If you wanted Cadillac's top non-limousine model, you aimed for Cadillac's Sixty Special model, slotting between the entry level Series 62 and the larger Series 70 models.
Made in General Motors' Detroit Assembly, this example sports a major upgrade over previous Sixty Specials – a 12-volt electrical system. Factory accessories include a heater (code H), E-Z-Eye glass (code E) and full, chrome wheel discs (code D).
Dressed in Gloss Green (code 13), the car's paint and trim are in .....
overall excellent condition and looks fantastic. The car's engine bay is tidy, the cargo area is clean and comes with a full-size spare tire with cover. The large, chrome bumpers fit tightly to the body, including the Dagmar-inspired front bumper. Note that the passenger side windshield wiper is missing.
This big Cadillac rolls on wide whitewall tires mounted on steel wheels and topped by full, factory wheel covers. The tires appear in good, original order while the wheel covers are in very good order. This car rides on a 130-inch wheelbase and has a new, 20-gallon fuel tank. The car has a new exhaust system.
Under the big, counterbalanced hood is Cadillac's 331 CID V-8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor. Backing this motor is a Hydramatic four-speed automatic transmission and a 3.07:1 differential. Driver convenience features include the new Autronic Eye, power brakes and power windows.
Inside, the car has two-tone green plain broadcloth upholstery (code 77) – the front and rear bench seats look great. A large, two-spoke steering wheel frames a rectangular pod with a speedometer and ancillary gauges. The dark green carpeting is in good, original condition. Fuel and temp gauge are inop. The two-tone dash looks fine and features a factory AM radio. The car also has a heater and defroster.
For 1953, the Sixty Special was mainly a carryover as all of Cadillac's attention was focused on the-then new Eldorado convertible. The Sixty Special designation was reserved for some of Cadillac's most luxurious vehicles. It was offered as a four-door sedan and briefly as a four-door hardtop.
Minimal trim changes to the Sixty Special included wider rocker panel moldings, which moved the chrome louvers higher up on the rear doors and a revised grille and bumper.
However, significant engineering changes were made to the 1953 models, including a new 12-volt electrical system and a jump in engine power – now rated at 210 horsepower. Two new notable options debuted this year. First, the trunk-mounted air conditioning unit – developed by Frigidaire – was available in all closed-body Cadillac models. Second, the dashboard-mounted “Autronic Eye” became available. This automated system, which automatically dimmed the high-beam headlights when a forward-facing sensor indicated oncoming traffic, would become a Cadillac option for nearly the next 40 years.
Also available – for $325 – was a set of five wire wheels, which hadn't been seen on factory Cadillacs since the 1930s. Wire wheels would occasionally continue to be optionally available through 1992. The minor changes for the 1953 Sixty Special worked wonders, as sales of the car rose to a record 20,000 copies.
Competition to this Cadillac in 1953 included Buick's Series 70 Roadmaster Riviera, DeSoto's Firedome, Lincoln's Cosmopolitan, Mercury's Monterey, Oldsmobile's 98 and Packard's Cavalier.
If you have always desired a classic Cadillac, passing up on this'53 Sixty Special would be a crime. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to check out this big, cushy roller today.
VIN: 536085442
This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 39,241 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!
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