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Written by Big Block

Category: 1930-1939

Published: 04 January 2007

Hits: 3653

1939 Cadillac Series 60 - 75

Although the economy experienced a gradual increase from 1936 to 1937, it took a slight dive in 1938. However, the economy bounced back in 1939, which meant higher sales throughout the industry. Pointed fronts reappeared on most of this year's GM cars, and the Sixty-Special was no exception.

The Series 60 was replaced by the 126-inch-wheelbase Series 61, offering the same body types and many of the Sixty-Special's appearance features. Common to all 1939 Cadillacs were a

• redesigned dashboard,
• newly optional vacuum-operated radio antenna,
• rubber rear fender protectors,
• and something called "Controlled-Action Ride," a reference to a higher rear axle rotation center claimed to enhance ride comfort.

A gorgeous Sixty-Special coupe had been built as a one-off for GM president William S. Knudsen and four convertible sedans were built experimentally for the use of other high-level execs, but neither model reached production. Chairman Sloan may have hinted at the rationale for only one basic body style when he noted that the Sixty-Special was "well received in the market and demonstrated the dollars-and-cents value of styling, for customers were ready to take smaller trade-ins [dollar amounts] on old cars to acquire it."

Cadillac had settled on the 346-cid version of the monobloc V-8 for all its eight-cylinder models except LaSalle beginning in 1937. Rated at 135 horsepower at 3400 rpm, the 346 had five more horses than the 1935 V-8 and 10 more than the one-year-only 322-cid monobloc. The Sixty-Special arrived weighing only some 230 pounds more than a comparable 1938 Series 60 sedan, so its power-to-weight ratio was less than 31 pounds per horsepower, quite good for the period. By contrast, that year's Packard Super Eight -- which, incidentally, cost $700 more than the Special -- carried nearly 35 pounds per horsepower.

For 1939, Series 61 replaced Series 60 and 65 of 1938. All V-8's had new grille styling; similar in appearance but different in detail dimensions on each series. The pointed center grille and the functional side grilles were diecast, with fine-pitch bars. A single diecast louver was positoned to the rear of each hood side panel. Headlights were once again attached to the radiator casing.

Sixty Special, now bodied by Fleetwood, was offered with optional Sunshine Turret Top or center division. These options were also available on the Series 61 Sedan. Series 61 was available with or without running boards; had concealed door hinges except for the lower front hinge; and had chrome reveals on all windows.

Chassis changes included:

• Tube and fin radiator core
• Sea shell horns under the plugs
• Cross-link steering on Series 61
• Slotted disc wheels on Series 60S and 61

• Serial numbers were located on the left frame side bar, opposite the steering gear.
• Starting: Same as engine number.
• Ending: Same as engine number.
• Engine numbers were on the crankcase, just behind the left cylinder block, parallel to the dash.
• Starting Engine Number:
• Series 39-60S = 6290001
• Series 39-61 = 8290001
• Series 39-75 = 3290001
• Ending Engine Number:
• Series 39-60S = 6295513
• Series 39-61 = 8295913
• Series 39-75 = 3292069.

• Ninety degree - L-Head
• Eight Cylinders
• Cast iron block (blocks cast enbloc with crankcase)
• Bore & Stroke: 3-1/2 in. x 4-1/2 in.
• Displacement: 346 cu. in.
• Compression Ratio:
• 60S, 61 = 6.25:1
• 75 = 6.70:1
• Brake Horsepower: 135 (140 on 75) @ 3400 rpm
• SAE/Taxable Horsepower: 39.20
• Main bearings: Three
• Valve lifters: Hydraulic
• Carburetor: Stromberg AAV-26.

• Selective synchro manual transmission.
• Speeds: 3 Forward, 1 Reverse
• Left Hand Drive; gearshift on column; handbrake at left (RHD opt.)
• Single disc clutch
• Shaft drive, Hotchkiss
• Semifloating rear axle
• Hypoid gears
• Overall Ratio
• 60S & 61 = 3.92:1
• 75 = 4.58:1
• Hydraulic brakes on four wheels
• Slotted disc wheels
• Wheel size: 16 in.

