IF YOU WERE BORN IN
the beginning of the “modern V-8” era — let’s call that 1955 to about 1965 — these cars were visible in your life. Maybe your folks had one. Or the attorney that lived up by the country club. Or the “Don Draper” in your universe. There was no escaping these huge American land yacht convert- ibles. They were defined by acres of sheet metal, lots of shiny chrome, a power convertible top (with or without a yellowing plastic rear window) and way up there, somewhere ahead of the radio, a big, cast-iron V-8 engine with enough torque to power the Queen Mary across the Atlantic.
Somewhere along the way, these high rollers became unfashionable, and the first gas crunch of the early 1970s didn’t help. And there were safety concerns, legitimate and otherwise, about soft tops. By 1977, Detroit ceased production and, like the dinosaurs to which they were often compared, this style of American dreamboats became extinct.
Guess what — they’re back. Not as new models, but as approachable, relatively affordable and absolutely drivable classics. Few of them are par- ticularly rare or pricey; for the sake of this review, we’ve set an upper ceiling of around $35,000, according to the latest Hagerty Price Guide, for high- quality examples. Most of them seat five or six, so the whole family, and maybe a friend or two, can all
ride along to the burger joint, beach cruise or ice cream parlor. Most are mechanically straightforward to work on, and parts are available at afford- able prices.
Let’s drop the top and just cruise in these perennial favorites…
1965–70 CADILLAC DEVILLE
There are few cars more emblematic of early 1960s-style American status than a Cadillac convertible. Top flight 1960–64 examples generally run above our price ceiling, so we focus on the slab-sided body style that was all- new for 1965. The new grille design was broader and more square-rigged than the ’64s, and of course the tailfin treatment was updated yet again. Trim levels were also realigned, and the Eldorado model became part of the Fleetwood line, preparing for its dramatic rebirth as a new front-wheel- drive coupe in ’67. Meanwhile, the DeVille was the predominant Caddy convertible for ’65, powered by Cadil- lac’s standard-bearer 429-cubic-inch V-8, which was good for 340 horsepow- er. The car was essentially a carryover for 1966, with mild styling and engi- neering tweaks, although 1967 brought another substantive restyle, the new car looking even longer and larger than the 1965–66 models. The restyle paid off, as 1967 was a huge sales year for Cadillac, so the car was carefully massaged for ’68, although the hood was longer and the rake of the trunk steepened. A new 472-cubic-inch V-8 was the largest engine you could get
1964–69 Ford Galaxie 500/500XL Number Produced: 183,972
Original Price: $3,045–$3,385 Current Price: $15,500–$50,200
in an American car. All Cadillacs were redesigned for 1969, and that basic platform carried it through 1970.
Which one you choose will likely be determined by your tastes and the ex- amples you find. Most Caddy convert- ibles came fully loaded, with leather interiors and nearly every power op- tion conceivable at the time. The cars are well engineered, solidly built, and handle well for their size and weight. The ride is dreamy, with the big V-8 up to any job. As with most of the cars on this list, we encourage you to seek out and buy the best you can afford, as a complete restoration will cost you a fortune; there’s lots of chrome to re- plate, acres of steel to prep and paint, plus cubic yards of expensive leather required to recover the interior. Paying up front for a car that’s been meticu-
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HAGERTY.COM
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