Home»All Photographs»Automobiles As Art 1940s (free downloads)»1941 Cadillac 60 Touring

This 1941 Cadillac Sixty Touring sedan was displayed at the 2010 Palo Alto Concours d’Elegance in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“The Cadillac Sixty Special name has been used by Cadillac to denote a special model since the 1938 Harley Earl-Bill Mitchell-designed Series 60 derivative,” according to Wikipedia. “The Sixty Special name would soon be synonymous for some of Cadillac's most luxurious vehicles. …

“Starting in 1940, and for the remainder of its existence, the Sixty Special would be Fleetwood marketed, enjoying higher-priced molding, trim and upholstery like the Series 75 and 90. Thus it took over the Series 70's place, which was dropped for the 1938 model year, as Cadillac's most luxurious owner-driven large model — a role it would fill through 1976.

“1941 was the last year of Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell's original Sixty Special design, as an all-new 1942 model was in the works. Many consider the 1941 to the most beautiful of this series, though Mitchell himself favored the clean lines of the original 1938 model. For the first time, Cadillac had its own front end design—the ‘tombstone’ grille with a high center section flanked by lower side sections — that would identify Cadillacs for years to come.

“The new ‘face’ blended well with the original body, and the rear fenders now held full skirts. For 1941, the wheelbase was reduced by 1 inch (25 mm), down to 126 in (3,200 mm).

“Sixty Specials showed a $105 price increase (for the first time) to $2,195. Power was still supplied by the same 346 cu in (5.67 L) Cadillac engine as before, but was now rated at 150 hp (110 kW). Production totals include 3,878 Touring sedans (including 185 with the sun roof option), and 220 Imperial sedans (now priced at $2,345).

“Only one Sixty Special Town Car was made this year and used on the auto show circuit before being purchased by film director, C.B. DeMille. Featuring the leather-covered roof, it was the last one to come from Cadillac-Fleetwood.

“There were nearly 17,900 Sixty Specials made from 1938 to 1941, including about a dozen custom bodied versions.”