Another Possible Prewar Bargain: 1937 Cadillac Series 60 Coupe
Over the past few weeks more than a few prewar cars have appeared on Barn Finds with either low prices or bidding on them never reaches what we all assume were market prices. Is this a sign of a slowing economy or is the market for anything prewar that wasn’t produced by Henry Ford starting to slump? Take for example this 1937 Cadillac 60 Series coupe for sale on eBay in Portland, Oregon. This stunning, well-restored, running and driving prewar Cadillac is currently sitting with a $7,100 bid with just three days left in the auction. Even more alarming is that there have been 27 bids so far. Why didn’t bidding for this car go deep into five figures by now? Are we in an era where running and driving pre-war Cadillacs are selling for less than used Hyundais?
Let’s look at this car’s pedigree. The Series 60 was Cadillac’s lower-priced line intended to compete with Packard’s six-cylinder line. The car still carried a 322 cubic inch V-8 with 135 horsepower pushing a lighter body that was shared with other GM divisions. As the Depression still had its grasp on America, selling luxury cars wasn’t easy. A lower-priced line that still carried the Cadillac name was a good marketing strategy for the time. That was evidenced by the fact that the Series 60 soon accounted for over half of the Cadillacs sold.
The car you see here is a well-restored example of the second year of Series 60 production. It came from the factory outfitted with a leather interior (including a leather headliner), a radio, dual side mount spare tires, full wheel covers, opera seats, and yet another spare tire in the trunk. The Harley Earl styling of the car is especially stunning in the “Cavalier Blue Metallic” paint that the car left the factory with.
It was restored to a high level in the past and was owned and cared for by a mechanic who worked for the legendary Hill and Vaughn shops of Los Angeles for over 35 years. While we do not know when it was restored or if it won any awards of note, the pictures reveal a car that is still in top shape. It is said to need nothing.
Pictures of the interior reveal what looks to be a very comfortable and luxurious place to spend your leisure time driving on an AACA or VMCCA tour. The oxblood maroon leather is complimented by wood-grained trim and Wilton carpets. While classified as a two-seater, this car does have what was commonly called opera seats for the occasional rider or for children who like to stare at each other.
The engine has been rebuilt, though we do not know from the ad when. The seller assures us that it starts easily and runs smoothly. There is no sign of smoke or unusual noises. It is backed by a three-speed transmission with a column shifter. All of the lights and gauges work and the 6-volt electrical system functions as it should. The car also stops smooth and straight.
So why is the bidding so low? Perhaps it is because cars like this aren’t commonly seen anymore. A Cadillac of this era is like a fine pocket watch. Even though they aren’t in common use anymore, those in the know enjoy them for their fine craftsmanship and impeccable quality. While this is quite the dilemma for the seller, there may be an opportunity for those who have previously never been able to afford such a vehicle.
Why do you think this Cadillac hasn’t attracted higher bids? Do you think the market for prewar cars is headed to the basement, or is this sale an aberration? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Comments
Beauty, only thing I would change is the oil:-)
Unbelievable… I’d love to make this my daily driver if it runs and drives as good as they say . I’m old school anyway. I’m 72. I would look good cruising down the road in this . Sign me up I’ll take it .7200.
And the owner.
Sadly, the folks who yearned for one of these in their youth could have a reunion in a Janitor’s closet. The market is soft, while it is a gorgeous car, those with disposable income seem to be buying the cars they yearned for. The younger ones are buying GMC Cyclones and catfish Camaros. It is the progression of the hobby. I hope it doesn’t get chopped up, we all need to see where we came from.
Agree totally, and I would add driving one of these would be a chore. No power steering or bakes and no AC. Gorgeous though. You could cut the front end off and mount it on a wall.
Yuck.
I guess you just can’t figure about driving one of these ..It’s definitely not a chore when you have the passion to do so..I guess you would prefer the Self driving car of the future .
Oh god, forbid no power steering or AC! no cars had them back then. How did humanity survive? Not a chore at all. I’m sure it’s a pleasure to drive.
I agree. Another example, to me, of what you describe is the whole recent “Bronco thing.” I mean….Broncos? Really? At those sky high prices? Mind-boggling. And then the new ones come out in the midst of it at even higher nosebleed prices? it’s almost as if there was a strategy synchronization going on there.
I would rather own this Caddy than any Bronco ever made! Beautiful coupe.
The market for beautiful stock cars like this is shrinking everyday. Even us baby boomers are skipping these classics. These cars used to be too valuable to cut up and street rod, now prices have dropped they still aren’t very desired for a luxury rod. And with the increase in museums closing, that market has shrank also. Somebody with a large collection needs to save this car!
