Two Sundays ago, a companion and I had brunch in Lakeview directly across from Wrigley Field during the day of an early evening home game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals (Cubs won, 15-3). It was an uncharacteristically warm and sunny afternoon during the first Sunday of May, and people’s excitement for the warm weather was visible and audible through many smiles and festive banter. Many establishments had their windows wide open, as is often the case when the outdoor temperatures in Chicago are at the comfortable sweet-spot between being warm enough to let in fresh air, and yet not too hot as to mandate air conditioning.
The two of us were seated in the second-story eating area of Dutch & Doc’s, a new restaurant in the Wrigleyville area, at the table nearest the windows directly overlooking the iconic intersection of Clark & Addison. It was from this vantage point that I was able to easily spot four classic vehicles that passed by, the first of which was our featured, classic Cadillac – complete with hood-mounted bull horns.
A second-generation Toyota Cressida (X60) in front of the former Starbucks and with Goose Island Brewery in the background, both of which have since been demolished. 1023 W. Addison St. Sunday, February 26, 2012.
So much has changed in this area since I moved to this city more than fifteen years ago. Even within the past couple of years, it seems like so many familiar buildings that had housed cherished institutions have been leveled, permanently changing the landscape of this area. Local places like the Salt & Pepper Diner, the original Sports Corner Bar & Grill, the Taco Bell and McDonald’s fast food spots across from Wrigley Field, Goose Island Brewery, and even the Starbucks and 7-Eleven have all been demolished, with the qualifier that the Sports Corner was rebuilt in 2010 into a newer, larger facility.
1978 – ’81 BMW 3-Series (E21) Baur TopCabriolet in front of the former 7-Eleven, also since demolished. 3554 N. Sheffield Ave. Saturday, January 15, 2011.
The flavor of Wrigleyville has exchanged much of its old-school-Chicago persona for that of a more family-friendly destination for year-round entertainment and mid- to upscale recreation. Some have likened it to “Disnification”. I was reluctant to like this new restaurant, as I saw it as being part of this new order, but I ended up really enjoying the visit, ambiance, great food, and the all-around positive energy in the air that day.
The southern, Addison-facing outside of Wrigley Field. Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois. Tuesday, June 16, 2015.
We also had a good view of Wrigley Field itself, and my companion, a veteran Chicago concierge of many years, pointed out the newly renovated suites and premium seating areas toward the top of the stadium, above the vintage, red-and-white “WRIGLEY FIELD – HOME OF CHICAGO CUBS” sign. This made me think of how nice it was to see reminders that even with this much change in the area, many things remain the same, as a meaningful tie-in to an illustrious past.
This ’67 DeVille convertible served very effectively as a personal metaphor for this. I must confess that the hood-mounted bull horns are not my favorite automotive accessory. Apart from the white ’70 DeVille convertible driven by late actor Sorrell Booke’s character of Boss Hogg on “The Dukes Of Hazzard” (one of my absolute favorite shows from childhood), the horns always make these cars seem a little on the lowbrow side, but perhaps within the context of many wealthy cattle ranchers who preferred Cadillacs, this trend makes a bit more sense. (For the record, I have never seen any Lincoln in the wild adorned with the bull horns though, yes, pictures do exist on the internet.) Twenty-two inch dubs, bull horns, custom paint, etc. – people have the right to trick out their cars the way they like, and I salute them.
This powder-blue beauty is one of just over 18,000 DeVille convertibles produced for 1967. Not that this is a truly meaningful comparison (as Cadillac offers no drop-tops in 2019), but this figure is about 12% of total Cadillac Division output for all of 2018 (roughly 154,000 units). Back in ’67, sales of the DeVille convertible accounted for just 9% of 196,000 total Cadillac sales that year (not counting the Seventy-Five model sedans and limos). As has been discussed here at Curbside Classic at great length, the automotive landscape has changed plenty within even just the past five years, with a snowballing shift in buyer preference from traditional passenger cars to SUVs and crossovers, even among the luxury makes. This seems to echo the sea change I’ve witnessed in Wrigleyville, even within the time this native Michigander has considered himself a Chicagoan.
As for the area around Wrigley Field, and also as I had referenced in my recent essay on an ’81 Corvette, it has been reinforced within me lately that it’s okay (necessary, really) to embrace change. Doing so doesn’t mean forsaking the past or memories of it. As I looked at many families enjoying both the delicious food at our restaurant, as well as taking in the sights and sounds of people walking along the sidewalks, I thought to myself that what the young kids were witnessing that day will likely, at some point, turn into their memories of what they will consider to be “old school Chicago”. I’m glad this classic Cadillac was here to be a part of that.
Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois.
Sunday, May 5, 2019.
Cinco de Mayo.
Love the photos of people obviously enjoying one of my favorite times of the year, underscored by a couple driving with the top down in an unashamedly American automobile. Having grown up in a warmer climate, the first signs of spring always seem to reenergize me.
I have to admit I didn’t realize that the Cadillac division’s total sales in 2018 were so much lower than they were in 1970 (down by approximately one-third). It becomes even more revealing when you also take into account that the overall market is much larger today, and only about 20% to 25% of Cadillac’s 2018 production consisted of actual cars. SUVs and crossovers make up the majority of production today.
