The 1959 Cadillac: Cadillac Designs Its Iconic Fin Masterpiece...Based on a Buick!

Learn the story of the 1959 Cadillac designs, including how they were, in part, designed around the 1959 Buick.

[@beltwaymotor]

Favorite Cadillac ❤

[@gerrywatson261]

My all-time favourite American car!

[@peloi111]

Best video you've done so far

[@sc1338]

1959 was the best year for GM cars imo. Cadillac, Buick, olds were all so beautiful !

[@mauricesiermachesky4900]

Lots of cool insight into the 1959 Cadillac design and how it came about.

[@radturner1929]

great job

[@al-mansoural-sharif8576]

I liked very much

[@johnplovanich9564]

Interesting vidro.Congratulations on 100 k

[@ernestiracek8161]

King of all car

[@Springbok314]

Now THAT’s a Cadillac!

[@damianbowyer2018]

Certainly a Gr8 New Fin Design for the '59 Cadillac, Adam😊👏

[@jaycarlson927]

So interesting how a door can shape so much

[@Alan-lv9rw]

Automotive history is fascinating.

[@gregsayles9253]

Thanks!

[@RareClassicCars]

Welcome!

[@Alan-lv9rw]

The ‘59 is clearly over the top, but that is what made it so iconic. It’s automotive art.

[@lindaeasley5606]

Gaudy is beautiful ❤ 😎 Stodgy , conservative European luxury cars were boring

[@ScottH-kx1dm]

Come with me on a ride in a 1959 like this. My favorite car. May the Lord grant me ride in one some day.

[@johnfrei9057]

It would be cool if current designers could give us those lighter-than-air rooftops with structural integrity.

[@davidgold5961]

It can be done, but at great expense. You would have to use the most expensive steel in an automobile, which is called boron steel.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

It is about roll-over protection specifically, not structural integrity in general.

[@thisguy2720]

​@@seventhanubis6930gm cars are basically designed in china now. At least buicks

[@sc1338]

@@thisguy2720thats definitely not true lol

[@thisguy2720]

@@sc1338 yes it is.

[@KA-te7xk]

Probably one of the best EVER 💯

[@unclebob7937]

Each divison had a unique tailfin. I had a 59 Pontiac, loved those 'cathead' fins.

[@landiahillfarm6590]

How can one not but marvel at the 59 Caddy. What an icon. Congrats on 100K !

[@errorsofmodernism7331]

The '59 Cadillac must be like a parade float to drive. They are even bigger when seen in person.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

Dad, a welder, bought one new. $4500. I took my driving test in it in about ‘67. Parallel parked it perfectly, maybe because I learned to drive by backing it out of the garage, past a gate and chimney. I kept it polished like new. Recall every bit of chrome and trim.

[@tomtumulec2504]

They are extremely easy to drive. It was first automatic car I ever drive and like 4 car i ever drive. I'm from europe so i took all my driving lessons and test in 08 yaris, first car i ever drive and i learned to drive was '71 or '72 w115 mercedes and my parents at the time have 05 polo ( car smaller then golf ) and my daily at the time was '90 ford sierra. Typical small euro cars. But how i was able to drive '59 cadillac ? Man form my village have one, he win it while playing cars in 90s, it is 62 4 door hard top. I know this geleman and we sometimes talk about cars. One time he had to many beers and he ask me, ''Boy you 18 right, so you have driving licence ? I say YES, so he gived me kays to his cadillac and say he want to go on the cruise. I was scared as hell, I had licence for like 2 weeks at the time. I started the car, put it in D and go. It drive like dream, super smooth, good handling car with the best visibility in any car i drived to this day. Roads here are pretty narrow compare to US, but i don't crashe it. It was 2 hours drive and i loose all my fears of driving. Only problem was the rear hang, car is very long so you need to be remeber to not hit anything while making full turn. Besides this they are extremely easy to drive and oparate, those big US boats are much easier to drive then many many much newer europe cars, I'm talking 80s even 90s. Now i'm driving 89 caprice wagon very often here, with no problems.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@tomtumulec2504 Nice, right?

