Why the 63-64 Cadillac?

[Chris]

What makes our cars so special to you? They’re a lot of other Cadillacs out there that are collectible, but only a handful of Cadillacs are truly unique, awesome and special. 

We can all mostly agree that the 59 Cadillac is probably the most well known iconic Cadillac of all time. But when I think of a 50’s Cadillac icon, I see the 54-56’s IMO  being the most prominent, stately and bold of them all.

But the 60’s Cadillacs vary even more mainly because of the flamboyant Cadillac styling ended in 1962.

By 1963, I truly feel is when Cadillac cleaned up image. The 63-64’s are one of the most elegant stately Cadillacs of the 60’s. You have a combination of clean, yet still bold styling with great performance especially with the 429 and the  TH400 which is a match made in heaven.

You still have a Cadillac that is built solidly, with high quality materials which really ended after 1965 when interior materials started to drop off big time. The fit n finish of the 63-64’s are excellent, and the interiors hold up extremely well from what I hear and can see compared to other Cadillacs of a similar years. 

They ride smoothly and quietly, and are one of the best Cadillacs IMO in terms of styling as they harken back to the looks of a toned down 1960 model which is also a beautiful car.

So why do you love your 63 or 64 Cad, and how do they compare it to other Cadillacs you have owned in the past? Will you ever sell your car, or keep it until the very end? 

[Tony and Ginny 429]

I think you just explained the reasons to me yourself 

The 429 with the turbo trans -  the outstanding looks - comfort control( AC and heat )  - real chrome and stainless  and quality materials used thru out make the 64 it for me 

The big cubic inch engine dew me to the first 62 convert I owned  after my 409 cu in race engine  that I owned as did the 64’s engine size 

I spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a beautiful 1955 Cadillac convert and they have wonderful looks and performance 
We had the 55 convert that was only used for family outings from 55 to the early 60’s when we got into the early 60’s Cadillacs 

The 55 was in the garage more than it was used as my Dad was into the  Jaguar XK 120’s as his daily drivers  in those years 
He would say he loved straightening out corners and he really beat on his cars and loved the ones he could’nt brake the best  
We had one of the first VW’s when— there were only 50 in the country with the turn signal that would pop out of the side of the car just behind the top of the the doors 

Got him to his factory in  Brooklyn in every NY snow storm — priceless 

Enjoy 

[Tony and Ginny 429]

My 64 will be going to my son  who loves the car and has race cars-  race boats and many race motor cycles himself 

My wife says we have the car gene in my family and hers 

Enjoy 

[Michael Vogler]

I bought my first '64 Deville Convertible when I about 24 off a little old man in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1989, without having ever driven one.  The styling. The chrome! Those fins!!  It was love at first sight..and when I first got behind the wheel...forget about it!  I was hooked.  I loved the power and feel of the 429-TH400, and with power steering, the drive was effortless.  The car floated down the road.  The comfort control was always a bit troublesome, but so what?!  I was living in Southern California in a fire engine red convertible Cadillac!

I couple of years ago I bought my current '64 Deville convertible.  When she was delivered, it was like reconnecting with a long lost lover.  I was smitten all over again.  

What do I like most about my '64 Cadillac?  The better question is, "What don't I like about my '64 Cadillac?"  The answer is, "Nothing."  I love every gas guzzling, dressed up, pointy curve of her.  ( She's a bit like my wife, only not as temperamental. :-)). I'm a lucky man to have both in my life! 

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Micheal 

I was about 26 years old when I bought my  first Cadillac  a 62 convert with AC that was optional in that year and very few ordered  with that option in NY only being Hot there  in the summer months 

We were both very young guys  to be sportin around  in such fine Cadillacs back in those days 

That was my start to my love affair for early 60’s Cadillacs that inspired my Dad to be buying the 64 I now have and keeping  it forever 

A sign of success and a sense of  style that was hard to beat back  then and still applies today 

Enjoy 

[Kurt]

For me personally one of my earliest childhood memories was my grandfather pulling up in the driveway in his 1963 Coupe de Ville. I was instantly awestruck by this beautiful car. He knew it and gave me the car when I was 20 years olds. I still feel the same way about it.

A friend gave me the June 1996 issue of Collectible Automoble which features a good article on the 1961-64 Cadillac. The designers felt that 63 &64 styling was outstanding and I tend to agree. I have found the same article online (minus the incredible glossy photos)  as a "How Stuff Works" article here https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1961-1964-cadillac.htm

[Tony and Ginny 429]

I really Love the  62 convertible body style having owned mine for 7 years a bit more than the 63-or 64 style myself ( very sight bit more ) 

The Batman look— as mine was an  all back  exterior - natural leather interior (  a killer combo ) 

I had the option of owning a 62- 63 and a 64  convertible from my Dad collection of 7  fully restored Cadillacs —the rest CDV in the same years 

I had to go with the 64 I have now for the advanced engineering that adds to its overall  drive ability  over the other years for myself 

I was 21 years old and standing next to my Dad when he bought the 64 I have which did also influence my choice a lot 

We went to the  car dealer to purchase a Chevy Super Sport 409 dual quad  4 speed with positraction —-for me 

After we did that —-he bought the 64 which was a shocking  surprise to me at the time 

How fortunate  am I to be in a position to be living this experience and making this choice of his fine Cadillacs ?

Talk about making a priceless memory !!!

Dad was going into retirement and parting with his toys 

Enjoy 

63 having owned one for 7 years 

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Our year Cadillacs are Totally Addictive once you are exposed to the total  comfort package and prestige  that comes with owning a car that in its time was the standard of the entire world 

My own affection is for the convertibles with air conditioning which allows you to show up in complete comfort in a shirt and tie looking sharp as a tack or a bathing suit coming off a hot day in the sun at the beach 

The cloud 9 ride floating down the road feeling of our year Cadillacs is the best of all other Cadillacs I have owned 

IT RIDES LIKE A  ( best ) CADILLAC ——slogan comes to mind 

This has been a 58 year Love affair for me and still at the top of my list for having a super fun day out and about with my wonderful wife Ginny ( who feels the same way I do ) 

Amen 

[Chris]

That’s awesome guys!! I am so jealous! Well for the simple fact that some of you grew up around parents and grandparents that owned these fine cars when new. So you know exactly how they ran, looked and felt at a young age. I’m a lot younger than most of you here as I never grew around Cadillacs from the 60’s. I mean my grandfather used to own 70’s Buicks way back in the days,  and my father when he was young, used to own a 83 or an 84 Olds Cutlass that was a cool car that I remember when I was a little kid riding in. 

But no one in my family or people I knew of growing up owned a Cadillac. I do remember however seeing late 80’s Broughams and 90’s Cadillacs roaming around on a daily basis, but nothing as cool as our 63-64’s. 

They’re just certain cars that you could never part with especially when you’ve owned it for many many years and have spent a lot of time with it. Memories were created, maybe you did a lot of the repairs yourself so you know how the car is intimately. You still get excited every time you take it out for a cruise, and my 64 is that car. 

I don’t think many people realize how flashy and cool Cadillacs used to be. In my mind a 50’s-60’s Cadillac was a young man’s car in styling IMO. It wasn’t until the 70’s and 80’s is when Cadillacs styling trended more towards a grandpa mobile. Too conservative in design besides for the Eldorado. 

The 63-64 was the end for the more truly sleek youthful appearance. Starting in 1965 Cadillac became more upright, and squared off. They lost the fins entirely, which definitely was the end to the late 50’s flamboyancy.