• Radio: $69.50
• Heater: $31.50
• Seat covers: $8.25 per seat
• Spotlight: $18.50
• Windshield washer: $5.75
• Automatic battery filler: $7.50
• Fog lights: $14.50/pair

• Introduced October, 1938
• Model year sales and production:
• Series 60S = 5513
• Series 61 = 5913
• Series 75 = 2069
• The general manager of Cadillac was Nicholas Dreystadt.

Details

Written by Big Block

Category: 1930-1939

Published: 04 January 2007

Hits: 2628

1938 Cadillac 38-90

The Cadillac Series 90 for 1938 was essentially a Series 75 with a V-16 engine. Even though the wheelbase was thirteen inches shorter, the bodies were equal or larger in all dimensions than previous Cadillac V-16's. This was accomplished by fitting the nearly flat engine low in the frame and partially behind the line of the firewall. V-16's were distinguished from the counterpart V-8's by a coarser pitch egg crate grille, fender lamps, and streamlined louvers on the hood side panels and all fender skirts.

The new V-16 engine was of L-head, short stroke square design, cast-en-bloc, with 135 degree Vee. With each block in running balance, the engine was basically a twin-eight. Dual accessories included carburetors, oil bath air cleaners, manifolds, distributors, coils, fuel pumps, and water pumps. The fuel pumps were interconnected so that either one could supply both carburetors if needed. Only the left hand distributor contained breaker arms; the two arms being electrically independent but operated by a single eight-lobe cam. The right hand unit acted only to distribute the high tension voltage to the spark plugs in the right bank. A cross pipe connected both exhaust manifolds and fed into a single down-pipe at the left. The generator was placed low in the Vee and was driven by an internal rubber ring in the fan hub acting on a driven wheel on the generator shaft. This arrangement allowed for fan speeds less than engine speed and generator speeds nearly twice engine speed - it lasted only one year.

• Serial numbers were on frame side bar, just ahead of the steering gear.
• Starting: Same as engine number.
• Ending: Same as engine number.
• Engine numbers were on upper rear left hand corner of left cylinder block, parallel with cylinder head.
• Starting Engine Number: 5270001.
• Ending: 5270315.

• 135 degree Vee
• L-Head
• Sixteen Cylinders
• Cast iron block
• Bore & Stroke: 3-1/4 in. x 3-1/4 in.
• Displacement: 431 cu. in.
• Compression Ratio: 7:1
• Brake Horsepower: 185 @ 3600 rpm
• SAE/Taxable Horsepower: 67.6
• Main bearings: Nine
• Valve lifters: Hydraulic
• Carburetor: Carter WDO 407s(L) - 408s(R)

• Wheelbase: 141 in.
• Overall length: 200-5/8 in.
• Front Tread: 60-1/2 in.
• Rear Tread: 62-1/2 in.
• Tires: 7.5O x l6

• Selective synchro manual transmission.
• Speeds: 3 Forward, 1 Reverse
• Left Hand Drive; Gearshift on column; handbrake at left
• Single disc clutch.
• Shaft drive, Hotchkiss.
• Semifloating rear axle.
• Hypoid gears.
• Overall Ratio: 4.31:1.
• Hydraulic brakes on four wheels.
• Disc wheels.
• Wheel size: 16 in.

• Radio: $95.00
• Heater: $26.50-42.50
• Seat covers: $7.50 per seat
• Spotlight: $18.50
• Automatic battery filler: $7.50
• Flexible steering wheel: $15.00
• Fog lights: $17.50 pair

• Introduced: October, 1937.
• Model year sales and production: 315
• The general manager was Nicholas Dreystadt

Details

Written by Big Block

Category: 1930-1939

Published: 04 January 2007

Hits: 3561

1938 Cadillac 38-60 & 65 & 75

What may well be the single most influential prewar Cadillac originated during the most difficult period in the marque's history. The year was 1934, and General Motors' prestige outfit stood at the crossroads. The luxury-car market had all but disappeared in the chaos of the Depression, and Cadillac’s weren't selling very well. Production that year stood at only about a fifth of what it had been back in record-setting 1928, and the operation had been a consistent money-loser in the intervening years. Worse, the division's medium-price companion make, LaSalle, wasn't doing much better, yet its sales volume was looming ever more crucial to Cadillac's survival. To be sure, Cadillac was protected from the economic upheaval of the Thirties in a way its rivals were not: by the great size and financial strength of its parent company. But clearly, even Cadillac would have to change if it hoped to return to prosperity. Indeed, GM management had already instituted a number of measures toward this end, such as reducing the number of components unique to each car line. Into this sour situation stepped a new general manager, the man who would lay the foundations for the fabulous Sixty-Special.


