In marked contrast with that late 70s model we saw a week or so ago, these were good looking cars – especially with the slick painted roof, which was probably getting uncommon by 1969.
It’s interesting that they never figured out a better way to get air into one of those trunk-mounted air conditioners than the scoops that stuck up from the body – just like in the 50s.
In the late 70s I got some wheeltime in a 71 Fleetwood 75 (also a painted roof, but a black car) and it had the rear a/c scoops too.
I’m not sure, but I think it was only the limos that had rear-mounted a/c by this point. The regular sedans and coupes did not have these scoops, and was it worth it to invent a better air intake for the few thousand limos sold each year?
What did Chrysler do with their rear mounted booster a/cs on Imperials? IIRC those were available at least through ’68. Not sure how they handled them on their wagons either, unless that was just an internal pass through over a cool line.
Agree about how nice these look without a vinyl roof. My university had a ’79 Lincoln Town Car in cream with vinyl delete – only one I’ve ever seen. It was the back-up car, the President used an ’83 with all the gee-gaws.
Whats always missing on those restored old limos are their contemporary radio antennas. Some (all?) had little electric engines to set them out. Cadillac was antenna king of course.
Not to be disrespectful Bob, but Pontiac introduced the embedded antenna in 1969 on the Grans Prix, so it would have been a one year exclusive to Pontiac for 1969. I’m sure that this limo has an electrical retracting antenna on the right front fender, and if the radio is off, the antenna would be retracted.
Now there’s a topic that hasn’t been covered in magazines and websites. Even before AC, limos had specialized heating systems, with unique fans and ducts and registers for the rear compartment. This wasn’t just in custom coachwork; the systems were seen in Dodge and Plymouth limos of the 40s. Was there one company that designed and supplied these pieces to the automakers?
That’s a sleek looking car. I think that the rear mounted air scoops became kind of a “limo thing” like the aircraft style doors. GM could have built an intake grille under the backlight but these are just cooler looking. My ’56 hardtop SDV had those scoops also and I loved that little detail. 1969 and ’70 were good years for Cadillacs. I had a ’70 coupe and it was a great driving machine. I’d love to have a limo but I’d look awfully silly driving myself around in it. If I could only do the Lincoln Lawyer thing!
The limo is the next body style to fade away. Everybody knows that there is nobody that is rich riding in the backseat. It’s either a high school prom nite, a batchelor-ette night out or a wedding. Big deal. Noone is impressed. The original intent of the limousine was impress the people who were not in it, not the people who were.
Interesting that you should say that. I lived near Atlantic City for many years, when the casino industry was doing well, and I reached the same conclusion. Back then, fleets of limousines wandered the local roads, transporting people who had given enough money to the casinos back home to lick their wounds, perhaps with the intention of giving those who had not yet done so the impression that such donations endowed the donor with a certain status.
“You know what I never get with the limo? The tinted windows. Is that so people don’t see you? Yeah, what a better way not to have people notice you than taking a thirty foot Cadillac with a TV antenna and a uniformed driver. How discreet. Nobody cares who’s in the limo. You see a limo go by, you know it’s either some rich jerk or fifty prom kids with $1.75 each.”
Alas, a vast luxury ship on a strange angle, prow pointing up and tail down, the rich on board resigned to their fate with last brandy in hand, the captain twirling stoically but uselessly at the helm, the orchestra finally slid off into the green.
(Btw, this is a first for CC – a jammed-broadside curbside-to-curbside Curbside).
Huge yet slim and sleek. 500 cubes. Beautiful cars at the pinnacle of their elegance. Cadillac slid after this…. Lincoln held on for a few more. But the era is as gone as the Roman Empire.wistfully nostalgic though it is.
Actually the 500 cubic inch engine’s didn’t arrive on the non-Eldorado Cadillac’s until 1975, this would have the high compression 472 cubic inch engine.
In marked contrast with that late 70s model we saw a week or so ago, these were good looking cars – especially with the slick painted roof, which was probably getting uncommon by 1969.
It’s interesting that they never figured out a better way to get air into one of those trunk-mounted air conditioners than the scoops that stuck up from the body – just like in the 50s.
In the late 70s I got some wheeltime in a 71 Fleetwood 75 (also a painted roof, but a black car) and it had the rear a/c scoops too.
I’m not sure, but I think it was only the limos that had rear-mounted a/c by this point. The regular sedans and coupes did not have these scoops, and was it worth it to invent a better air intake for the few thousand limos sold each year?
