There’s much talk in the entertainment world about sequels and prequels; two terms more generally associated with the film industry. But today, I have a prequel of sorts. A few months ago, I posted photos of an Ohio family traveling across the US during the ’60s-’70s in a series of Cadillacs and Airstream trailers. And today’s images do serve as a prequel; featuring the same family back in the ’50s.
This time, there’s no Airstream. But as seen in these photos, their Cadillac days dated to earlier times, as did their fondness for traveling, towing, and leisure.
Gorgeous. If there was ever an aspirational American car, there’s your textbook definition.
Nice Caddy, but the boat is a bit modest for it. They need to upgrade to a bigger Thompson runabout.
Good choice! I restored a 16′ Thompson (built in Cortland NY, 1 hr N of us now) in 1980/81. Big job! Not having learned my lesson we moved up to a mahogany wood carvel-planked ’66 Chris Craft Crusader 30 with twin 318s (pic) a few years later… big mistake! Keeping that ship in proper Bristol shape for a DIYer was not a hobby but a veritable career: scraping, painting, varnishing, yes she was beautiful when refreshed every Spring, but…!
Not to mention the gallons per mile fuel consumption. But it did have gorgeous classic lines, an airy cabin that slept 6, and it sure sounded good under way. 3 years later it was happily sold and now an easy-to-maintain pontoon boat graces our summer camp mooring. Even a powerful ’56 Caddy would not have been able to pull that Crusader, but the Thompson… no sweat!
pic
My grandmother had 56. Wonderful memories of comfortables rides to Boston, pre interstate. At times I would be in the backseat I would go to sleep on the fabulous wool seats with a blanket and pillow she kept in the car. Like sleeping on air while in motion. The attached image is exactly like the one she had, with the exception of the interior. Her’s was a grey material. This one appears to be a light tan.
True story: Back in 1988, I had just started in sales at a Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Honda store in the mid-west. Shortly after starting, an older gentlemen came in looking like he just came out of the field in his worn jeans, dirty work boots and all. Being new, I didn’t know who he was and I noticed all the other sales guys scatter like rats. The sales manager asked me to assist Mr. Arnold B (won’t use full last name). Long story short, I found out that he was well known at the local Cadillac and Lincoln dealers in the area. He was in the logging industry and would drive out buying timber from farmers and land owners. And, he normally drove a Cadillac. I quickly learned that his Cadillac was as dirty and worn as he seemed to be which included his spittoon wedged between the seat and dash for his chew that he often missed when spitting.
All this brings me to why this article made me think of old Arnold. No dealers every wanted his “trades” as they were quite used. Rumor had it that he carried logging chains in his trunk and could be seen hooking logs to his mandatory hitch and puling them with his car.
The “not small”, boat looks like a “raft” behind that big “yacht’.
Thanks for this. The ’56 Sedan de Ville is one of my favorite vintage Cadillacs. This model has had a very strong hold on my imagination since I was a youngster. While I’ll never own another one, I was glad that I got to enjoy my own ’56 for a few years.
-SO- beautiful .
I bet that little boy is dreaming ov driving this Caddy when he grows up .
-Nate
What great photos of Americana! Thanks for the treat.
I prefer the fine ’56 grille, but I’d rather not have the chrome strip atop the rear fenders/lights.
Our ’56 Olds 88 had a leaky power steering gear, which we were told was common, and it was finally replaced with a ’57’s. Did the C bodies have the same problem?
Peak Cadillac! If the car brand went away nowadays and started marketing dish detergent it just wouldn’t matter.