Nicholas Dreystadt was certainly no stranger to Cadillac. Before being promoted to the divisions top post in late 1934, he had been manager of Cadillac's Clark Avenue home plant for more than two years, and served as general service manager for six years before that. Efficiency was his stock-in-trade, and cost-effectiveness ranked high among his goals. As Ernest Seaholm, Cadillac's chief engineer in those days, would later recall: "Nick made us look closely at everything .... If someone else made a part for two dollars, why did ours have to cost three or four?"



Dreystadt knew better than anyone at GM that Cadillac could literally no longer afford to pursue the cost-bedamned practices that were by then customary among "carriage trade" automakers, yet he was determined to maintain the marque's standards of quality and engineering excellence. Interestingly, an important development that would reconcile these seemingly contradictory aims was already in the works at the time he took over the helm. It was a new monobloc V-8, so-called because the cylinder head was cast integrally with the block. Devised under the leadership of Owen Nacker and, later, John E "Jack" Gordon, it was projected to be much cheaper to build than Cadillac's existing 353-cubic-inch V-8, let alone its mighty 368-cid V-12 and 453-cid V-16. Moreover, it was expected to be quieter, thanks to hydraulic valve lifters, and to have better performance and durability. As time would prove, this smooth, strong, and refined power plant was so good that it would be continued without major change from 1936 through 1948. It also hastened the departure of the V-12, which it rendered virtually obsolete.

Meanwhile, Dreystadt had been taking a close look at the market. Inevitably, his attention was drawn to the $900 price gap between the new straight-eight LaSalle, introduced for '34, and the least expensive Cadillac’s. What this amounted to was that a buyer could have both a LaSalle and an Oldsmobile for the price of one new Caddy -- and still have enough money left over to purchase a first-class living room radio. The difference was even greater at Packard, still the leading U.S. luxury marque at the time, where a fat $1325 separated that firm's new 1935 One Twenty series from its least expensive senior models. It's not clear why it took so long for the powers at Cadillac -- or Packard, for that matter -- to see that the market was ripe for a car priced to bridge this gap. What is clear is that once he recognized the problem, Dreystadt moved swiftly to solve it.

The answer was a new low-end offering for 1936. Designated the Series 60, it rode a 121-inch wheelbase, 10 inches shorter than the 131-inch chassis used for the Series 70 and Fleetwood Series 80, and shared the General Motors "B" body shell used by LaSalle, Buick, and Oldsmobile. All Cadillac’s this year featured GM's much-ballyhooed all-steel "Turret-Top" construction for closed body styles, plus big duo-servo Bendix hydraulic brakes, doubly effective on V-8 models because the new monobloc engine weighed less than the previous V-8. Other changes included a more rigid frame, a refined front suspension, and a handsome face-lift carried out by GM's Art & Colour section under the direction of Harley Earl. Marked by a stylishly tall, narrow grille and a divided vee'd windshield, it suited the new Series 60 especially well. Lean and trim in appearance, the "budget" Caddy’s were arguably the best-looking models in the '36 line. Best of all, they were the lowest-priced cars to wear the Cadillac crest since 1908, listing at $750 less than the cheapest 1935 V-8 Series 10, a savings of more than 30 percent.

Though it was very much a "junior edition," the Series 60 was no less a Cadillac than its larger line mates -- which would prove to be an enormous sales advantage. The engine was a smaller version of the one used in the big Series 70 and 75 V-8 cars: 322 cid, 3.38 x 4.50-inch bore and stroke dimensions, and 125 bhp, compared with 346 cid, 3.50 x 4.50-inch bore/stroke, and 135 bhp. It drove through a redesigned transmission that was so smooth, fast-shifting, and durable that it would become a prime favorite among hot-rodders. "Knee-Action" independent front suspension was still something of a novelty in 1936, even in the luxury field, but the Series 60 had it, a noteworthy sales point for passenger comfort.

