1947 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood Imperial Sedan

Lot details
Registration No: 710 UXV
Chassis No: 3423194
Mot Expiry: Exempt

- Understood to have belonged to a doctor in the USA for many years

- Imported to the UK in 2006

- Part of a private collection sice 2014.

While dwelt in the USA, this truly gorgeous period Caddy is understood to have belonged to a doctor for many years. It was imported to the UK in 2006 and became part of a private collection in 2014. At some stage it was treated to what is self-evidently a very high quality restoration. It is finished in a lustrous shade of Deep Silver and trimmed in a mix of Black hide (front) and Grey cloth (rear). Power is supplied by a 5.7-litre L-head Monobloc V8 engine driving through a four-speed Hydramatic transmission. The vendor considers the six-light Limousine bodywork, paintwork, interior trim, engine and gearbox to all be in 'very good' order. A treat for all lovers of Americana.

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.

Cadillac's full size 70 (short wheelbase) and 75 (long wheelbase) Series cars were produced from 1936 right through to 1987. The third generation version of 1941-1949 emanated from the prolific pen of Harley Earl and was Cadillac's largest offering of the time. For 1947 it was available in five different configurations, of which the two so-called Imperial variants had jump seats that allowed either seven or nine occupants to be accommodated - the sale car is a seven-seater example. At nearly 19 feet in length, the Cadillac 75 is a major presence even by American standards.