Cadillac Series 62

The Cadillac Series 62 is a series of cars produced by Cadillac from 1940 through 1964.

Originally designed to replace the entry level Series 65, it became the Cadillac Series 6200 in 1959, and remained that until it was renamed to Cadillac Calais for the 1965 model year.

The Series 62 was also marketed as the Sixty-Two and the Series Sixty-Two.

Third generation (1948–1953)

For 1948, the Series 62 was moved to the same 126 in (3,200 mm) chassis as the Series 61, making the vehicles virtually identical.

The main difference, apart from extra chrome, was the availability of a convertible model.

Features Included:

• Grooved bright metal front fender gravel guards
• Rocker panel brightwork
• Chevron style chrome shlashes below taillights
• Richer interior trim.
• Also in 1948 the first tail fins were added.

Sales fell to 34,213, nevertheless accounting for a record 68% of all Cadillacs sold.

The new Cadillac OHV V8 was the big news for 1949, with minor trim differences otherwise.

This 331 cu in (5.4 L) engine produced 160 hp (119 kW).

The major difference between Series 61 and Series 62 models of similar body style was minor trim variations.

The higher-priced series again had:

• Grooved, front fender stone shields
• Bright rocker panel moldings
• Chevrons below the taillights were no longer seen

The convertible was an exclusive offering. A heater was optional.

Sales reached a record 55,643.

The Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville was introduced late in the 1949 model year.

Along with the Buick Roadmaster Riviera, and the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, it was among the first pillarless hardtop coupes ever produced.

At $3,496 it was only a dollar less than the Series 62 convertible, and like the convertible, it came with:

1. Power windows as standard
2. Luxuriously trimmed, with leather upholstery and chrome 'bows' in the headliner to simulate the ribs of a convertible top.

 

1950 Changes

For 1950, major styling changes were performed.

The cars were:

1. Lower and sleeker
2. With longer hoods,
3. One-piece windshields were fitted.
4. Hydramatic transmission was now standard.

The Series 61 was again a short wheelbase model, having been reduced to 122 in (3099 mm). Sales set yet another record at 59,818.

Full-length chrome rocker panels set off the 1951 model, and the Coupe de Ville was now marked with noticeably-improved trim, including Coupe de Ville script on the rear roof pillar.

Sales were 81,844, or a record of over 74% of all Cadillacs sold.

Popular Mechanics reported about 12-MPG at 45 mph.

1952 Re-Designs

In 1952, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Cadillac, the V-shaped hood and deck emblems were done as gold castings.

The Series 62 sedan was also characterized by a:

• Higher rear deck lid contour providing additional luggage space.
• Back up lights were now standard equipment and were incorporated in the taillights.
• The grille wraparound panels were redesigned once again having broad chrome trim below each headlight with side scoop styling and gold-colored winged emblem mounted in the center
• Through the bumper dual exhaust system
• Cadillac crest over abroad golden "V".

New standard features

They included:

1. Self-winding clocks
2. Improved direction signal indicators
3. Glare proof mirrors
4. Stannate treated pistons
5. Four barrel carburetion.

Engine output for the 331 was up to 190 hp (142 kW).

Sales fell to 70,255.

Series 62 sales accounted for a record 78% of all Cadillacs.

 

 

1953 Re-Designs

The 1953 Series 62 saw:

1. A redesigned grille with heavier integral bumper and bumper guards
2. Repositioning of parking lamps directly under the headlights
3. Chrome "eyebrow" type headlamp doors
4. One piece rear windows without division bars.
5. Wheel discs were fashioned in an attractive new disced design.

Series 62 bodystyles were identified by:

• Non louvered rear fenders
• The use of thin bright metal underscores on the bottom rear of the cars only and the decoration of both hood and deck lid with Cadillac crests and V- shaped ornaments.

The Club Coupe model disappeared.

Two door Series 62 were now all hardtops (including the better equipped Coupe de Ville) or convertibles.

Another familiar name appeared on 1953's Series 62.

The top of the line subseries Eldorado was one of three specialty convertibles produced in 1953 by General Motors.

The other two were the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta and the Buick Roadmaster Skylark.

The Eldorado was a limited-edition luxury convertible, and would eventually become its own series.

It featured a full assortment of deluxe accessories including:

• Wire wheels
• The wraparound windshield to Cadillac standard production. 
  
  

Sales set a new record at 85,446.

Fourth generation (1954–1956)

The Series 62 included:

1. A lower sleeker body
2. New cellular grille insert,
3. Inverted gull wing front bumpers
4. Tapered dagmar style bumper guards.
5. Round jet style dual exhaust outlets were incorporated into the vertical bumper extensions
6. Rear bumper was entirely redesigned.

