Cadillac Series 70 (72 & 75) 2nd Gen. Origin
The Cadillac Series 70 represents a full-scale vehicle running on an incredible V8 engine. Cadillac manufactured this vehicle series from the 1930s to the 1980s. It dismissed the 1935 355E and gained the mantle as the company’s flagship vehicle, just as the much cheaper Series 60 was launched. The appearance of the series 72 and 67 were close to that of the Series 75, but the 72 and 67 had a fractionally shorter and longer chassis, respectively.
The Series 72 was manufactured only in 1940, and the Series 67 was produced only in 1941 and 1942. It was ranked as one of Cadillac’s high-grade limousine offerings for most of the post-war period. The short wheelbase Series 70 was discontinued in 1938. Still, it was briefly revived as the fairly expensive Series 70 Eldorado Brougham 4-door roadster from 1957 to 1958, while production of the long-wheelbase Series 75 was halted in 1987.
For the purpose of this article, we’ll be giving a closer look at the 2nd generation series 72/75.
Cadillac Series 70 (72 & 75) 2nd Gen. Overview
The 2nd generation series 72/75 was designed by Harley Earl and produced from 1938 to 1940. They were mostly assembled in three locations in the U.S. They are the Detroit assembly in Detroit, the South Gate Assembly in California, and the Linden Assembly in Linden, New Jersey. The Cadillac Company made major decisions about the Series 70 and Fisher-bodied Series 75 Specials, which were discontinued in 1938.
The Cadillac Series 65 and 75 shared a new front-end design that included a huge vertical cellular bumper, three sets of horizontal bars on the bonnet sides, an alligator hood, and headlamps in the filler space between the bumpers and the hood.
Side mount covers were available as an option and were hooked to the bumpers. The quarter windows were sliding rather than being hinged. The vehicle’s backside had rounded edges with smoothly blended lines, and the trunks appeared to be a more integrated part of the body.
Except for the wooden main sills, the bodies were entirely made of steel. The bodywork specifics included a column gear knob, horns just behind the bumper, a battery underneath the right side of the hood, a transverse muffler placed at the back of the fuel tank, wheels from a different supplier, a “Synchro-Flex” gearwheel, a hypoid rear axle, and an absence of the oil filter.
All Cadillacs used the same 346 cu in (5.7 L) L-head V8, but, unlike the rest of the fleet, the series 75 produced 140 hp (104 kW) rather than 135 hp (101 kW) due to an increased 6.70:1 compression ratio, prompting the use of higher octane gasoline.
Series 72
The Series 72 shared a strong resemblance with the Series 75, although it was shorter by three inches and distinguished by rectangular rear lights placed high on the flanks of the trunk. It had a curb weight of 4,800–5,400 lbs. (2,200–2,400 kg). The series 72 also claimed some bragging rights as it was the first to be tested with recirculating ball steering in 1940 before being implemented across the board in 1941. It had a Fleetwood-body, much like the Series 75, but had a wheelbase of 138 in (3,500 mm).
Cadillac Series 70 (72 & 75) 2nd Gen. Production
The Series 75 was produced in smaller quantities than the Series 60 and 61 models, with a total of 4936 units produced. The series 72 had a total of 1525 units produced in 1940, accounting for almost 12% of Cadillac’s total production.
Cadillac Series 70 (72 & 75) 2nd Gen. Price Range
Let me just lay it out and say Cadillacs don’t come cheap. Whether from the 19th century or a new model, something about them knows how to command a very good price. In that light, a Cadillac series 75 would cost between $50,000 and $75,000 in an auction today, which is a big leap from the original price of $3,000 to $5,120 when it was first produced.
On the other hand, the Cadillac series 72 was priced at $2,600 to $4,000 upon production. Now, it could cost between $25,000 to $30,000 in various auctions around the world.
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