The generation that wanted them as a youth are dead. That is the problem. This car is now a museum piece. It’s beautiful though. That being said, Packard was the name to own during that time period. It wa the car of movie stars and Presidents’
Since I own a few antique vintage and classic cars I will attempt to answer your questions and concerns from my personal experience.
Owning cars of this caliber are outdated as far as a daily driver. At highway speed modern EV cars swarm around and past you like insects on steroids. Finding parts if needed can become time consuming and very expensive if you’re lucky to find them. And as expensive as it is to maintain them finding someone knowledgeable to perform the work is another daunting task. You know you’re in trouble when you take it somewhere for a diagnosis or repair and they ask you what is it?
Now the time has come for a decision update the mechanics for reliability and parts availability and listen to the naysayers in one ear and your wife threatening you with divorce in the other if you do.
Now what was the question?
To Fox Owner: having driven cars such as this, back when they were still common on the roads, I can report that they are NOT a chore to drive!!! With the large steering-wheel and wide-swing gearing, you hardly would miss power-steering! Yes, you rotate the wheel farther to achieve the result you are used to with newer cars — it certainly hasn’t that “rack-and-pinion” sporty feel — but once you adjust to it, you might PREFER the steering in a prewar car! And the high seating offers easy entry and exit, with wonderful visibility even for short peoole. Yes, automobile museums are going away. But a car such as this is a thing of beauty which deserves to live on as long as it can, and be enjoyed. It is wonderful to start a six-volt car (easily), and have younger folks used to 12 volts fear that you have a near-dead battery — it’s FUN!. I’d love to own it and drive it — even though I generally do not like either coupes or leather upholstery. The market for these is shrinking — but those who wanted one when they were young are not all dead yet! And it would be tragic to cut the nose off and use it for ornamentation! The car has been too well-loved and preserved by owners who treasured it! If you want a ’37 nose for your living room or family-room, go to the dry southwest and find some long-abandoned ’37 sitting in a rich patina of surface rust, no interior left except seat-spings, motor frozen in place and rusted time, hopeless of restoration, but good iron; then cut the nose off if you like, sand it down to the bare steel, paint it any colour you like, and make a love-seat out of it if you want! But PLEASE don’t destroy a beautiful running and driving example such as this!! If it becomes yours, you have every right to do whatever you like. But those of us who drove and rode in these will quietly weep over the loss! I have some 1937 phonograph records virtually nobody cares about now — but I still enjoy listening to them…
(Harrison Reed gets it, and his illuminating comments thankfully also register the greatest number of Likes.)
This is one lovely Caddy but I’m afraid that the ones that desired these cars at one time have passed on. There maybe a few that would love to add this to their collection but not many and what a shame because this was built in a time when a Cadillac was a Cadillac and nothing else.
I desire that car, but do not have the mechanical ability to fix it nor the disposal income to buy and keep it. Give me a lotto hit and it would be mine tomorrow.
I agree with all that’s been said here.
In a day of $26K 2012 Hyundai Accents and 21K 2007 Ford Sport Tracks, this old gem is a real bargain.
You’d be surprised at the number of
folks buying and using a classic car as their daily driver. And while these
older cars don’t have all the fancy gear their newer cousins have, they
are cheaper to own and drive than any new car you care to name. And parts, you can still get most of the stuff you need at NAPA or O’Reilly’s
to keep one of these beauties in top
running condition. Want GPS or good
music on the radio? Just plug your phone into the lighter Jack and run a
3.5 MM cord from the radio speaker
to the earphone jack on your phone
and presto! you have all the modern
doo dads you want WITHOUT that
$1,000 a month car payment you’re
paying now. Yes folks, if I could see
well enough to drive, that’s what I’d
be doing. And I’d be doing it in a Caddy 61 like this one!
Not with a 6 volt you aren’t. Unless you want to ruin your device.
You would need to plug a 6 volt to 12 volt dc inverter in the cig plug first. Then you are good.
If I Had the garage space, I’d be bidding on it. I have the 1938 Pontiac coupe that brought me home from the hospital when I was born.
It now features an L-82 ’78 Corvette engine, 700R4 and the front clip from a ’69 Nova with Tilt wheel and Vintage Air comfort with the same basic body of this Caddy 60 Opera Coupe.
This would make a great partner for it. I hope it makes reserve.
If you did get to own it I would hope that you wouldn’t ruin it by fitting a Corvette engine, tilt wheel and AC into it like you did with the 1938 Pontiac!
Current bid is over $15k with more than 24 hours left. It’s not going to sell cheap.
Which is similarly reassuring in a wider sense regarding the state of the collector activity.