An Eldorado style wraparound windshield was seen on all models.

Sedans used a distinctive style of window reveal moulding, which created a built in sun visor effect.

 

 

Coupes

For coupes a:

• Smoothly curved wraparound backlight was referred to as the "Florentine" style rear window.
• A wide ventilator intake was now stretched across the base of the windshield
• The chrome visored headlamp look was emphasized.

The Series 62 could be distinguished by:

1. The lack of rear fender louvers
2. V-shaped ornaments and crests were used in the hood and deck
3. Full length body underscores in bright metal
4. Coupe de Ville script was seen on rear corner pillars of the luxury hardtop,
5. Wider sill moldings.

The Eldorados had:

• Golden identifying crests centered directly behind the air-slot fenderbreaks
• Wide fluted beauty panels to decorate the lower rear bodysides. 

These panels were made of extruded aluminum and also appeared on a unique one of a kind Eldorado coupe built for the Reynolds Aluminum Corporation.

 Also included in the production Eldorado convertible were:

1. Monogram plates on the doors
2. Wire wheels
3. Custom interior trimmings with the Cadillac crest embossed on the seat bolsters
4. Automatic windshield washers
5. Power steering
6. 12-Volt electrical system
7. Aluminum alloy pistons

Optional Extras

The optional extras included:

• Power steering
• Windows
• Seats
• Auto headlight dimming being optional.

A parking brake release reminder light was new.

Popular Mechanics rated the 0-60 mph time as 17.3 seconds.

In 1955 the grille was redesigned with:

1. Wider spaces between the blades
2. Parking lamps were repositioned beneath directly below the headlights.
3. On the sides of the body the rub-rail moldings formed a right angle with the vertical trim on the rear doors or fenders.

The Florentine curve rear window treatment was adopted for sedans.

Additional features included:

1. Three chrome moldings bordering the rear license plate on either side
2. Deck lid decorations consisted of a V-shaped ornament and a Cadillac crest.

The Coupe de Ville had a golden script nameplate at the upper body belt just forward of the rear window pillar.

The Eldorado sport convertible featured extras such as:

• Wide chrome body belt moldings

• A distinctive rear fender design
• Twin round taillights halfway up the fenders and flatter pointed tailfins

Tubeless tires were a new standard Cadillac feature.

Sales reached a record 118,190, accounting for nearly 84% of all Cadilllacs sold.

Standard equipment included:

1. Back-up lights
2. Turn signals
3. Automatic transmission.

1956

In 1956 there was a:

1. New grille, with finer textured insert
2. Repositioning of the parking lights in the bumpers, below the wing guards.
3. Option of the standard satin finish grille or an optional gold finish
4. Cadillac script found on the left side.
5. Narrow chrome molding and nine vertical louvores were seen.

The Coupe De Ville

The Coupe de Ville had a:

• Model nameplate
• A Cadillac crest on the sides of the front fenders.

The Coupe de Ville was joined by the Series 62 Sedan de Ville, Cadillac's first standard production 4-door hardtop

Similarly to the Coupe de Ville, it was also more expensive and more luxuriously trimmed that the standard 4-door Series 62.

With 41,732 sold, it also easily outsold the Series 62 sedan in its very first year.

Given their sales success, it was only natural that the Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville were moved to their own separate series in 1959, the Series 6300, being joined by a De Ville convertible in 1964.

The Eldorado subseries also gained:

1. A new bodystyle
2. 2-door hardtop called the Seville.

 An Eldorado script finally appeared with fender crest on the car which was further distinguished by a twin hood ornament.

Extras featured on the Eldorado convertible, now known as the Biarritz in order to distinguish it from the Seville, were:

• A ribbed chrome saddle molding extending from the windshield to the rear window pillar along the beltline
• Flat, pointed rear fender fins.
• The addition of Power steering

The turning circle was 43.5 ft. wide and ground clearance is 8.25 inches.

Popular Mechanics rated a:

1. 0-60 mph time of 12.0 seconds
2. Fuel economy for a traffic route at 8.3mpg
3. Very accurate speedometer

Series 62 sales reached an all-time record in 1956 at 134,502 units, accounting for an all-time record 86.4% of all Cadillacs sold.

This included:

• 66,818 De Villes
• 6050 Eldorados.

Fifth generation (1957–1958)

In 1957 the following changes were implemented:

1. Tubular X-frame without side rails was adopted
2. This resulted in lower body without a loss of usable space
3. Front end styling was marked by rubber bumper guard tips and dual circular lamps set into the lower bumper section
4. Side trim was revised and a dual taillight theme was used.

