Got an email last week from Michael in Sweden who asked for help identifying the Cadillac that his father owned when he was a kid. I will include two pictures of this Cadillac. Michael seems to think it is a 1949. I am not so sure after doing a little research I am thinking its older. The front bumper does not match a 1949 757 passenger or at least I can tell. Michael remembers that the Cadillac has 4 doors.
Is this a 1949 Cadillac?
1940's Cadillac
Please help Michael try to figure this out. Leave a comment and take a guess if you want and I will help him find out what it is. There is no wrong answer and we can use all the help we can get.
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m pretty sure it’s a ’47…..
1948
I think it is a 1948
I think it’s a 1947
i believe that is a 1941..48 49 look more like the 50 model
Thnx Dave. I’ll do some googling on 1941 models.
Cordially,
Michael
She looks like a 1946 but could be a 47. The only difference between the two years is the Cadillac script on the fenders but I can’t see the sides.
Thanks again all participants. I’m sure we can settle this pretty soon or in the long run.
Now I’ll google the 47′s and the 48′s.
From email
I believe this Cadillac is a 1947 – William
Vinny…no question, it’s a 1947 Cadillac. From the pictures, though, I can’t tell what seies, but I suspect a series 61. – Gerry
Wes thinks its a 1946 and this picture looks like it http://www.100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1940/cad46s.htm
46. http://bit.ly/it36Fh
Then it’s settled then? It’s a 1947? Or 1946?
I actually made a drawing of it displaying the back och left side of it, and that drawing, though made by an eight or nine year old, sure resembles the car at the bottom of the page Vinny linked to. I had, as children often do, an eye for details. I can mail Vinny my drawing, if necessary.
Michael if you want send me the drawing it may help.
In my opinion, this is a 1947 Cadillac. The clue is in the V crest on the hood. For 1946, there was spacing between the V and the emblem. For 1947 the lower portion was connected with horizontal lines. It’s a bit difficult to tell with the quality of the picture, but the lines are visible, making it 1947. Preceding year 1946 and following year 1948 are disctintly different.
The only caviat that I offer is if it was a commercial vehicle. I owned a 1948 hearse that carried over certain 1947 trim. However, these pictures don’t support that it’s that model.
Not only that but, the 1947 had the round parking lighyts while for 1946, the parking lights were squarish.
Back again… this could very well be 1949 75 series. Imagine post-war Sweden – the 75 series formal sedan might be more plausible than a sportier 61 or 62 (or even 60) series sedan. A clue would be Michael’s date of birth, to determine (if it’s he in the picture of the car). My guess of the age of the children in this pic would be about four years. If so, we could determine the year of the photo. That might be of help to zoom us in to the age of the car.
by the grill I think it is a 1946
I’d say it’s a 1946.
The research I did revealed one on you tube which was the only one I could find that had “fog lights” (very popular in Newfoundland–lots of fog there).
A 1946 Cadillac 60 Special
Has anyone focused on the antenna, I am seeing some 1946′s with it on the drivers side and some pictures with it missing from the drivers fender.
Ron is this the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rnUF2hfeBI
I BELIEVE THE CAR TO BE A 1947 CADILLAC, LOOKING AT THE GRILL. IT IS DEFINITLY NOT A 1949
IM INCLINED TO SAY THAT THE CAR PICTURED IS EITHER A 1947 OR A 1948 IT IS NOT A 1946 BECAUSE THE GRILL ON A 1946 HAS FIVE BARS ACROSS THE GRILL ON A 1947 AND 1948, THERE ARE ONLY FOUR BARS ACROSS THE GRILL
Yes Vinny. That’s the one which shows the fog lights. It sure is a beauty!
Thanks for the You Tube clip, Vinny. The interior looked very familiar, but then it didn’t change that much perhaps from 1946 to 1947.
Another thing. The design of the Cadillac of 1946 makes one wonder why on earth they don’t make such beautiful cars anymore.
Although I think the 40′s cars were stunningly beautiful compared to what came before and after, I’m thinking that we wouldn’t have had the same trouble determining the model and the year of a 50′s Cadillac.
Anyway, it was extremely easy to tell a Chevrolet and Ford 1953 from a Chevrolet and Ford 1954, and 1955, 1956, etc. And I guess the same is true of Cadillac models during that decade.
That is a 1947 Cadillac. I am sure!
It is a 1947 because the 1946 has square parking lights. The 1947 had the round parking lights.