That’s the type of good news that we want to hear, as it looks like it will be bought by a collector, not a Hot Rodder.
Happy New Year, Friends! Grateful to be in a year which, as a young person, I never thought I’d live to see! Not because I had any reckless or wild inclinations, but simply because most people don’t live this long. Jamie, it shouldn’t go cheap, because things which sell cheap are often not as appreciated. Kenneth Carney, my 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis has A.M. and F.M. and audiocassette — I’ve never needed nor used the others you mention. If the radio doesn’t have the music I enjoy (and, other than classical, it doesn’t!), then I simply make tapes at home from my 78s, and I’m good to go! When I have road maps, why do I need G.P.S.? But, I entirely agree with you on the sheer practicality of owning a car such as this, and on driving an old car versus a newer one. MLM, back in ’37, LaSalle was an ALMOST Cadillac, with Cabillac quality and appointments — even appearance — just not directly in name. Whilst Packard built the 120 and 110 as “downscale” luxury cars with Packard quality, Cadillac built the LaSalle (or, G.M. built the LaSalle as a lesser companion to the Cadillac. Go look at a ’37 LaSalle.
LaSalle was a companion make(just as other GM divisions had them). La Salles were nice and looked like one but was NOT one and automotive history has proven that.
I just looked at it it’s currently over $18,000 with 1 day 6 hrs remaining. It will not sell for less than $40k I can guarantee that. The pre war-40s cars have sunk a little in value but not much. I’d say it will go in the $50s-$60s about where they are at today.
Please keep us Poms informed as to it’s final selling price, that would be greatly appreciated.
Show me were to bid higher and l will.
…haaha….pushing 20,000 right now….
So with a three on the tree, the stick through the floor just has to control the AC venting. Thoughts? The bidding just clicked past $18K BTW… Happy New Year all!
This is definitely NOT a 3 on the tree it is a floor shifted three speed if it stayed under 10 K I would have been in as it is a beautiful car inside and out but it heading over 20k toward 25k and being over 4,000 miles from me I am no longer interested
Well I have had two of these one in 55in high School and one in the 80s and 90s fun car and the Caddy had a 346 engine and floor shift, LaSalle had the 322 engine.
If I thought I could buy it for $25K I’d buy it in a heartbeat. But it’ll bump $50K at least.
I’ll buy you lunch if the reserve is not around $27k
He’s got it listed on his website for $45K. I bought a Packard from Motoexotica in St Louis a few years ago. Had it listed for $26K on his website He put it on eBay and I bid up to $10.5K…was high bidder. He contacted me and asked if I’d give $11K, which I did. It’s in my hangar now. Maybe I’ll get lucky again, since I just bid on it!
He has this car listed on his websit for $45K. Several years ago l bought a Packard from Motoexotica in St. Louis. He had it listed for $26K. Put it on eBay and l was high bidder at $10.5, didn’t make reserve. He contacted me, asking if l’d give $11K for it, which l did. It’s sitting in my hangar now. I put my money where my mouth is and just bid on the Caddy. Maybe l’ll be lucky twice!
We called ’em “Necker Knobs”. Let you drive with one hand while you kept your right arm around your sweetie…you’d push the clutch, she’d shift! Bucket seats ruined that!
He’s got it on his website for $45K. Several years ago I bought a Packard from Motoexotica in St. Louis. He had it on his website for $26K. He put it on eBay and I bid on it…$10.5K. I was high bidder but it didn’t make reserve. He contacted me and asked if I’d give $11K for it, which I did. It’s sitting outside my office in the hangar right now.
I put my money where my mouth is…just bid on the Caddy on eBay. Who knows, I might get lucky a second time!
Maybe the floor lever is the “emergency brake”, now known as the “parking brake”, since with dual master cylinders and stout lines, brakes rarely fail these days, and, if they are going to, a light on the dash lets you know. ’37 Studebaker Commander my parents owned, had the brake on the right of the driver where the passenger could reach it and stop the car. ’56 Chevy had it on the left, and out of reach of my mother, who thought it a safety problem, since she could not reach it. It was mechanical, however, unlike today’s electric ones, and I used it the three times the brakes failed on the Chevy (broken lines) to nurse it home and then to the repair garage. On the road this would not be hard to drive, parallel parking would be more of a chore. And it would go 70 all day, with bias look radial tires, and a dual master cylinder, and seat belts, I would take it everywhere except in the snow.
What a beauty!
