The only problem was, when there was no lower body trim the paint would get sandblasted by the front tires. I had a coworker who owned a ‘73 Calais coupe and it ended up a total rust bucket by the time it was 5 years old. Wisconsin is not kind to steel!
The worst thing about those rocker moldings was that the plastic clips that held them were key-holed on rivets, and it was only a matter of time before the temperature cycles cracked the paint seal around the rivets. Modern clips, with the plastic pegs that snap into holes seem to avoid that problem.
A lack of a standard vinyl top was also a blessing in disguise. All the 71-76 caddies start weeping rust along the beltline trim that lines the bottom of the vinyl. Even my 76 coupe; which was fully repainted and given a new top by the previous owner eight years ago now also has two little bubbles beginning to form. I plan to have a friend weld up the trim holes and convert it to a slick top.
My dad bought my mom a 1974 Cadillac Sedan De’ Ville (Fleetwood). It had a 472 big block V8. Then in 78 he bought her a new Sedan De’ Ville D’ Elegance Brougham. It had a 425 V8. She kept the 74 as her 2nd car after their divorce. My mom didn’t know that my sister and I had an extra set of keys made, so after mom would go to work, then I’d drive it to school. I was 15 at the time and didn’t even have a learner’s permit. That Caddy would peel rubber across the state. Six months before she sold it she put new tires on it and when she sold it, the rear tires were bald, while the front were still new. She had bought a new 280ZX but kept the 78 , so once again we had an extra set of keys made. By then I was 16 and had a drivers license. My sister had a 68 Ford Galaxy 500 with a 390 V8. Whenever my sister or I wanted to go to a party, we’d load up the 78 with a bunch of kids, (each one would pitch in a buck for gas, (back then gasoline was 89 cents per gallon), so $10 of gas was more than enough to get us to and from the party and gave me enough gas for the week. I waited until I was in my 30s before I told her about what my sister and I had done.
This was interesting. I always had the feeling that Cadillac was whistling past the graveyard in the 1970's with all their 'young at heart' advertising. My parents drove Cadillacs, yes, but my dad was frequently complain that his Buicks - the work car - had much better trim and fit and just felt like they were put together by someone who cared about their work. It didn't help that they actually did find a chewing tobacco can in one of the rear doors of the '74 Sedan deVille my mom bought brand new..... The Calais never came into question for my parents. They paid cash, they bought the Cadillac which told them they had earned it. The Calais would have been like having a backyard swimming pool but not heating the water to save money.
The 71 and 72 Cads, and all the GM cars for that matter, were a serious let-down. They leaked, the Cad had poor fit and finish, the Pontiac had a plain interior that looked like something an elderly unmarried librarian would like, there were recalls galore. The 73s seemed to be an improvement, if somewhat like the little girl with the curl - either very very good, or horrid.
My 2nd Cadillac was a 1967 4 door silver Calais. The seats were cloth, the wing windows were manual the hubcaps were plan. It had some other low priced things. I really loved it.
@@billolsen4360I was spoiled by having a 67 Coupe DeVille as my first car. That flying wedge front looked like it was going 90 all the time! What a bold design.
@@jaydlytning Indeed! I can still remember Nixon visiting Buckingham palace, rolling in there in a black 67 or 68 Series 75 limo...it looked like a spaceship next to all the palace employees' Austin & Sunbeam sedans.
My 1965 Calais Coupe has Power steering, brakes, windows, antenna, front seat, Twilight Sentinel, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel, Tinted Windows, Radio Station Seeking, Auto Dimmer Switch, Auto Trunk Release and Closing mechanism. It had all options except power vent Windows, door locks and FM Radio. Buyers could order any option available on the Coupe deVille.
Love to see that in video I wonder if it was original from dealer? because it was cheaper to get all that it in De Ville. I have one of these 65 and do not the things you have. Just basic only including windup windows. It is Relaxing Videos.
The airport livery cab service I worked for in Denver used a number of Calais. They were a certainly an upgrade from a Checker taxicab that business customers appreciated. I agree, the cars looked much better without vinyl tops.
Awesome interiors! So much more likeable than the 50 shades of grey (I include black as a very, very dark grey 🙂) that is the norm these days! Thank you.
I grew up with many Caddilacs in the driveway, the first being a 66 that my brother bought used. Then my mother started driving them starting in 1981, she bought her first new Sedan Deville . I remember it was delivered to our store at the time,she was not there so I received it,so of course 17 year old me had to road test it and make sure it was okay before she got it. I still remember the discust of my father when he saw the "tar" all over the right rear 1/4 panel,little did he know it was rubber,(brake torque, hey I was 17) But that car had numerous issues and I remember someone from the dealer came and picked it up one time for warranty work,he left a new Cimarron as a loaner,my mother wouldn't even get in that car,she loved her land yachts as she always had either Chrysler, Cadillac, or Lincoln products. And all her cars had the vinyl tops and chrome stuck to every possible part of the car. The last new one my dad bought was an 02 and he immediately sent it out for the padded top and wide chrome wheel arch moldings,it also had the wide chrome stick on lower door trim,and let's not forget the tacky gold emblems on every panel. On a sunny day, that thing was a hazard to all other drivers,I believe it could have been seen from outer space.
Sorry, but to me the bright wheel arch trim and stick on bright lower door trim absolutely ruined these cars in my eyes. As did the dealer installed fake convertible tops on cars that were not designed for anything other than a painted steel roof. And my biggest pet peeve with the fake convertible tops was that little strip of cloth and the 5” long bright trim on the FUEL DOOR. Did some of them even have snaps, as if the simulated convertible top might also have an imaginary convertible top boot in the trunk?
@@glennc7201 Some people like the added bling, and that’s fine. The dealer makes a huge profit on these dealer installed accessories. To me, I just can’t fathom drilling a new Cadillac full of holes to attach the chrome trim for that fake convertible top.
My parents first Cadillac was a 1965 Calais Coupe. My dad told me he really wanted the Buick Riviera but they were starting a family and the Riviera had bucket seats front and back. Our Calais didn't have AC and no power windows.
Power windows and seat were optional on the Cadillac Calais until the 1970s when they finally became standard as they had been on all other Cadillac models since the mid-1950s, but at the factory power windows were nevertheless installed on virtually every Cadillac Calais model, and I have only seen one 1965 Cadillac with crank windows, a Calais 4-door hardtop. Cadillac, along with Lincoln, was one of the first makes to have power windows when they were introduced in the early 1940s. They were hydraulic back then but became electric in 1954.
Four hundred years ago in high school a kid had a hand-me-down 1969 Calais pillared hardtop with manual windows, the only time I've seen a Cadillac so equipped. At about the same time we knew an elegant woman of considerable means (and discipline) who bought a new white Calais coupe every year, always devoid of vinyl roof and spotlessly kept. Such a lovely arrival she would make.
Not to pick nits here, but I believe that Cadillac made power windows standard on the Calais for the 1968 model year. It always seemed odd the items that were deleted from the deVille series for the 62s and Calais models - no cigarette lighters in the back, no leather interior option, no center armrest in the hardtop models. You could get all those things in a 1967 Plymouth VIP, for crying out loud! Lol
Pleased to see that Volvo is introducing some luxury wool felt textiles in its new vehicle interiors. High-end fabric upholstery is LONG overdue for a comeback.
That blue plaid interior is awesome. If you were going to buy one of these malaise era 1970's land yachts today, why not get the maximum 70's experience and get one with that interior?
