Cadillacs have been a staple of customizers for decades. A pair of 1949 Caddy Series 62 Club Coupes offered on eBay take full advantage of the model’s sleek fins and fastback design. They illustrate the dilemma of choosing between maintaining a classic’s original lines—or adding a design twist with modern conveniences.
Either way, Cadillac fastbacks have a celebrity fan base, including ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons (See CadZilla) and famed designer Chip Foose with his 1948 Eldorod.
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Mostly Stock
The seller of a gorgeous 1949 Cadillac Series 62, now available on eBay, admits the fastback is not quite concours quality. But adds, “It would be an insult to call it a daily driver.”
The mostly stock and pure design of the Series 62 Club Coupe fastback.
This mostly untouched beauty (with unconfirmed mileage) lived its life in the sun of California and Arizona. So it was in great shape when builders restored it a few years ago. But they took a light touch, leaving the original landmark design intact. The Caddy kept its black and gray exterior/interior color scheme.
That said, builders made minor tweaks for modern convenience and safety. Seat belts were added. A hidden dual master cylinder gets the brakes up to current safety standards, and a new alternator handles the electrical system. (According to the seller, the alternator looks like a generator, maybe like this one.) Also, a quartz clock now keeps time without draining the battery. But that’s all.
The mostly stock and pure design of the Series 62 Club Coupe fastback.
Classic Lines with Some Tweaks
Another example of the Series 62 Club Coupe, a customized Caddy that sold last week on eBay, retains the spirit of the tailfin. But the fins are downplayed in the context of the muscular fastback body when finished in a monolithic glossy black exterior.
In 1948, Harley Earl, then corporate head of GM’s Styling Section, introduced the revolutionary tailfin design. That dramatic innovation inspired the bigger-is-better approach to glamorous mid-century car design. In fact, those legendary tailfins stayed on the scene for about three decades.
The modified car’s mean presence comes via:
- A chopped roofline
- Color-matched molded bumpers
- Reconfigured B-pillars
- A custom grille
- Shaved door handles
- Frenched headlights (with integrated turn signals)
- And, finally, a quad rear exhaust
Sitting on a Modern Chassis
A Chevrolet Caprice chassis gives the Caddy a solid modern foundation. The front and rear suspension utilize pieces from a Chevy C10 pickup. Power comes from 4-wheel Wilwood brakes with a fuel-injected GM 383ci stroker mated to a 700R4 tranny. The vehicle rides on 20-inch satin black Asanti Black Label wheels wearing Vogue whitewalls with gold stripe tires.
Inside, creature comfort begins with the black leather front (power adjusted) and rear seats. There is a matching black headliner, carpet, and trim. A custom banjo-style wheel highlights a Boyds instruments custom black dash. Modern tech includes a Kenwood sound system, Dakota Digital climate control (for the Vintage Air AC), and other auxiliary gauges.
Custom Chevys, Fords, and Mopars are commonplace at local classic-car events. But a Cadillac fastback provides a compelling alternative. And eBay offers countless vintage Series 62 parts to continue refining the classic look.