What Cadillac had here was an entirely new kind of automobile: a high-quality, high-prestige package of compact dimensions, fast and powerful, easy to handle, and priced within reach of many Buick and Chrysler buyers. Predictably, the Series 60 brightened Cadillac's fortunes in a way the LaSalle by itself could not. Sales went up by an astounding 254 percent, with the new line accounting for more than half of Cadillac's model year production.

Another event took place in 1936 that would brighten the division's fortunes even more: the arrival of 23-year-old William L. Mitchell to head the Cadillac design studio. In January of that year, Mitchell's mentor assigned him to create another new model using the Series 60 as its basis, but roomier, more luxurious, and more stylish by far than any previous Cadillac. The result was announced less than two years later. A predictive design with features that would be quickly copied by the rest of GM -- and the industry -- the Sixty-Special was a masterpiece that made everything else on the road old-fashioned.

Naturally, corporate brass had a few apprehensions about this daring new Cadillac. Don Ahrens, the division's sales director at that time, remembers: "As the Sixty-Special took shape ... there were moments of uncertainty. The feeling arose not because we were apprehensive of the car's beauty but because, in its presentation, we were breaking with tradition.... The Cadillac market is ultraconservative. The bulk of our business is conducted with sound and substantial families. How would this revolutionary car affect our position in the industry? Was it too startling for our price class? Was it too rakish for our reputation?" In a word, yes -- which is precisely why it had Harley Earl's enthusiastic endorsement. It was the sort of car that could only come from a younger designer: sporty yet sober, advanced yet appealing. It was an entirely new concept: the total car, with each design element fully and tastefully matched to all the others.

The Sixty-Special's styling represented a major departure for Cadillac in several respects. Presenting a smart, ultra-modern silhouette, it stood three inches lower than any previous Cadillac, yet it had no less headroom inside. Running boards were conspicuous by their absence, a trend-setting move that GM chairman Alfred P Sloan observed "made it possible to widen the basic body pattern to the full tread of the wheels, so that the standard car became one that could hold six passengers." An extended rear deck, a first for a U.S. production model, made the trunk an integral part of the main body. All four doors of this elegant sedan were front-hinged, an unusual arrangement then and one that would be widely imitated. Fulsome pontoon fenders front and rear added to the illusion of extra length, though it was really no illusion as the 127-inch wheelbase was three inches longer than that of the Series 60. The bright belt molding that traditionally separated the greenhouse from the lower body was eliminated. No bright work adorned the sides, a brave move in a day when lavishly applied chrome was de rigueur for all but the cheapest cars. Equally bold was the use of very slim roof pillars, which allowed the windshield and doors to be wider than on any other car in the class for superior visibility. Replacing the expected, bulky upper door frames were tall, chrome-banded windows with thin-but-strong frames, a look clearly patterned on the convertible sedan body style that was still very much in vogue in the late Thirties. By combining closed-car comfort with the suggestion of an open car, the Sixty-Special was the precursor of the pillar less "hardtop convertible," the body style that would dominate the American industry more than a decade later.

"There has never been a car like the Cadillac Sixty-Special," enthused the ad writers, "a car with such definite modernity of line, yet so obviously right in taste ... a precedent-breaking car prophetic of motor cars not yet on other drawing boards, yet a car wholly devoid of freakish trappings." Indeed, Mitchell's avoidance of "freakish trappings" was laudable, and the Sixty-Special was a sensational launch to his career. It can lay claim as the first Detroit "specialty" car, the sort of high-style, premium-price product that would appear from a number of manufacturers in the years that followed, cars like the 1940 Lincoln Continental and, much later, Mitchell's own 1963 Buick Riviera.

The performance of the engine was impressive. Cadillac had settled on the 346-cid version of the monobloc V-8 for all its eight-cylinder models except LaSalle beginning in 1937. Rated at 135 horsepower at 3400 rpm, the 346 had five more horses than the 1935 V-8 and 10 more than the one-year-only 322-cid monobloc. The Sixty-Special arrived weighing only some 230 pounds more than a comparable 1938 Series 60 sedan, so its power-to-weight ratio was less than 31 pounds per horsepower, quite good for the period. By contrast, that year's Packard Super Eight -- which, incidentally, cost $700 more than the Special -- carried nearly 35 pounds per horsepower.