My grandpa worked for fisher body in the late 60s and early 70s he loved working on cadillacs. He went through the differences in models and trim levels to me as a young teen and told me a story about when calais came out they were meant for a niche market, mainly hot climates that didn't want leather wrapped everything because of hot summers and bare roofs because the sun would dry out and destroy vinyl tops in a few years. Since gm didn't want to downgrade the base of the Deville series they came up with a new model and priced it lower because the money they saved. But unfortunately the rest of the country saw it as a cheapened or low class cadillac or a cadillac for someone that didn't really have cadillac money. As time went on they started to really cheapen them because the other higher models playing with using cloth inserts and eventually more expensive cloth fabrics so it became the cheap cadillac and that destroyed its reputation in the publics eyes.
The Calais wasn't a new model, just a new nameplate. The entry-level Cadillac had been called Series Sixty-Two (usually written out like that) for years up through 1964.
You are correct, the series Sixty Two was the “entry” level Cadillac. You’d add the “DeVille” trim to your series sixty two coupe or sedan to take it upmarket. Before all of that, up through the early 1950’s there was a Sixty One series model. It rode on a shorter wheelbase than the sixty two, although it had the same styling and drivetrain. The sixty one series was launched in 1939, probably to sway buyers to Cadillac with the pending demise of LaSalle.
A great overview, Adam. I always thought of the Calais as a continuation of the '64 and earlier Series 62. It was part of that Sears "good, better, best" idea that permeated a lot of marketing decisions in the era. Also, certain very popular options were simply not available on the Calais at all, or not for a long time. Case in point: a vinyl top, one of the "must have" accessories of the era, was not available on the Calais until 1975. Some of the other minor equipment deletions/deviations were probably simply to provide differentiation. I think the Merlin plaid interiors were pretty jazzy for the day, though.
Exactly--the Calais for '65 was simply a re-badged Series 62, which was of course responsible for the deVille upgrade in the fifties, and the 62 was the most popular. Changing consumer demographics with increasing prosperity hurt the 62; remember, when the TurboHydraMatic was first introduced to Cadillac, the 62 had to go with the old HydraMatic for a year before receiving it. I had a friend whose parents had a '66 Calais 4-door hardtop with the optional power windows, seat, and certainly it seemed more luxurious than my parents' '66 Bonneville 4-door.
you are correct - the 62 was replaced by the Calais which was for decades the entry level model and the Coupe and Sedan DeVilles were higher priced options for the 62 series
Interesting, you cleared up a question I had about a car I almost bought over 20 years ago. It was a 64 Cadillac, white with a blue interior 2 door hardtop. It had no name like DeVille, etc. So I assume based on this thread it was more than likely a Series 62. It just said Cadillac on it. A very nice car and the 429 purred but the seller and I made a deal but then she sold it out from under me to someone else before I had a chance to come back with the money a day later.
And some people did not want power windows and power seat because they thought they might be unreliable or might leak hydraulic fluid, (the early power windows were hydraulic), and ditto for the new trans. What if it proved to be a bad unit? Then people with older models might laugh at you.
The Electra Park Ave or 225 Limited would be a MUCH better buy back then. You typically got more for your money buying a top of the line Buick over many Cadillac models.
Your channel is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites. I love your take on the classics ...maybe it's because I'm technically a 'classic' myself. It's very easy to romanticize my past when it's juxtaposed against what passes as 'desirable' today. Thank you for your interesting commentary. I suspect you may be one of only a handful of people capable of communicating such detailed information with regard to the cars of my youth.
We had a 1965 Calais. It had 2 front seat belts with a retractor, no seat belts in the back and no cigarette lighters in the back. The pedals had no chrome. Other than that it was very much like a de Ville. I took it up to 115 mph once. The interior was at least as nice as a Buick.
Great comments as always Adam! I recall also as Cadillac emerged from the Depression the viability of La Salle became questionable. When La Salle was finally drooped in 1940 a lower price Cadillac Series 61 was added. This retained La Salle customers while generating more profits and less costs for the division. This helped Cadillac compete more successfully with the Packard 120 and Lincoln Zephyr. It also outflanked Buick, briefly pushing it’s Series 90 Limited models even further into Cadillac’s niche, a battle not won by Harlow Curtice. May we have commentary on a 1964-66 Imperial sometime?
My favorite years of the Series 61 are the 49 to 53 two door sedans that road on a shorter wheel base. The big edge over its competitors was the 331 cubic inch push rod V8, which was great engine for its time.
When I was 11 years old, my dad bought a '74 Coupe De Ville, new. It was on the showroom floor. I clearly remember the consensus of the conversation he had with the salesman. It went something like this, from the salesman's perspective: "Well, if you buy the Calais, you're still a Cadillac owner, but you're more of the loser type Cadillac owner than if you buy an upgrade and everyone will always consider you to be nothing more than a loser Cadillac owner", LOL. Those of course are my words, but that was the message he was trying to convey so well that even my 11 year old self understood what he meant.
If I were your dad, I would have gotten up, walked out the door and went to another dealership to buy the new Cadillac. I would have them driven back to the original salesman and shown him in front of the General Manager and said something like; After the way in which you talked down to me and tried to belittle me, I chose to buy my Cadillac from a salesman who listened to me and heard what I was saying, so I bought my Cadillac from him. Therefore you lost the commission and this dealership lost the sale. Furthermore when I choose to buy my next Cadillac, I’ll make sure that I buy from your competitor. Enjoy your day ! You better believe that that salesman would have found himself unemployed.
With only 8% to save I wonder if buyers at the time were looking at big Buick and Oldsmobiles as well. They were as flashy and even more beautiful to me.
While I agree there were by modern standards some over the top cloth seats and trim in the 1970s, I sure wish there was more interesting cloth trim in vehicles today.
yeah, you can't win them all, but you've won plenty, Adam. You have one of the finest fleets of cars I've ever seen. You could start a museum with the history you've got in your garage!
Never have been a 'chrome guy', probably why I was attracted to the Calais, and the later to come Concourse. With all the detail found in your videos, only hope someone at GM is watching.👍🏾🏁🇺🇸
I saw in the brochure that they showed a Cadillac Calais in "Commodore" Blue. GM Holden called their top spec Commodore the "Calais". Amazing how GM reused model names around the world.
Thank you Adam. I knew about the Cadillac Calais, but I liked this discussion in detail. It is interesting two things: The Calais nameplate went on to be used at Oldsmobile on several models and at Holden at GM in Australia. I was told the Calais was intended to go after Oldsmobile 98 buyers at the price point. I heard that the Cadillac wanted the 1972 Oldsmobile 98 Regency seats to but in the Cadillac Calais and GM said no. The Calais name may have died at Cadillac, but lived on at Oldsmobile and Holden. They stripped this Cadillac model. Thank you Adam.
In '78 I bought a cherry '69 Calais off a Cadillac dealer lot in Virginia Beach. It was like showroom new. No vinyl top. Silver. Acres of silver. 472. I wish I kept that car. Boy do I wish I kept that car.
No mystery. The Calais was the Series 62. The 74 to 76 had the wild plaid upholstery. This is about mid 70s interiors which you already covered. Why bash the Calais which was nothing new, a replacement for Series 62
I was a 19yo kid when I bought a used 66 blue Calais for $500.00. It had 89k miles and was the best car I ever owned. I gave it to my Father In Law 2 years later and bought a 74 Dodge Charger. Hated it after the Caddy. 14 months later I traded it in for a used 71 Coupe de Ville.
I had a 1972 Calais when I was about 20 yrs old. Cream colored exterior with dark brown leather interior. One of my favorite cars I ever owned. 472cu. monster that flew down the road and positively ate up road. Had 3 accidents in it that only I was able to drive away from. Sold it for a grand and bought a '80 DeVille. The pic at 9:00 resembles the one I had.
