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LOT 3104
Desirable Untouched 1950 Cadillac Series 61 Hardtop Club Coupe, A True Survivor of the Golden Age of the American Automobile - In 1948, Cadillac had made their first major design changes to the Series 61 and 62 lines of cars in the post-war era, truly bringing them into the “Golden Age” of American Automobiles. These changes included tail fins reminiscent of the Lockheed P-38 fighter aircraft, one of
the most unique of the war, the large iconic “eggcrate” grille, and a massive chrome bumper which curved around the fenders. From 1948 through 1949, both the 61 and 62 Series were on the same General Motors C-Body platform, making them very similar. In 1949, Cadillac focused on engineering changes rather than design, introducing their new overhead valve, 331 cubic inch V8 which produced 160 horsepower. In 1950, Cadillac made more design changes including moving the Series 61 back to the shorter B-Body, lower
and more sleek contours with a long rear deck, sweeping front fenders, and a “broken” rear fender line with imitation air slots. Along with these design changes, Cadillac had two Series 61 cars entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans by American sportsman, Briggs Cunningham, who was one of the first Americans to
enter the race in 21 years along with his team of drivers. One of the cars featured a five barrel carburetor induction system and a very unique aerodynamic body design that led French spectators to nickname it “Le Monstre”, while the other car remained virtually stock, receiving the nickname, “Petit Pataud”, or “Little Puppy”. Despite it’s harmless nickname, the Little Puppy finished 10th overall, a very respectable showing, just in front of “Le Monstre”. While not a Le Mans racecar, this 1950 Cadillac Series 61 Club Coupe is a true survivor, still sporting it’s original paint and interior. With links to the Le Mans adventure of the same year, this example sports the original paint, in the color termed “French Gray”, while the hard top is finished in original “Vista Gray”, both part of paint color combination no. 15. The original interior is trim code no. 31, which is “gray whale cord and gray plain cloth”. For optional equipment, it sports a heater, displayed on the vehicle information plate as “K”.
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