Identifying the standard 62 models were:

1. Bright metal moldings, just forward of the rear wheel openings, highlighted by seven horizontal windsplits.
2. At the upper end this fenderbreak trim joined a horizontal molding that ran along a conical flare extending towards both taillamps.
3. A crest medallion was seen on the forward angled rear fins.
4. De Villes had special nameplates on the front fenders. Series 62 Eldorados (as distinct from the Series 70 Eldorado Brougham) were further distinguished by the model name above a V-shaped rear deck ornament and on the front fenders.
5. The rear fender and deck contour was trimmed with broad, sculptured stainless steel beauty panels.
6. Also seen were "shark" style fins pointing towards the back of the cars.
7. A three section built in front bumper was another exclusive trait of the Series 62 Eldorados, which came with a long list of standard features.
8. A new body style was added to the subseries, a 4-door Eldorado Sedan Seville, but only four were actually sold, and it was soon cancelled.

1958

In 1958 there were:

• New grille featuring multiple round "cleats" at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical members
• Widened grille insert and new bumper guards positioned lower to the parking lamps
• New dual headlamps were used and small chrome fins decorated the front fenders
• Tailfins were less pronounced and trim attachments were revised.
• The word Cadillac appeared in block letters on the fins of base models

On the sides of the car were:

1. Five longer horizontal windsplits ahead of the unskirted rear wheel housing and front fender horizontal mouldings with crests placed above the trailing edge and no rocker sill trim.
2. The convertible and the De Villes used solid metal trim on the lower half of the conical projection flares, while other models had a thin ridge molding in the same location.

On Series 62 Eldorados there was a:

1. V-shaped ornament and model identification script mounted to the deck lid.

Series 62 Eldorados also had:

• Ten vertical chevron slashes ahead of the open rear wheel housings

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• Crest medallions on the flank of the tailfins.

Broad, sculptured beauty panels decorated the lower rear quarters on all Series 62 Eldorados and extended around the wheel opening to stretch along the body sills.

Standard equipment on all Series 62s was the same as the previous year.

All new was an extended deck Series 62 sedan which, along with the Series 62 Sedan de Ville, stretched 8.5 inches longer than the regular 4-door Series 62, and a special order Series 62 Eldorado Seville of which only one was actually built.

Excluding export sedans and chassis only, the Series 62 offered an all-time record of nine bodystyles this year.

The infamous Cadillac Air-Suspension was optional.

The following year De Ville and Eldorado were spun off onto their own series.

Sixth generation (1959–1960)

The 1959 Cadillac is remembered for its:

• Iconic huge tailfins

&

• Dual bullet tail lights.

The new model year also saw:

• Two distinctive rooflines and roof pillar configurations
• New jewel-like grille pattern
• Matching deck lid beauty panels

In 1959 the Series 62 became the Series 6200.

De Villes and 2-door Eldorados were moved from the Series 62 to their own series, the Series 6300 and Series 6400 respectively, though they all, including the 4-door Eldorado Brougham (which was moved from the Series 70 to Series 6900), shared the same 130 in (3,302 mm) wheelbase.

Engine output was an even 325 hp (242 kW) from the 390 cu in (6.4 L) engine.

The Series 6200 was identifiable by its:

• Straight body rub moldings,
• Crest medallions below the spear
• A one-deck jeweled rear grille insert

Standard equipment included:

1. Power brakes
2. Power steering
3. Automatic transmission
4. Back-up lamps
5. Windshield wipers, two-speed wipers
6. Wheel discs,
7. Outside rearview mirror
8. Vanity mirror and oil filter

The convertible model had:

• Power windows
• Two-way power seat
• Plain fender skirts covered the rear wheels and 4-doors were available in either four-window or six-window hardtop configurations.

With the De Villes and 2-door Eldorados in their own series sales plunged to only 70,736

This was the lowest since the 1950 model year.

1960 Series 6200

The 1960 Series 6200 had smoother, more restrained styling

General changes included:

• Full-width grille
• Elimination of pointed front bumper guards
• Increased restraint in the application of chrome trim, lower tailfins with oval shaped nacelles and front fender mounted directional indicator lamps

Series 6200 were distinguished by:

1. Plain fender skirts
2. Thin three-quarter length bodyside spears and Cadillac crests
3. Lettering on short horizontal front fender bars mounted just behind the headlights.
4. Four-window and six-window hardtop sedans were offered again.

The former featured a one-piece wraparound backlight and flat-top roof, while the latter had a sloping rear window and roofline.

