For some reason or another, I felt we had a fairly constant flow of Cadillac content in the second half of 2023. Could I be wrong? In any case, it’s something that’s diminished in our pages lately.
So before there are any cases of Cadillac-content withdrawal, I better deal with the matter. Here’s a good truckload of 1963 Cadillacs found on the web. It’s quite an assortment; at least one seems to be a Sedan DeVille, one a convertible (a 62, a Biarritz?), and one black Fleetwood limo.
Besides those being carried, there are quite a few generations of Cadillac around the parking lot. A ’59 on the left and a 57 on the right. So, while no information was posted with this image, I would think these ’63s are arriving at some dealer?
(Update: It’s Barrett Cadillac, in Youngstown, Ohio)
Along with that first shot, this second one also appeared. Same load being prepped? Another delivery to the same dealer?
Whatever the case, I would think this serving of ’60s Cadillacs should help for the time being. Not that I would complain if any of these appeared by the curbside any time soon.
Never enough 1963 Cadillacs!
The on the left in 1st pic is a 59. 63 was a god year for Cadillac styling.
Oops, of course it is! The year is amended now.
And here I am gawking at the old cabover tractor. 🙂
Ford I think not a model we got but CC has filled in the blanks
The dealership here was Barrett Cadillac in Youngstown, Ohio. Barrett was located at 907 Wick Ave., just north of Youngstown’s downtown. There was a cluster of car dealers in this immediate area – they’re all gone now. It looks like the buildings became run-down and most were demolished about 8 years ago.
Looking up the address on StreetView today just shows a bunch of fields. But some older imagery is still available, such as this one (from 2011) that shows the side of the Cadillac dealership, with the old-time “Cadillac” script still visible. As far as I can tell, Barrett Cadillac was in business until the late 1970s.
Here’s more info on it and the other dealers that had once thrived on Wick Ave.
https://bobonbooks.com/2020/02/22/growing-up-in-working-class-youngstown-the-wick-six/
Our ’70 and ’73 Lincoln sedans came from Kroehle Lincoln-Mercury on the corner of Wick and the westbound service drive, next to Ursuline where I went to high school. The last car I remember seeing on that strip was at what had become a Toyota dealer. An all-new ’82 Supra was sitting on the small showroom floor… and I was floored.
Youngstown did take quite a hit! It , in general, became “run down. Have not been that way in a good “18 years”.
I would take the white over blue ’57 Sedan de Ville.
I always found it interesting that, unlike most brands, Cadillacs were shipped with their wheel covers installed.
I’m actually even more curious as to why it was the norm to ship cars without their wheel covers on. Was there some part of the car-carrying process that easily damaged the hubcaps or made them fall off?
They fall off or get stolen.
Weren’t they usually in the trunk? When there wasn’t a truck, inside the vehicle?
Why did Cadillac ship their vehicles with the wheel covers already installed on them? That is kind of a curious oddity isn’t it?
Nice pictures .
I too was interested in the tractor pulling the car carrier .
It’s a short wheel base ‘Yard Goat’ that’d be punishing to drive far .
Never too many vintage Caddies ! .
I especially like that there are many here who know these fine cars well and share detailed information .
-Nate
(in rainy Los Angeles)
That’s not a yard goat but a typical COE semi tractor of the era. These were extremely common because outside of the west coast, there were length limits.
But it would be a great yard goat we had a single screw cabover Nissan in the tanker yard for moving stuff very very maneuverable, and a 15 speed a child could drive, perfect in a cramped yard, delivery drivers in 4 wheeler trucks had trouble getting around in there we towed trailers and B trains around in there.
It must have been a powerful motor. Each Caddy here weighing about “5K”.
Speaking of Cadillac’s and looking at what Nate said at the end “rainy Los Angeles”, I’m doing by best to keep my two older Caddy’s dry under my car-port in this very rain soaked Los Angeles area.
All those year I worked at the multi-brand store back in the mid-west where we also had Cadillac, it was always a true joy to see a transporter truck pulling up with a load of Cadillac’s. Being young and eager to sell, I would stroll out and stare up at the load of cars and enjoy seeing the bottom side that you wouldn’t normally see. Then I’d marvel as I watched the driver unload those beautiful cars.