[@frederickbooth7970]

Hey! That white Plymouth is in my state. For years my parents bought & drove Chrysler products while our neighbors all drove GM. Still remember the bright red 1960 Dodge with the push button automatic transmission.

[@jayweiss4378]

“Christine” influenced the Chevy designs …..very cool

[@stevebergman6747]

Congrats on 100,000! I'm not at all surprised, because you do such a nice job with all of the topics you cover! I'm a lifelong car guy and, while I don't always agree with some of the things you post, I appreciate the thoughtful way in which you present your points of view. Definitely one of my favorite channels!

[@whitsundaydreaming]

I just saw a channel of videos of a loudly howling husky… at 890k subscribers. I thought about Adam and all the work he puts in for 100k. So how can Adam reach 1m? Get a talkative husky “cohost.” 😉

[@althunder4269]

I didn't know about the Buick doors.

[@uPilot]

nice one okay!

[@steveoh9838]

Very cool indeed 👍

[@rodrigooliveira-tu2mw]

All i have to say " masterpiece"😃😃👍👍👍👍

[@maxr4448]

Thankx You for the info about the Buick Doors Adam... I never have like the the '59 models from GM or Ford.... Just the Mopars. In that ERA..

[@irineununes8431]

Um dos carros mais bonitos da ė poca e atė hj

[@mikelezcurra810]

Congratulations on 100K subscribers!

[@marko7843]

I noticed a couple of interesting ironies. At 7:55 the brochure not only mentions "economical motoring" (ha-ha) but also electric door locks, even though they were about to go backwards to vacuum power for most of the 60s... At 3:42 they had what I think is the perfect side styling. If you're gonna' have big jet exhaust nozzles in the rear bumper, then you gotta' have proper air intakes for them! 🚀

[@michaelsimko7694]

I've always been a big fan of the amazing design of the 1959 Cadillacs. The fins are so attractive. The ground clearance is nice and low. Beautiful boulevard cruiser styling with the convertible.

[@fob1xxl]

I for one LOVED the '59 BUICK design even more than the Cadillac. From the canted headlights to the sweeping tail fins. Cadillac was more of a shock value for 1959. The most opulent they could make it. I loved the '59 Bonneville as well. The twin fins on each side and the split grill was a totally unique design. Their WIDE TRACK gave them the "Motor Trend" Car of the Year award. It was probably GM'S finest year.

[@slicksnewonenow]

That Buick design is hard to beat!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

I like the 59 Buick, always have, but it doesn't have "Venti Ports". That soured many Buick buyers. They felt that the car didn't look Buick enough. Ditto for the 58. It also lacked them. The 1960, which was a retouched 59, DID have them, as well as the teeth, but lacked real instruments, other than a gas gauge.

[@slicksnewonenow]

@@michaelbenardo5695 hiya Mike - Back in the early Nineties, one of my friends from Sweden ended up buying a '59 Electra coupe here in the States and shipping it back over there. It was a solid and clean original, but had no interior or drivetrain. Him and his car club chopped the roof ONLY about 1.5" and they accentuated the sharp creases on the body... Painted the car in that beautiful silvery-green metallic and made a custom interior that featured four original '59 General Motors bucket seats and a custom built, full length console... All wrapped in silvery green leather and matching vinyl. I swear that car was as gorgeous as any Motorama car that GM ever put on the circuit! It looked EXACTLY like a factory prepared Show Car! Oh... They even cast a factory style steering wheel out of clear acrylic for it. It was incredible. I don't know what's happened to the car since then... But I'm sure it still exists.

[@marko7843]

I totally agree! My personal ranking of the 1959 'tails' is: 1. Chevy 2. Pontiac 3. Buick 4. Olds 5. Cadillac

[@lindaeasley5606]

This car is as cool as the iconic tv show Batmobile ❤

[@dave1956]

Did you ever see the miniseries on TBS years ago called Driving Passion about the automobile in America? Chuck Jordan said of the 1959 Cadillac, “I’ve got to tell you, at the time, it was the thing to do!”

