My dad owned a 1959 Cadillac that look like a rocket ship. I loved the 1961 Cadillac because of the smaller fins, but I liked the 1962 Cadillac even more! CLASSIC! ❤
Growing up in California, it was quite disappointing to see how many of these 1961 Cadillacs were just left to rot in the sun by the late 1960s. It was such a throw away culture that most of these cars were not appreciated until decades later.
Purchased a new 1990 Fleetwood 60 Special. White with blue leather interior. Really nice automobile. 4.5 V-8, all the bells and whistles. Owned it for 5 years and put over 100k miles on it without any problems. Traded it in for a 1995 Sedan DeVille. Great car but I should have kept the 60 Special. Owned 7 new Cadillacs from 1984 to 2007. All gave very good no problem service.
The 61-64 Fleetwood roofline was absolutely gorgeous and helps set it apart from the equally attractive but not quite as distinctive DeVille and series 62 rooflines. I think this era of Fleetwood really did the best of recreating the special nature of the original 60 special. I personally prefer the changes made for 62 and then the 63 redesign, but the 61 was an awesome final gasp of 50s styling before adopting super clean 60s lines.
I just love all the new *vocabulary* I learn in your videos! I am a retired elementary school teacher but still work once or twice a week as a SpanishEnglish interpreter, so words and expressions in both languages fascinate me. Greetings from Querétaro, México, where I am sitting out on my back patio with my happy, handsome, handsome Golden Retriever while I enjoy my lovely garden as well as this great video!
Amazing how much the cars of this era changed year to year. The amount of engineering and pre production work that had to be accomplished to support each new model year is incredible. The cars that were produced in the ‘60’s are timeless. Thanks Adam for another great presentation and informative overview.
That was the corporate policy then. The annual model change dictated by Alfred Sloan back in the 20s. Planned obsolessence. Today its the new iphone every year and like cars of the 60s its the same basic product.
It is quite an achievement, given that all of this was done manually back then, unlike today, where computer aided design and CNC machine tools allow for quicker design turnaround. Ironically, despite all of the manufacturing and supply chain automation, the cars of today have lost a lot of the art and flair of the 60s, and design cycles are now at 4 years and up.
My Dad had a 1961 Sedan de Ville, which is basically a tad below the Fleetwood. What a car. All the same appointments as the Fleetwood, except for the inside door handle lights, and the rear glass frame. Loved it with all 4 windows down, that was fun at 60mph. A family of 4 could live in the trunk and the bench seats were like couches. I only got to drive it a couple of times when I was in HS, and was hoping it would be mine after graduation, but, stuff happened and my Dad sold it.
Love the 61 and 62 Cadillac rear end. So wonderfully pedestrian unfriendly. Was at a car show last summer where a 61 Fleetwood 60S was offered in the car corral - I think it was about 20k (?) but fantastic shape. Looked, longed (brother thought it was ridiculous- and overpriced). Passed it again on the way out and it was sold - of course it was, it was a beautiful car. And there are 8 power window buttons - the rear wings are power as well of course. I think 68 was the last year for this / I'm a button freak, and that always Cadillac special / don't think any other sedan had 8 power windows!
I have always liked the '61 Fleetwood for a specific reason. As a kid I was building model cars in the late '70's/early '80's, and one of my favourites was an old Johan '61 Fleetwood that my Dad never got around to building when it was new. I loved that model until one day my older evil sister smashed it on the floor when I might have irritated her too much. She was grounded for that which help mitigate things, but the poor old Caddy was done and ended its days as a demo derby refugee....
I think my favorite part of the 1961 to 1968 Sixty Specials was the power wing windows in all FOUR doors... Oh, and I wish they had stuck with their version of vacuum door locks. They must've used larger vacuum pots, cuz they were always much faster than the Lincoln version but so much quieter than those huge solenoids later, and even the little motors after that.
The vacuum locks were so much quieter than the ones used on all GM cars in 70's. And those rear vent windows were often used by smokers, even if heater or air conditioner was on. For smoking was a way of life for many---look at people smoking in all those old " noir " movies. And while Olds in '50's started having blue or green plastic courtesy lights, to help locate ashtrays, Cadillac by at least 1968, had a complete smoking compartment, that pulled out of dash. The lighter was between the 2 ashtrays, allowing driver & passenger to easily locate everything. Then like the Lincolns, the rear ashtrays had a lighter located in each rear door.
@@dlb0705 Oh, they did MUCH better than that. I wouldn't doubt that it started pre-war, but by 1948-49 Cadillac had roll-top ashtrays with lighters in the back, an illuminated lighter socket (and ignition slot!) in the dashboard, and a front ashtray that was disguised in the radio grillwork... a section on the left tilted out when pressed in at the bottom, I can't remember if there was a duplicate on the passenger side. Hell, a fully optioned car also had parking lights with integral fog lights hidden inside, auto trunk light, front map lights, rear reading lights & radio speaker, mechanical "climate-control" for the heaters, windshield washers, 4-speed Hydramatic and power everything... except for locks & STEERING! (The big drum brakes didn't need power assist, but talk about your Arm-strong steering...)
I believe that auto headlight dimmer was called the Autonic Eye. Gotta love how gm gave everything a fancy name, Autonic Eye, Dynaride suspension, Hydramatic transmission, Concert Sound speakers. I kinda miss that. Gimmicky yes but gimmicks are fun.
@@pcno2832, good point! We could probably have a whole other column on Twilight Sentinal, Cruise Master, Speed Alert, Sure Grip, Sure Track, ComforTemp and Auto Temp II...
Those headlight dimmers were so popular, that even Pontiac offered them in early 50's. And '54 Star Chief was 1st GM model to offer compact, in-dash air conditioner vents.
Appreciate your focus on the 61 Cadillac. 1964 would be another great year to discuss as the length of the 64 Cadillac deVille and Fleetwood were quite significant.
1963 was last year that all models used the Jetaway type Hydramatic introduced in '56. In '64, only the "75" series for a few years retained the 4-speed Hydramatic.
Born in the mid 1950's , these were new when I was a little kid , however the 2 years 1961 and following 1962 formal Fleetwood 60 special Broughams were my favorite Cadillacs of the 1960's, pure class in everything about them as a package there was nothing to dislike the quality or the dash "jewelry" the switch gear , the beautiful mouton style carpets , the fact that the featured wood was real all added to a very special vehicle. In '62 this was added to in the larger beautiful wooden panes on each door, plus for both years vinyl roof tops could be ordered but were seldom seen. I live in Sydney, Australia, as a kid I grew up in Mosman, the most expensive suburb in the WHOLE country I've always felt privileged to have grown up there, as I had seen the absolute best of the best cars and when they were brand new too. So most owners would have ticked near everything in the ordering of options on their cars so you saw "full house" cars with nothing left out. The one I always think of that I would have loved to own was a '61 Fleetwood 60 in a dark metallic grey, with a black leather interior, with the shiny mouton carpet, with an almost black vinyl roof, plus the hub caps on the car were painted body color with just the ribs on them still chrome, it looked very, very classy. Unlike previous cars, its wealthy owner kept it for years, before updating it with a 1971 model Fleetwood 60 in an unusual underside of mushroom color with vinyl roof to suit & a half leather half fabric interior. This new for '71 Fleetwood 60 body I liked even more so and was determined to own one. Now for almost 41 years I have owned a 1972 & 1974 Fleetwood. Our GM Holden Aust' built cars in the Pagewood Sydney plant differed from US home market cars as our Aussie built RHD Caddy's of the '70's had classy metal dashboards using just the US instrument pod , however the rest of the dash was of Aus' design, as wealthy Australian clients would have rejected the tasteless Yanky plastic dashboards , you just have to ask what the hell were the US GM accountant / bean counters thinking , that potential new owners would not see the plastic nightmare dashboards just inches away?? How can a company in just 10 years cut the levels of exclusiveness by so much and think clients won't notice.
