This Cadillac is a proven tourer and frequent show car! This Cadillac was featured at Pebble Beach Concours after restoration in 1994. It has been extensively toured across Europe and North America! The Gear vendor overdrive is a plus that makes this Cadillac ready for long distance. Truly a gem and one to add to an active collection! Down to the final minutes, don't miss out!
We're down to the final few hours with this remarkable 1939 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood Convertible Coupe.
Over the past week we've talked about the rarity, the Fleetwood coachwork, the award-winning restoration, the massive 141.3-inch chassis, and some of the wonderfully clever details that make this Cadillac so special.
But ultimately, cars like this aren't about specifications on a page. They're about the experience.
Nearly 19 feet of prewar Cadillac. Top down. That long hood stretched out in front of you. The smooth 346ci V8 pulling you down the road. And the realization that you're behind the wheel of one of just 27 originally built.
For those who have been watching from the sidelines, we're entering the part of the auction where it gets interesting.
We're here and available for any last-minute questions, photos, calls, or information anyone needs to bid with confidence.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along. Let's bring this beautiful Cadillac home!
It's fitting that as some of the world's great automobiles gather at Pebble Beach today, we're entering the final day with this remarkable piece of prewar American motoring.
Just 27 Series 75 Convertible Coupes were built for 1939, with only a handful believed to survive. Fleetwood coachwork, a 141.3-inch wheelbase, Cadillac's 346ci V8, CCCA Premier Senior honors—and nearly 19 feet of Art Deco-era presence.
We've enjoyed sharing some of the history, details, and driving experience of this Cadillac over the past week. Tomorrow, one more chapter begins when its next caretaker takes the wheel.
We'll be here through the finish to answer questions, provide additional photos or information, and help however we can.
Good luck to everyone watching and participating. Let's have some fun in the final 24 hours!
With just a couple of days remaining, we thought we'd share three things to know about owning a prewar Cadillac like this one:
1. It's more usable than you might think.Yes, it's 87 years old—but this was serious transportation in its day. The 346ci V8 provides plenty of torque, and the enormous 141.3-inch wheelbase makes cruising surprisingly comfortable. This car's added overdrive makes it even more enjoyable when the road opens up. It's a car you can actually drive, not simply admire.
2. You become a caretaker of something genuinely rare.Cadillac built just 27 Series 75 Convertible Coupes for 1939, and only a handful are believed to survive. At some point, ownership becomes less about having another old car and more about preserving a small piece of American automotive history for whoever comes next.
3. It changes the experience of going anywhere.You don't anonymously run to breakfast in a 1939 Fleetwood Convertible. People stop. They ask questions. Kids point. Other enthusiasts want to know what it is. And with the top down, that big V8 humming along and what seems like an acre of hood stretched out in front of you, even an ordinary drive becomes an occasion.
That's ultimately what cars like this are about. You can study the rarity, awards, history and specifications—and those things certainly matter.
But eventually you have to put the top down and drive it.
Oh, and bonus tip: at just over 19' in length, it's about the same length as a full-size SUV like the Cadillac Escalade... which means this Coupe fits in most garages.
With this auction running through this weekend, which happens to be same time as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it's entirely fitting that Mr. John Milliken of Westlake Village completed the restoration of this Cadillac in 1994 and showed it at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance that same year.
An award winning car, incredibly rare, and ready for its next caretaker.
We look forward to your continued questions and comments throughout the weekend on this beautiful Cadillac.
One of our favorite little details on this Cadillac is something you could easily overlook: the flip-down glass rear window in the convertible top, as seen in photo #147.
Even back in 1939, Cadillac wanted the clarity and durability of a real glass rear window, but glass obviously doesn't fold when you put the top down. Their solution was beautifully simple: the rear glass hinges down independently, allowing the convertible top to fold around it.
Sometimes the smallest features tell you the most about how thoughtfully these cars were designed.
It's such a clever piece of old-school engineering, and exactly the kind of detail that makes spending time around such a rare and timeless automobile so interesting.
@Jagbuxx Great question, and you're correct on the color code differences. We don't currently have much in the way of records, but we're working to see if we can get anything from the restoration.
@safarilang Check photo 75, that area has received a touch up. There are a couple of small nicks present that we would considered to be consistent with driving/touring.
Check out the driving experience in this beautiful Cadillac. The 346ci V8 delivers smooth, effortless power while the massive 141.3-inch wheelbase gives it that unmistakable big prewar Cadillac ride.
Top down, wind in your hair, floating down the road. This is one of those cars where the experience from behind the wheel may be even better than admiring it from across the parking lot.
@Ranchero65 Very astute and appropriately named! This example definitely falls into the late Art Deco/Streamline Moderne styling with the sweeping lines throughout the styling.
Cadillac definitely understood the assignment with these as post-Depression and pre-war luxury motorcars. Gorgeous... or, shall I say handsome (nod to Art)... in presentation.
Here's an interesting bit of perspective on the rarity here:
Cadillac produced 2,069 Series 75s across all body styles for 1939. Just 27 were Convertible Coupes like this one, and only five are believed to survive today. That's roughly 1.3% of Series 75 production.
To put the rarity into perspective: You can attend an awful lot of major concours, Cadillac gatherings, and collector-car auctions without ever seeing another one in person.
Some cars fill a space in a collection. This one punctuates it.
