Classic Cadillacs of the 50s

The Cadillacs of the 1950s were some of the most significant for the brand in terms of style and luxury. General Motors kicked off the decade with its Mid Century Motorama event in New York City, which included the Cadillac Debutante as a featured car. The Debutante was an over-the-top luxurious concept car with leopard skin upholstery and 24-karat gold instrument panels. It cost a whopping $35,000 but never made it to production.

Nevertheless, Cadillac enjoyed huge popularity in this decade as it was named the best looking and best value for luxury models. The brand celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1952, and this was also the model year that GM added power steering to the Cadillac lineup. Many vintage Cadillac parts can be transferred across models as they used the same engines and various other parts.

1950 - 1959 Series 60: The Sixty Special

The Sixty Special is arguably one of the most recognizable Cadillac models. The exterior design was almost exactly the same as the Series 62, which was also less expensive, but the interior design was opulent beyond any other Cadillac of the time. The standard engine was a 331 cubic inch 5.4-liter V8 through most of the 50s model years. Between 1954 and 1956, a 365 cubic inch 6.0-liter V8 was also available, and that became the standard engine between 1957 and 1958. The final engine of the 50s was the 390 cubic inch 6.4-liter V8 that became standard in 1959. 

1950 - 1951 Series 61

The Series 61 Cadillac for the 50s was part of the fourth generation that began in 1948. It still had a strong vintage look and came in both a two-door coupe and four-door sedan layout. Like other Cadillacs of this time period, it came with the 331 cubic inch 5.4-liter V8, but a 346 cubic inch 5.7-liter V8 was also available. The Series 61 underwent an extensive styling refresh for 1950, which made it look similar to rival Chrysler models like the Imperial and New Yorker. The 1951 model year was the last one for this classic Cadillac that had been in production since 1939.

1950 - 1959 Series 62 to Series 6200

The Series 62 started in 1940 and went through 1964. The nameplate was changed in 1959 to the Series 6200. The 1950s covered part of the third generation, all of the fourth and fifth, and part of the sixth. The previously mentioned 5.7-liter and 5.4-liter V8 engines were the main engines until the fourth generation when the 6.0-liter became available. That was the main engine through the fifth generation until it was replaced in the sixth generation by the 6.4-liter V8. The Series 62 was known for its wide variety of available layouts, including two and four-door designs, and a convertible. The Eldorado limited edition was introduced at the end of the third generation and eventually became its own nameplate.

1954 - 1959 Eldorado

The Cadillac Eldorado evolved into its own nameplate after originating as a limited edition of the Series 62. It stayed in production for 12 generations through 2002. The first generation was in 1953 only as a two-door convertible layout with the standard 5.4-liter V8 of the time. The second generation lasted from 1954 to 1956, and it added a two-door hardtop version as well as the larger 6.0-liter V8. The third generation began in 1957 and saw a redesigned Eldorado that now included a four-door hardtop called the Series 70. The 6.0-liter V8 was the only engine for this generation. In 1959, the fourth generation of the Eldorado started and debuted a bigger V8 in the 6.4-liter as well as a changed name to the Series 6200. 

1957 - 1959 Series 70 Eldorado Brougham

The Series 70 Eldorado Brougham evolved out of the Eldorado as a distinct model that was announced in late 1956 and released in 1957. It was a hand-built, four-door luxury car that cost twice as much as any other Eldorado model from 1957. It also had a higher price tag than rival ultra-luxury cars like the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and the Continental Mark II. It only lasted three years with 1959 being the last year. The Eldorado Brougham came in a dizzying array of 44 trim combinations and 15 unique paint colors. 

1950 - 1958 Series 75

The Series 75 Cadillac was all-new for 1950, and it reflected the typical postwar styling of other Cadillac models that started in 1948. Before the 1950 redesign, the Series 75 had kept its prewar design that began in 1941. As with other Cadillac models, the 75 had the 5.4-liter V8 at this time, which it kept until the 6.0-liter came into use in 1956. The last Series 75 of the 50s was part of the seventh generation, which started in 1959. It included the 6.4-liter V8 and was renamed the 6700. The Series 75 came in both four-door sedan and four-door limousine layouts during its run in the 1950s. 

Where To Find Old Cadillac Parts For Sale

Finding classic Cadillac restoration parts for any of the models mentioned is a cinch with the wide selection of automobile restoration supplies and auto restoration parts available at Collectors Auto Supply. Find the classic Cadillac parts you need quickly by entering the year, make, and model on our website.