Another great video, so glad someone 'documents' these cars before they fade away from memory/sight. My Aunt and Uncle traded their '55 Buick Special for a '65 Calais and it was a beautiful car with excellent quality - a silver blue with light blue cloth interior and no vinyl top - and was pretty much fully loaded with power windows/seats/AC. My dad had a '65 Chevy Belair at the time and when my Aunt/Uncle drove up to visit the first time in it my mom sarcastically said "my sister always tries to ---- with the big dogs" - of course I it didn't help the situation much by fawning all over it - lol! By '72 they were ready to trade and looked at the '72 Calais and thought it looked cheap with all the hard black plastic that made up the dash, so they went back to Buick and bought an Electra 225 limited.
I bought a 1967 Calais for $100 in 1981 from a farmer that stoped in my gas station. It had just a little over 100,000 miles on it. It was driven on gravel roads so the body wasn’t the best shape but got me by for 4 years. Problem was the 427 ci high compression engine needed premium fuel. For a time there when switching from leaded to unleaded fuel there was no premium unleaded available for a few years. So on regular when you stepped on it, it sounded like a bunch of gravel was dumped in it with the knocking of the low octane gas. But I think the line was to get Oldsmobile and Buick buyers to move up to Cadillac. I had to junk it because the frame was to rusted that I didn’t think it was same to drive. What I regretted was not taking the train sounding horns off it before I junked it and but it on the 1971 Oldsmobile 98 that I replaced it.
I remember the first (1965) Calais, saw it a Loveless Cadillac in Carlinville, IL. The first ones did not have power windows or power seats as standard equipment. They were often sold as "salesman specials", offering large trunks and passenger compartments, but without the unnecessary options that traveling salesmen didn't need.
You failed to mention that the door pulls that were used on the 1975 Calais seem to be a carry-over from ALL 1974 Cadillac models. All of the 1975 upscale models had the new type spring-loaded metal door pulls (wrapped in faux wood) shown in some of your photos. I'm really surprised you missed pointing that out.
The idea of a "bargain" Cadillac was not new for 1965; the 61 and then the 62 were the entry level cars when the 62 and then the Deville were the "deluxe" versions (not to mention the LaSalle). Shockingly, for 1950 and 1951, the 61 was sold with a 122" wheelbase, right in the middle of Pontiac-Buick-Oldsmobile territory, perhaps due to interest during those years from racers attracted to Cadillac's new OHV V8. For 1952, the base 62 took over as the "bargain" model with the "Deville" versions of the 62 as the upgrade. Interestingly, the 62 was officially renamed the "6200" for 1959, but people still often called it the 62, which must have been particularly awkward for the 1962 model year. Maybe that was part of the reason the "6200" designation was replaced with the "Calais", apparently named after a city in France now known for violent refugee camps and riots. I can see the argument for selling a stripped down version of the C body, GM's roomiest sedan during many model years, for fleet owners, but selling it as a Cadillac seemed a bit odd. Ford had a better idea with its stretched LTD and Crown Victoria models, often built on the wheelbase of a Lincoln Town Car.
Cadillac saw a chance to sell the Calais to Buick Electra & Olds 98 customers. One GM division vs another. I came to the Cadillac dealer to buy a Calais coupe, but got a De Ville instead. Interior color was limited on the Calais. I did order a new Coupe De Ville without a vinyl roof. That was in 1974, year of 472's & round headlights.
2:10 It reminds me of the 1930s Packard One-Twenty and the 1950s Packard 200/Clipper and 300/Cavalier models, probably most closely parallel to the Cavalier which was basically a lower trim level Patrician-size car. In Packard's case, their 1920s and '30s product mix of eight- and twelve-cylinder models left them with nothing in their line that the average new-car buyer could afford and no high-volume low- to mid-price line to keep the company solvent until better times could prevail. The One-Twenty was priced in Buick and Oldsmobile territory' and there was a lower still priced Six/One-Ten. The lower-priced Packards of the 1930s into the '50s were advertised as having the prestige of the "Ask the Man Who Owns One" Packard name, but undermined the senior models to the degree that Packard never recovered. You may recall that the last Packards in 1957-'58 were little more than Packard taillights slapped onto Studebaker Presidents and priced against the lower-mid-price DeSoto Firesweep and entry-level Edsel Ranger.
Love it, when even entry-models are shiny boats like this Calais. And I like 76's Calais' Coupe's full padded roof better then this half padded one on the Coupe de Ville. Back then, when Cadillacs looked like Cadillacs (not like Honda Civics or Chevy trucks)...
When was a kid, I saw the “Calais” nameplate on the quarter panel of an early 70’s 2-door and asked my dad why that wasn’t a Coupe DeVille? He then told me it was a cheap Cadillac, kind of an automotive oxymoron. Then I learned what an oxymoron was.
I’m a big fan of the Calais for several reasons. Their relatively low production numbers make them quite collectible. Their minimal ornamentation (no rocker mouldings & often no vinyl roof) not only helped to prevent rust but showcased their gorgeous lines - particularly the 71 & 72. Even their interiors were an exercise in minimalism - odd for a premium luxury car. I wonder, too, if offering yet another variable to the assembly process (different seats/door panels/pedals) didn’t actually cost MORE that simply outfitting the interiors similarly?
I bought a one owner 1975 cadillac calais coupe in 1987 for $550. It had an awesome ride and a 50 gallon tank you could run out in a few days, so even at 1.00 a gallon gas it was expensive to drive.
My grandfathers last new car purchase was a Calais. White 2 door with the Blue plaid interior. I remember being shocked even as a 10 year old that a Caddie had no leather. I think he paid 8500 or so. He was a Buick man for years and finally got his Cadillac after retiring from GTE in the 70's. Yes I was a guy guy at 10.
Calais was a continuation of the series 62 model. Cadillac just decided to give this series a name. I am a 40 year member of the Cadillac-LaSalle club.
When I was a kid in the early 70s there was a 65 Calais that was always parked on my street. I remember the first time I looked in the windows and was shocked that it had crank windows all around. Why certainly, I thought, ALL Caddilacs had electric windows! It was years later when I realized not all Cadillacs with the appearance were deVilles.
There was a red one for sale with the plaid cloth not too long ago. I thought it looked really cool. I agree with the 71-73 exteriors. I think I like the 72 the most.
If I remember, Most of the early Calais had manual windows standard, Power was an option. And also, Most Calais were converted to Hearses, Ambulances and executive sedans.
Some would have simply bought into the whole "Calais" drama to get the superior treatment of the Cadillac dealerships vs Buick, Olds, or say the Mercury treatment when they came in for service and or warranty work.. Loaded or not, it was still a Cadillac!!!
Cadillac really didn't create the Calais for 1965 so much as it replaced the Series 62 which had a similar price differential. One coud argue that it actually was an effort to give the base model its own identity, though of course in sales that didn't work. I remember as a kid searching out the Calais while car spotting - I didn't know then that it was a detrimmed deVille, to me it seemed 'special'. Almost bought a 66 sedan (not a hardtop) once in white, but the original owner took the brief too seriously and it had crank windows, which was a dealbreaker. In 68 Cadillac relented and made them standard for all series. I particularly appreciate the years where you could NOT get the vinyl roof on the Calais because most of the deVille's had that option and the car (especially the coupes) looked better without. They opened up the option in 74. As for the interior shown, I suspect the 75-76 plaid was someone's idea of sport/casual - "look honey, we're with it, just like those disco kids" That, or 'we have a sailboat'.
My first car was a '75 Eldorado in Jennifer blue w/ blue Monticello. Loaded except for FI and an Astro roof. It was a rejected gift from my father to my mother. Fortunately, I didn't get much feedback on that after my best friend remined people that it was worth 2 Trans Ams, Z 28s, etc. That car was so poorly put together. I got a '78 Riviera to take to college. Loved that car!
