During the dawn of the 1940s, Cadillac was number two in the luxury segment, right behind Packard. “Ask the man who owns one,” claimed Packard, but our Pick of the Day showed competitors that it truly was the “Standard of the World.” This 1941 Cadillac Series 62 convertible coupe is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Winchester, Virginia.
Cadillac developed a reputation for a precision-built, reliable cars since its founding in 1902. The company was purchased by General Motors in 1909, becoming its luxury division. Innovations followed, including an electrical self-starter in 1912 and the introduction of a V-8 engine in 1915 (not the first, but the first mass-produced V-8). At the time, Packard had an inline-six, but Cadillac now had bragging rights with a superior number of cylinders. Teething problems gave Packard a way to pick apart Cadillac’s attempted ascension, so Cadillac’s advertising agency of record was tasked with handling damage control.
Copywriter Theordore F. MacManus responded with “The Penalty of Leadership,” a paean to greatness, envy, and criticism. Nowhere was there an image of a car, nor mention of Cadillac aside from the logo at the top right and at the bottom margin. This ad, which appeared once in The Saturday Evening Post, was a radical approach at the time, yet it cemented Cadillac’s rightful place as a luxury leader in America and beyond.
Cadillac continued being a pioneer in the luxury segment, introducing a consciously styled companion with LaSalle, Synchro-Mesh gears for 1928, a V-16 for 1930, enclosed all-steel bodies for 1935 (along with other GM brands), and Hydra-Matic Drive automatic transmission for 1941 (debuting in Oldsmobiles the year before).
While Cadillac was a conservative brand, it was not as conservative as Packard. Little brother LaSalle often had a dash of sportiness, and the 1938-41 Cadillac Sixty Special introduced features that would be mainstreamed across the industry. And then World War II arrived …
Nineteen forty-one was a year of transition, a link between the Cadillacs of the 1930s and those that overtook Packard as America’s favorite luxury cars: the first to feature a wide egg-crate grille that would become a trademark, streamlined fenders, the aforementioned availability of Hydra-Matic Drive, and a V-8 that Packard wouldn’t adopt until 1955.
This red 1941 Cadillac Series 62 convertible coupe reflects the trajectory that would put the luxury brand at the top of the American market. It is powered by an L-head 346ci V-8 backed by a column-shifted Synchromatic Shift three-speed manual. “It is a stylish, flowing design by Harley Earl with headlights integrated into the fenders and rear fender skirts as standard issue,” says the seller. “The 1941 measures 216 inches in length [with a] 126-inch wheelbase.”
If you like the idea of driving a classic that led, instead of followed, the industry, it will take $67,500 (OBO) to have that honor, though the seller is open to a trade for another pioneering Cadillac: a 1976 Eldorado convertible.
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