Yes, you are indeed staring at a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 coupe. Though, it’s certainly not your typical Cadillac, if you couldn’t tell already.
This particular 1953 Cadillac Series 62 is one of two Series 62s to have been massaged by Italian coach builder, Ghia. As the story goes, Ghia ordered two of these American standards to perform some breathtaking sheetmetal sculpting only 1950s Italy could imagine.
The dramatic Ghia design includes unique fender curves, near wraparound windows and long ribs along the side of the vehicle. The decidedly curvaceous body lines are accented in gold-anodized aluminum, drawing the eye in all the right places throughout the car.
The original owner of this particular 1953 Series 62 by Ghia is a mystery, with the only concrete evidence proving its authenticity being its chassis number and a press photo taken by Ghia in Italy at the time of its build.
The showstopper 1953 Cadillac has since been maintained by its current owner in a private collection, with the only signs of wear being the tan-leather interior and minor scratches present on the exterior of the vehicle; not too shabby for a near one-off vehicle with only 32,000 miles on the odometer.
RM Sotheby’s will see off the 1953 Cadillac by Ghia at its Arizona 2016 auction, and we expect a lofty price tag will attach itself to a gorgeous mesh of Italian and American design.
Comments
I wonder if the 2011-2015 CTS Coupe will still be as hot 62 years from now?
I will be dead but I’m going to venture an answer and say Yes!!
You can not compare any production car to these. These were hand made works of art.
Keep in mind there were no aerodynamic to deal with, no crash standards to worry about and no ergonomics to muck up the styling. This is what you get when there are little restrictions.
This is similar to the Hayworth Ghia Cadillac. That one in red is amazing.
I guess.
I’ve never been a big fan of “independent” Ghia designs from the 50s. To me they all look alike, only the chassis on which they were based were different. Plus these particular examples have a lot more Virgil Exner in the design language than Ghia. That and all of the Cadillac based ones sit way to high in the rear; completely ruining the supposed “majesty” of the design.
The Hayworth car is an exception due to the addition of Kelsey Hayes wire wheels and pretty, wide, white wall tires. It also has a noticeable slope toward the rear thanks to either a sagging rear suspension or the owner taking measures to fix the tail-high rake.