I really like the Calais, especially from a modern ownership perspective- you get the Cadillac looks and motor without as many power accessories. Some of the cloth seating surfaces were actually pretty nice. By 71, I'd argue the devilles had lower quality than any of the 60s Calais.
Nothing wrong with wanting a Cadillac with crank windows! Maybe you liked the style and the engine, but didn't feel the need to be as fancy. There was a market for the Calais. I get that you just said the same thing, ha ha. Oh well.
but wasnt the calais kind of overpriced compared to the 98 and electra? but yeah nothing wrong with a strong, comfortable cruiser without much power options. and cloth is better than leather anyway.
Another side note is that Cadillacs generally held their value better than any comparable Buick or Olds. Using a NADA used car price guide from October 1968 (New England region), I compared the difference between retail value and factory ADP. I used model years 1967 and 1965 for this test (all in 4-door hardtop bodystyle). For the the 1967 Cadillac Calais, it retained about 82% of it's value. By comparison, the Electra 225 Custom retained 74% and the Olds 98 retained 70%. For model year 1965, the Calais retained 46% of its value, the Buick Electra Custom retained 45%, and the Oldsmobile retained only 42% of its value. Sure, it might've been more expensive than any other comprable non-Cadillac from GM, the Calais still retained value like a Cadillac. By comparison, I checked the numbers for both the '67 and '65 Deville as well, retaining 80% and 48% respectively.
Before the Calais, the base Cadillac was the Series 62, and the upgrade was the deVille series. Dont forget the short deck Park Avenue in the late 50s and early 60s. On Series 62 and later Calais options were limited. The name Calais was discintinued, but the concept lived on. DeVille moved down in trim, and the d'Elegance package replaced the former deVille as the luxury model.
Wasn't the Calais simply a renamed Series 62? The DeVille was originally a dress-up package for the 62. The 62 standard trim was vinyl and cloth, whereas the DeVille gave leather trim. Very comparable to the Calais.
Thanks for this one, Adam.. I never really understood the Calais at the time those were new, Adam.. They went cheap in ways that seemed stupid to me, cutting corners as you pointed out on things like door lights and pedal trim. Few had tilt/telescopic steering or cruise control. Thankfully, PS, PB and Climate Control were standard on ALL Cadillacs.. I agree with you that now these look better sans vinyl roof, but at the time they were new, the ones without a vinyl roof simply looked unfinished.
The '71-'73 coupes had an indentation in the roof to hide the padding and without the vinyl roof, the indentation was a prominent feature of the metal roof. I'm sure it struck some people as a bit odd.
@@ralphl7643 Cadillac was the first to make AC standard on the 1957 Fleetwood Eldorado Brougham. In 1964 Cadillac became the first to offer CLIMATE CONTROL, where interior temperature was regulated by thermostats, and ALL AC systems on ALL Cadillacs were the Climate Control variety. The fact it wasn't technically "standard" equipment on all cars produced is mostly meaningless since nearly all were so equipped. I can't think of any Cadillac I've seen without AC since the 1950s.
The "cheap" Cadillac came out in 1936, the Series 60. (Not the Fleetwood Series 60 Special, the "plain" Series 60). It became the Series 61 for 39, disappeared for 1940, but came back for 41. It lasted through 1951, but starting in 52, there was a "plain" Series 62 Hardtop in addition to the Coupe De Ville. Starting 1964 or 65, the new Calais was sort of a return of the Series 61, not something new.
Consider the opposite strategy. The Mustang starts under $30k. You can also spend $70k+ for a GT spec. The general public would be hard pressed to tell the difference as you passed by. I would venture that the driver of Calais felt better about his purchase..
I bought a '67 Calais coupe in '72. The previous owner ordered it with no A/C and cloth interior. It did have power windows. It was gold in color. It was a nice car.
We had the 59 base model 2 door. $4500. Never really missed not having power windows, locks and seats. AC was rare in those days. About 10% of the cost of the vehicle. I recall when Calais was introduced in 65. Marketing lit made it to be a sporty car.
The blue plaid interior is beautiful. Beats the heck out of the silver/beige/black interiors of today.
That green Maharaja interior was awesome.
I like it too.
One nice thing the Calais had was there was no rocker panel trim, so no holes drilled to mount it and one less rust trap.
The only problem was, when there was no lower body trim the paint would get sandblasted by the front tires. I had a coworker who owned a ‘73 Calais coupe and it ended up a total rust bucket by the time it was 5 years old. Wisconsin is not kind to steel!
Southern states are much easier for those cars.
The worst thing about those rocker moldings was that the plastic clips that held them were key-holed on rivets, and it was only a matter of time before the temperature cycles cracked the paint seal around the rivets. Modern clips, with the plastic pegs that snap into holes seem to avoid that problem.
A lack of a standard vinyl top was also a blessing in disguise. All the 71-76 caddies start weeping rust along the beltline trim that lines the bottom of the vinyl. Even my 76 coupe; which was fully repainted and given a new top by the previous owner eight years ago now also has two little bubbles beginning to form. I plan to have a friend weld up the trim holes and convert it to a slick top.
No vinyl roof as well, big ol rust trap!
My dad bought my mom a 1974 Cadillac Sedan De’ Ville (Fleetwood).
It had a 472 big block V8.
Then in 78 he bought her a new Sedan De’ Ville D’ Elegance Brougham. It had a 425 V8.
She kept the 74 as her 2nd car after their divorce.
My mom didn’t know that my sister and I had an extra set of keys made, so after mom would go to work, then I’d drive it to school. I was 15 at the time and didn’t even have a learner’s permit.
That Caddy would peel rubber across the state.
Six months before she sold it she put new tires on it and when she sold it, the rear tires were bald, while the front were still new.
She had bought a new 280ZX but kept the 78 , so once again we had an extra set of keys made.
By then I was 16 and had a drivers license.
My sister had a 68 Ford Galaxy 500 with a 390 V8.
Whenever my sister or I wanted to go to a party, we’d load up the 78 with a bunch of kids, (each one would pitch in a buck for gas, (back then gasoline was 89 cents per gallon), so $10 of gas was more than enough to get us to and from the party and gave me enough gas for the week.
I waited until I was in my 30s before I told her about what my sister and I had done.
Ahh, the good ‘ole days! You’re bringing me back..
@@markt4605 Oh, you were a wild child too?
Cheers !
Are you mixing model names together by chance!!
@@Doc1855 I called it revelry within reason. It was the 70’s. We were smarter.
Kind of like when my friends and I would hot box my dad's 1984 GMC Suburban. I was 18 then. I'm 39 now and I still haven't told my dad!
This was interesting. I always had the feeling that Cadillac was whistling past the graveyard in the 1970's with all their 'young at heart' advertising. My parents drove Cadillacs, yes, but my dad was frequently complain that his Buicks - the work car - had much better trim and fit and just felt like they were put together by someone who cared about their work. It didn't help that they actually did find a chewing tobacco can in one of the rear doors of the '74 Sedan deVille my mom bought brand new.....
The Calais never came into question for my parents. They paid cash, they bought the Cadillac which told them they had earned it. The Calais would have been like having a backyard swimming pool but not heating the water to save money.
The 71 and 72 Cads, and all the GM cars for that matter, were a serious let-down. They leaked, the Cad had poor fit and finish, the Pontiac had a plain interior that looked like something an elderly unmarried librarian would like, there were recalls galore. The 73s seemed to be an improvement, if somewhat like the little girl with the curl - either very very good, or horrid.
My 2nd Cadillac was a 1967 4 door silver Calais. The seats were cloth, the wing windows were manual the hubcaps were plan. It had some other low priced things. I really loved it.
