty.
Sales records
In its first year the Series 62 sold 5,903 cars, about 45% of Cadillac’s sales, at $1,685 for the two-passenger coupe, $1,745 for the Touring Sedan and $2,195 for the four-door Convertible Sedan. For 1941 sales more than quadrupled to 24,734, 37% of Cadillac’s total, in a year that broke the division’s previous record. The Series 62 offered the only four-door convertible Cadillac built in 1941, and the last such body the marque ever made. All Cadillacs shared the 346 cu in 135 hp V8, with output rising to 150 hp.
After the war
The 1942 cars adopted the massive eggcrate grille that all future Cadillacs used, round parking lights and Airfoil front fenders extending into the doors. The first post-war Cadillac came off the line on 7 October 1945 and for several months only Series 62s were built. The 1946 cars were little changed from 1942, and 18,565 were made, about 65% of Cadillac’s 29,000 vehicles that year. Demand was so strong that Cadillac had as many as 100,000 unfilled orders into 1947, and material shortages meant some cars left the factory with wooden bumpers for dealers to replace. The Series 62 went on to spawn the 1949 Coupe de Ville and the 1953 Eldorado as special appearance packages that later became models of their own.
Design and features
- Torpedo body: a lower, wider C-body without running boards, shared with other GM divisions.
- Hydramatic comfort: a column shift and automatic transmission gave six-seat room.
- Eggcrate grille: the 1942 face that set the Cadillac look for two decades.
- Model incubator: both the Coupe de Ville and the Eldorado started as Series 62 variants.
Cadillac Series 62 versions
- Club coupe: the cheapest body, $1,685 in 1940.
- Touring Sedan: the four-door at $1,745.
- Convertible Sedan: the four-door convertible of 1940-1941.
- Series 6200 (1959-1964): the same line under the new numbering.
- 1959 model: the car with the huge sharp tailfins and dual bullet taillights.
The Series 62 was renamed the Calais in 1965 and was the parent of the de Ville and the Eldorado. More Cadillacs are in the Cadillac collection.
Video: 1959 Cadillac driving
Video by earlstreet30 on YouTube.
Sources
- Cadillac Series 62, English Wikipedia: 1940-1942 cars, sales, post-war production