In the place where I grew up,the Ambulance and hearses were one in the same. The funeral homes actually ran the ambulance service using the same vehicles. Talk about a conflict of interest😂
Yes, in the 60s and before, a great majority of ambulance companies were owned and operated by funeral homes. Part of the "bad old days" "you call,we haul,that's all". Most of the time they would just throw a magnetic red light on the roof of the hearse and there you were.🙄
@@micp0760 You’re 100% right. But in my neck of the woods it wasn’t until the 1970’s that we got a dedicated ambulance service. As for the hearses, The only way we knew if it was acting in ambulance vs hearse capacity was if the light was on or not. There was one undertaker who would refuse to take her ambulance/hearse on the off the dirt road trails. Another story is that when they dropped off a person at the hospital who was in bad shape and looked like they weren’t going to make it,they’d just circle the block and wait. But in all fairness, they didn’t have ANY medical equipment or even room for a paramedic in the back. They were a transporter only. They did what they were capable of doing.
Was so excited to see this car pop up on your feed! One of my favorite years! Too bad it wasn't filmed in your driveway where we could see a video tour and start up/test drive!
My uncle owned a Caddy dealership in South Texas in the 60’s and I remember the 61 Fleetwood he drove to a fam reunion …. My 6 year old car lover heart went pitter-patter specially when he demonstrated those power vent windows. Thought I’d seen everything. As an adult, even though I was younger than the typical Cadillac demographic at the time, I traded my ‘sporty’ 85 Olds 88 LSS for a 1989 black Fleetwood brougham. No power vent windows or any vent windows for that matter but Vogue tires, fender skirts and a cloud-worthy ride. Over the top fancy and I Put 100k miles on it b4 trading for a black E430 MB. I look back and that Caddy was the most comfortable car ever! Thanks Adam!
Nineteen sixty eight was the first year that Cadillac had molded door panels, and Adam's right, they looked cheap compared to the '67 and earlier. Great video as always!
@curtcollett2893 or a Chevy II.. lol.. GM would've ceased to exist before the 60s ended if they tried That stunt.. the uproar when people found out Chevy engines were going into their Pontiacs almost caused a national incident ffs.. imagining your scenario would be riots, ffs... 🤣🤣🤣
I have a '58 Fleetwood which I love for its over-the-top style, but really the '61-'64 years were so refined and classy and of quality material...much more along the lines of what I would think as an aspirational symbol of financial success, and would have bought if I had the money back then
One of my top five favorite Cadillac models. I found this car online and saved all the images to use as my wallpaper and screensaver- I look at it everyday, and like it so much. Black with a green interior, so much more fun than the neutrals of today. The 1961-1968 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Specials must hold the record for number of window controllers- 8 on the driver's door, 2 each on the passenger door and rear doors- if you include power lock switches that adds up to 16 switches to control all the windows and locks. That may be a dubious achievement, however it brings joy to my cold cold heart. Add the descriptive names for the various exterior colors, fabrics and leathers and you create MCM masterpieces of design, engineering and marketing. Fills my black heart with joy that these machines exist.
I own a 1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville . I’ve had 1932 Ford 3 window coupe hot rods , tri five Chevs & a couple of Aussie muscle cars which were all great but the Cadillac is by far my favourite . It has a 390 in it & it cruise’s just beautiful . Love it .
Had two '61s. A metallic lavender 60 Special, and a rare-ish 62 Series Short Deck. Had four other years, but '61 is maybe my fave. Thanks for the video!
When I was 16 this car came out. I LOVED the "double" fin ! I thought unlike the '59 and'60, the '61 was a much more subdued style. It still looks great !
You were lucky. You had better-looking cars in your day, and much better-looking women. I can see JFK driving one of these around Vegas, with Jayne Mansfield in the passenger seat, and Peter Lorre and Frank Sinatra in the back.
@@misterwhipple2870 I believe you mean Peter Lawford (JFK's movie star Brother-in-law). Peter Lorre was probably not in JFK's circle of friends. Jayne Mansfield would have probably been a better match for JFK than Marilyn Monroe was, if the rumors of JFK and MM are to be believed. 😉
@@NYWF You are right on both counts, thank you. Still, I think both Jack and Bobby were doing that psycho b*tch. J. Edgar Hoover had tapes of both of them with her. He had JFK by the throat. But MAN, WHAT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way back in the early 90s I used to ride BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit to work every day toward the South Bay and one of the cities it passed through had a large medical parking lot and I would see two old retired Cadillac Ambulances on the outer lot. If it was these days I would have found a way to get down there and definitely get pictures of them! Haha!
Gorgeous cars. These were the ones, I think until 63 or 4 you could operate the windows with no keys. I remember me & the neighbor kid would sit in it and play with the windows until his mother would notice and yell at us 😂
1961 The next episode of the Standard of the World. Absolutely stunning in black with the carriage type rear window. However, I do believe the 61 Continental HT sedan is the standard of design and for decades to come. Another incredible, informative video. Thank you Adam your darn legend.
An outstanding presentation on Cadillac. In an era of beautiful & interesting cars , the brand led the luxury field , for its design & engineering excellence. I rode in most of these legendary cars as a boy , and they made a lasting positive impression. The interiors were forward looking , cool , glamorous, yet contemporary. The glamour, and prestige of the cars truly deserved . The two tone steering wheels are such a beautiful touch on the cars. If only Cadillacs could be so inspired today.
In college (1973) I bought a 1960 Fleetwood Sixty Special that had the air bag suspension - I had all 4 bags replaced by Bob Moore Cadillac in Oklahoma City and would drive it from OKC to Houston, TX starting at midnight and arrive in Houston around 5:00 AM a trip of slightly over 500 miles . The airbag suspension gave the car a phenomenal handling capability which saved my ass on more than one occasion. It came with a vinyl top of sorts and a total of 6 power windows and had a fit and finish that was second to none - the doors were like a bank vault. I seem to recall that the1961 thru 1968 Fleetwoods had a total of 8 power windows .
The Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan nameplated model was discontinued after the 1970 model year. After the 1964 models, Cadillac's previously top-of-the line non-75 series Fleetwood sedan which was nameplated the Sixty Special Sedan became lesser to the new-for-1965 Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan with the Brougham option. The Fleetwood Brougham then became its own nameplated model for the 1966 model year. Although it was basically the same car, the Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan nameplate became a step down model without the availability of the vinyl roof, swivel rear reading lamps, rear seat carpeted foot rests, and the short-lived lighted fold-down tray tables (1966 and 1967 only) for the rear seat passengers that were all standard on the new Fleetwood Brougham. 1968 Broughams replaced the lighted tray tables with cheaper storage pouches. 1970 was the last year for the Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan nameplated model. After that, the Fleetwood Brougham nameplate became the only Fleetwood 4 door model offered except for the 75 series sedan and limousine. The Fleetwood Brougham nameplate lasted through all of the 1970's and into the 1980's although technically they are not considered to be part of the 60 Special family after 1976 - until recoupling in 1987 as referenced in the video.
Thanks for this one, Adam ! We had one of these when I was a small child during the Camelot years. Unforgettable car with great looks. 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special.
Yet another excellent video Adam! The level of detail you include (material on the seats…auto climate control debuting in 1964…modifications made to ambulances) as well as the general information you share about these vehicles is always new, interesting & makes your vids top notch. Thanks for the effort you always put forth.
Adam, every reference that I’ve seen lists the wheelbase of the Sixty Special at 130 inches, and that remained at 130 inches until the 1965 models which saw the wheelbase return to the exclusive 133 inches, remaining there until the new downsized models of the ‘77 model year. This is something that I feel Cadillac erred in keeping the Sixty Specials on the same 129.5 inch wheelbase as the “lesser” models, robbing the model of its “specialness”. I’d love to see you address this in a future episode. Thanks for all your quality programming…I’m addicted!