The 1967 Cadillac line was really beautiful that model year. Always looked like they were in motion.
@@billolsen4360I was spoiled by having a 67 Coupe DeVille as my first car. That flying wedge front looked like it was going 90 all the time! What a bold design.
@@jaydlytning Indeed! I can still remember Nixon visiting Buckingham palace, rolling in there in a black 67 or 68 Series 75 limo...it looked like a spaceship next to all the palace employees' Austin & Sunbeam sedans.
My 1970 VW Bug had manual wing windows and plain hubcaps too!
The Seat fabric would match the owner’s LOUD Golf Trousers 😂😂
I can envision a less rich Rodney Dangerfield exiting the car in Caddyshack.
Polyester golf pants. It was the '70s. What were they thinking!
My 1965 Calais Coupe has Power steering, brakes, windows, antenna, front seat, Twilight Sentinel, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel, Tinted Windows, Radio Station Seeking, Auto Dimmer Switch, Auto Trunk Release and Closing mechanism. It had all options except power vent Windows, door locks and FM Radio. Buyers could order any option available on the Coupe deVille.
Love to see that in video I wonder if it was original from dealer? because it was cheaper to get all that it in De Ville.
I have one of these 65 and do not the things you have. Just basic only including windup windows. It is Relaxing Videos.
The airport livery cab service I worked for in Denver used a number of Calais. They were a certainly an upgrade from a Checker taxicab that business customers appreciated. I agree, the cars looked much better without vinyl tops.
Awesome interiors! So much more likeable than the 50 shades of grey (I include black as a very, very dark grey 🙂) that is the norm these days! Thank you.
I grew up with many Caddilacs in the driveway, the first being a 66 that my brother bought used.
Then my mother started driving them starting in 1981, she bought her first new Sedan Deville .
I remember it was delivered to our store at the time,she was not there so I received it,so of course 17 year old me had to road test it and make sure it was okay before she got it.
I still remember the discust of my father when he saw the "tar" all over the right rear 1/4 panel,little did he know it was rubber,(brake torque, hey I was 17)
But that car had numerous issues and I remember someone from the dealer came and picked it up one time for warranty work,he left a new Cimarron as a loaner,my mother wouldn't even get in that car,she loved her land yachts as she always had either Chrysler, Cadillac, or Lincoln products.
And all her cars had the vinyl tops and chrome stuck to every possible part of the car.
The last new one my dad bought was an 02 and he immediately sent it out for the padded top and wide chrome wheel arch moldings,it also had the wide chrome stick on lower door trim,and let's not forget the tacky gold emblems on every panel.
On a sunny day, that thing was a hazard to all other drivers,I believe it could have been seen from outer space.
Sorry, but to me the bright wheel arch trim and stick on bright lower door trim absolutely ruined these cars in my eyes. As did the dealer installed fake convertible tops on cars that were not designed for anything other than a painted steel roof.
And my biggest pet peeve with the fake convertible tops was that little strip of cloth and the 5” long bright trim on the FUEL DOOR.
Did some of them even have snaps, as if the simulated convertible top might also have an imaginary convertible top boot in the trunk?
@CH67guy1 Yes I agree,and my dad's 02 had the fake snaps on it as well.
@@glennc7201 Some people like the added bling, and that’s fine. The dealer makes a huge profit on these dealer installed accessories.
To me, I just can’t fathom drilling a new Cadillac full of holes to attach the chrome trim for that fake convertible top.
My parents first Cadillac was a
1965 Calais Coupe. My dad told me he really wanted the Buick
Riviera but they were starting a family and the Riviera had bucket seats front and back.
Our Calais didn't have AC and no power windows.
A 1965 Cadillac ANYTHING without power windows......(?!?)
Honestly I'm shocked......and can understand WHY you'd remember that omission!
Wow, a Cadillac Without power windows; l didn't think that existed!!
Power windows and seat were optional on the Cadillac Calais until the 1970s when they finally became standard as they had been on all other Cadillac models since the mid-1950s, but at the factory power windows were nevertheless installed on virtually every Cadillac Calais model, and I have only seen one 1965 Cadillac with crank windows, a Calais 4-door hardtop. Cadillac, along with Lincoln, was one of the first makes to have power windows when they were introduced in the early 1940s. They were hydraulic back then but became electric in 1954.
I have seen a 75 Calais coupe, no air conditioning equipment.
@@nycstarport8542I saw one a long time ago and didn't know what it was. Now I know I was looking at a Calais!
Four hundred years ago in high school a kid had a hand-me-down 1969 Calais pillared hardtop with manual windows, the only time I've seen a Cadillac so equipped. At about the same time we knew an elegant woman of considerable means (and discipline) who bought a new white Calais coupe every year, always devoid of vinyl roof and spotlessly kept. Such a lovely arrival she would make.
Not to pick nits here, but I believe that Cadillac made power windows standard on the Calais for the 1968 model year. It always seemed odd the items that were deleted from the deVille series for the 62s and Calais models - no cigarette lighters in the back, no leather interior option, no center armrest in the hardtop models. You could get all those things in a 1967 Plymouth VIP, for crying out loud! Lol
You speak with such articulate words. Your grammar is superb. Kudos. 👍
Pleased to see that Volvo is introducing some luxury wool felt textiles in its new vehicle interiors. High-end fabric upholstery is LONG overdue for a comeback.
Yep…I just ordered Room and Board sofa with what looks to be Morgan Plaid resurrected…
That blue plaid interior is awesome. If you were going to buy one of these malaise era 1970's land yachts today, why not get the maximum 70's experience and get one with that interior?
It looked interesting but it didn’t feel good.
My grandpa worked for fisher body in the late 60s and early 70s he loved working on cadillacs. He went through the differences in models and trim levels to me as a young teen and told me a story about when calais came out they were meant for a niche market, mainly hot climates that didn't want leather wrapped everything because of hot summers and bare roofs because the sun would dry out and destroy vinyl tops in a few years. Since gm didn't want to downgrade the base of the Deville series they came up with a new model and priced it lower because the money they saved. But unfortunately the rest of the country saw it as a cheapened or low class cadillac or a cadillac for someone that didn't really have cadillac money. As time went on they started to really cheapen them because the other higher models playing with using cloth inserts and eventually more expensive cloth fabrics so it became the cheap cadillac and that destroyed its reputation in the publics eyes.
The Calais wasn't a new model, just a new nameplate. The entry-level Cadillac had been called Series Sixty-Two (usually written out like that) for years up through 1964.
That was the first thing that I thought, too.
Me too!
You are correct, the series Sixty Two was the “entry” level Cadillac. You’d add the “DeVille” trim to your series sixty two coupe or sedan to take it upmarket. Before all of that, up through the early 1950’s there was a Sixty One series model. It rode on a shorter wheelbase than the sixty two, although it had the same styling and drivetrain. The sixty one series was launched in 1939, probably to sway buyers to Cadillac with the pending demise of LaSalle.
I agree. I think the Series 62 became somewhat confusing in the 1960s.
Exactly !!! And all the cnvts except the Eldo were 62 Series only.
I'm usually not a fan of base models but I do like the 75 & 76 Calais especially the seating materials and some were quite well optioned.
It's like buying the cheapest house in the nicest neighbourhood that you can afford. Best decision down the road.
A great overview, Adam. I always thought of the Calais as a continuation of the '64 and earlier Series 62. It was part of that Sears "good, better, best" idea that permeated a lot of marketing decisions in the era. Also, certain very popular options were simply not available on the Calais at all, or not for a long time. Case in point: a vinyl top, one of the "must have" accessories of the era, was not available on the Calais until 1975. Some of the other minor equipment deletions/deviations were probably simply to provide differentiation. I think the Merlin plaid interiors were pretty jazzy for the day, though.