• Standard equipment included:
• Power brakes
• Power steering
• Automatic transmission
• Dual back-up lamps
• Windshield wipers
• Two-speed wipers
• Wheel discs
• Outside rearview mirror
• Vanity mirror
• Oil filter

The convertible model had:

1. Power windows
2. Two-way power seat

Technical highlights were

1. Finned rear drums
2. X-frame construction
3. Interiors done in Fawn, Blue or Gray Cortina Cord or Turquoise, Green, Persian Sand, or Black Caspian cloth with Florentine vinyl bolsters
4. Convertibles were upholstered in Florentine leather single or two-tone combinations or monochromatic Cardiff leather combinations.
   
   
   

Seventh generation (1961–1964)

Cadillac was restyled and re-engineered for 1961.

It had:

1. A new grille slanted back towards both the bumper and the hood lip, along the horizontal plan, and sat between dual headlamps
2. New forward slanting front pillars with non-wraparound windshield glass
3. Revised backlight treatment had crisp angular lines with thin pillars on some models and heavier semi-blind quarter roof posts on others

 

Standard equipment included:

• Power brakes
• Power steering
• Automatic transmission
• Dual back up lights
• Windshield washer
• Dual speed wipers,
• Wheel discs
• Plain fender skirts
• Outside rearview mirror
• Vanity mirror and oil filter
• Rubberized front and rear coil springs replacing the trouble prone air suspension system.
• Four-barrel induction systems were now the sole power choice and dual exhaust were no longer available.
  
  
  

1962

A mild face lift characterized Cadillac styling trends for 1962.

The 1962 model Had:

1. A flatter grille with a thicker horizontal center bar and more delicate cross-hatched insert appeared
2. Ribbed chrome trim panel
3. Cornering lamps and front fender model and series identification badges were eliminated.
4. More massive front bumper end pieces appeared and housed rectangular parking lamps
5. At the rear tail lamps were now housed in vertical nacelles designed with an angled peak at the center.
6. A vertically ribbed rear beauty panel appeared on the deck lid latch panel.
7. Cadillac script also appeared on the lower left side of the radiator grille

The short-deck hardtop Town Sedan was moved from the Series 6300 to the Series 6200, being replaced by a short-deck Sedan de Ville Park Avenue in the Series 6300.

In addition all short deck Cadillac models went from being 6-window sedans in 1961 to 4-window sedans in 1962 and 1963.

 

The Town Sedan would disappear in 1963 with only:

• 4,900 sold (of 134,572 Series 62s in all)
• The Sedan de Ville Park Avenue sold even fewer, 4,175 (out of 150,882 De Villes).

Standard equipment included all of last year’s equipment plus:

• Remote controlled outside rearview mirror
• Five tubeless black wall tires
• Heater and defroster
• Front cornering lamps

Cadillac refined the ride and quietness, with more insulation in the floor and behind the firewall.

1963 Cadillac

In overall terms 1963 Cadillac was essentially the same as last year with:

1. Exterior changes imparted a bolder and longer look
2. Hoods and deck lids were redesigned
3. The front fenders projected 4.625" further forward than in 1962 while the tailfins were trimmed down somewhat to provide a lower profile
4. Body side sculpturing was entirely eliminated
5. The slightly V-shaped radiator grille was taller and now incorporated outer extensions that swept below the flush-fender dual headlamps.
6. Smaller circular front parking lamps were mounted in those extensions.

A total of 143 options included:

• Bucket seats with wool
• Leather or nylon upholstery fabrics and wood veneer facings on dash
• Doors and seatbacks
• Standard equipment was the same as the previous year.

Convertibles were equipped with additional features, the engine was entirely changed, though the displacement and output remained the same, 390 cu in (6.4 l) and 325 hp (242 kW)

1964

It was time for another facelift in 1964 and really a minor one.

New up front was:

1. A bi-angular grille that formed a V-shape along both its vertical and horizontal planes
2. The main horizontal grille bar was now carried around the body sides
3. Outer grille extension panels again housed the parking and cornering lamps

It was the 17th consecutive year for the Cadillac tailfins with a new fine-blade design carrying on the tradition.

Performance improvements including a larger V-8 were the dominant changes for the model run.

Equipment features were same as in 1963 for the most part including:

• Comfort Control
• Completely automatic heating and air conditioning system controlled by a dial thermostat on the instrument panel.
• A convertible was no longer available.

The engine was bumped to 429 cu in (7 l), with 340 hp (253.5 kW) available.

In its final year only:

1. 35,079 Series 62s were sold, the smallest number since 1946.

 

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