In 1940, General Motors introduced the new Cadillac Series 62 line of cars as an entry-level replacement for the Series 65. Designed by the legendary Harley Earl, the Series 62 was based on a new C-body platform, which was shared with the Buick Roadmaster and Super, the Oldsmobile Series 90 and the Pontiac Torpedo.
Lower and sleeker than its predecessors—with a more slanted windshield, curved rear window and an absence of running boards—the Series 62 was a much more modern-looking offering. Available in a host of V-8-powered body styles including two- and four-door coupes, sedans and convertibles, the new Series 62 constituted 45 percent of Cadillac’s total sales in 1940.
In 1948, Cadillac introduced a third generation of the Series 62, which saw the first additions of tail fins to the line, but the following year, the Series 62 received Cadillac’s new 331 CI overhead-valve V-8 engine that produced 160 HP and a new, luxury trimmed, pillarless Coupe Deville variant. The Coupe Deville was the first car to ever be named “Motor Trend Car of the Year.
” The example on offer is a 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe Deville finished in deep blue with a light blue hardtop. The recipient of a professional restoration, this stunning Coupe Deville features a meticulously detailed 331 CI OHV V-8 engine—with hydraulically operated valve springs—that is mated to a 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.
A luxurious ride is insured by the use of coil-spring suspension in the front and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, while the Coupe Deville’s sense of luxury is carried into the cabin with use of two-tone blue and gray leather-covered bench seats and door panels, as well as the early use of power-operated windows. Other notable features include fender stone shields, the Goddess hood mascot, full-size wheel covers and wide whitewall tires.