To yachsmanbill: SHARP EYES! I don’t see any shift-lever on the steering-column, either! Floor-shifts were the rule for most of the 1930s (I don’t know who first introduced three-on-the-tree). I know that the ’38 Ford DeLuxe had the shift on the floor. When I was a “kid”, ALL vehicles had the shift on the floor — whether by a lever (as, here), or by foot-pedals. To charlie: NOT a problem to parallel-park this car (except, perhaps, for its length). These cars are AT LEAST as easy to steer as to-day’s power-steering! For one thing, the gearing is far higher in radio. For another, the taller and narrower tyres turned much more easily. DRIVE one of these: you won’t miss power-steering, unless you don’t like lots of revolutions of that large steering-wheel. But if your prewar car has a steel steering-wheel and not a wooden one, by ready to nearly FREEZE your hands on a cold day! Note: prewar and early postwar heaters often left a lot to be desired! — MIGHT thaw your toes only, after about an hour — IF you were lucky! But that vent in front of the windshield was nearly as good as air-conditioning! (as long as the car was moving forward!). One more note on parking: you show-up in THIS car, and folks will come to move theirs to make ROOM for you! Have a good New Year, everyone!
I have a 49 Buick sedanette and a 1940 Packard both with obvious manual steering. One thing for certain is you will get a UBW (upper body workout). While you are rolling no problem. Parking in tight spots different scenario.
Here’s a little bit of trivia for some of you younger guys. There was a knob that could be installed on steering wheels knick named “suicide knob” the reason it was called that was for easier steering but when after completing your turn the steering wheel would spin back and if you were wearing a coat or long sleeves it would catch on your sleeve and cause you to crash hence suicide knob..
We called ’em “Necker Knobs”! So you could drive with one hand and your right arm could be around your sweetie! Bucket seats sure ruined that!
We called ’em “Necker Knobs”. Let you drive with one hand while you kept your right arm around your sweetie…you’d push the clutch, she’d shift! Bucket seats ruined that!
1940 Ford was the first of the column shift as far as I know. Also, the Southwind heaters of the 1930’s were very effective for warming up the interior of a car. My dad had a 1939 Ford standard coupe with the Southwind heater that would bake you right out of the car. I have a 1940 Ford pickup with a period correct hot water style heater in it. The small cab and the flathead 8 do a pretty good job with keeping it warm too.
Absolutely beautiful and certainly not a chore to drive….built when cars made a statement and had a personality all their own…..
I remember steering-knobs — though I never had one on any of my cars: didn’t need it. Never had blue dots or fuzzy dice, either. I never had a problem in steering to park my 1946 Ford. LOVE the look of the 1949 Buick! (not so much the sedanette, though)
She’s a lovely old lady, I hope she finds a new owner who will preserve her.
It might be the nicest one of its kind left.
I agree, Richard!
I love the body style be it on a ford, chev, plym, willies or any other car that copied it.
I had one of these jewells for several years Mine was a 1937 series 60 like this one but was convertible coupe Leather upholsterd , blue with dual sidemounts
GORGEOUS Nothing about a CHORE !!! Driving the car was a delicious experience either in the crammed Buenos Aires Streets or by the highways too An easy cruising speed of 70 or 75 and so smooth confortable car, the smell of the leather upholstery was a suitable parfum when you were driving it
I’m older so I’m obviously attracted to this grand old lady. I love the look and style of vehicles in this era. And driving one is certainly a different experience than driving a modern vehicle but not difficult at all. It’s kind of like dancing with your grandma. You both can move around on the dance floor but you can’t do the tango. I always get a lot of interest when I’m out there with my old fliver. People are surprised that the six volt system and basic mechanicals still work just like designed. This Cadillac is currently closing in on 20K and is worth every dollar IMHO.
I have a 38 Buick that is very similar to this car. It drives very well, but I never take it on the interstate highways. We added vintage air and converted it to 12 volts, making it comfortable and reliable.
I believe this should be priced around $25K. It has currently bid up to 18.8 with the reserve not met.
I would love to add it to our collection.
Will only be a deal if the reserve is reasonable, which it like isn’t. Appealing car though.
To Hank Davis: bucket seats ruined LOTS of things!
Miss my Nash! Wouldn’t matter now, I’ve got a bad back!
1937 was the last of the floor shifters,1938 went to column shifters thru mid fifti50s. As i faintly recall there may be some cars with f/s in 1938 probably left over inventory….any comments? tommy boy, certified appraiser & collector
My 1938 Hupmobile 822E has a floor shift.
1938 was the last year for floor shifters for most if not all vehicles.
1939 Fords had a floor shift.
Crosley used floor shifters all the way through from 1939 into 1952.
just under $20k now. 5 hours to go.
Bid to $20,099, didn’t make reserve. I’d bid $19.5K. Woulda bid more if I hadn’t been in the air when the auction ended.