1951 Cadillac Fleetwood An Interview with an aging Film Star

I visited Crest Cadillac to look at a 1951 Cadillac Fleetwood today.  Like visiting an aging Film Star, this Cadillac frankly still has it going on.

1951 Cadillac Fleetwood

The power plant is the famous Cadillac 331 cubic inch OHV V8. This engine first arrived in 1949 and was a breakthrough engine for its time. In 1951 trim it produced160 hp gross, and perhaps 133 hp net.  The Fleetwood could go over 100 mph new.

Cadillac Identification Plate

This example appears to be a Series 60 Special Fleetwood.   The body tag matches and it has the 8 vertical chrome louvers ahead of the rear wheels that mark the Sixty Special Fleetwood.  Compared to the Series 61, the Series 60 Special Fleetwood had a 4″ longer wheelbase, at 130 inches, and looked longer and lower.  The body of this Cadillac was made by Fleetwood the coach builder.

It is hard to describe in pictures, but the body of this Cadillac is truly enchanting.  It suggests luxury, opulence, the urgency of the jet age and restrained power all at once.

1951 Cadillac Fleetwood Interior

Air conditioning was still an add-on at this point of automobile development, not yet integrated into the dash.  That’s a “Fleetwood” script emblem on the dash above the AM radio.  That emblem served as a constant reminder to the lucky Owner that he or she was piloting one of the finest automobiles available.

1951 Cadillac Fleetwood front grill

1951 Cadillac Fleetwood Tailfin

It is frustrating to capture styling details alone and not have a way to suggest the majesty and art of the sum of the parts.  This Cadillac has very consistent themes, and I felt a great community with those owners in 1951 when they set eyes on this car on Cadillac showrooms and got out their checkbooks.

This Cadillac is for sale. For information about this car please contact Crest Cadillac of Plano, Texas.  They are located at 2701 North Central Expressway, Plano, Texas.  You can contact them by phone Toll-free at 1-866-697-9144 or locally at (972)578-7511, or on Twitter or Facebook

Please let them know you saw the Fleetwood here on CaddyInfo, so they call me to visit other models!

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe — Get Ready Dealers!

Cadillac held a regional Sales Meeting this morning for Metroplex Cadillac Dealer Sales Staff at the Four Seasons Dallas in Las Colinas, where the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament is underway.  Although it appeared overcast, the weather held off during the meeting.  Hopefully they will have good weather for the tournament.

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

Due to sensitivity at the Tournament, cameras and cell phones were limited on the grounds.

The meeting started with a plentiful breakfast buffet.  Four Seasons makes a wonderful venue for meetings not just due to the Golf.  The Traffic control heading in to the event, Security Staff, and Service were all spot on.  Attendees received Cadillac wreath & crest lapel pins, Cadillac baseball hats, and CTS Coupe wall posters.  The Event appeared to be well attended by DFW Cadillac Sales personnel.

The focus of the presentation was the soon to be released 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe and V-Series Coupe.  Production will begin in June, and we should see these in Showrooms in August.  Please contact your local Cadillac Dealer for exact details and possibly an invitation to the CTS Coupe premiere event at your local Dealer.   Cadillac focused on the anticipated competition for the CTS Coupe, relative sales, and indirectly targets for Texas Cadillac CTS Coupe Sales.  The latest CTS and CTS-V commercials were also shown.

The discussion also included attitude.  The intended Cadillac Sales attitude might be summed up as: “We are passionate stewards for Cadillac, helping Customers celebrate their success“.  Often times it is the small but thoughtful things, going the extra 10 yards, that makes the difference in how we all perceive Customer Service.  I am glad that Cadillac recognizes and is focused on achieving great Customer Service at ALL of their Dealers.

Cadillac will be ‘bringing the heat’ this summer with 60 month 0% interest and favorable lease terms on the CTS Family.

After a nice stroll to the Cadillac display area, a Cadillac Trainer detailed the features of a production CTS Coupe, the example shown a CTS Coupe Performance Model, with 3.6L engine.  Cadillac has all the current models on display for the tournament, but brought in the CTS Coupe for the Sales Discussion.  The Trainer also mentioned that the CTS Coupe online training is now available for Cadillac Sales Staff.

The Sales Event was well planned, the Venue was excellent, and everything went well.  I have been consistently impressed with Cadillac Events.  The CTS Coupe is a very exciting model for Cadillac, and their new advertising and marketing is active and on target.  This continues to be a great time to be a Cadillac Enthusiast.

Crest Cadillac of Plano was my host this morning, along with Cadillac and the Four Seasons Dallas.
I received a Callaway Cadillac golf ball set and golf accessories as a door prize in a raffle, as well
as a Cadillac lapel pin, Cadillac hat, and wall poster.

Test Drive 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Final Thoughts

I drove a 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon from Crest Cadillac in Plano for a weekend test drive review last weekend.  This is a collection of final thoughts, notes, and comments that were not  included in my other review posts.

  • The Sport Wagon is the same size as the Sedan.  I know this empirically, and it drives as the same size, but I think of a Wagon as being longer than the Sedan.  I suppose I am thinking of old, traditional station wagons and not this modern efficient equivalent.
  • The test vehicle had a 20″ Vogue wheel & tire package, and still had a smooth ride, not stiff or harsh.  I like the stainless steel mesh grill from the 1st Generation V-Series as used on the Vogue grill on the test Sport Wagon.
  • The Sport Wagon has all the appointments of the CTS Sedan, including iPod interface in the center console.
  • There is an available backup camera option, although the test vehicle did not have this feature.  I had no problem seeing out of the back of the vehicle when backing, but I like backup cameras as gadgets.
  • The wood trim in the current CTS family on the steering wheel, shift, and along the doors is almost perfect.  My Wife suggested another panel along the glove box would add some additional styling there.
  • My opinion of the 3L+6speed auto power train combo continues to improve, although I would look for the 3.6L V6 or the V-Series variant of the Sport Wagon if price is not the driving factor.

My Host for this test drive was Crest Cadillac of Plano, Texas.  They are located at 2701 North Central Expressway, Plano, Texas.  You can contact them by phone Toll-free at 1-866-697-9144 or locally at (972)578-7511, or on Twitter or Facebook