[@MillerMeteor74]

Very interesting! I have always have been a big fan of the GM full-size cars from all of their makes. I'm also a huge fan of Chrysler's 1957-59 full-size lineup across all makes.

[@gerardmills1389]

The 49" tall fins!

[@StupidFastTruck]

Congratulations on 100K subs. When I was growing up in the early 1960 a family friend had a red 1959 Deville Convertible. I loved that car.

[@randyfitz8310]

What a great presentation of America’s most recognized mid-century luxury automobile: The Standard of the World - Cadillac!

[@michaelmullard4292]

Awesome car. Fascinating story. Thanks, Adam! For lovers of automotive history, these videos are gold.

[@tedfrith8374]

😊 Ted Frith, I think the 1968 Pontiac Full Size Cars front and rear ends were very neeto looking. The front bumpers were inspired by the 1968 Pontiac Firebird and the rear ends look like the taillight that drops down to the bumpers . Another car from the 60s is the 1965 Ford Galaxy 500 LTD . The taillights were a square shaped design with the backups light incorporated with them. The front grill was all new for 1965 with the veribel headlights (first time Ford used the design for their full size cars). I think my 1992 Ford Escort GT ' Cayman Green Limited Edition 2 Door Hatchback quality it for your 1960s car designs themes. It has a wrap around rear taillights, including the back up lights, and very nice front lights w

[@tonydacosta2273]

Congrats on your first 100 000 subscribers! Wonderful web site and excellent videos.

[@josephgaviota]

My grandfather had a '59 Buick ... I would have never _dreamed_ the doors were common with the Caddy.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I love these old Cadillacs with the giant tail fins. But looking at the clay model at the 4 minute mark. I think it would be a good looking car without the fins.

[@DSP1968]

A great summary of the design of the '59, Adam. And congratulations on reacing 100K subscribers!

[@timtrinkaus7072]

Congrats on the 100K Adam so happy to see that very well deserved with all the hard work and dedication you have put into these videos!! The 1959 Cadillac is by far my favorite year!!

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

As always, another stellar, information packed video.

[@jonathan_nc]

I have always liked the 1959 GM cars, ever since I was a small child and my great uncle gave me a large tin friction toy 1959 Cadillac. This was about 1964 and he probably got it half price at the drug store where he worked, but I was a car nut and loved it. Other uncles drove 1959 Buicks and Oldsmobiles and I liked those too. I never knew they all shared a front door, but I did realize the vent windows and windshields were very similar.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

Shared greenhouses also applied to the 58’s and 60’s large GM cars.

[@glennso47]

The 1959 GM cars were hideous.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

@@glennso47 They are now prized for their ingenuity and are recognized as styling mileposts.

[@MarinCipollina]

@@glennso47 Opinions vary

[@michaelreilly1310esq]

Iconic

[@phillipbouchard4197]

My Uncle Roland had a 1959 Cadillac Sedan DeVille 4 door hardtop with the " Vista " roofline which he used as a daily driver way up into the 1970's. It was so long it barely fit in his 24'-0" deep garage. His wife had also as a daily driver a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air 2 door sedan. Who would have thought that these cars would go on to be some of the most collectable cars of the 1950's.

[@davidbroughall3782]

I would love to see what the original 1959 design was.

[@whitsundaydreaming]

The Fleetwood/Biarritz versions had multiple rows of rear grille bullets that blow the mind! The amount of hand-built detail in these was insane.

[@gregfielder4763]

I would like to see an artist rendering of the 1969 Cadillac design without the tail fins just to see how different the car would look.

