The Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Limousine was the type of vehicle that was solely occupied by celebrities, powerful politicians and the uber-wealthy. It hasn’t gotten much more attainable these days, either, as this example is currently for sale at a Charlotte, North Carolina dealership for a jaw-dropping $159,900.
True Fleetwood body Cadillacs like this are hard to come by and thus highly desirable, but even still, we were a bit taken aback to see that this car is priced at $160,000. Just five years ago, RM Sotheby’s auctioned off a 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood seven-passenger limousine with the famous Cadillac V16 engine for just $110,000. Not only was this a highly original vehicle with a numbers-matching V16 powertrain and just 22,000 miles on the clock, it was also previously used by Joseph F. Kennedy Sr.
This car, by comparison, is not even close to as desirable as that ex-Kennedy limousine and is still being sold for significantly more. The Cadillac flathead V8 engine and three-speed manual transmission have been tossed out in favor of a modern-day 5.7L Vortec V8 and four-speed automatic – a combination that is more reliable and more powerful than the original combination, but not nearly as interesting to operate or behold, in our opinion. The frame has also been modified with a 1995 Dodge front clip and Buick roadmaster rear clip, the listing says.
The interior isn’t very original, either, with the front bench seat from a Mercury, aftermarket VDO gauges, a Pioneer head unit and a large, window-shaking subwoofer. One welcome modification, though, is the modern-day air conditioning system, which also has separate controls for the front and rear-seat passengers.
While some buyers will welcome the modifications made to this 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine, we would rather put our money toward a highly original example of one of these rare American luxury cruisers – especially if we’re spending $160,000 on it. Check out the listing at this link for some more information and photos on this heavily modified Cadillac limo.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
It’s quite a car. But I don’t like the modifications done to it. That front bench seat (from a Mercury!) doesn’t go with the car.
The Car really is nice, I would love to see these rollng works of art done to original standards. The 3rd brake light is a real cool touch
First I gotta say the thread title is misleading.
This poor example of its type “COMMANDS” nothing until someone buys it. As for its price, well: “A fool and his money are soon parted”. Someone may buy it someday, but I highly doubt it will be for anything like $159,000.00.
I hate when a vehicle of this rarity and importance is callously transformed into a Hillbilly-Prom-Night-Rental-Special like this one. The same amount of money might have restored it to something resembling its near new state.
I couldn’t agree more with the posts above. For me, this also goes well into the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s cars. It just kills me when I see a beautiful 1977-79 DeVille/Fleetwood/Coupe DeVille that has been “chopped” and lowered. This goes for any brand as I see it as murder of an original car. With that said, I will say that I’ve also thought many times about how great it would be to have an older classic car (for me, nearly any Cadillac or Lincoln from 1972-1985) with a totally modern engine/trans. To have the style and presence of those older cars but with the reliability of a modern car’s electronics/engine/trans would be my dream.
If you have $160,000 to spend on this car, then I guess it’s up to the buyer whether or not you want this vehicle as it has been modified. But look at the work that has been done to get this vehicle into this condition and make it a more roadworthy than the original. Yes, it’s worth the asking price. But if I had this kind of discretionary funds would I buy it? I think this ‘tank’ is something like 240 inches long and nearly 78 inches. Not my ‘cup of tea’.
Well, at $160K it’s well out of my ballpark. What I love about it though is it’s elegant design. What everyone needs to remember is this is not a “drivers” car, but a car to be seen driven in. With an air ride suspension and updated drive train as well as amenities like ice cold air, this is the car to be seen in and noticed if it were to be used for its original purpose as a LIMO. More room in the BACK than any Bentley, Rolls, Mercedes, etc. Obviously it’s not a “collector” piece being updated but unless your a collector, isn’t it exactly or close to being used as a daily driver limo??? What do any of the above mentioned offer even close to this price, including further mods to make it bespoke? Give me a driver up front and I’ll have a BLAST in the back, TYVM!
The body paint on the bumpers completely ruins it.
Wire wheels were also out of style by ’37.
Other than the V cars will any one be interested in any Chevy based Cadillac SUV 30, 40 ,50 years from now. My bet is they will be considered just as much classics as Cimeron and Catera are.
For the uneducated on build costs for a vehicle of this caliber, the asking price might seem high however anyone that knows will appreciate the value it is even at the asking price of $160k. Parts for these vintage Cadillacs is unatanium meaning they are not remanufactured / available so if you are missing anything or an item is not in good enough condition to use it must be hand made. The craftmanship and the materials used are second to none which is why the build cost would be more than double the asking costs.