Michael, it’s great to hear your comments.
Especially the one about why don’t they make those beautiful cars anymore.
It could be a good incentive to keep the idea alive and hopefully through those of us here, especially Vinny, we could inspire entrepreneurs to make it happen.
Difficult to say of course, but the auto companies surely must be aware that there is a distinct desire of interest in history of those dreamboats , and of course it’s referenced in many songs of the eras as well.
Where I live here in downtown Vancouver, Canada we don’t get much of a winter here so there’s hardly any salt that gets put on the street. As a result we get to see many really nice looking well preserved cars parading around our streets. It always gives me a great lift!
I invite you to look at thie 1949 Cadillac page and scroll down through the 61 and 62 series to the 75 desan. Look closely at the grille and bumperettes, note the parking light placement. (for lights would have been at best an option, likely an aftermarket addition in Sweden).
I stick to my point that if Michael’s car was thought to be a 1949, and if there’s merit in that recollection, then the 75 series sedan in this URL would make it plausible that it is a 1949. The 75 series did not change until 1950.
If it was not a 75 series then it would definitely be a 1947 (see my earlier comment on the V emblem).
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1940/1946/cad46g.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1940/cad46s.htm&usg=__p2UhWb2a3vx–rO8vNZeP1LAQQU=&h=243&w=361&sz=33&hl=en&start=0&sig2=djk_eaR0nsXHOMiivsn7UA&zoom=1&tbnid=HfydqMzZla_YIM:&tbnh=154&tbnw=213&ei=yBf9TaOKDqnfiALDhaj-BA&prev=/search%3Fq%3D1946%2Bcadillac%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1143%26bih%3D686%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=363&vpy=136&dur=1551&hovh=184&hovw=274&tx=143&ty=66&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&biw=1143&bih=686
I submitted and answer and it never posted!
Hi guys,
thanks a bunch for all interest in this topic. Interesting point made by Dave that my father’s Caddy could have been a ’49-er, because there was no change in the exterior for the 75 models until 1950. I didn’t know that, so this thread has been very educational.
Re. aftermarket additions.
I recall that American cars in Sweden during this time had to have new spring systems (I guess that’s the correct term for it, but I am not sure), so that they didn’t “rock” (as in rocking a cradle) or whatever the correct word would be when you halted them. And another feature was that they had to put on mudflaps.
As for no salt on Vancouver streets. Allow me to become a little off topic.
The past winter lasted six months almost here in Stockholm, incredibly snowy, cold and icey. Still politicians here are committed to outlawing dub wheels. And they are anti-salt as well.
Well, if you allow dub wheels, you don’t need salt. Sand is a better substitute, of course, but if you outlaw dub wheels, you have to use salt or sand to make the roads and streets drivable.
Hope I didn’t drive up anyones blood pressure with that remark.
Dave, your recent post shed a new light on this one for sure.
The grille pattern in the 1949 Fleetwood series 75 is strikingly similar to grille pattern shown in Michael’s photo.
In all other 1949 models the pattern is quite different. (more of a “sharky” look)?
I find that in the 1949 (Fleetwood series 75 only) the grille pattern is very similar to the 1946 and 47 as well.
More to come hopefully.
Cheers, Ron.
This surely becomes more and more enlightening. Eagerly awaiting final verdict.
It’s a 1947. 1946 had SIX chrome horizontals in the grille, including the hood-bar. 1947 had only FIVE horizontals. (Six For ’46)['6.4.46' get it?]
After reading Ron T’s post above I have to concede that it’s not a 1946.
Thanks Ron.
However, I still am unable to rule it out not being the 1949 Fleetwood series 75 as it, as well as the 1947 Cadillac has the five chrome horizontals as indicated in Ron’s post. (I am googled to death over this one)
“And the plot thickens.”
Here’s scans of original dealer sales literature to perhaps clear up some things:
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/SalesLiterature46#
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/SalesLiterature49#
Here’s all the other pics I have of the years in question:
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/46Cadillac#
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/47Cadillac#
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/48Cadillac#
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/49Cadillac#
NOTE: ’48 and ’49 have NO PONTOON FENDERS in the Front anymore.
Ok, so the B&W pics don’t really show the ‘pontoon fenders,’ but what’s clear is how HIGH the HOOD/Bonnet is, and that was also substantially reduced/lowered in ’48 & ’49 and the grilles got neato ’rounded’ corners at the top.