I was looking for my first car in 1971, and one of the first ones I looked at was a navy 1963 Fleetwood Sixty Special that was equipped like this one. The price was right, but my dad said “no-too many things to break on it.” I can guarantee you if I had been able to buy it, I would still have it!
Adam; thank you EXCELLENT as always. I’ll bet if GM did a 2024 Cadillac and re-stamped the 60’s car (any year in this decade) they would sell like mad. - your welcome GM.
Another interesting video Adam. Today’s car designers could definitely benefit from looking at this beautiful interior and many others from your collection and realise that you don’t have to have yet another all black interior!
Learned to drive in my dad’s ‘66 Sedan De Ville. When looking for my first car we found a ‘61 Fleetwood in the Lakes area of Minneapolis. I recall the original owner wanted $350 for it. Beautiful interior, ran great, but it had been garaged in a heated underground garage all of its life. By 1970 it was a rusty scupper. A white Fleetwood with major rust-through in every lower fender and most doors. We did not buy it, but I remember it well.
Thanks once again Adam for sharing, I always liked the 61&62 yrs styling. My best friends family had a 1961 series 62 convertible and we took many a trip out on the Washington peninsula for weekend getaways and have the fun was 3 hour drive. Thanks again and keep them coming
Classic Caddies: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967. My dad had a 1938 '60 special ... he had an exterior sun visor from another different car, I believe, a Pierce Arrow. It looked real Shark!
I had a 62. The 61-62 Cadillac's were in my opinion the pinnacle of Cadillac styling in the Mid Century Modern era. Elegant but not vulgar. If I were a buyer in in 1961, I would have probably bought a Lincoln Continental.
@Dennis Wilson Funny thing is though, Chrysler build quality and engineering was top notch above the competition, but the exterior design was woeful. That's why Virgil Exner was dismissed from ChryCo and replaced by Elwood Engel. The 1964 Imperial was a wonderful car.
That was a trip down memory lane. .my father bought a 61 coupe de ville to replace the 60 Pontiac Catalina safari wagon, too bad the four of us kids, and two dogs tore up the upholstery.
Thank you so much for posting another excellent video! I thoroughly enjoy these! They're the highlight of my week. I was a little boy during these times and loved these 60s and the 70s Cadillacs. I thought I was the expert on them but you know even more! Thanks so much for your great insight into some of the back stories too. -Greg in California
It's funny how after the late 70s/80s downsize began, people were so scathing of huge land yachts and how over scaled everything was, but then watch how everything started growing again, til we are almost back where we were in the 60s - only with more subclass categories. And now they are taller...
For this model year I think the coupes were more beautiful, different roofline and longer rear quarter panels, the interiors were surely high quality, they would however like Adam mentioned take a serious nosedive around 68-69 affecting all GM brands, plastic everywhere and horrible fake woods, they would get a bit better in 74-75 and later but cost cutting was evident everywhere and even worse in non luxury models, people started noticing better quality in imports, market share diminished and US brands would never recover...
One thing I'm sure has already been pointed out is forgetting to mention the rear door power vent windows - which is included in that large array of buttons on the drivers door armrest. I love all those switches! Your videos are always awesome Adam and no one on the planet knows more details about these cars than you do!
Interesting discussion. These early 60s Cadillacs were very elegant. A small note, and Im not sure if this was offered in the Fleetwood Sixty Special of the early 60's, was that you could order a shortened deck version. This option shortened overall vehicle length by about 7 inches.
It was called a Town Car (like later Lincoln's name) and it was a version of the model 62, which I believe is more or less equal to the later Calais. It was below the deVille and you definitely couldn't have one in a Sixty-Special.
@@wilsixone The Town Sedan short-decker ran only in the 1961/2 model year of the 62 Series and was replaced briefly for the '63 and '64 seasons by Park Avenue four-window sedans in the 63 Series de Ville line. Calais appeared for 1965 as a slightly lower spec. model but on the full bodyshell, priced below the de Ville
The short deck sedans of '61-64 were actually a revival of an earlier tradition. The Fleetwood 60 Special of the early '50s used the same passenger compartment as the 62 sedan, with three additonal inches of wheelbase, and and overall length about seven inches longer. The two door hardtop and convertible cars had a longer rear overhang, with the 62 wheelbase. When the '56 Sedan deVille arrived it shared the longer overhang of the two-door cars. For '57, all 4-doors became hardtops. The 60 Special retained its longer wheelbase and rear overhang. The standard dimensions of 62 "sedan" and Sedan deVille were in fact "short deck", with rear overhangs shorter than the two door cars. Apparently, that did not settle well with Sedan deVille fans. For '58 only, the Sedan deVille had the same overall length as the 60 Special, but on the shorter wheelbase. The standard 62 sedan dimensions carried over from '57, and a new 62 variant called "Extended Deck" was added, sharing the new Sedan deVille dimensions. The pendulum swung to the opposite extreme for '59 and '60 model years... ALL Cadillacs save for the Series 75 shared the same wheelbase, rear overhang, and overall length. As noted, efforts to revive the short deck as an option did not attract many customers. IMHO... Cadillac finally got the mix right in '65 when the 60 Special regained its longer wheelbase, AND all of it was added to the passenger compartment where it belonged. The unique roofline and pillared hardtop were icing on the cake. Too bad that era of flagship luxury sedans has passed.
I've come to really appreciate the 1961-1964 Fleetwood. They were the epitome of elegance. I agree, about 1967 the interiors on Cadillac's began to cheapen, but the 98 and Electra 225 pillared sedans still had a quality look till about 1970. That's when it seems plastics began to takeover the interiors and definitely on all 1971 GM models.
The Sixty Special was an icon (favorite is 58). 🏆. Transferring the name to smaller FWD was one of several mistakes that knocked Cadillac off pedestal as STANDARD OF THE WORLD. Nothing currently wearing Cadillac name has any appeal for those of us who treasure the OTT excessive luxury of TRADITIONAL AMERICAN LAND YACHTS! 😎
One extra note....later Fleetwoods not only had footrests, but also fold out-trays (with wood inserts), in the back of the front seat, for rear passengers to use.
And the rumor, was that those Rolls type writing tables, were no longer allowed. Just look at such small items, as tapered design of even the door lock buttons. And mandated headrests appeared in 1969.
As much as I really love this Caddy…it is amazing to see how suddenly it looked so dated when standing beside the new 1961 Lincoln Continental. It was literally as if the sky split open and cleaved a vast fracture between the 50’s and the 60’s.
The poor kid on a skateboard that went face first into a late 50's to early 60's Cadillac tailfin, ouch..... Thanks to Adam for keeping American automotive history alive.
@@MarinCipollina Found this online: Ralph Nader was there, too, documenting the dangers of the fin: An old woman from New York City was hit by the killer fin of a Cadillac rolling backward; a Chicago boy died when he hit a fin while running back for a long fly ball.
@@jetsons101 Thanks for that link.. According to the NY Times report, those deaths are credited to statements from Ralph Nader. We really have no confirmation that any of that happened. No names, no dates, no places where those incidents supposedly happened.. I suspect those stories are apocryphal, but I'm willing to entertain more compelling evidence.
Sputnik launched in '57. Americans became aware we were prioritizing the wrong things. Fins belonged on rockets, not cars. Stylists went back to the drawing board. The bloated '58's were a one year only proposition. The days of excessive excess were over. GM cars were... thinner. Chrome plating was minimized. Before long, compact cars would take center stage. First! Always excellent. Thanks very much!
Thank you Adam. The interior is nice. Cadillac indeed has a long history. I liked the 1989-1993 Sixty Special. I liked the special designed seats they offered. It was interesting how Fleetwood moved to the Brougham line in 1993 and the Sixty Special stayed with the Deville line. It was gone by 1994. Cadillac really paid attention to detail back then. I have seen so many of these in different films over the years. It did have an nice looking lower body design. It is about the luxury.