For 1938, Cadillac fielded five models. The first four (Series 38-60, 38-60S, 38-65, and 38-75) were eight cylinders and the 38-90 was a V16. The V12 series 85 was dropped this year. Also the Series 70 and Fisher bodied Series 75 Specials were dropped, but a Convertible Sedan was added to the Series 65 line. The styling bonanza for 1938 was the sensational new Sixty Special Sedan.

Series 60 was restyled with a squared off grille made up of horizontal bars extending around front and sides of the nose. Three sets of four chrome bars decorated the side panel louvers. Hood was front opening alligator style and headlights were fixed to the sheet metal between fenders and grille. Sixty Special had much the same nose as the Sixty, with one less bar in the grille assembly. The body was entirely new and unique, on a double dropped frame three inches lower than the Sixty. There were no running boards, the floor being at normal running board height. Large side windows in chrome frames were flush with the sides of the body. The convertible-shaped top featured a thin roof section and a notched back.

Series 65 (Custom V-8) and Series 75 (Fleetwood) shared a new front end style featuring a massive vertical cellular grille, three sets of horizontal bars on the hood sides, alligator hood, and headlights on the filler piece between fenders and hood. Optional side mount covers were hinged to the fenders. Quarter windows were of sliding rather than hinged construction. Rear of bodies had rounder corners and more smoothly blended lines; trunks had more appearance of being an integral part of the body. Bodies were all steel except for wooden main sills.

New chassis details included:

• Column gear shift
• horns just behind grille
• battery under right hand side of hood
• transverse muffler just behind fuel tank
• wheels by different manufacturer (not interchangeable with 1937)
• "Synchro-Flex" flywheel hypoid rear axle on all series
• deletion of oil filter

• Serial numbers were on left frame side bar, at the rear of the left fron motor support.
• Starting: Same as engine number.
• Ending: Same as engine number Engine numbers were on crankcase, just behind left cylinder block.
• Starting Engine No.:
• Series 38-60 = 8270001
• Series 38-60S = 6270001
• Series 38-65 = 7270001
• Series 38-75 = 3270001
• Ending:
• Series 38-60 = 8272052
• Series 38-60S = 6273704
• Series 38-75 = 3270001
• Series 38-65 = 7271476
• Series 38-75 = 3271911

• Ninety degree
• L-head
• Eight Cylinders
• Cast iron block (blocks cast enbloc with crankcase).
• Bore & Stroke: 3-1/2 in. x 4-1/2 in.
• Displacement: 346 cu. in.
• Compression Ratio:
• Series 60, 60S, 65 = 6.25.1
• Series 75 = 6.7:1
• Brake Horsepower: 135 (140 on 75) @ 3400 rpm
• SAE/Taxable Horsepower: 39.20
• Main bearings: Three
• Valve lifters: Hydraulic
• Carburetor: Stromberg AAV-25.

• Selective synchro manual transmission.
• Speeds: 3 Forward, 1 Reverse
• Left Hand Drive; Gearshift on column; handbrake at left (RHD opt.).
• Single disc clutch.
• Shaft drive Hotchkiss.
• Semi-floating rear axle.
• Hypoid gears.
• Overall Ratio: [60, 60S, 65) 3.92:l; [75] 4.58:1.
• Hydraulic brakes on four wheels.
• Disc wheels.
• Wheel size: 16 in.

• Radio for Fleetwood Bodies: $95.00
• Master Radio: $79.50
• Standard Radio: $65.00
• Heater: $26.50-42.50
• Seat covers: $7.50 per seat
• Spotlight: $18.50
• Automatic battery filler: $7.50
• Flexible steering wheel: $15.00
• Fog lights: $17.50 pair
• Wheel discs: $4.00 each
• Trim rings: $1.50 each

• Introduced: October, 1937.
• Model year sales and production:
• Series 60 = 2052
• Series 60S = 3704
• Series 65 = 1476
• Series 75 = 1911
• The general manager was Nicholas Dreystadt

Details

Written by Big Block

Category: 1930-1939

Published: 04 January 2007

Hits: 2575

1937 Cadillac 37-90

The 1937 Series 90 remained essentially the same as the 1934-36 cars. 1937 was the final model year for the overhead valve V-16 engine. For the first time, hydraulic brakes (with a vacuum booster on the pedal) were used on these cars. A stabilizer bar was added to the front suspension. A Handy oil filter replaced the Cuno self-cleaning unit. A pressure cap was used on the radiator.