[@stevenrich8468]

Hello Adam: another excellent video on my favorite subject, the 1959 Cadillac. I have a collection of cars, including no less than 8 - '59 Cadillacs. My fascination started in the mid-1960's as a kid, but really kicked into high gear when I met Dave Holls in 1991 at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI. They had a huge Cadillac event (I was living in Kalamazoo at the time). As the beautifully restored Cadillacs were rolling by the stage, Holls was the emcee and commentator, being an well-known authority on the history of the American automobile. I'll never forget when a 1959 Sedan de Ville came right in front of Dave Holls' podium. Even back then, the crowd gasp as the design was so outrageous, even in 1991. Dave's comments I will remember well: "well, we thought we were doing the right thing!' (as if to apologize for this one-off design). Next came a 1960 Coupe de Ville, and then Holls says: "you know I've always felt this was a much better rendition of that era, more subtle with a smoother appearance." After the event, car fans were crowded around Holls and his wife; they were both dressed "to the nines," as if they were off to the country club for dinner. At that time, Holls would have been around 61, and was soon to retire after finishing up on the 1992 model year. I approached Dave and meekly asked: "Mr. Holls, did you ever thing that the 1959 model would become so popular with collectors today, and looked upon as a cult classic?" His response: "not in my wildest dreams, but if you really want to see a great Cadillac, check out the new 1992 Seville STS!" In another words, he quickly changed the subject and started promoting the new models! Then he slapped my arm with the museum program, and off they went into the crowd. Well I never took Holls' advise and bought a 1992 Cadillac. Instead, fast forward 30 years and I've been collecting and enjoying quite a few 1959-1960 models, primarily Eldorado Sevilles. Congratulations on hitting +100K subscribers, and your outstanding collector car presentations. Steven, out in Carnation, WA.

[@RareClassicCars]

Great story!

[@williammaceri8244]

Hey Adam, thanks once again for a very informative review of the 1959 Cadillac. This time, I learned a few tidbits regarding the Cadillacs design I never knew, so thank you for that. I have known the Chrysler "Forward Look " really turned the Detroit designers on their ears. But I never knew about the GM C bodies all having the 59 Buick front doors as their starting point. The GM designers deserve a lot of credit for hiding that restraint on all the C bodies. No one could deny that the towering fins on the 59 Cadillac define the entire 50s automotive styling. However, in my opinion, it's actually the grill, headlights, and front bumper that truly are the best parts of the 59 Cadillac's overall design. It's absolutely massive, but it's also an extremely detailed design that's very strong and elegant at the same time. It's the very "Cadillac Look " that was carried through the 60s. The fins were too flamboyant to take seriously. And to think it all started with Chrysler's Forward Look. I always say the Big Three really needed Chrysler to balance out the US auto industry. Chrysler introduced so many important automotive engineering designs that today are industry standards used in the global automotive industry. We owe so much to Chrysler and always will. Thanks again Adam I appreciate your enclopeadic knowledge of our US auto industry's history.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

They were all B bodies that year and 1960, except for the limousines and formal sedans.

[@robertberube2551]

Been waiting for a '59 specific video. Well done! Thanks.

[@ELMS]

It would be interesting to see what the 1959 Cadillac’s were originally intended to look like before the changes. Great videos! Congratulations on 100K subscribers.

[@67marlins]

I've always wondered that too ....good question.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

It originally was to be a restyled version of the 58. Same with the Buick, a restyled 58, but when GM saw Chrysler's (and Ford's) proposals for 1959, they felt that they needed to create something all new for 59, something that would match their competitors for visual lightness as well as newness. The 57 GM cars all looked "old", except for the Cad.

[@MarinCipollina]

They looked like even heavier chromier versions of the 1958s.. There are photos online if you look around.

[@steves9905]

great info! i knew that GM took the cue from Chrysler in sharing cowls, glass, basic structure across the models, but did not know about the doors. Now that is all I will think about when looking at one of these cars! lol While the '59 is definitely dramatic and iconic, I much prefer the '60 with its much cleaner detailing and those murderously knife-sharp tail fins.

