Cadillac's all-new postwar 1948 Series 62 looked like the future — P-38 fighter-inspired tailfins and all — but under the hood sat the same flathead V8 from 1941, good for a leisurely 16-second sprint to 60.
Lead trim: Series 62 331 cu in OHV V8 (160 hp, 1949) · up to 190 hp
Cadillac Series 621948–1953
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FactCadillac's all-new postwar 1948 Series 62 looked like the future — P-38 fighter-inspired tailfins and all — but under the hood sat the same flathead V8 from 1941, good for a leisurely 16-second sprint to 60.
The first all-new postwar Cadillacs arrived in 1948, with tail fins inspired by the Lockheed P-38: Series 62 Cadillacs had a slightly shortened wheelbase (126.0 in) but track width was increased by two inches. For 1948 they were still powered by the 346 CID flathead V8 used since 1941, delivering only fair performance (0–60 in 16 seconds, top speed 93 mph, about 14 mpg highway with the Hydramatic); by 1949 only 10% of Cadillacs were ordered with the 3-speed manual. Series 62 production totaled 34,213 for 1948 (68% of Cadillac's volume; the models reached showrooms only in February). The new Cadillac OHV V8 was the big news for 1949: a 331 cu in (5.4 L) engine producing 160 hp that weighed 200 pounds less than the flathead and could handle higher compression; sales reached a record 55,643. The Series 62 Coupe de Ville was introduced late in the 1949 model year (US$3,496), among the first pillarless hardtop coupes, and the Eldorado convertible arrived for 1953 as a subseries. For 1950 the cars became lower and sleeker with longer hoods and one-piece windshields. The 1952 331 produced up to 190 hp with four-barrel carburetion, self-winding clocks and improved direction signals, and sales fell to 70,255 but accounted for a record 78% of all Cadillacs. Dimensions: 126.0 in wheelbase, length 214.0 in (1948–50), 215.8 in (1951 and 1952–53 four-door) and 220.8 in (1952–53 two-door), width 79.0 in (1948), 78.9 in (1949) and 80.1 in (1950–53), 62.7 in high, 4,400–5,000 lb.
Collectors Spotted in the Cadillac Series 62 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Cadillac Series 62 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 62 331 cu in OHV V8 (160 hp, 1949) | 1949–1949 | 5.4 L V8 | 160 hp | 312 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Series 62 331 cu in OHV V8 (190 hp, 1952) | 1952–1952 | 5.4 L V8 | 190 hp | 322 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Series 62 346 cu in flathead V8 (1948) | 1948–1948 | 5.7 L V8 | — | — | 16.0 s | RWD | — | — |
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Photographs
The 1964 Series 62 introduced Comfort Control, a dial-set automatic heating and air conditioning system — the industry's first fully automatic climate control, standard decades before it became common.
The year it became the Series 6200, Cadillac split De Villes and 2-door Eldorados into their own separate series — and sales of the Series 6200 alone plunged to just 70,736, its lowest since 1950.
Cadillac's 1957 X-frame let the Series 62 sit lower without losing interior room — but rivals like Ford called the frame design unsafe.
Cadillac built one completely unique Series 62-based Eldorado coupe just for the Reynolds Aluminum Corporation, with special extruded-aluminum body panels.
Cadillac's all-new postwar 1948 Series 62 looked like the future — P-38 fighter-inspired tailfins and all — but under the hood sat the same flathead V8 from 1941, good for a leisurely 16-second sprint to 60.
Postwar steel was so scarce that some 1946 Series 62s left the factory with wooden bumpers. Dealers were supposed to bolt on real ones whenever metal became available.
The 1941 Series 62 is the only four-door convertible Cadillac ever built — the brand never made that body style again.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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