I somehow find the late-’50s Cadillacs parked out front (or in back, can’t tell) than the new ’63s. The ’59 is such a beautiful design if you can somehow look past the ridiculous (but iconic) tail fins.
I wonder if in 1963 if the limo was still going to a wealthy owner who preferred to be chauffeured around, or the more recent common usage by a company that rented them out for weddings, funerals, and high school proms.
I can’t imagine a modern Cadillac dealer operating from this small building in a run-down looking neighborhood.
Today’s General Motors would never allow a Cadillac dealer to operate from such a small building location. At least if they did, the dealer would have to spend a ton of money to bring it up to the new GM dealer standards. GM is pretty strict about this I have heard. It is interesting to see how the GM dealer buildings have evolved as the dealer requirements changed through the years. I have also heard that GM was (and still is) quite strict about the dealer signage – it has to be the “new” GM corporate signage for the particular division that the dealer represents.
The “convert” is my fav or the bunch!
Barrett Cadillac was in business til 1994 then closed and I think was brought by state Chevy and moved next door Barrett building was later owned by city of you gstown my buddies band used to store their band equipment in Barretts old service dept area
Truly a time machine photograph (s).!
Thanks to the prescient photographer in 63 , or Fall 62 , and those who preserved it ..
Cadillacs , not only beautiful, but well-built, and technology advanced at the time.
The company cared , had pride , and delivered the dream of greatness..
To see the 57-59 all shiny , and recent on the lot wonderful.
Google Image ; Vintage Cadillac Ads , and observe how Cadillac Motor Car Division, actually advertised Cadillacs from up to four years before, with new ones , to preserve their freshness, and worth !
63 , with a 62 , and 62- 65 , two examples.
Cadillacs had become such an icon , aspiration , fashion leader , many prosperous people traded from.one to two years : ” We get a Cadillac every year ” , the boast , so Cadillac had to affirm your older model , was still in the game!
Interestingly in old money areas , like the Philadelphia Main line , one could see Cadillacs of even 1950s vintage being driven by youthful, drivers, as old money understood, ” a thing of beauty was a joy forever “.
I recall a very important, Reading Railroad Executive driving his beautiful 58 Grey Cadillac Sedari Deville, in perfect condition as a boy in the 70s ….
Also a beautiful high society women of athletic prowess driving her 59 black Coupe Deville to tennis, and a nursery to have plants loaded into the curving trunk, glistening tailfins , with the ironic flame thrower lights, gleaming like Rubys .
I rode in a beautiful 63 , as a boy .
The car made you just love it !
Golden Fawn the color , which become a showcase color of the 63 .
That car impressed me so much aa a child, Cadillac become my favorite all my life .
Note how the Cadillac Dealer in the photo is gone
Sad testimony to our decades long economic , amd cultural decline.
Re: ‘weren’t the wheelcovers in the trunk?’ that’s how it’s been done forever and is Still done this way more or less. Today, we have each vehicle shipped with the key/remote and owner’s manual all in large brown paper envelope. That stuff is kept in the glovebox or center console. The other ancillary items like floor mats and various other doo-dads particular to each vehicle area kept in the cargo area or trunk when shipped from the manufacturer.
Nice to go back to those days. I’m surprised that a Ford tractor delivered those Cadillacs. I remember GM cars where to be delivered by a Chevy or GMC. Ford wanted a Ford tractor and, Chrysler wanted Dodge tractors. That’s what we saw in the Detroit area anyway.
I like the one picture where the bumper is wrapped in white plastic to protect it from the elements during shipment. And we thought that was something car manufacturers only did recently, Cadillac was doing it 1963. Nice touch.
The tilt cab semi-tractor is definitely a Chevy or GMC, probably an 80 series. GM made these ubiquitous trucks with few changes from 1960-1980.
The white sedan and the convertible must be Series 62s, as you can see the script “Sedan de Ville” near the rear bumper on both blue sedans. The ’63 Eldorado convertible had a thick chrome rocker molding and no mid-height strip.