Movie Star 1937 Cadillac 75 Series Fleetwood Touring Sedan ~ Original Paint!
Sale price: US $39,950.00 Make an Offer
| Used |
| “Sold new in Los Angeles. Original survivor, original paint, interior, drivetrain. Custom built-in bar. Rebuilt engine. Drives wonderfully! Appeared in many films including The Godfather, Chinatown and The Sting. Ready to drive anywhere!” |
| Year: | 1937 | Mileage: | 83172 |
| Model: | Series 75 Fleetwood | Vehicle Title: | Clean |
| Make: | Cadillac | Body Type: | Ext. Touring Sedan |
Tarzana, California, United States
Vehicle description
Here we have a magnificent survivor of the period between Art Deco and Streamline ; a period from which some of the most magnificent, imposing automobiles in history have emerged. This Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Touring Sedan was a very expensive limited model between the smaller Series 60 and 70, and the Limousine. Riding on a 138-inch wheelbase and powered by a smooth, torquey 321 cubic inch flathead V8 and backed with a three-speed manual gearbox, it was a favorite choice of tycoons, moguls and mobsters alike.
That said, it was chosen by studio transportation directors for many period films, three of which are especially iconic. It appeared as a background car in The Godfather and The Sting , and as one of the hero cars in Chinatown . It was driven by Hollis Mulwray (and Jack Nicholson"s character J.J. "Jake" Gittes) places a pocket watch beneath the left rear tire of this car to determine when Mulwray left that night. You all remember that scene. The car is seen being driven in several scenes in the movie.
This example was first sold at Don Lee Cadillac in Los Angeles, Calif., on February 4, 1937, as was stenciled on the firewall. Don Lee Cadillac was the largest Cadillac dealership on the West Coast, and the famed "Hollywood" sign is located atop Mount Lee, named after Don Lee, a civic giant of the day. Lee was friends with Harley Earl, the famed General Motors design chief who penned this particular model.
The car lived its entire life in sunny Southern California, aside from—in 1975—when its owner of 47 years drove it with his wife across country to New Jersey, had it loaded onto a luxury ocean liner and cruised to Germany, where it was offloaded and they toured in the Cadillac all summer, scaled the Swiss Alps, sailed back to New Jersey and drove back home to Los Angeles. It performed flawlessly.
The black paintwork is all original aside from the front fenders, and there are areas where the paint is actually worn thin enough to see the original primer showing through. Seen clearly in video. This mark of unmistakable originally is highly prized by collectors and automotive historians (and obviously, movie studios as well). Of course there is a patina of random chips and scratches as expected, but no dings or dents of any meaningful size. It is as rust-free as you"d expected a lifelong California car, and the only noticeable areas of rust are a couple places on the floorboards where the original rubber covering chipped off and water accumulated there. The chrome plating is also original, as are all the trim and fittings.
The longtime owner had all the window glass replaced as the originals were delaminating, and while replacing the glass, all the rubber seals were replaced as well. Inside, he refinished the gorgeous varnished wooden window surrounds. The original mohair upholstery is still in place, with just a small tear on the driver"s side of both the front and back bench seats. There is also some wear to the piping on the driver"s door panel and the armrest. The mohair headliner is fully intact and in good condition.
The owner was somewhat of a craftsman and designed and built the custom bar in the back of the front bench seat for the enjoyment of his passengers. The bar is mirrored, has lighting and a full compliment of French crystal barware is included, as shown. One of a kind. There is also another locking compartment beneath the bar, presumably for your valuables or your Tommy gun.
The car is mechanically excellent. The flathead V8 was full rebuilt in 2002, using a replacement block, new bearings, pistons, rings and timing components. Stainless steel valves with hardened seats were used to run properly on modern lead-free fuels. A new radiator was installed and an auxiliary coolant overflow tank was fitted. Two new Optima 6-volt batteries were fitted in 2018.
The original hydraulic drum brakes and suspension have been serviced as needed over the years as the car was in fairly regular use for tours, club events, etc., and the longterm owner put roughly 40,000 miles on the car. Sixteen-inch Lester whitewall tires were fitted in 2009 and show no dry cracking and have deep tread.
This historic Cadillac starts easily, runs as smooth as a watch (other than the one it backed over in Chinatown ) and drives beautifully. The ride is smooth, quiet, the steering is quite good, the brakes adequate for normal use (even in the Swiss Alps!). All the original gauges function properly, except for the clock. An auxiliary water temperature gauge and Blaupunkt AM/FM/Cassette player have been added beneath the dash.
