Cadillac Sixty Special

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Cadillac Sixty Special
Manufacturer: General Motors
Production: 19381993
Successor: Cadillac DeVille Concours
Class: Large luxury car

The Sixty Special name has been used at Cadillac to denote a special model since the 1938 Bill Mitchell-designed Series 60 derivative. Though the Series 60 was replaced by the Series 61 in 1941, the Series Sixty name continued for decades.

Contents

[edit] 1938

Series 60 Special
Production: 19381940
Engine:
346 in³ Monobloc V8
Wheelbase: 127 in
Related: Cadillac Series 60

A special version of the Series 60, named the Sixty Special, was produced from 1938 through 1941. It was an upscale Series 60 with a low ride height. New features included an integrated trunk, a lack of side running boards, and four front-hinged doors. It rode on an extra-long 127 in wheelbase. This model continued through 1941, and though a 1942 model was planned it was never produced. Each year marked another Mitchell update to the look, and each is highly prized.

[edit] 1941-1942

Sixty Special Fleetwood
Production: 19411942
Engine: 346 in³ Monobloc V8
Wheelbase: 127 in
133 in ('42)

Many consider the 1941 Sixty Special Fleetwood to be the best Cadillac design ever. It used the 126 in wheelbase and was powered by the same 346 in³ Cadillac V8 as the rest of the line.

The wheelbase was stretched to 133 in for the short 1942 model year. This time, the special was less special, with just exterior chrome accents to differentiate it. Just 1,875 were sold that year.

[edit] 1946-1958

Sixty Special Fleetwood
Production: 19461950
Engine: 346 in³ Monobloc V8
330 in³ OHV V8
Wheelbase: 128 in
Related: Cadillac Series 62
Sixty Special Fleetwood
Production: 19511953
Engine: 330 in³ OHV V8
Related: Cadillac Series 62
Sixty Special Fleetwood
Production: 19541958
Engine: 330 in³ OHV V8
365 in³ OHV V8
Wheelbase: 133 in
Related: Cadillac Series 62

The Sixty Special Fleetwood returned after the war in 1946. This time, it was similar to the C-body Series 62, though with a 2 in stretch to the cabin and doors. More chrome (on the C-pillar this time) denoted the special model.

The Sixty Special Fleetwood continued in the line through the 1950s as a stretched version of the 62. It got the new Cadillac OHV V8 in 1949. The wheelbase was dropped to 130 in for 1951 and brought back up to 133 in for 1954.

[edit] 1959-1960

Sixty Special Fleetwood
Production: 19591960
Engine: 390 in³ OHV V8
Related: Cadillac DeVille

For 1959 and 1960, the Sixty Special shared the wheelbase with all rest sedans. This was the last year that the Sixty Special badge appeared on the vehicle, from then on they were Fleetwoods.

[edit] 1961

In 1961, the Sixty Special name was retired as a model. Though the Cadillac catalog called the Fleetwood sedan the Fleetwood Sixty Special, there was no badge to reflect this.

[edit] Sixty Special

Fleetwood Sixty-Special
Production: 19651971
Engine: 429 in³ OHV V8
472 in³ OHV V8

The Sixty Special name returned as an independent model from 1965 until 1971. During this time, the Fleetwood name was used on base model cars and the Fleetwood Brougham name on top of the line models.

Sixty Special again became a trim line of the Fleetwood line in 1977.

[edit] 1993

Sixty Special
Production: 1993
Engine: 4.9 L L26 HT-4900 V8
Related: Cadillac DeVille

The Sixty Special returned in 1987 as a trim level on the front wheel drive Fleetwood. The 1987 & 1988 Sixty Specials were custom-crafted cars featuring a six-inch stretch over the de Ville on which they were based. The additional six inches increased the rear seat leg room by an equal amount. They were akin to "Mini~Limousines" that could be owner driven or chauffeur driven. The Sixty Special returned as a model name for 1993-only. When the Fleetwood name supplanted Brougham on the large rear wheel drive Caddys, the model that had been the Fleetwood (which was really just a variant of the Sedan DeVille) was renamed Sixty Special.

This model was visually differentiated by the spats (or fender skirts) over the rear wheels. Under the hood, it received the speed-sensitive steering, suspension, and traction control that were optional on De Villes. Inside, French-stitched leather (optional) covered six-way power seats. Only 5,292 1993 Sixty Specials were produced; all were sedans. There was an optional interior trim package, called "ULTRA" that included the special Italian leather 22-way heated seating, as had been available in the 1989-1992 Front wheel drive Fleetwood "C"-body. 688 of the 5,292 Sixty Specials were ordered with the ULTRA interior, at $3,550.00 additional charge. The 1993 Sixty Specials were the 55th anniversary and end of the luxury nameplate. The 5,292 were built thusly:- 03 Pink / 59 Dark Plum / 110 Light Blue / 206 Charcoal-Bronze / 226 Medium Gray / 228 Red / 250 Silver / 310 Medium Blue / 326 Rose-Gray / 445 Maroon / 477 Light Beige / 518 Medium Green / 578 Black / 707 Navy Blue / 849 White. #

Engine:

  • 4.9 L L26 HT-4900 V8, 200 hp (149 kW) and 275  ft·lbff (373 N·m)


Cadillac road car timeline, 1930s-present - [edit]
Type 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Entry-level 60 61 WWII 61 Cimarron BLS
355 70/80 62 Series 62 6200 Calais Catera CTS
Mid-sized Seville STS
Full-size Coupe de Ville/Sedan DeVille DTS
60S Sixty Special Fleetwood Flwd60S Fleetwood Fleetwood
Limousine 355 72/75/85 Series 75 6700 Fleetwood 75 FL FB Brougham
Personal Luxury Eldorado
Crossover BRX
SRX
SUV Escalade
Roadster Allanté XLR
Halo V-16 Brougham