Exactly--the Calais for '65 was simply a re-badged Series 62, which was of course responsible for the deVille upgrade in the fifties, and the 62 was the most popular. Changing consumer demographics with increasing prosperity hurt the 62; remember, when the TurboHydraMatic was first introduced to Cadillac, the 62 had to go with the old HydraMatic for a year before receiving it. I had a friend whose parents had a '66 Calais 4-door hardtop with the optional power windows, seat, and certainly it seemed more luxurious than my parents' '66 Bonneville 4-door.
you are correct - the 62 was replaced by the Calais which was for decades the entry level model and the Coupe and Sedan DeVilles were higher priced options for the 62 series
Interesting, you cleared up a question I had about a car I almost bought over 20 years ago. It was a 64 Cadillac, white with a blue interior 2 door hardtop. It had no name like DeVille, etc. So I assume based on this thread it was more than likely a Series 62. It just said Cadillac on it. A very nice car and the 429 purred but the seller and I made a deal but then she sold it out from under me to someone else before I had a chance to come back with the money a day later.
@@tholmes2169 Too bad, that 4 speed Hydramatic was no slouch.
And some people did not want power windows and power seat because they thought they might be unreliable or might leak hydraulic fluid, (the early power windows were hydraulic), and ditto for the new trans. What if it proved to be a bad unit? Then people with older models might laugh at you.
Terrific-Looking '75 Cadillac Calais Land Yachts, with unbelievably Gr8 Interiors, Adam😊🙌
This was when suddenly it wasn't just the country club members driving a Caddy, it became the tennis pro too. Hence the shift to Mercedes.
My Dad bought a Series 72 ‘59 new. He was a welder. $4500.
The Electra Park Ave or 225 Limited would be a MUCH better buy back then. You typically got more for your money buying a top of the line Buick over many Cadillac models.
But it wasn't a Cadillac....and that meant something 50 years ago.
Your channel is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites. I love your take on the classics ...maybe it's because I'm technically a 'classic' myself. It's very easy to romanticize my past when it's juxtaposed against what passes as 'desirable' today. Thank you for your interesting commentary. I suspect you may be one of only a handful of people capable of communicating such detailed information with regard to the cars of my youth.
Cool! Thx!
I too, am fast approaching that "Classic" status. Your comment was very nicely put! 👍
My first car was a ‘75 Coupe DeVille. Great beast of a car
We had a 1965 Calais. It had 2 front seat belts with a retractor, no seat belts in the back and no cigarette lighters in the back. The pedals had no chrome. Other than that it was very much like a de Ville. I took it up to 115 mph once. The interior was at least as nice as a Buick.
Our livery cab service had several Calais and we employees always joked that there was "no cigarette lighter in the back seat for the kiddies."
Me too, guys... The two things I remember from the '67 brochure was manual wing windows and only ONE cigar lighter !?! 😆
Great comments as always Adam! I recall also as Cadillac emerged from the Depression the viability of La Salle became questionable. When La Salle was finally drooped in 1940 a lower price Cadillac Series 61 was added. This retained La Salle customers while generating more profits and less costs for the division. This helped Cadillac compete more successfully with the Packard 120 and Lincoln Zephyr. It also outflanked Buick, briefly pushing it’s Series 90 Limited models even further into Cadillac’s niche, a battle not won by Harlow Curtice. May we have commentary on a 1964-66 Imperial sometime?
My favorite years of the Series 61 are the 49 to 53 two door sedans that road on a shorter wheel base. The big edge over its competitors was the 331 cubic inch push rod V8, which was great engine for its time.
The "small Cadillac" that my father and other working people aspired to but only a few actually got around to buying one @@andrewinaustintx
My Dad had a 1966 Calais
It was quite opulant, had every power option, the only giveaway was the clothe seats and no vinyl top
It was a great car
I like the absence of a cheesy vinyl top. I wish they brought back fabric interiors like this.
When I was 11 years old, my dad bought a '74 Coupe De Ville, new. It was on the showroom floor. I clearly remember the consensus of the conversation he had with the salesman. It went something like this, from the salesman's perspective: "Well, if you buy the Calais, you're still a Cadillac owner, but you're more of the loser type Cadillac owner than if you buy an upgrade and everyone will always consider you to be nothing more than a loser Cadillac owner", LOL. Those of course are my words, but that was the message he was trying to convey so well that even my 11 year old self understood what he meant.
Yes, l can see a '70s car salesman saying that. 🤣🤣🤣
Wow. It’s lucky the salesmen did not drown when he walked outside in the rain! So much like a domestic Turkey.
If I were your dad, I would have gotten up, walked out the door and went to another dealership to buy the new Cadillac.
I would have them driven back to the original salesman and shown him in front of the General Manager and said something like;
After the way in which you talked down to me and tried to belittle me, I chose to buy my Cadillac from a salesman who listened to me and heard what I was saying, so I bought my Cadillac from him. Therefore you lost the commission and this dealership lost the sale.
Furthermore when I choose to buy my next Cadillac, I’ll make sure that I buy from your competitor.
Enjoy your day !
You better believe that that salesman would have found himself unemployed.
Congrats on making the most Boomer post of the day!
BTW: The salesman was being quite honest with him.@@Doc1855
@@nycstarport8542 The type with the reallllly shiny loafers?
I love, love, LOVE those taillights! Never seen them before. Love at first sight!
Love the inset photos illustrating what is being discussed.
With only 8% to save I wonder if buyers at the time were looking at big Buick and Oldsmobiles as well. They were as flashy and even more beautiful to me.
While I agree there were by modern standards some over the top cloth seats and trim in the 1970s, I sure wish there was more interesting cloth trim in vehicles today.
yeah, you can't win them all, but you've won plenty, Adam. You have one of the finest fleets of cars I've ever seen. You could start a museum with the history you've got in your garage!
Never have been a 'chrome guy', probably why I was attracted to the Calais, and the later to come Concourse. With all the detail found in your videos, only hope someone at GM is watching.👍🏾🏁🇺🇸
I saw in the brochure that they showed a Cadillac Calais in "Commodore" Blue.
GM Holden called their top spec Commodore the "Calais".
Amazing how GM reused model names around the world.
They re-used the name once more on a 1980s Oldsmobile coup.
All the good names are trademarked ™
Ironic that in its final year, the Calais only sold about "6200" units....
Those 1 yr only interiors were awesome. Love Cadillacs.
Calais are prized among collectors for the clean design. Rarest of the rare, is a fully optioned Calais. Morgan plaid was in 75 AND 76.
These Cadillacs look so good without the vinyl tops for sure.
Thank you Adam. I knew about the Cadillac Calais, but I liked this discussion in detail. It is interesting two things: The Calais nameplate went on to be used at Oldsmobile on several models and at Holden at GM in Australia. I was told the Calais was intended to go after Oldsmobile 98 buyers at the price point. I heard that the Cadillac wanted the 1972 Oldsmobile 98 Regency seats to but in the Cadillac Calais and GM said no. The Calais name may have died at Cadillac, but lived on at Oldsmobile and Holden. They stripped this Cadillac model. Thank you Adam.
In '78 I bought a cherry '69 Calais off a Cadillac dealer lot in Virginia Beach. It was like showroom new. No vinyl top. Silver. Acres of silver. 472. I wish I kept that car. Boy do I wish I kept that car.
Great video! Thank you so much for all your hard work.
And please make more.
No mystery. The Calais was the Series 62. The 74 to 76 had the wild plaid upholstery. This is about mid 70s interiors which you already covered. Why bash the Calais which was nothing new, a replacement for Series 62
Have a 66 Calais, the only only classic I can’t let go of. I just love the car.
