Lot details
Registration No: RAS 276
Chassis No: 59R111927
Mot Expiry: T.B.A.

The Fleetwood Metal Body Company was founded in 1909 in Pennsylvania and quickly earned an enviable reputation for producing top-tier bodies on the upmarket chassis of the day for royalty, American presidents and screen stars alike. The business was acquired by Fisher Body in 1925 and thereby subsumed into the giant General Motors combine in 1929. For some years Fleetwood continued to manufacture bespoke bodies - in particular for Cadillac - but the name was eventually adopted for the high end versions of that company's regular model range.

Arguably the best and certainly the most ostentatious example of the Cadillac Fleetwood brand was the Series 6700 '75' from 1959. Penned by Bill Mitchell, it was surely the ultimate expression of the legendary Harley Earl's jet plane-inspired design, and sported enormous, sharp tail fins, bullet-shaped rear light clusters, jewel-patterned radiator grille and a distinctive roof supported by ultra slim-line pillars. It was powered by a 390ci (6.4-litre) OHV V8 engine mated to a four-speed Hydramatic transmission. There was the choice of Sedan or Limousine versions (the latter featuring a moveable glass division). Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, two-speed wipers, windscreen washers, twin reversing lights, wheel trims and dual exterior mirrors. At over 20ft long, 6.7ft wide and weighing in at 2.2 tons, this motorcar had almost unrivalled presence

Total Fleetwood 75 Sedan production for 1959 has been estimated at just 690 cars. Believed unique in the UK, 'RAS 276' is among a small number of known survivors worldwide. This stunning item of automotive art is finished in White over Pink and trimmed in Cream with Salmon Pink piping. The vendor currently classifies the bodywork, paintwork, interior trim, V8 engine and automatic transmission as all being in "very good" order. The odometer currently displays an unwarranted 48,887 miles.