• Engine numbers were on the upper surface of the generator drive chain housing.
• Starting: 5130301.
• Ending: 5130350.

• 45 degree, overhead valve.
• Sixteen Cylinders.
• Cast iron block on aluminum crankcase.
• Bore & Stroke: 3 x 4 in.
• Displacement: 452 cu. in.
• Compression Ratio: 6.0:1 std. 5.65:1 opt.
• Brake Horsepower: 185 @ 3800 rpm
• SAE/Taxable Horsepower: 57.5.
• Main bearings: Five.
• Valve lifters: Mechanical with hydraulic silencer on rocker bushing.
• Carburetor: Dual Detroit lubricator, type R-14, L-14, Model 51.

• Wheelbase: 154 in.
• Overall length: 238 in.
• Front Tread: 59-3/8
• Rear Tread: 62 in.
• Tires: 7.50 x 17.

• Selective, synchro transmission.
• Speeds: 3 Forward, 1 Reverse.
• Left Hand Drive, center control, emergency lever at left under panel (RHD opt.).
• Twin disc clutch.
• Shaft drive Hotchkiss.
• 3/4 floating rear axle, spiral bevel drive.
• Overall ratio: 4.64:1 std. 4.31:1 opt., 4.07:1 opt.
• Hydraulic brakes with vacuum booster on four wheels.
• Wire wheels with disc cover.
• Wheel size: 17 in. drop center.

• Side mount cover(s): $15.00 - 17.50
• Master Radio: $79.50
• Standard Radio: $59.50
• Heater: $19.50 - 60.00
• Seat covers: $7.50 per seat
• Wheel discs: $4.00 each
• Trim rings: $1.50 each
• Flexible steering wheel: $15.00

• Introduced: November, 1936.
• Model year sales: 50.
• Model year production: 50.
• The general manager was Nicholas Dreystadt.

Details

Written by Big Block

Category: 1930-1939

Published: 04 January 2007

Hits: 2374

1937 Cadillac 37-85

• Engine numbers were on the upper surface of the generator drive chain housing.
• Starting: 4130001.
• Ending: 4130478.

 

• 45 degree, overhead valve.
• Twelve Cylinders.
• Cast iron block on aluminum crankcase.
• Bore & Stroke: 3-1/8 x 4 in.
• Displacement: 368 cu. in.
• Compression Ratio: 6.0:1 std. 5.65:1 opt.
• Brake Horsepower: 150 @ 3600 rpm
• SAE/Taxable Horsepower: 46.9.
• Main bearings: Four.
• Valve lifters: Mechanical with hydraulic silencer on rocker bushing.
• Carburetor: Dual Detroit lubricator, type R-13, L-13, Model 51.

• Wheelbase: 138 in.
• Overall length: 215-7/8 in.
• Front Tread: 60-3/16 in.
• Rear Tread: 61-1/2 in.
• Tires: 7.50 x 16.

• Selective, synchro transmission.
• Speeds: 3 Forward, 1 Reverse
• Left Hand Drive, center control, emergency lever at left under panel (RHD opt.).
• Single disc clutch.
• Shaft drive, Hotchkiss.
• Semi-floating rear axle, spiral bevel drive.
• Overall ratio: 4.6:1.
• Hydraulic brakes on four wheels.
• Disc wheels.
• Wheel size: 16 in.

• Side mount cover(s): $15.00 - 17.50
• Master Radio: $79.50
• Standard Radio: $59.50
• Heater: $19.50 - 60.00
• Seat covers: $7.50 per seat
• Wheel discs: $4.00 each
• Trim rings: $1.50 each
• Flexible steering wheel: $15.00.

• Introduced: November, 1936.
• Model year sales: 478
• Model year production: 478
• The general manager was Nicholas Dreystadt.