Wartime rationing changed this Series 61 mid-run: from January 1942 chrome trim was banned, so cars built from then until February had their bumpers and trim painted instead of plated.
Lead trim: Series 61 346 cu in L-head V8
Cadillac Series 611942–1947
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Cadillac Series 61 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactWartime rationing changed this Series 61 mid-run: from January 1942 chrome trim was banned, so cars built from then until February had their bumpers and trim painted instead of plated.
Model year 1942 saw a dramatic appearance change on all GM vehicles, where the curve of the front fenders extended halfway across the front doors, called "Airfoil", and a fastback appearance was adopted company-wide; vehicles built until February 1942 lacked chrome trim starting in January when it was prohibited for wartime production and trim pieces including bumpers were painted. After the war the Series 61 returned on a 126 in wheelbase with the same 346 cu in L-head V8 (215 in long, 4,390 lb) in club coupe, convertible and sedan forms, on the B-body shared with the Buick Special, Oldsmobile Series 70 and Pontiac Streamliner. The grille was more massive in 1942 with even fewer bars, the start of the traditional "egg crate" appearance, with round parking lights, rectangular fog light sockets, a fresh air ventilating system with ducts leading from the grille replacing cowl ventilators, a tee-shaped pull handle for the handbrake and a blocking-type thermostat replacing radiator shutters. The page gives no horsepower rating for this generation.
Collectors Spotted in the Cadillac Series 61 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Cadillac Series 61 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 61 346 cu in L-head V8 | 1942–1947 | 5.7 L V8 | 150 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Cadillac's famous tailfins didn't start as a styling flourish — this 1948 Series 61 wore them first, modeled directly on a WWII fighter plane.
Wartime rationing changed this Series 61 mid-run: from January 1942 chrome trim was banned, so cars built from then until February had their bumpers and trim painted instead of plated.
The Series 61 briefly vanished -- upgraded into the Series 62 for 1940 -- then came back for 1941, revived to replace Cadillac's own cancelled LaSalle Series 50.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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