“Reenergized” is the perfect word to describe spring’s effect on me. I love summer, but I’m honestly in no hurry to get there. Nothing beats leaving your windows open twenty-four / seven.
About Cadillac’s current production numbers versus back then, I realize I completely botched the model years I referenced in that paragraph. It only goes to show that even though at some point one has to stop editing a piece and consider it done, sometimes the last edit is key.
I’ll have to amend the text to reference 1967 and not 1970. The newer year was stuck in my head after making my Boss Hogg reference.
Nice essay, Joseph. That Caddy is a classic, and while the horns aren’t my thing either, that guy is clearly in Hogg heaven cruising around in his old boat, which I salute.
I’ve only been to Chicago once, and it was just for a night. I keep promising myself I’m going to come out and do the Ferris Bueller tour, or my best approximation of it. Seeing a game at Wrigley is on the bucket list. I did get to a game at Fenway some years ago, and the old stadiums have a classic charm, just like the old Caddy here.
Thanks, Scott. “Ferris Bueller” is usually one of the first things that comes to my mind when being in Wrigleyville on a game day.
Those bullhorns are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
That was my first thought. Second though was ‘But are they a heritage thing, like fuzzy dice, a Texas tradition or something?’ Pretty sure I remember seeing them in comics as a kid.
I speak from experience. A friend had a 1970 twin to this 67 right down to the bullhorns. While stopped at a red light a pedestrian in a crosswalk got her sweater caught on one of the horns and fell, causing injury. There was a lawsuit and a substantial settlement.
Yes, I could do without the horns out front (and without the wire wheel covers that appear to be out of the late 70s). I am, however, a fan of the 67-68 Cadillac. While the interiors began a long downward spiral they are at least OK and the outside styling is pure Cadillac.
Every once in awhile I resist the urge to add one of these to my automotive experiences. I have decided that my garage is not really configured for a car this massive so this helps. But I can still admire.
Joseph: Thank you for your insight about the area; I’ve not been there for over 20 years but once knew it well from attending many (day) games.
The big flower planters serving as bollards and the TSA type scanners out front tell me a lot about the change in our culture.
I used to easily park on the street in a residential block west of Wrigley for weekday afternoon games. A game might have drawn 8 or 10 thousand people – but often fewer. Sometimes the upper deck was closed. The neighborhood was gritty and urban and a Cubs game was no big deal.
The last time I drove there was in my ’89 Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi) hatchback. I was rear ended at a four way stop sign by a guy with no insurance, no driver’s license, no English. After that I took the “El” to games.
Wow… what a way to go. Glad you lived to tell about it (and that you weren’t in a Pinto). It is very convenient to take the Red Line to a game. The only tricky part is at the end of a work day, when I’m returning to my neighborhood (north of the Addison stop), and the trains are packed during an evening home game.
I do miss the grit that was in this area even when I moved here back in the early Aughts. Much of it is gone, but I also feel completely safe most of the time.
I actually kind of like the bull horns. I mean, they’re definitely not something I’d ever put on a vehicle I owned, but they are very much a piece of Americana, and I like them for that reason. Kind of like how a set of kitschy 1950s curtains with a corn pattern on them hanging in the kitchen (a la Marge Simpson) might not be the height of style and good taste, but they still have a certain fun charm to them.
I remember when that alley in the last photo was a parking lot outside of Wrigley Field. You parked and left your keys in the car so they could move them all around to let people out at the end. Great shots!
Joseph, I never tire of your prose, pics, and vintage popular culture references. Reading your latest took me back to 1987 and NBC-TV’s short-lived J.J. STARBUCK series starring Dale Robertson. I think CC readers might enjoy seeing Dale’s Lincoln convertible featured prominently in YouTube’s clip “NBC Promo J.J. Starbuck 1987.” Sadly, I’m not smart enough to attach it. Would you do that little thing for me? The only reason I even know about this show is because I’m a San Antonio boy, and much of the pilot episode was shot here. I was one of the 12 or so people who watched it when it originally aired.
Norbert, thank you so much. I just watched the promo you referenced, and I’ve never heard of this show before! I also like how this debunks my theory that the bull horns were for Cadillacs only and not for Lincolns!
This discussion on longhorn cars got me looking. I remembered seeing pictures of the 1947 Chrysler Town & Country owned by Leo Carillo (who starred as Pancho in The Cisco Kid) which kept the steer’s head attached to the horns.
I also saw a picture of Alan Ladd with a 1930 Cadillac V-16 with longhorns mounted to the radiator. I guess this was a longtime thing.
Thanks, everyone, for reading and chiming in with your own thoughts about classic Cadillacs, bull horns, and the area around Wrigley Field. I’m glad I caught my model year blunder in the second-to-last paragraph before I called it a night.
It’s beautiful outside, so I think I’m going to actually leave my house and sit by Lake Michigan. Who knows? Perhaps another Curbside Classic will come rolling down North Sheridan Road.
Nobody even notices it without the horns!
67’s 62 California cousin