I owned a 1990 Sixty-Special two-door. White, grey leather and a weird silver color cabriolet vinyl roof. We called it the Yogi the Bear car. I think because it was boxy, but I really don't get what's boxy about Yogi the Bear. Possibly the fact we were doing a lot of cocaine at the time. Oh well, that was then. Yep, I got rid of Yogi to buy the LAST full-size Bronco.
@@wilsixone The two door 1989-1993 Cadillacs were quite nice especially the Fleetwood/Sixty Special. Nice majestic styling. Thje lines were not totally boxy... they were sleek and somewhat aero. Nice car..
Grandpa had a 1965 Coupe de Ville. Steel blue with I believe pattern cloth seats (I was 6). I remember he went into a store and had me wait in the car. I played with power windows so maybe they worked without key? Beautiful car. He must have pulled his camper with it.
Also under the hood is the vent tube that goes from the grill area and then winds its way back to the input side of the generator to help keep it cool. The generators were working hard these last years to keep up with the demand of the AC and all of the power accessories. Weren't the rear wing windows also power which means there were 8 window switches on the drivers door?
Yes, you mention those special luxury features: The '68 last year for 8 power windows-- front vents deleted in '69. But at least both 60's series Fleetwoods still used real rosewood on doors & dash in '68. But '67 Brougham was last year for the writing tables. Though the footrests on Brougham models did survive longer. Also, the standard 67-68 60 Special had no rear footrests. And lacked a standard padded vinyl roof. Even brochures in those years, looked like artwork.
My `63 hearse at the Hydramatic with reverse all the way over to the right like that. I remember that really low first gear too. Second gear wasn't much higher either. I had that car from 1983 to about 1986 or so.
This Fleetwood was among the most similar to the corresponding Sedan Deville in the history of the model. The '59-'64 Fleetwoods did not have the usual 3" wheelbase stretch for which the model had been known. This may be because the overhang added for '59 pushed the overall length of the car to the same 225 inches that the '58 had measured with the longer wheelbase and both cars were only a little shorter than the record length of the '59 Lincoln. The 133" wheelbase was restored to the Fleetwood for 1965 and the overall length grew to 227.5”, longer than either the '58 or '59. The '65 Fleetwood also got a B pillar between frameless windows ("Colonnade Hardtop" styling in '70s GM lingo) further distinguishing it from the Devilles.
I would like a video on the rotor, hydra , and turbo hydraulic. I am a very knowledgeable person in relation to autos but couldn't tell you a thing about any of them. 61 was a gem.
While the Roto-style Hydramatic gets criticized, we had Three in the family. And by '62, the quality had improved. One 1963 went over 100k miles without trouble---serviced at dealers, who specialized in that transmission. Though I noticed that some '64 Olds models seemed to hold on to 1st gear much longer, than previous years. These units only had 3 direct gears, but used a 2-stage torque converter for acceleration. And like all the Hydramatics, you could use the Super range (no shift to 3rd or 4th), & drive easily in the mountains. And that basic transmission design, helped win WW2. For many tanks used that type design, for their transmissions.
A few things come to mind... One is that certain Cadillacs just come to mind when someone says "Cadillac"... For me, I always picture a 54-56 car, a 59-60 car, a 67-68 car, or an Eighties model. I love all the Cadillacs, but those in particular just "say Cadillac" in my mind's eye. Another thing that comes to mind about Fleetwoods in particular, is that although they were supposed to "have everything", I remember that only the 1966 model had the picnic tables installed in the front seatback... THAT'S just about "everything" to me, at least.. and I think that the '66 was a really fine looking car... But for some reason, not as "Cadillac-ish" as those years I mentioned earlier. I have to agree that GM really cheapened up around 1968... Especially with those infernal molded interior door panels and the ugly black dash. Either way... I'd rather drive something built before 1985 anyway... And there really is nothing like a vintage Caddy. My last one was a '68 DeVille ragtop. Silver with black leather and a black roof. I really LOVED the 472. Like the idiot I am, I sold it about eight years ago and haven't found ANYTHING as clean or low mileage since... Especially not for what I paid for it.
Lovely car. My favorite Cadillac is the 1962, but this 1961 is just as handsome, and far better looking than the 1960, and for sure the 1959, which is just grotty.
3:45 The wrap around windshield on the ambulance is identical to the 1959-1960 Cadillacs, rather than the more subdued treatment on the 1961-1962 models. The Fleetwood 75 limos also used the 59-60 cowl until the 1965 redesign.
The "75" series after 1960, in addition to retaining the wrap-around windshield design, also retained the dash design until '65, from the previous series.
I agree with you mostly, but I think the 1962 had it beat. 1962 introduced the three-phase tail lamps and the end all of broughaminess, cornering lamps.
Cornering lamps really should have shown up in 1957. That was the beginning of a major style transformation for Cadillac that took until 1963 to fully transition.
It has always been my impression that 1960s American cars looked better and were made better than 1970s American cars. I guess my evidence on the 1963 Falcon and 1978 Mustang that I own. I have had to replace all of the rear light sockets on the Mustang, but the Falcon sockets are still in good shape. In addition, the some of the wiring harness connectors on the Mustang have turned to goo, the Falcon harness is still fine. Another thing is that on the Falcon the window glass is surrounded by rubber gaskets, the Mustang uses some sort of tar that melts and moves over time, looking horrible. The only thing that the Mustang really has advantage over the Falcon is safety. The Mustang has seat belts, safer brakes, collapsible steering wheel, etc.
The first die cast model I got was a 59 Eldorado convertible. I still have it, I only wish I could afford a life size one but even if I could it wouldn’t fit in my garage Lol
I always thought that the '62 Cad models were a tad more refined in styling, and would be my choice. However, I have always, style-wise , preferred either the '49 or the '54 Fleetwood.
My dad owned a 1959 Cadillac that look like a rocket ship. I loved the 1961 Cadillac because of the smaller fins, but I liked the 1962 Cadillac even more! CLASSIC! ❤
I remember once hearing this era of Cadillacs being described perfectly by one source. They’re like “Tiffany jewelry boxes”!
I have always liked the looks of the 1961& 62s.
Growing up in California, it was quite disappointing to see how many of these 1961 Cadillacs were just left to rot in the sun by the late 1960s. It was such a throw away culture that most of these cars were not appreciated until decades later.
It wasn't the sun that ruined the old cars, it was the salt that they used on the roads in Utah.
GREAT THANKS ADAM
Purchased a new 1990 Fleetwood 60 Special. White with blue leather interior. Really nice automobile. 4.5 V-8, all the bells and whistles. Owned it for 5 years and put over 100k miles on it without any problems. Traded it in for a 1995 Sedan DeVille. Great car but I should have kept the 60 Special. Owned 7 new Cadillacs from 1984 to 2007. All gave very good no problem service.
The 61-64 Fleetwood roofline was absolutely gorgeous and helps set it apart from the equally attractive but not quite as distinctive DeVille and series 62 rooflines. I think this era of Fleetwood really did the best of recreating the special nature of the original 60 special. I personally prefer the changes made for 62 and then the 63 redesign, but the 61 was an awesome final gasp of 50s styling before adopting super clean 60s lines.
The fins on the ambulance look particularly deadly!
I just love all the new *vocabulary* I learn in your videos! I am a retired elementary school teacher but still work once or twice a week as a SpanishEnglish interpreter, so words and expressions in both languages fascinate me. Greetings from Querétaro, México, where I am sitting out on my back patio with my happy, handsome, handsome Golden Retriever while I enjoy my lovely garden as well as this great video!
Golden Retrievers, possibly the most beautiful dogs in the world!
@@johntamlyn6383 Buddy is a sweetheart. ❤️
I think 1961 was one of the most beautiful design years over the entire GM lineup.
Especially the 1961 Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles.
Amazing how much the cars of this era changed year to year. The amount of engineering and pre production work that had to be accomplished to support each new model year is incredible. The cars that were produced in the ‘60’s are timeless.
Thanks Adam for another great presentation and informative overview.