[@steves9905]

also, personally, given the choice between the Buick and the Cad, I'd take the Buick...they seemed to be more of an innovator and kind of do their own thing at GM with a bunch of different elements...i think they still had a perimeter frame at this point. i guess maybe that's why Buick got to dictate the '59 style language for the rest of the lineup

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Buick did still have a perimeter frame, but they didn't dictate the 59 styling theme, Bill Mitchel did. GM management dictated more sharing of exterior sheet metal. The cars were all B body, but each division still had it's own engines, Buick and Chevrolet both still had their own automatic transmissions, DynaFlow and Powerglide, respectively, their own frames, and their own front suspensions.

[@MarinCipollina]

I prefer the 1961 Cadillac over the 1959 and 1960.. The 1961 looked much more futuristic.

[@MarinCipollina]

@@michaelbenardo5695 The senior Buick Electra 225 and Oldsmobile Ninety Eight along with all Cadillacs were C bodies. B Bodies were junior Buick LeSabre, Invicta, junior Oldsmobile 88 and all full sized Pontiacs and Chevrolets

[@ron101346]

I was wondering why Caddy (and some other models) had 2 roof styles the 4-window (flat top) and the 6-window (sloping top). The flat top seemed more in tune with the rocketcar styling.

[@MarinCipollina]

It was a less expensive way of creating a different look without creating an entirely different model.

[@tonylindsey8912]

I nearly bought a perfectly-restored 1959 Eldorado Biarritz (white, with a red interior) for $3,000 in 1982. Why didn't I follow through with the purchase? Because of the test-drive. I was cautiously driving the car with the owner next to me, ,and suddenly, some idiot came roaring around a corner and straight at us. I YANKED the steering to get us out of the way, and the car wallowed like a kayak in rough water. I was terrified, and declined to follow through. Yeah, in hindsight, dumb move. Instead, I bought a '61 Imperial Crown convertible (wonderful, precise torsion-bar handling), which I assert was styled directly in reaction to the '59 Cadillacs. I loved to drive it to the Cadillac-LaSalle club events... It always pissed people off! My reaction? "There are two kinds of cars: Imperials, and INFERIALS!" Incidentally, at one of these events, I measured the fins on a '59 Cadillac and my own '61 Imperial: They are the same height, when measured from the bottom of the fender. That's why I liked it so much when Adam SPECIFICALLY says "The biggest tailfins of any Cadillac".

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Actually, the 59 Cadillac was in response to the 57 - 58 Imperial!

[@stickshiftdriver1832]

The biggest compliment giving to Chrysler was GMs designers scoping out the Fury then rushing back to the drawing board scrambling to top IT when all of their 59 models including their top dog Cadillac

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

So parts bin engineering was a thing even back then, though they put more effort into hiding it. Oh, and Adam- 100k! Well done, you deserve it!

[@shiftfocus1]

One function of the fins was to hide the fact that the surface of the deck lid is actually a few inches higher than the corresponding body side surface. The blade of the fin allows this to happen unobtrusively. I believe the doors were actually shared with the B-bodies as well, not just the C-bodies, and looking at pictures of a 59 Chevy suggests so.

[@joe6096]

Today few people think about, and outside of car enthusiasts really even know about, the late 50s Chryslers or the "suddenly it's 1960"........ but EVERYONE knows the 1959 Cadillac lineup. Instantly recognizable to anyone who doesn't even care about cars. They all know it's a Cadillac. That to me is proof Harley Earl's design team did him one last huge home run before he retired. Pretty much EVERY 50s Cadillac starting in 1954 was really elegant, beautiful, classy, and timeless. You just feel like you need to be wearing a tuxedo and sipping 15 year scotch from one of the included glass tumblers in the glove box while smoking a Chesterfield or a Pall Mal while just standing next to one of them.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

Our 59 was a base model but looked and felt substantial. I maintained ours in pristine condition. Sparked under parking lot lights. Really, any decent car nicely maintained makes one feel good.

[@NorlandBoxcar]

Interesting story. These cars were also as elaborate as women’s dresses of the era. Kinda went hand in hand..

[@tylernewton7217]

You hit 100k! Congrats Adam. I hope you have a nice spot picked out on your wall for the plaque.