Hey guys.
After going back and forth over all these posts and reading through them all again very carefully, as well as viewing more images of Cadillac cars than I ever dreamed were out there, I have to say that; unless of course Michael’s father had some major custom work done on his Cadillac, I’d rest my case and say that it’s a 1947.
A Google search of : “1947 Cadillac history (photos)” shows a black convertible with the rounded parking lights as described above by “cadrols” and grille as described above by Ron T. and Al A.
Interestingly, this Cadillac also has a set of horns on the passenger side fender which is quite impressive.
At one point while doing the research I stumbled onto a video of Chuck Berry singing a great tune about a Cadillac called “No Money Down.” That guy is truly amazing!
This was lots of fun and I look forward to hearing more. Many thanks guys.
Ron J.
This is it, I think.
https://picasaweb.google.com/redcad59/SalesLiterature49#5562630167478173602
I hate to argue with obvious experts, which you guys are, and I’m not, but as far I’m concerned this is it. A 49′er after fall. Why? Because of the round parking lights in front. And the hood, of course.
As for the pontoon fenders, well is that obvious that my dad’s car had them? My only two photos provide you a) with a front view picture, making it perhaps rather hard to determine how big the “pontoons” are, though to a trained eye such as your’s (or “yours” without an apostrophe?) there are probably other revealing signs, b) the car in question at a distance, where the “pontoons” (I don’t know the English word for what such gadgets are called ordinarily) are visible, and they don’t look that big, do they?
At the same time, I’m in awe at the all the knowledge you display and even more at the interest and research you put in. As I tell my friends, this is typically American, your friendliness, so you are good ambassadors for your proud nation.
And right now I suspect I will be corrected, as for my reasoning above.
Anyway, thanks again,
Michael
Michael I am in awe of the great details contained in these comments also. I don’t think it is a 1949 Cadillac I am leaning with the other guys in saying its a 1946 or 1947 Cadillac.
The picture you just showed I noticed it didn’t have the antenna by the drivers door. I am going to did up the email you sent with the drawing, maybe there is something we can get from that too.
Wow!
Has this now ever thrown me into a quandary!
And it’s the” V” on the trunk cover of Michael’s drawing of his dad’s Cadillac that has” set me a-whirl.”
Previously I was convinced that it was a 1947 but as it turns out I am unable to find an image of a 1947 Cadillac with a “V” on the trunk cover.
Truly amazing.
Although not all of the 49′s that I managed to view have the “V” on the trunk cover, the majority of them did, which leads me to question the “resting of my case” statement made in my previous post to it being a 1947 Cadillac.
Could it be that the “V” wasn’t included until after 1947?
And so again, “the plot continues.”
Ron J.
Another fly in the ointment here folks.
It just occurred to me that maybe we should check out the 1948 Cadillac.
Well, as it turns out many of them do have the “V” on the trunk cover but the only one I could find which had the rounded parking lights did not show an image of the trunk cover.
Busy time for us right now as we are packing to make the move from Vancouver to live in the Province of Ontario Canada, but will try and keep abreast of this thread as I really am having fun here.
Thanks guys.
Ron. J.
Hello. Car in question is a 1948 Cadillac Limousine. Everything from transportation board in Sweden.
If Michael wants to know ore so he can contact me via my e-mail address.
Best regards from sweden.
The car is a 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine. Sorry.
Thanks so much Morgan.
The thought that there might still be something on record with the transportation people did occur to me at one time throughout this thread but I after a second thought I decided not to bring it up as it was such a long time ago, and there might not be any record still available.
It’s good that you came on board and hopefully made a rescue here as the license plate number fortunately is quite conspicuous.
Maybe now we can bring this one to fruition.
Looking forward.
Ron J.
Hi again,
sorry for not participating for a while. I’ve been busy. Hilarious how an old drawing by an eight year old can
provide information.
And Morgan’s contribution: what an interesting turn. Yes, I’ll get in touch with you, Morgan, via email. This week probably
Greetings,
Michael Stahlberg
Hi you all,
used one of my blog handles by mistake.
I visited Transportstyrelsens hemsida (the Transportation Board’s homepage) and I wonder if I could get the info. on this link. Thru E. services?
http://www.transportstyrelsen.se/sv/E-tjanster/
By the way, Morgan, how do I get your email address? Thru Vinnie?
Cordially,
Michael