That was the corporate policy then. The annual model change dictated by Alfred Sloan back in the 20s. Planned obsolessence. Today its the new iphone every year and like cars of the 60s its the same basic product.
It is quite an achievement, given that all of this was done manually back then, unlike today, where computer aided design and CNC machine tools allow for quicker design turnaround.
Ironically, despite all of the manufacturing and supply chain automation, the cars of today have lost a lot of the art and flair of the 60s, and design cycles are now at 4 years and up.
My Dad had a 1961 Sedan de Ville, which is basically a tad below the Fleetwood. What a car. All the same appointments as the Fleetwood, except for the inside door handle lights, and the rear glass frame. Loved it with all 4 windows down, that was fun at 60mph. A family of 4 could live in the trunk and the bench seats were like couches. I only got to drive it a couple of times when I was in HS, and was hoping it would be mine after graduation, but, stuff happened and my Dad sold it.
Love the green on green interior colours.
Love the 61 and 62 Cadillac rear end. So wonderfully pedestrian unfriendly. Was at a car show last summer where a 61 Fleetwood 60S was offered in the car corral - I think it was about 20k (?) but fantastic shape. Looked, longed (brother thought it was ridiculous- and overpriced). Passed it again on the way out and it was sold - of course it was, it was a beautiful car. And there are 8 power window buttons - the rear wings are power as well of course. I think 68 was the last year for this / I'm a button freak, and that always Cadillac special / don't think any other sedan had 8 power windows!
The '62 was 1st year for cornering lamps, '63 for tilt wheels, '65 for tilt/telescopic wheels.
I have always liked the '61 Fleetwood for a specific reason. As a kid I was building model cars in the late '70's/early '80's, and one of my favourites was an old Johan '61 Fleetwood that my Dad never got around to building when it was new. I loved that model until one day my older evil sister smashed it on the floor when I might have irritated her too much. She was grounded for that which help mitigate things, but the poor old Caddy was done and ended its days as a demo derby refugee....
I think my favorite part of the 1961 to 1968 Sixty Specials was the power wing windows in all FOUR doors...
Oh, and I wish they had stuck with their version of vacuum door locks. They must've used larger vacuum pots, cuz they were always much faster than the Lincoln version but so much quieter than those huge solenoids later, and even the little motors after that.
You are so right about the windows!
The vacuum locks were so much quieter than the ones used on all GM cars in 70's. And those rear vent windows were often used by smokers, even if heater or air conditioner was on. For smoking was a way of life for many---look at people smoking in all those old " noir " movies. And while Olds in '50's started having blue or green plastic courtesy lights, to help locate ashtrays, Cadillac by at least 1968, had a complete smoking compartment, that pulled out of dash. The lighter was between the 2 ashtrays, allowing driver & passenger to easily locate everything. Then like the Lincolns, the rear ashtrays had a lighter located in each rear door.
@@dlb0705 Oh, they did MUCH better than that. I wouldn't doubt that it started pre-war, but by 1948-49 Cadillac had roll-top ashtrays with lighters in the back, an illuminated lighter socket (and ignition slot!) in the dashboard, and a front ashtray that was disguised in the radio grillwork... a section on the left tilted out when pressed in at the bottom, I can't remember if there was a duplicate on the passenger side.
Hell, a fully optioned car also had parking lights with integral fog lights hidden inside, auto trunk light, front map lights, rear reading lights & radio speaker, mechanical "climate-control" for the heaters, windshield washers, 4-speed Hydramatic and power everything... except for locks & STEERING!
(The big drum brakes didn't need power assist, but talk about your Arm-strong steering...)
As a child, my family had a '61 Coupe DeVille. Gorgeous car (loved the roofline and C pillar on the coupe!). The 390 V8 was more than sufficient.
I believe that auto headlight dimmer was called the Autonic Eye. Gotta love how gm gave everything a fancy name, Autonic Eye, Dynaride suspension, Hydramatic transmission, Concert Sound speakers. I kinda miss that. Gimmicky yes but gimmicks are fun.
Very close. It was the Autronic Eye, and when that name got old, of course, it became GuideMatic.
Not to mention Positraction and all the other brand-specific names the had for the limited slip differential.
Climate control* and yes, they're still at it.. I give you Super Cruise !!
@@pcno2832, good point! We could probably have a whole other column on Twilight Sentinal, Cruise Master, Speed Alert, Sure Grip, Sure Track, ComforTemp and Auto Temp II...
Those headlight dimmers were so popular, that even Pontiac offered them in early 50's. And '54 Star Chief was 1st GM model to offer compact, in-dash air conditioner vents.
My favorite Cadillacs. 1961 models...bar none. Just beautiful. Thanks for posting!
Appreciate your focus on the 61 Cadillac. 1964 would be another great year to discuss as the length of the 64 Cadillac deVille and Fleetwood were quite significant.
1963 was last year that all models used the Jetaway type Hydramatic introduced in '56. In '64, only the "75" series for a few years retained the 4-speed Hydramatic.
Yes, power vent windows front and back, resulting in eight window switches on the driver's armrest. Jane Jetson would feel right at home.
Born in the mid 1950's , these were new when I was a little kid , however the 2 years 1961 and following 1962 formal Fleetwood 60 special Broughams were my favorite Cadillacs of the 1960's, pure class in everything about them as a package there was nothing to dislike the quality or the dash "jewelry" the switch gear , the beautiful mouton style carpets , the fact that the featured wood was real all added to a very special vehicle. In '62 this was added to in the larger beautiful wooden panes on each door, plus for both years vinyl roof tops could be ordered but were seldom seen. I live in Sydney, Australia, as a kid I grew up in Mosman, the most expensive suburb in the WHOLE country I've always felt privileged to have grown up there, as I had seen the absolute best of the best cars and when they were brand new too. So most owners would have ticked near everything in the ordering of options on their cars so you saw "full house" cars with nothing left out. The one I always think of that I would have loved to own was a '61 Fleetwood 60 in a dark metallic grey, with a black leather interior, with the shiny mouton carpet, with an almost black vinyl roof, plus the hub caps on the car were painted body color with just the ribs on them still chrome, it looked very, very classy. Unlike previous cars, its wealthy owner kept it for years, before updating it with a 1971 model Fleetwood 60 in an unusual underside of mushroom color with vinyl roof to suit & a half leather half fabric interior. This new for '71 Fleetwood 60 body I liked even more so and was determined to own one. Now for almost 41 years I have owned a 1972 & 1974 Fleetwood. Our GM Holden Aust' built cars in the Pagewood Sydney plant differed from US home market cars as our Aussie built RHD Caddy's of the '70's had classy metal dashboards using just the US instrument pod , however the rest of the dash was of Aus' design, as wealthy Australian clients would have rejected the tasteless Yanky plastic dashboards , you just have to ask what the hell were the US GM accountant / bean counters thinking , that potential new owners would not see the plastic nightmare dashboards just inches away?? How can a company in just 10 years cut the levels of exclusiveness by so much and think clients won't notice.
In the place where I grew up,the Ambulance and hearses were one in the same. The funeral homes actually ran the ambulance service using the same vehicles. Talk about a conflict of interest😂
Yes, in the 60s and before, a great majority of ambulance companies were owned and operated by funeral homes. Part of the "bad old days" "you call,we haul,that's all". Most of the time they would just throw a magnetic red light on the roof of the hearse and there you were.🙄
@@micp0760 You’re 100% right. But in my neck of the woods it wasn’t until the 1970’s that we got a dedicated ambulance service. As for the hearses, The only way we knew if it was acting in ambulance vs hearse capacity was if the light was on or not. There was one undertaker who would refuse to take her ambulance/hearse on the off the dirt road trails. Another story is that when they dropped off a person at the hospital who was in bad shape and looked like they weren’t going to make it,they’d just circle the block and wait. But in all fairness, they didn’t have ANY medical equipment or even room for a paramedic in the back. They were a transporter only. They did what they were capable of doing.
@@dmandman9 You're absolutely correct.