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

I would be very interested to see more of the "what might have been" designs such as the original design for the '59 Cadillac. I've seen a few here and there about planned designs that were scrapped and changed mid-stream in the past but more interesting would be those designs planned but scrapped when well into the process such as the '61 Chrysler products that were mistakenly downsized based upon the rumor that GM was down-sizing for that year and others as well. Great video, as always.

[@tyler2610]

GM and FoMoCo did downsize for ‘61 but not as significantly as Chrysler did.

[@chriskucia8348]

Be interesting to see what GM had planned for 59 before they saw the Chryslers. Are those photos preserved?

[@danielulz1640]

Yes, and they ain't pretty!

[@kayeninetwo3585]

I concur with others and congratulate you on your subscription milestone! As to the '59 Cadillac - it was and is a magnificent car, but I always make the effort to remind people that the flamboyant Cadillacs, Buicks, Chryslers and Lincolns of 1959 were considered unsightly and incredibly out of vogue (in terms of styling) within just a few years. There was a backlash against the swoopy styling excesses of the late '50's and of 1959 in particular. That's easy to forget when you go to a car show nowadays and see a '59 Caddy with a $25,000 paint job, newly replated chrome pieces and not a spot of dust on it. Imagine seeing dozens of these monsters with dirt and rust on them every day on your way to work back in 1965. People were really tired of them.

[@user-zh4cq4zy1n]

Congratulations Alan, it's the BIG 100K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@bdpopeye]

Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers. Now on to the '59 Cadillac. When I was a kid we lived one block away from a very large hospital in Cincinnati. When walking to school we had to pass by the doctors parking lot. It was full of late model Cadillac's and Lincoln's. When I first saw a '59 Cadillac I thought it was ..shall I say not so attractive to my young eyes. Honestly now I have to wonder what GM design crew of Bill Mitchell, Mr. Chuck Jordan, and Mr. Dave Holls of GM's design crew were thinking. BUT nowadays these cars are few and far between and oh so iconic!! Thanks for posting Adam. Love the bits of history and inside information you always reveal! Thanks again!

[@jeffmiller3150]

There's likely no Cadillacs or Lincolns in the doctors parking lot today.😢

[@jakereal3604]

Sad but true! Likely Lexus, BMW, Mercedes Audi etc

[@michaelbenardo5695]

The 59 GM cars were their response to Chrysler's 57-58 cars. GM's 57s all, except the Cadillac, looked "old". The 57 Buick looked like a warmed-over 55 with 54 grille teeth, the 57 Olds looked like a 56 with new taillights and 54 side trim. The now iconic 57 Chevy looked like a tarted-up version of the 56. The 57 Pontiac wasn't too bad, but hardly earth-shaking. I like the 58s, but they were a completely different philosophy than the 58 ChryCo cars. GM was afraid of being left behind.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Sadly, all you see is foreign. Everywhere.

[@bdpopeye]

@@jeffmiller3150 No there's not. There is a giant parking garage/ramp where that parking lot was....I've not been back to Cincinnati since 1989...

[@DejaView]

I think they were having a contest to see who could put the most chrome on one car! These may be iconic but I'm rather glad they got away from the total craziness & moved on to some nicer, cleaner designs in the 60s. Always thought the 64 Chevy & Olds were particularly attractive, as well as 62-64 Pontiacs. The 65 Chevy, following a completely different styling theme, was equally beautiful. And, yes, even the Caddys were more elegant, but from Ford it's hard to argue with the restrained elegance of the 61 & newer Continental or the simplicity of line of the new 65 Ford full size...

[@MarinCipollina]

1965 - 1967 Pontiacs looked much nicer than the Fords.

[@zedhead2864]

I was wondering when you'd get around to this story. I've heard bits and pieces over the years. Nicely done, Adam. Thanks for this very interesting dive into history!

[@Paramount531]

I grew up with a 1959 Buick Invicta flat top. It was a beautiful car, bright red with a white top. I preferred the more restrained Buick styling to the Cadillac styling, but these days I have a greater appreciation of the Caddy. The one thing about that Buick, the windows rattled like crazy!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

That was a problem with those 4 door hardtop sedans, the ones with the convertible style doors and no center post. Regular post sedans were much tighter.

