1939 Cadillac Series 61 4-Door Convertible
- Body number 53 of 140 produced.
- Rarely seen low-production model.
- Rare body style.
- Great car to put the whole family in.
By 1939 Cadillac styling, was reaching its peak of the art deco era, which is evident in the clean design of this body style. The Series 61 , new grill style for that year featured a swept back art deco grill, which wraps around the nose of the car, and is flanked by the "catwalk" grills on either side. The hood continues its late thirties styling with a shapely narrow nose that grows toward the rear of the car. The four door convertible was the lowest of all the series 61 that year, with only 140 produced, the top when folded and the center posts removed created a fully open touring experience.
Just out of a climate controlled museum, this 1939 Cadillac offers the combination of a restored car that is not too perfect that you will be afraid to take the car out and enjoy it. Mechanically the car has been recently serviced and tuned. Work includes, a full oil change, new antifreeze, new plugs, ignition tune up, and adjustments to the shift linkage. The exterior paint on the car is good, but does have flaws, which are detailed in the photos, where there is a series of 3 scratches in the front fender, and 2 areas where the paint is chipped or peeled down to the undercoat. Also there are areas of orange peel where they did not final sand and rub the finish. From 5 feet away most of these items are not noticeable. The engine bay is clean and nicely detailed. The underside of the car is clean and rust free, and the chassis is painted, but not highly detailed. The top is still like new, and fitted with the proper original removable side pillars. The dashboard is excellent, and even though it has the opening for the factory radio, one is not fitted. The seats are comfortable and sit well.
Overall this Cadillac is a rare and desirable model that can be used and enjoyed, although the restoration is not up to a concours standard, the car has been priced accordingly with this in mind. With some paint and minor cosmetic work this Series 61 could be freshened back to compete at national meets, or even better yet a car that can be used and enjoyed as is. It still shows as good as it looks in the photos, but in order to provide a fair and proper description I like to fully detail all the flaws in the car.