Was so excited to see this car pop up on your feed! One of my favorite years! Too bad it wasn't filmed in your driveway where we could see a video tour and start up/test drive!
My uncle owned a Caddy dealership in South Texas in the 60’s and I remember the 61 Fleetwood he drove to a fam reunion …. My 6 year old car lover heart went pitter-patter specially when he demonstrated those power vent windows. Thought I’d seen everything. As an adult, even though I was younger than the typical Cadillac demographic at the time, I traded my ‘sporty’ 85 Olds 88 LSS for a 1989 black Fleetwood brougham. No power vent windows or any vent windows for that matter but Vogue tires, fender skirts and a cloud-worthy ride. Over the top fancy and I Put 100k miles on it b4 trading for a black E430 MB. I look back and that Caddy was the most comfortable car ever! Thanks Adam!
Born in 61 when I was too 😊. Love to own one of these 😊
Nineteen sixty eight was the first year that Cadillac had molded door panels, and Adam's right, they looked cheap compared to the '67 and earlier. Great video as always!
The glacier like end to the old gm quality cars. Slowly the bean counters got their way. Very saddening to see what gm has become, tbh.
@@h8troodoh Absolutely right. And can you imagine back then if they put a Cadillac badge on a Corvair like they did the Cavalier??
@curtcollett2893 or a Chevy II.. lol.. GM would've ceased to exist before the 60s ended if they tried That stunt.. the uproar when people found out Chevy engines were going into their Pontiacs almost caused a national incident ffs.. imagining your scenario would be riots, ffs... 🤣🤣🤣
I have a '58 Fleetwood which I love for its over-the-top style, but really the '61-'64 years were so refined and classy and of quality material...much more along the lines of what I would think as an aspirational symbol of financial success, and would have bought if I had the money back then
One of my top five favorite Cadillac models. I found this car online and saved all the images to use as my wallpaper and screensaver- I look at it everyday, and like it so much. Black with a green interior, so much more fun than the neutrals of today. The 1961-1968 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Specials must hold the record for number of window controllers- 8 on the driver's door, 2 each on the passenger door and rear doors- if you include power lock switches that adds up to 16 switches to control all the windows and locks. That may be a dubious achievement, however it brings joy to my cold cold heart. Add the descriptive names for the various exterior colors, fabrics and leathers and you create MCM masterpieces of design, engineering and marketing. Fills my black heart with joy that these machines exist.
I own a 1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville . I’ve had 1932 Ford 3 window coupe hot rods , tri five Chevs & a couple of Aussie muscle cars which were all great but the Cadillac is by far my favourite . It has a 390 in it & it cruise’s just beautiful . Love it .
Had two '61s. A metallic lavender 60 Special, and a rare-ish 62 Series Short Deck. Had four other years, but '61 is maybe my fave. Thanks for the video!
It must have been strange telling people that you had a '61 Cadillac 62. I'll bet that's why they came up the the Calais name around that time.
@@pcno2832 No more strange than telling people you have an '87 Oldsmobile 88..
Was that short deck called Park Avenue?
@@pcno2832 Calais started in 1965.
@@MonteCarlotta No, but in 1962 and '63 they were. 👍
When I was 16 this car came out. I LOVED the "double" fin ! I thought unlike the '59 and'60, the '61 was a much more subdued style. It still looks great !
You were lucky. You had better-looking cars in your day, and much better-looking women.
I can see JFK driving one of these around Vegas, with Jayne Mansfield in the passenger seat, and Peter Lorre and Frank Sinatra in the back.
@@misterwhipple2870 I believe you mean Peter Lawford (JFK's movie star Brother-in-law). Peter Lorre was probably not in JFK's circle of friends. Jayne Mansfield would have probably been a better match for JFK than Marilyn Monroe was, if the rumors of JFK and MM are to be believed. 😉
@@NYWF You are right on both counts, thank you. Still, I think both Jack and Bobby were doing that psycho b*tch. J. Edgar Hoover had tapes of both of them with her. He had JFK by the throat.
But MAN, WHAT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I absolutely love the hubcaps on that white Cadillac.
Creature comfort and ride .. and the feeling of being in a safe space…. Is what really makes a difference…
Way back in the early 90s I used to ride BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit to work every day toward the South Bay and one of the cities it passed through had a large medical parking lot and I would see two old retired Cadillac Ambulances on the outer lot. If it was these days I would have found a way to get down there and definitely get pictures of them! Haha!
Gorgeous cars. These were the ones, I think until 63 or 4 you could operate the windows with no keys. I remember me & the neighbor kid would sit in it and play with the windows until his mother would notice and yell at us 😂
The sage green interior is just stunning. My birth year, so of course I am partial to it. Very elegant vehicle.
1961 The next episode of the Standard of the World. Absolutely stunning in black with the carriage type rear window. However, I do believe the 61 Continental HT sedan is the standard of design and for decades to come. Another incredible, informative video. Thank you Adam your darn legend.
An outstanding presentation on Cadillac. In an era of beautiful & interesting cars , the brand led the luxury field , for its design & engineering excellence.
I rode in most of these legendary cars as a boy , and they made a lasting positive impression.
The interiors were forward looking , cool , glamorous, yet contemporary.
The glamour, and prestige of the cars truly deserved .
The two tone steering wheels are such a beautiful touch on the cars.
If only Cadillacs could be so inspired today.
In college (1973) I bought a 1960 Fleetwood Sixty Special that had the air bag suspension - I had all 4 bags replaced by Bob Moore Cadillac in Oklahoma City and would drive it from OKC to Houston, TX starting at midnight and arrive in Houston around 5:00 AM a trip of slightly over 500 miles . The airbag suspension gave the car a phenomenal handling capability which saved my ass on more than one occasion. It came with a vinyl top of sorts and a total of 6 power windows and had a fit and finish that was second to none - the doors were like a bank vault. I seem to recall that the1961 thru 1968 Fleetwoods had a total of 8 power windows .
Pure Elegance, which made the Cadillac Name. !!!!
The Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan nameplated model was discontinued after the 1970 model year. After the 1964 models, Cadillac's previously top-of-the line non-75 series Fleetwood sedan which was nameplated the Sixty Special Sedan became lesser to the new-for-1965 Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan with the Brougham option. The Fleetwood Brougham then became its own nameplated model for the 1966 model year. Although it was basically the same car, the Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan nameplate became a step down model without the availability of the vinyl roof, swivel rear reading lamps, rear seat carpeted foot rests, and the short-lived lighted fold-down tray tables (1966 and 1967 only) for the rear seat passengers that were all standard on the new Fleetwood Brougham. 1968 Broughams replaced the lighted tray tables with cheaper storage pouches. 1970 was the last year for the Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan nameplated model. After that, the Fleetwood Brougham nameplate became the only Fleetwood 4 door model offered except for the 75 series sedan and limousine. The Fleetwood Brougham nameplate lasted through all of the 1970's and into the 1980's although technically they are not considered to be part of the 60 Special family after 1976 - until recoupling in 1987 as referenced in the video.
Thanks for this one, Adam ! We had one of these when I was a small child during the Camelot years. Unforgettable car with great looks. 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special.
Yet another excellent video Adam! The level of detail you include (material on the seats…auto climate control debuting in 1964…modifications made to ambulances) as well as the general information you share about these vehicles is always new, interesting & makes your vids top notch. Thanks for the effort you always put forth.
Adam, every reference that I’ve seen lists the wheelbase of the Sixty Special at 130 inches, and that remained at 130 inches until the 1965 models which saw the wheelbase return to the exclusive 133 inches, remaining there until the new downsized models of the ‘77 model year. This is something that I feel Cadillac erred in keeping the Sixty Specials on the same 129.5 inch wheelbase as the “lesser” models, robbing the model of its “specialness”. I’d love to see you address this in a future episode. Thanks for all your quality programming…I’m addicted!
