With this auction running through this weekend, which happens to be same time as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it's entirely fitting that Mr. John Milliken of Westlake Village completed the restoration of this Cadillac in 1994 and showed it at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance that same year.
An award winning car, incredibly rare, and ready for its next caretaker.
We look forward to your continued questions and comments throughout the weekend on this beautiful Cadillac.
One of our favorite little details on this Cadillac is something you could easily overlook: the flip-down glass rear window in the convertible top, as seen in photo #147.
Even back in 1939, Cadillac wanted the clarity and durability of a real glass rear window, but glass obviously doesn't fold when you put the top down. Their solution was beautifully simple: the rear glass hinges down independently, allowing the convertible top to fold around it.
Sometimes the smallest features tell you the most about how thoughtfully these cars were designed.
It's such a clever piece of old-school engineering, and exactly the kind of detail that makes spending time around such a rare and timeless automobile so interesting.
@Jagbuxx Great question, and you're correct on the color code differences. We don't currently have much in the way of records, but we're working to see if we can get anything from the restoration.
@safarilang Check photo 75, that area has received a touch up. There are a couple of small nicks present that we would considered to be consistent with driving/touring.
Check out the driving experience in this beautiful Cadillac. The 346ci V8 delivers smooth, effortless power while the massive 141.3-inch wheelbase gives it that unmistakable big prewar Cadillac ride.
Top down, wind in your hair, floating down the road. This is one of those cars where the experience from behind the wheel may be even better than admiring it from across the parking lot.
@Ranchero65 Very astute and appropriately named! This example definitely falls into the late Art Deco/Streamline Moderne styling with the sweeping lines throughout the styling.
Cadillac definitely understood the assignment with these as post-Depression and pre-war luxury motorcars. Gorgeous... or, shall I say handsome (nod to Art)... in presentation.
Here's an interesting bit of perspective on the rarity here:
Cadillac produced 2,069 Series 75s across all body styles for 1939. Just 27 were Convertible Coupes like this one, and only five are believed to survive today. That's roughly 1.3% of Series 75 production.
To put the rarity into perspective: You can attend an awful lot of major concours, Cadillac gatherings, and collector-car auctions without ever seeing another one in person.
Some cars fill a space in a collection. This one punctuates it.