[@rogergoodman8665]

I'll never be able to afford one, but a 1959 Eldorado has been at the top of my bucket list for a long, long time.

[@dawdoo]

What made these models look sooo much lower than the 58’s? The dimensions really arent that much different if I recall. I’ve yet to see side by side photos of the two years which could give some clues.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

We had the 59. Front seats were much too low. Driving was in semi prone position. Rear seat was very low as well. As little kids we couldn’t see out, and were sun baked by the huge rear window. The 58 was taller and narrower.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Much of it was due to the 59's visual lightness. The cars were deliberately styled to look lean and lithe, the 58s were styled to look massive. The 59s are actually the biggest.

[@christopherkraft1327]

I knew someone back in the seventies that had a 2 door 59 Cadillac that cut the talifins off & then mounted one right in the middle of the deck lid. He did a good job but the car looked very bizarre!!! 🙄

[@CadyCTSlover]

Would be interesting to see photos of the original proposals for the '59 GM cars before they saw the Forward Look Chryslers. Do any exist?

[@winggullseagull1230]

In 1978 I owned one of these space age "59 Cadillacs a very nice 2 dr. hardtop series 62 I paid $1,600 for it I bought it at a car auction, the truth is I didn't want the car but I kept bidding on it & I got stuck with it. The only Caddy I ever had most of my cars were Chevrolets. I recall driving it home & my brother was so shocked & embarrassed by the wild dramatic sky high tail fins he told me I need to keep up with the times. The thing is the '70's was the era when 50's nostalgia was hot & trendy. My bro just didn't get why the 1959 Cadillacs & Chevrolet's were so radical & looked like space mobiles.

[@marko7843]

Adam, that is fascinating about the common Buick door! I come from a family of mechanics, and the very first of our cars I remember riding in was a '59 sedan, but I've never heard of that and all these decades...

[@OLDS98]

They were really parts sharing way back then it seems at GM. They became good at hiding the shared parts up to a point. It became apparent in the 70's and 80's models. You really nicely discussed the shared parts and how they were utilized. It is interesting when you are in a time crunch you become quite creative as well. Thank you so much Adam.

[@josephgaviota]

I had a chance to buy a 1959 Cadillac, red, with white interior, for $50. Being 16 or 17, I just couldn't _imagine_ what I'd want with some big boat like that. Now, 50 years later, I wish I had bought it.

[@TheTrollMastah]

The thumbnail is a sweet Seville but why does it have the Eldorado chrome trim AND the Series 62/Deville chrome strip too?

[@MsBenlane]

my mother worked for a dr who had a white dodge woth the gold fins. gold leather upholstery, ragtop. he got a new car each year and traded it for a 58 t bird

[@Gary7even]

To me, The 59 Eldo Brougham had the best tailfins of any Cadillac before or since.

[@jetsons101]

Fun Fact: If you look at the early Disneyland Monorails (50's and 60's) they have two upside down 59 Cadillac style fins "with red taillights" at the rear of each Monorail.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

I never noticed! Wish I could see those now!

[@jetsons101]

google image Mark 1 or Mark 2 Disneyland Monorails tailfins.@@michaelbenardo5695

[@rogerdodrill4733]

Probably built by gm

[@scottsullivan1464]

Adam, did GM build frames for Studebaker? The X Frames is what elicits my question. Speaking of Studebaker, when are you going to include episodes covering them?

[@WhittyPics]

Those fins are totally over the top

[@thomastoler2397]

PLEASE, if you can find original plans for the ‘59 models, BEFORE they reworked them, show them in a future presentation.

[@Romiman1]

Great as always! The '59 Coupe de Ville (/ Series 62) was my favorite car for a very long time. But today it is a little bit too much for my eyes. I prefer the more elegant and sleak fin and taillight -arrangement of the '59 Chevrolet line up.