I was looking for my first car in 1971, and one of the first ones I looked at was a navy 1963 Fleetwood Sixty Special that was equipped like this one. The price was right, but my dad said “no-too many things to break on it.” I can guarantee you if I had been able to buy it, I would still have it!
Adam; thank you EXCELLENT as always. I’ll bet if GM did a 2024 Cadillac and re-stamped the 60’s car (any year in this decade) they would sell like mad. - your welcome GM.
Another interesting video Adam. Today’s car designers could definitely benefit from looking at this beautiful interior and many others from your collection and realise that you don’t have to have yet another all black interior!
Learned to drive in my dad’s ‘66 Sedan De Ville. When looking for my first car we found a ‘61 Fleetwood in the Lakes area of Minneapolis. I recall the original owner wanted $350 for it. Beautiful interior, ran great, but it had been garaged in a heated underground garage all of its life. By 1970 it was a rusty scupper. A white Fleetwood with major rust-through in every lower fender and most doors. We did not buy it, but I remember it well.
Thanks once again Adam for sharing, I always liked the 61&62 yrs styling. My best friends family had a 1961 series 62 convertible and we took many a trip out on the Washington peninsula for weekend getaways and have the fun was 3 hour drive. Thanks again and keep them coming
Classic Caddies: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967. My dad had a 1938 '60 special ... he had an exterior sun visor from another different car, I believe, a Pierce Arrow. It looked real Shark!
I had a 62. The 61-62 Cadillac's were in my opinion the pinnacle of Cadillac styling in the Mid Century Modern era. Elegant but not vulgar. If I were a buyer in in 1961, I would have probably bought a Lincoln Continental.
@Dennis Wilson Funny thing is though, Chrysler build quality and engineering was top notch above the competition, but the exterior design was woeful. That's why Virgil Exner was dismissed from ChryCo and replaced by Elwood Engel. The 1964 Imperial was a wonderful car.
Yes, me too. I love the 61 Continental. I much prefer the understated styling.
I much prefer the 1961 Cadillac over the same year Lincoln. There, I said it. So did most buyers that year.
Beautiful machine designed by designers and not government agencies.
That was a trip down memory lane. .my father bought a 61 coupe de ville to replace the 60 Pontiac Catalina safari wagon, too bad the four of us kids, and two dogs tore up the upholstery.
Thank you so much for posting another excellent video! I thoroughly enjoy these! They're the highlight of my week. I was a little boy during these times and loved these 60s and the 70s Cadillacs. I thought I was the expert on them but you know even more!
Thanks so much for your great insight into some of the back stories too. -Greg in California
Beautiful inside and out, quite a contrast between this and later model years. GM gave away the market share.
Wonderful car and much better quality than the ones a decade later.
They are very classy cars.
Always liked those skegs they looked even better on the 1962 Cadillac
"Best Of All It's A Cadillac!!!"
It's funny how after the late 70s/80s downsize began, people were so scathing of huge land yachts and how over scaled everything was, but then watch how everything started growing again, til we are almost back where we were in the 60s - only with more subclass categories. And now they are taller...
Love the 61 rear rocket engine look!!!!
For this model year I think the coupes were more beautiful, different roofline and longer rear quarter panels, the interiors were surely high quality, they would however like Adam mentioned take a serious nosedive around 68-69 affecting all GM brands, plastic everywhere and horrible fake woods, they would get a bit better in 74-75 and later but cost cutting was evident everywhere and even worse in non luxury models, people started noticing better quality in imports, market share diminished and US brands would never recover...
One thing I'm sure has already been pointed out is forgetting to mention the rear door power vent windows - which is included in that large array of buttons on the drivers door armrest. I love all those switches! Your videos are always awesome Adam and no one on the planet knows more details about these cars than you do!
62 is my favorite
Interesting discussion. These early 60s Cadillacs were very elegant.
A small note, and Im not sure if this was offered in the Fleetwood Sixty Special of the early 60's, was that you could order a shortened deck version. This option shortened overall vehicle length by about 7 inches.
It was called a Town Car (like later Lincoln's name) and it was a version of the model 62, which I believe is more or less equal to the later Calais. It was below the deVille and you definitely couldn't have one in a Sixty-Special.
@@wilsixone The Town Sedan short-decker ran only in the 1961/2 model year of the 62 Series and was replaced briefly for the '63 and '64 seasons by Park Avenue four-window sedans in the 63 Series de Ville line. Calais appeared for 1965 as a slightly lower spec. model but on the full bodyshell, priced below the de Ville
The short deck sedans of '61-64 were actually a revival of an earlier tradition. The Fleetwood 60 Special of the early '50s used the same passenger compartment as the 62 sedan, with three additonal inches of wheelbase, and and overall length about seven inches longer. The two door hardtop and convertible cars had a longer rear overhang, with the 62 wheelbase. When the '56 Sedan deVille arrived it shared the longer overhang of the two-door cars. For '57, all 4-doors became hardtops. The 60 Special retained its longer wheelbase and rear overhang. The standard dimensions of 62 "sedan" and Sedan deVille were in fact "short deck", with rear overhangs shorter than the two door cars.
Apparently, that did not settle well with Sedan deVille fans. For '58 only, the Sedan deVille had the same overall length as the 60 Special, but on the shorter wheelbase. The standard 62 sedan dimensions carried over from '57, and a new 62 variant called "Extended Deck" was added, sharing the new Sedan deVille dimensions. The pendulum swung to the opposite extreme for '59 and '60 model years... ALL Cadillacs save for the Series 75 shared the same wheelbase, rear overhang, and overall length. As noted, efforts to revive the short deck as an option did not attract many customers. IMHO... Cadillac finally got the mix right in '65 when the 60 Special regained its longer wheelbase, AND all of it was added to the passenger compartment where it belonged. The unique roofline and pillared hardtop were icing on the cake. Too bad that era of flagship luxury sedans has passed.
I've come to really appreciate the 1961-1964 Fleetwood. They were the epitome of elegance. I agree, about 1967 the interiors on Cadillac's began to cheapen, but the 98 and Electra 225 pillared sedans still had a quality look till about 1970. That's when it seems plastics began to takeover the interiors and definitely on all 1971 GM models.
The Sixty Special was an icon (favorite is 58). 🏆. Transferring the name to smaller FWD was one of several mistakes that knocked Cadillac off pedestal as STANDARD OF THE WORLD. Nothing currently wearing Cadillac name has any appeal for those of us who treasure the OTT excessive luxury of TRADITIONAL AMERICAN LAND YACHTS! 😎
Dashboard Looks Great 👍
I like the Light Green Interior 😊
I thought that the 1961 was about the least desirable Cadillac’s of the 1960’s. The 1960 was my favorite.
When I hear the song "Cadillac Ranch" these and the Caddy limos are what I usually picture in my head 😊
pure class
Great presentation. Well paced and the tone is fair and descriptive.
I give cadillac stylists alot of credit for evolving the fin to a design surviving to this day.
Mostly nonexistent now, but the fins hung around through the 1992 Fleetwood Brougham.. a 44 year legacy...
Great video! Outstanding old cars!😁🛠️👍
I enjoy hearing about the history of the Fleetwood factory if you could provide some information on that. Love the series thank you.
Once again an excellent presentation, thanks!
One extra note....later Fleetwoods not only had footrests, but also fold out-trays (with wood inserts), in the back of the front seat, for rear passengers to use.
Not in 1961. A '61 Fleetwood is sitting in my garage. I just checked. :)
Can you not read well?
Actually, I was referring to the 1965-1968 Fleetwoods....I had a 1966 model :)
@@Astrodomania The fold down trays ended after the 1967 models. They were replaced with cheaper-looking storage pouches for the 1968 models.
And the rumor, was that those Rolls type writing tables, were no longer allowed. Just look at such small items, as tapered design of even the door lock buttons. And mandated headrests appeared in 1969.
As much as I really love this Caddy…it is amazing to see how suddenly it looked so dated when standing beside the new 1961 Lincoln Continental. It was literally as if the sky split open and cleaved a vast fracture between the 50’s and the 60’s.