Can’t own them all but you’re giving it a fantastic effort towards it
Hey, in 1975 you could buy a Cadillac with an interior that matches your loud sports jacket and golf pants.
Bell-bottoms with huge cuffs!
@@billolsen4360 I believe those were called elephant bells
@@jag5316 Hey, that's right! Forgot that.
Another interesting and thoroughly enjoyable video. Well done.
I was a 19yo kid when I bought a used 66 blue Calais for $500.00. It had 89k miles and was the best car I ever owned. I gave it to my Father In Law 2 years later and bought a 74 Dodge Charger. Hated it after the Caddy. 14 months later I traded it in for a used 71 Coupe de Ville.
I had a 1972 Calais when I was about 20 yrs old. Cream colored exterior with dark brown leather interior. One of my favorite cars I ever owned. 472cu. monster that flew down the road and positively ate up road. Had 3 accidents in it that only I was able to drive away from. Sold it for a grand and bought a '80 DeVille. The pic at 9:00 resembles the one I had.
Another great video, so glad someone 'documents' these cars before they fade away from memory/sight. My Aunt and Uncle traded their '55 Buick Special for a '65 Calais and it was a beautiful car with excellent quality - a silver blue with light blue cloth interior and no vinyl top - and was pretty much fully loaded with power windows/seats/AC. My dad had a '65 Chevy Belair at the time and when my Aunt/Uncle drove up to visit the first time in it my mom sarcastically said "my sister always tries to ---- with the big dogs" - of course I it didn't help the situation much by fawning all over it - lol! By '72 they were ready to trade and looked at the '72 Calais and thought it looked cheap with all the hard black plastic that made up the dash, so they went back to Buick and bought an Electra 225 limited.
The 71 and 72 Cadillacs were a serious come-down.
I bought a 1967 Calais for $100 in 1981 from a farmer that stoped in my gas station. It had just a little over 100,000 miles on it. It was driven on gravel roads so the body wasn’t the best shape but got me by for 4 years. Problem was the 427 ci high compression engine needed premium fuel. For a time there when switching from leaded to unleaded fuel there was no premium unleaded available for a few years. So on regular when you stepped on it, it sounded like a bunch of gravel was dumped in it with the knocking of the low octane gas. But I think the line was to get Oldsmobile and Buick buyers to move up to Cadillac. I had to junk it because the frame was to rusted that I didn’t think it was same to drive. What I regretted was not taking the train sounding horns off it before I junked it and but it on the 1971 Oldsmobile 98 that I replaced it.
My dad bought a 65 Calais, black. We drove it from Chicago to L.A. and back. The AC iced up in Needles, Calif.
I remember the first (1965) Calais, saw it a Loveless Cadillac in Carlinville, IL. The first ones did not have power windows or power seats as standard equipment. They were often sold as "salesman specials", offering large trunks and passenger compartments, but without the unnecessary options that traveling salesmen didn't need.
You failed to mention that the door pulls that were used on the 1975 Calais seem to be a carry-over from ALL 1974 Cadillac models. All of the 1975 upscale models had the new type spring-loaded metal door pulls (wrapped in faux wood) shown in some of your photos. I'm really surprised you missed pointing that out.
The idea of a "bargain" Cadillac was not new for 1965; the 61 and then the 62 were the entry level cars when the 62 and then the Deville were the "deluxe" versions (not to mention the LaSalle). Shockingly, for 1950 and 1951, the 61 was sold with a 122" wheelbase, right in the middle of Pontiac-Buick-Oldsmobile territory, perhaps due to interest during those years from racers attracted to Cadillac's new OHV V8. For 1952, the base 62 took over as the "bargain" model with the "Deville" versions of the 62 as the upgrade. Interestingly, the 62 was officially renamed the "6200" for 1959, but people still often called it the 62, which must have been particularly awkward for the 1962 model year. Maybe that was part of the reason the "6200" designation was replaced with the "Calais", apparently named after a city in France now known for violent refugee camps and riots. I can see the argument for selling a stripped down version of the C body, GM's roomiest sedan during many model years, for fleet owners, but selling it as a Cadillac seemed a bit odd. Ford had a better idea with its stretched LTD and Crown Victoria models, often built on the wheelbase of a Lincoln Town Car.
Cadillac saw a chance to sell the Calais to Buick Electra & Olds 98 customers. One GM division vs another. I came to the Cadillac dealer to buy a Calais coupe, but got a De Ville instead. Interior color was limited on the Calais. I did order a new Coupe De Ville without a vinyl roof. That was in 1974, year of 472's & round headlights.
I think the '71-'73 Coupe Devilles and Calais are my favorite, along with the '67 models.
2:10 It reminds me of the 1930s Packard One-Twenty and the 1950s Packard 200/Clipper and 300/Cavalier models, probably most closely parallel to the Cavalier which was basically a lower trim level Patrician-size car.
In Packard's case, their 1920s and '30s product mix of eight- and twelve-cylinder models left them with nothing in their line that the average new-car buyer could afford and no high-volume low- to mid-price line to keep the company solvent until better times could prevail.
The One-Twenty was priced in Buick and Oldsmobile territory' and there was a lower still priced Six/One-Ten.
The lower-priced Packards of the 1930s into the '50s were advertised as having the prestige of the "Ask the Man Who Owns One" Packard name, but undermined the senior models to the degree that Packard never recovered.
You may recall that the last Packards in 1957-'58 were little more than Packard taillights slapped onto Studebaker Presidents and priced against the lower-mid-price DeSoto Firesweep and entry-level Edsel Ranger.
And the latter day Packard clubs snubbed the 110's as they still do the Packardbakers.
Those patterns and colors were very fashionable at that time.
1975 - Peak Disco !
Super Wide Lapels
Super Wide Ties
Polyester Pant Suits
Gaudy Cadillac Interior Offerings
LOVE IT!
BRING IT BACK !!!
Love it, when even entry-models are shiny boats like this Calais.
And I like 76's Calais' Coupe's full padded roof better then this half padded one on the Coupe de Ville.
Back then, when Cadillacs looked like Cadillacs (not like Honda Civics or Chevy trucks)...
When was a kid, I saw the “Calais” nameplate on the quarter panel of an early 70’s 2-door and asked my dad why that wasn’t a Coupe DeVille? He then told me it was a cheap Cadillac, kind of an automotive oxymoron. Then I learned what an oxymoron was.
I’m a big fan of the Calais for several reasons. Their relatively low production numbers make them quite collectible. Their minimal ornamentation (no rocker mouldings & often no vinyl roof) not only helped to prevent rust but showcased their gorgeous lines - particularly the 71 & 72. Even their interiors were an exercise in minimalism - odd for a premium luxury car. I wonder, too, if offering yet another variable to the assembly process (different seats/door panels/pedals) didn’t actually cost MORE that simply outfitting the interiors similarly?
Really liking your uploads. I like your attention to detail in your description of the cars. Great stuff Adam. 👍
I bought a one owner 1975 cadillac calais coupe in 1987 for $550. It had an awesome ride and a 50 gallon tank you could run out in a few days, so even at 1.00 a gallon gas it was expensive to drive.
@bungychord5971 Actually 26 gallon tank if I remember correctly.
My grandfathers last new car purchase was a Calais. White 2 door with the Blue plaid interior. I remember being shocked even as a 10 year old that a Caddie had no leather. I think he paid 8500 or so. He was a Buick man for years and finally got his Cadillac after retiring from GTE in the 70's. Yes I was a guy guy at 10.
Another fascinating video, well done.
Calais was a continuation of the series 62 model. Cadillac just decided to give this series a name. I am a 40 year member of the Cadillac-LaSalle club.