[@MarinCipollina]

I prefer the 1961 Cadillacs. I think they looked much more jet-age and more futuristic.

[@MrJayrock620]

I actually saw a stubby 1960 or 61 sedan DeVille for sale recently on Facebook. It looked a little weird with the rear end shortened. It also looked a little rough but relatively complete

[@RareClassicCars]

The Park Avenue

[@charlescarter1529]

For 1961, the Cadillac brochure and Walter MP McCall in "80 Years of Cadillac," (Crestline, 1982) calls it the Short Deck Sedan. It is called a Town Sedan Short deck by Maurice Hendry in the "Cadillac, the Complete History." For 1962 the same sources give the series 62 as a 4 window Town Sedan and the de Ville as a 4 window Park Avenue. For 1963, the same sources list only a deVille 4 window Park Avenue. The are other references for this information, but 3 resources are acceptable for proper research.@@RareClassicCars

[@jaygatz4335]

Adam: Are there any drawings of GM's original '59 lineup?

[@pjreynoldsa1]

My dad bought a 59 Olds Delta 98 instead, my preference is the 1960 coupe devile................. Back in those days, we all waited in anticipation of the new models for the next year always introduced in August/Sept.

[@bahamutsix5765]

There was no “Delta” Oldsmobiles in 1959. Just the lower and mid-level Dynamic and Super 88

[@pjreynoldsa1]

Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @@bahamutsix5765

[@MarinCipollina]

There is no such thing as a "Delta 98" by Oldsmobile.. Oldsmobile Ninety Eight was always written out.. Oldsmobile did make a Delta 88 however, but those came later.

[@hlk5887]

While the '59 is iconic the '60 model is more toned down and in my opinion more elegant.

[@rogerdodrill4733]

Ditto that

[@markdc1145]

Interesting story about the common Buick/Cadillac door panels! These things aren't always apparent and I'm a sucker for such details. The '59 tail fins were truly outrageous but this is the car that defines the tail fin era.✨

[@danielulz1640]

A 59 Impala hardtop door will fit on a 59 Cadillac quite nicely too.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@danielulz1640 They were all B bodies that year and 1960. I don't know if the back doors are interchangeable though.

[@danielulz1640]

@@michaelbenardo5695 structurely yes, but there were slight outer sheet metal differences. People forget, or did not realize, how much sheet metal sharing GM did historically. Look closely at a 48 Olds 98 v. a 48 Caddy. Or a 55 Chevy wagon v. a 55 through 57 Pontiac wagon.

[@jamesmooney8933]

The X frame was from '57 GM frames. The '57 X frame was used until '64 model year. Pontiac never had a perimeter frame. Also the width of the '57 X frame was never widen. The '57 frame was designed for a narrow '57 body. Except Pontiac, which came out with the "wide track" in '59. After '64 GM never had an X Frame

[@19chucki74]

Oh, so the '59 Fleetwood had an X-frame under it? Didn't know that. Plus that year Cadillac has the most beautiful fins of any car of that era, mainly due to the long chrome strip on each side. Absolute automotive iconic design feature.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

All 59 Cads, as well as the 59 Chevy and maybe the 59 Pontiac used that frame. The Buick and the Olds did not, and were probably safer cars as a result.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

My Dad bought one, a black two door series 62. $4500. Huge car, but easy to drive. I passed my driving test in it. Fins helped when backing up, and gauging where rear bumper was. Yes, interior had very good quality materials. Lots of chrome die cast and stainless. Never lost its new car aroma. White vinyl door panels looked like new because I foam cleaned it weekly. Was garaged and waxed by hand with Rain Dance, which seemed best suited to its lustrous black paint. X-frame was rigid. No squeaks. Engine emitted pleasant turbine sound from air intake when floored. Downside: developed some rocker body rust near wheel wells at about 10. Springs sagged. Needed helper shocks to restore tide height. Driver’s door started sagging at around 9.

[@slicksnewonenow]

Those '59s certainly are wild, but I have to say that the 1960 cars "epitomize" Cadillac in my mind's eye...