The poor kid on a skateboard that went face first into a late 50's to early 60's Cadillac tailfin, ouch..... Thanks to Adam for keeping American automotive history alive.
Sounds painful, but I've never found ANY documented case of that actually happening.
@@MarinCipollina Found this online:
Ralph Nader was there, too, documenting the dangers of the fin: An old woman from New York City was hit by the killer fin of a Cadillac rolling backward; a Chicago boy died when he hit a fin while running back for a long fly ball.
@@jetsons101 I don't suppose you have any links for those, do you? Or at least some names, locations and dates ?
@@jetsons101 Thanks for that link.. According to the NY Times report, those deaths are credited to statements from Ralph Nader. We really have no confirmation that any of that happened. No names, no dates, no places where those incidents supposedly happened.. I suspect those stories are apocryphal, but I'm willing to entertain more compelling evidence.
Sputnik launched in '57. Americans became aware we were prioritizing the wrong things. Fins belonged on rockets, not cars. Stylists went back to the drawing board. The bloated '58's were a one year only proposition. The days of excessive excess were over. GM cars were... thinner. Chrome plating was minimized. Before long, compact cars would take center stage. First! Always excellent. Thanks very much!
Thank you Adam. The interior is nice. Cadillac indeed has a long history. I liked the 1989-1993 Sixty Special. I liked the special designed seats they offered. It was interesting how Fleetwood moved to the Brougham line in 1993 and the Sixty Special stayed with the Deville line. It was gone by 1994. Cadillac really paid attention to detail back then. I have seen so many of these in different films over the years. It did have an nice looking lower body design. It is about the luxury.
I owned a 1990 Sixty-Special two-door. White, grey leather and a weird silver color cabriolet vinyl roof. We called it the Yogi the Bear car. I think because it was boxy, but I really don't get what's boxy about Yogi the Bear. Possibly the fact we were doing a lot of cocaine at the time. Oh well, that was then. Yep, I got rid of Yogi to buy the LAST full-size Bronco.
@@wilsixone The two door 1989-1993 Cadillacs were quite nice especially the Fleetwood/Sixty Special. Nice majestic styling. Thje lines were not totally boxy... they were sleek and somewhat aero. Nice car..
Grandpa had a 1965 Coupe de Ville. Steel blue with I believe pattern cloth seats (I was 6). I remember he went into a store and had me wait in the car. I played with power windows so maybe they worked without key? Beautiful car. He must have pulled his camper with it.
There’s another similar comment by someone who played with the windows as a kid, so it does seem that they worked even with the ignition off!
Interesting to see the rear vent windows that also open as well.
Also under the hood is the vent tube that goes from the grill area and then winds its way back to the input side of the generator to help keep it cool. The generators were working hard these last years to keep up with the demand of the AC and all of the power accessories. Weren't the rear wing windows also power which means there were 8 window switches on the drivers door?
Yes Jeff, I'm quite sure you're right about that. No end to the luxury conveniences.
Yes, you mention those special luxury features:
The '68 last year for 8 power windows-- front vents deleted in '69. But at least both 60's series Fleetwoods still used real rosewood on doors & dash in '68. But '67 Brougham was last year for the writing tables. Though the footrests on Brougham models did survive longer. Also, the standard 67-68 60 Special had no rear footrests. And lacked a standard padded vinyl roof. Even brochures in those years, looked like artwork.
My `63 hearse at the Hydramatic with reverse all the way over to the right like that. I remember that really low first gear too. Second gear wasn't much higher either. I had that car from 1983 to about 1986 or so.
The 61 and 62 60 specials were extraordinary Cadillacs. I had the chance 30 yrs ago to buy a 62. It was a terrific surviver. I wish I had bought it.
Beautiful car 😍 Especially in black
Superb job on a stunning car!
This Fleetwood was among the most similar to the corresponding Sedan Deville in the history of the model. The '59-'64 Fleetwoods did not have the usual 3" wheelbase stretch for which the model had been known. This may be because the overhang added for '59 pushed the overall length of the car to the same 225 inches that the '58 had measured with the longer wheelbase and both cars were only a little shorter than the record length of the '59 Lincoln. The 133" wheelbase was restored to the Fleetwood for 1965 and the overall length grew to 227.5”, longer than either the '58 or '59. The '65 Fleetwood also got a B pillar between frameless windows ("Colonnade Hardtop" styling in '70s GM lingo) further distinguishing it from the Devilles.
I would like a video on the rotor, hydra , and turbo hydraulic. I am a very knowledgeable person in relation to autos but couldn't tell you a thing about any of them. 61 was a gem.
While the Roto-style Hydramatic gets criticized, we had Three in the family. And by '62, the quality had improved. One 1963 went over 100k miles without trouble---serviced at dealers, who specialized in that transmission. Though I noticed that some '64 Olds models seemed to hold on to 1st gear much longer, than previous years. These units only had 3 direct gears, but used a 2-stage torque converter for acceleration. And like all the Hydramatics, you could use the Super range (no shift to 3rd or 4th), & drive easily in the mountains. And that basic transmission design, helped win WW2. For many tanks used that type design, for their transmissions.
A few things come to mind...
One is that certain Cadillacs just come to mind when someone says "Cadillac"... For me, I always picture a 54-56 car, a 59-60 car, a 67-68 car, or an Eighties model.
I love all the Cadillacs, but those in particular just "say Cadillac" in my mind's eye.
Another thing that comes to mind about Fleetwoods in particular, is that although they were supposed to "have everything", I remember that only the 1966 model had the picnic tables installed in the front seatback... THAT'S just about "everything" to me, at least.. and I think that the '66 was a really fine looking car... But for some reason, not as "Cadillac-ish" as those years I mentioned earlier.
I have to agree that GM really cheapened up around 1968... Especially with those infernal molded interior door panels and the ugly black dash.
Either way... I'd rather drive something built before 1985 anyway... And there really is nothing like a vintage Caddy.
My last one was a '68 DeVille ragtop. Silver with black leather and a black roof.
I really LOVED the 472.
Like the idiot I am, I sold it about eight years ago and haven't found ANYTHING as clean or low mileage since... Especially not for what I paid for it.
Beautiful car!
Lovely car. My favorite Cadillac is the 1962, but this 1961 is just as handsome, and far better looking than the 1960, and for sure the 1959, which is just grotty.
3:45 The wrap around windshield on the ambulance is identical to the 1959-1960 Cadillacs, rather than the more subdued treatment on the 1961-1962 models. The Fleetwood 75 limos also used the 59-60 cowl until the 1965 redesign.
The "75" series after 1960, in addition to retaining the wrap-around windshield design, also retained the dash design until '65, from the previous series.
I agree with you mostly, but I think the 1962 had it beat. 1962 introduced the three-phase tail lamps and the end all of broughaminess, cornering lamps.
Cornering lamps really should have shown up in 1957. That was the beginning of a major style transformation for Cadillac that took until 1963 to fully transition.
It has always been my impression that 1960s American cars looked better and were made better than 1970s American cars. I guess my evidence on the 1963 Falcon and 1978 Mustang that I own. I have had to replace all of the rear light sockets on the Mustang, but the Falcon sockets are still in good shape. In addition, the some of the wiring harness connectors on the Mustang have turned to goo, the Falcon harness is still fine. Another thing is that on the Falcon the window glass is surrounded by rubber gaskets, the Mustang uses some sort of tar that melts and moves over time, looking horrible. The only thing that the Mustang really has advantage over the Falcon is safety. The Mustang has seat belts, safer brakes, collapsible steering wheel, etc.
The first die cast model I got was a 59 Eldorado convertible. I still have it, I only wish I could afford a life size one but even if I could it wouldn’t fit in my garage Lol
I always thought that the '62 Cad models were a tad more refined in styling, and would be my choice. However, I have always, style-wise , preferred either the '49 or the '54 Fleetwood.