Extensive service records and the original factory jack are included. It comes with a clear California title, and is currently located in the Los Angeles area. This magnificent Cadillac Fleetwood Touring Sedan is ready for its next cross-country road trip! Or its next closeup!
Below see videos: Walkaround inspection, startup and instruments, and ride-along. Enjoy!
YouTube Video will open in a new window
Using the App? Paste link into a browser window: [isdntekvideo] YouTube Video will open in a new window
Using the App? Paste link into a browser window: [isdntekvideo] YouTube Video will open in a new window
Using the App? Paste link into a browser window: [isdntekvideo]
That said, it was chosen by studio transportation directors for many period films, three of which are especially iconic. It appeared as a background car in The Godfather and The Sting , and as one of the hero cars in Chinatown . It was driven by Hollis Mulwray (and Jack Nicholson"s character J.J. "Jake" Gittes) places a pocket watch beneath the left rear tire of this car to determine when Mulwray left that night. You all remember that scene. The car is seen being driven in several scenes in the movie.
This example was first sold at Don Lee Cadillac in Los Angeles, Calif., on February 4, 1937, as was stenciled on the firewall. Don Lee Cadillac was the largest Cadillac dealership on the West Coast, and the famed "Hollywood" sign is located atop Mount Lee, named after Don Lee, a civic giant of the day. Lee was friends with Harley Earl, the famed General Motors design chief who penned this particular model.
The car lived its entire life in sunny Southern California, aside from—in 1975—when its owner of 47 years drove it with his wife across country to New Jersey, had it loaded onto a luxury ocean liner and cruised to Germany, where it was offloaded and they toured in the Cadillac all summer, scaled the Swiss Alps, sailed back to New Jersey and drove back home to Los Angeles. It performed flawlessly.
The black paintwork is all original aside from the front fenders, and there are areas where the paint is actually worn thin enough to see the original primer showing through. Seen clearly in video. This mark of unmistakable originally is highly prized by collectors and automotive historians (and obviously, movie studios as well). Of course there is a patina of random chips and scratches as expected, but no dings or dents of any meaningful size. It is as rust-free as you"d expected a lifelong California car, and the only noticeable areas of rust are a couple places on the floorboards where the original rubber covering chipped off and water accumulated there. The chrome plating is also original, as are all the trim and fittings.
The longtime owner had all the window glass replaced as the originals were delaminating, and while replacing the glass, all the rubber seals were replaced as well. Inside, he refinished the gorgeous varnished wooden window surrounds. The original mohair upholstery is still in place, with just a small tear on the driver"s side of both the front and back bench seats. There is also some wear to the piping on the driver"s door panel and the armrest. The mohair headliner is fully intact and in good condition.
The owner was somewhat of a craftsman and designed and built the custom bar in the back of the front bench seat for the enjoyment of his passengers. The bar is mirrored, has lighting and a full compliment of French crystal barware is included, as shown. One of a kind. There is also another locking compartment beneath the bar, presumably for your valuables or your Tommy gun.
The car is mechanically excellent. The flathead V8 was full rebuilt in 2002, using a replacement block, new bearings, pistons, rings and timing components. Stainless steel valves with hardened seats were used to run properly on modern lead-free fuels. A new radiator was installed and an auxiliary coolant overflow tank was fitted. Two new Optima 6-volt batteries were fitted in 2018.
The original hydraulic drum brakes and suspension have been serviced as needed over the years as the car was in fairly regular use for tours, club events, etc., and the longterm owner put roughly 40,000 miles on the car. Sixteen-inch Lester whitewall tires were fitted in 2009 and show no dry cracking and have deep tread.
This historic Cadillac starts easily, runs as smooth as a watch (other than the one it backed over in Chinatown ) and drives beautifully. The ride is smooth, quiet, the steering is quite good, the brakes adequate for normal use (even in the Swiss Alps!). All the original gauges function properly, except for the clock. An auxiliary water temperature gauge and Blaupunkt AM/FM/Cassette player have been added beneath the dash.
Extensive service records and the original factory jack are included. It comes with a clear California title, and is currently located in the Los Angeles area. This magnificent Cadillac Fleetwood Touring Sedan is ready for its next cross-country road trip! Or its next closeup!
Below see videos: Walkaround inspection, startup and instruments, and ride-along. Enjoy!
YouTube Video will open in a new window
Using the App? Paste link into a browser window: [isdntekvideo] YouTube Video will open in a new window
Using the App? Paste link into a browser window: [isdntekvideo] YouTube Video will open in a new window
Using the App? Paste link into a browser window: [isdntekvideo]