Cadillac Series 62 Sedan

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Named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine de Cadillac (founder of Detroit, Michigan in 1701), the Cadillac has always been America's premier automotive brand, enjoying the same reputation for engineering excellence that we once reserved for Rolls-Royce.

Cadillac's so-called Golden Age was in the late 1940s and 1950s when, under the inspired eye of styling chief Harley J Earl, the cars achieved a peak of baroque magnificence that has never been equalled to this day. Tailfins and wraparound windshields were key features of the design, inspired by a trip Earl made to study the Lockheed P-38 Lightning Interceptor.

The increasingly complicated front bumper grille and bumper assembly was also crucial to the look, starting out with artillery shell overriders just after the war, which had grown into highly suggestive 'Dagmars' by the 1950s, named after a particularly well-endowed pin-up of the time!

Top of Cadillac’s range were the full-size Series 62 cars which came in two-door Coupe, two-door Convertible and four-door Sedan versions. Featuring low and sleek ‘torpedo’ style bodies by Fisher, they simply exuded ‘get outta my way’ road presence and were the cars that every American on the make aspired to.

By the 1949 season the cars were still relatively restrained with streamlined rear wheelarch pods topped with pert little tailfins that had yet to grow into the soaring monstrosities of the late-1950s. Although Cadillac emphasised the smoothness and luxury of the car above its outright performance, it still packed a hefty punch from its 331ci (5.4-litre) V8 and could make rapid progress on most types of road thanks to its superb build quality and basic but effective suspension. To prove the point, a pair of Cadillac Series 62 cars finished 10th and 11th at the 1950 Le Mans 24-Hour Race, one a stock-bodied two-door Coupe and one a specially prepared roadster.

This 1949 four-door Sedan was imported from America in late 1989 and was bought by the current owner shortly after it had landed in January 1990. He used the car regularly until 1992 but then fell ill and the car has been in storage ever since, although it has been periodically started and moved to keep everything free. Last run about four years ago, it will now need recommissioning before being put back into use.

It comes with a couple of old MOTs from the early 1990s, a Minnesota Certificate of Title from 1988 and a valid UK V5 registration document. Said to remain in very good condition cosmetically, with a particularly fine interior, it looks like a huge amount of car at the modest guide price suggested and could no doubt earn a good living in the booming ‘school prom car’ market.