When I was a kid in the early 70s there was a 65 Calais that was always parked on my street. I remember the first time I looked in the windows and was shocked that it had crank windows all around. Why certainly, I thought, ALL Caddilacs had electric windows! It was years later when I realized not all Cadillacs with the appearance were deVilles.
There was a red one for sale with the plaid cloth not too long ago. I thought it looked really cool.
I agree with the 71-73 exteriors. I think I like the 72 the most.
This was a great review Adam. I learned so much about the Calais.
I miss fabrics and colors in interiors, and the lack of vinyl on roof is a nice find
Those seat fabrics help explain why pimps liked to drive Cadillacs.
I like how they used French names …just sounds cooler 👍🏻
If I remember, Most of the early Calais had manual windows standard, Power was an option. And also, Most Calais were converted to Hearses, Ambulances and executive sedans.
manual windows on a cadillac, that sounds so strange haha
At least the Calais, like the Series Sixty One, was still a real Cadillac, unlike the Cimarron and Catera
Thank you
Some would have simply bought into the whole "Calais" drama to get the superior treatment of the Cadillac dealerships vs Buick, Olds, or say the Mercury treatment when they came in for service and or warranty work.. Loaded or not, it was still a Cadillac!!!
I love that interior.
Cadillac really didn't create the Calais for 1965 so much as it replaced the Series 62 which had a similar price differential. One coud argue that it actually was an effort to give the base model its own identity, though of course in sales that didn't work. I remember as a kid searching out the Calais while car spotting - I didn't know then that it was a detrimmed deVille, to me it seemed 'special'. Almost bought a 66 sedan (not a hardtop) once in white, but the original owner took the brief too seriously and it had crank windows, which was a dealbreaker. In 68 Cadillac relented and made them standard for all series. I particularly appreciate the years where you could NOT get the vinyl roof on the Calais because most of the deVille's had that option and the car (especially the coupes) looked better without. They opened up the option in 74. As for the interior shown, I suspect the 75-76 plaid was someone's idea of sport/casual - "look honey, we're with it, just like those disco kids" That, or 'we have a sailboat'.
Something about that cloth brought back memories of plaid pants, the smell of stale Winstons and Todd Rundgren music.
There’s no question, Adam is a great writer.
My first car was a '75 Eldorado in Jennifer blue w/ blue Monticello. Loaded except for FI and an Astro roof. It was a rejected gift from my father to my mother. Fortunately, I didn't get much feedback on that after my best friend remined people that it was worth 2 Trans Ams, Z 28s, etc. That car was so poorly put together. I got a '78 Riviera to take to college. Loved that car!
I really like the Calais, especially from a modern ownership perspective- you get the Cadillac looks and motor without as many power accessories. Some of the cloth seating surfaces were actually pretty nice. By 71, I'd argue the devilles had lower quality than any of the 60s Calais.
Nothing wrong with wanting a Cadillac with crank windows! Maybe you liked the style and the engine, but didn't feel the need to be as fancy. There was a market for the Calais. I get that you just said the same thing, ha ha. Oh well.
but wasnt the calais kind of overpriced compared to the 98 and electra? but yeah nothing wrong with a strong, comfortable cruiser without much power options. and cloth is better than leather anyway.
Another side note is that Cadillacs generally held their value better than any comparable Buick or Olds. Using a NADA used car price guide from October 1968 (New England region), I compared the difference between retail value and factory ADP. I used model years 1967 and 1965 for this test (all in 4-door hardtop bodystyle). For the the 1967 Cadillac Calais, it retained about 82% of it's value. By comparison, the Electra 225 Custom retained 74% and the Olds 98 retained 70%. For model year 1965, the Calais retained 46% of its value, the Buick Electra Custom retained 45%, and the Oldsmobile retained only 42% of its value.
Sure, it might've been more expensive than any other comprable non-Cadillac from GM, the Calais still retained value like a Cadillac. By comparison, I checked the numbers for both the '67 and '65 Deville as well, retaining 80% and 48% respectively.
I remember my grandmother wanting a Calais.....it was late 60's
Before the Calais, the base Cadillac was the Series 62, and the upgrade was the deVille series. Dont forget the short deck Park Avenue in the late 50s and early 60s.
On Series 62 and later Calais options were limited. The name Calais was discintinued, but the concept lived on. DeVille moved down in trim, and the d'Elegance package replaced the former deVille as the luxury model.
Calais was a model designation of a higher-spec version of Holden's (GM Australia) Commodore sedan and station wagon.
Wasn't the Calais simply a renamed Series 62? The DeVille was originally a dress-up package for the 62. The 62 standard trim was vinyl and cloth, whereas the DeVille gave leather trim. Very comparable to the Calais.
Thanks for this one, Adam.. I never really understood the Calais at the time those were new, Adam.. They went cheap in ways that seemed stupid to me, cutting corners as you pointed out on things like door lights and pedal trim. Few had tilt/telescopic steering or cruise control. Thankfully, PS, PB and Climate Control were standard on ALL Cadillacs.. I agree with you that now these look better sans vinyl roof, but at the time they were new, the ones without a vinyl roof simply looked unfinished.
The '71-'73 coupes had an indentation in the roof to hide the padding and without the vinyl roof, the indentation was a prominent feature of the metal roof. I'm sure it struck some people as a bit odd.
Climate control wasn't standard on non-Fleetwood 75 Cadillacs until '75, five years after Lincoln.
Coming from the Mercedes world of this era a lot of these features seem gimmicky.
@@Marklin15 They are partly one-upmanship and bragging rights. OTOH, MB didn't have tilt wheel or A/C adequate for half the US.
@@ralphl7643 Cadillac was the first to make AC standard on the 1957 Fleetwood Eldorado Brougham. In 1964 Cadillac became the first to offer CLIMATE CONTROL, where interior temperature was regulated by thermostats, and ALL AC systems on ALL Cadillacs were the Climate Control variety. The fact it wasn't technically "standard" equipment on all cars produced is mostly meaningless since nearly all were so equipped. I can't think of any Cadillac I've seen without AC since the 1950s.
Allante Cadillac's premium convertible with Northstar
should of never been discontinued 😢
Great looks, comfort, luxury, smooth & powerful 😍
That plaid interior was much more fitting in a Volkswagen than a Cadillac.
The "Herb Tarlek" seats.
The "cheap" Cadillac came out in 1936, the Series 60. (Not the Fleetwood Series 60 Special, the "plain" Series 60). It became the Series 61 for 39, disappeared for 1940, but came back for 41. It lasted through 1951, but starting in 52, there was a "plain" Series 62 Hardtop in addition to the Coupe De Ville. Starting 1964 or 65, the new Calais was sort of a return of the Series 61, not something new.
Yes, more or less, the series 62 became the bargain Cadillac. They just gave it a name in '65.
I loved the less flashy style of the Calais.
Consider the opposite strategy. The Mustang starts under $30k. You can also spend $70k+ for a GT spec. The general public would be hard pressed to tell the difference as you passed by. I would venture that the driver of Calais felt better about his purchase..
I bought a '67 Calais coupe in '72. The previous owner ordered it with no A/C and cloth interior. It did have power windows. It was gold in color. It was a nice car.
I'm so glad you explained this. I never understood the reasoning regarding this.
We had the 59 base model 2 door. $4500. Never really missed not having power windows, locks and seats. AC was rare in those days. About 10% of the cost of the vehicle.
I recall when Calais was introduced in 65. Marketing lit made it to be a sporty car.
5:00 - that plaid was also available in green - I remember looking at one on a car lot in the early 90's. Sadly the seats had a lot of wear.
The 60s Oldsmobile 98s were very nice, too!