Agree, and the intakes were less noticeable when these were painted in typical limo colors for the time – black and dark blue.
What did Chrysler do with their rear mounted booster a/cs on Imperials? IIRC those were available at least through ’68. Not sure how they handled them on their wagons either, unless that was just an internal pass through over a cool line.
Agree about how nice these look without a vinyl roof. My university had a ’79 Lincoln Town Car in cream with vinyl delete – only one I’ve ever seen. It was the back-up car, the President used an ’83 with all the gee-gaws.
Whats always missing on those restored old limos are their contemporary radio antennas. Some (all?) had little electric engines to set them out. Cadillac was antenna king of course.
Many GM cars of that era had the antennas embedded in the windshield. My guess is this one is like that too.
Bob
Not to be disrespectful Bob, but Pontiac introduced the embedded antenna in 1969 on the Grans Prix, so it would have been a one year exclusive to Pontiac for 1969. I’m sure that this limo has an electrical retracting antenna on the right front fender, and if the radio is off, the antenna would be retracted.
the windshield antenna was a GM feature – the first installation was in ’69 Grand Prix – but it also didn’t work that great…Pontiac didn’t create it…
You know that all GM cars are designed in the same room, eh?… sometimes sharing ‘clays’…here is 66 Riviera & Tornado and many others in the background
You’d be surprised how many limos and commercial chassis builds were “all business” and without a radio had no need for an antenna.
Now there’s a topic that hasn’t been covered in magazines and websites. Even before AC, limos had specialized heating systems, with unique fans and ducts and registers for the rear compartment. This wasn’t just in custom coachwork; the systems were seen in Dodge and Plymouth limos of the 40s. Was there one company that designed and supplied these pieces to the automakers?
I’ve read about this somewhere before…
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/cold-comfort-history-of-automotive-air-conditioning-part-1-pre-world-war-ii/
That’s a sleek looking car. I think that the rear mounted air scoops became kind of a “limo thing” like the aircraft style doors. GM could have built an intake grille under the backlight but these are just cooler looking. My ’56 hardtop SDV had those scoops also and I loved that little detail. 1969 and ’70 were good years for Cadillacs. I had a ’70 coupe and it was a great driving machine. I’d love to have a limo but I’d look awfully silly driving myself around in it. If I could only do the Lincoln Lawyer thing!
Looks like it’s making a three-pointed turn. If so, it might still be there today, backing up and turning…
You mean like Austin Powers?
LOL!
That’s not a three point turn, it’s coming about to port. All hands stand by.
I’d take this one over a new Escalade any day of the week.
Looks big enough to hold six Andre’ The Giant’s in relative comfort.
Beautiful car, and I do love it without the vinyl roof.
The limo is the next body style to fade away. Everybody knows that there is nobody that is rich riding in the backseat. It’s either a high school prom nite, a batchelor-ette night out or a wedding. Big deal. Noone is impressed. The original intent of the limousine was impress the people who were not in it, not the people who were.
Interesting that you should say that. I lived near Atlantic City for many years, when the casino industry was doing well, and I reached the same conclusion. Back then, fleets of limousines wandered the local roads, transporting people who had given enough money to the casinos back home to lick their wounds, perhaps with the intention of giving those who had not yet done so the impression that such donations endowed the donor with a certain status.
Jerry Seinfeld:
“You know what I never get with the limo? The tinted windows. Is that so people don’t see you? Yeah, what a better way not to have people notice you than taking a thirty foot Cadillac with a TV antenna and a uniformed driver. How discreet. Nobody cares who’s in the limo. You see a limo go by, you know it’s either some rich jerk or fifty prom kids with $1.75 each.”
Alas, a vast luxury ship on a strange angle, prow pointing up and tail down, the rich on board resigned to their fate with last brandy in hand, the captain twirling stoically but uselessly at the helm, the orchestra finally slid off into the green.
(Btw, this is a first for CC – a jammed-broadside curbside-to-curbside Curbside).
Huge yet slim and sleek. 500 cubes. Beautiful cars at the pinnacle of their elegance. Cadillac slid after this…. Lincoln held on for a few more. But the era is as gone as the Roman Empire.wistfully nostalgic though it is.
Actually the 500 cubic inch engine’s didn’t arrive on the non-Eldorado Cadillac’s until 1975, this would have the high compression 472 cubic inch engine.
For some reason, this reminds me of the one impaled on a crane in a ‘Dirty Harry’ movie!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Take a close look at the license plate.
The headline?