John F. Williams 1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Web Shrine Page

On August 12, 2003, I visited Milwaukee to check out a 1957 Lincoln that turned out to have been rather artfully posed on Ebay.  Instead, on my birthday, August 15, 2003, I bought a 1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille for restoration.  It has FUNCTIONING original AIR CONDITIONING.  Oh, bliss.

Photographs are being contemporaneously made to chronical the car's history, post Williams.   The fist photo below is the car sitting in its former owner's East L.A. back yard.  The next few are at AAMCO in Alhambra.  The LAX shot was made earlier during the week that I bought the car, on the wild goose chase to Milwaukee to check out the bogus Lincoln.  The restored photos below are from an ad I found via a Google search. 





















Rear Quarter Panel








Below from another web site:   http://100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1950/cad56s.htm

1956 CADILLAC
SERIES 62

1956 Cadillac The 1956 year saw introduction of Cadillac's first four-door hardtop Sedan de Ville, which immediately scored almost as many sales as the Coupe de Ville and standard 62 hardtop combined.

1956 Cadillac Despite an all-new '56 Lincoln and revitalized '57 Imperial, Cadillac remained America's luxury sales leader by far. Combined Lincoln/Imperial volume never exceeded 40,000 cars a year in this era; at Cadillac, that was good quarterly output.

For 1956, the milestone V-8 was stroked to an even 4 inches to deliver 285 bhp standard and 305 for Eldorado.

1956 Cadillac

SERIES 62

Although a facelift was the major restyling news for 1956, there were still many changes in the Series 62 lineup and especially in the Eldorado sub-series. The annual "beauty treatment" consisted of a new grille with finer textured insert and the repositioning of the parking lights in the bumper, below the wing guards. Buyers were given a choice of a standard satin finish grille or optional gold finish, both selections decorated with Cadillac script on the lefthand side. On the rear side fenders of Series 62 models a narrow chrome molding and nine vertical louvers were seen. The Coupe DeVille had a model nameplate and Cadillac crest on the sides of front fenders, while the more standard cars had only the crest. An Eldorado script appeared, with a fender crest, on the luxury convertible, which also featured a twin-fin hood ornament. Other extras on this car -- now known as the Biarritz -- were a ribbed chrome saddle moldling extending from the windshield to the rear window pillar along the beltline and flat, pointed rear fender fins. Totally new models included a pillarless four-door called the Sedan DeVille and an Eldorado Coupe Seville. The latter represented an especially luxurious hardtop coupe, which was built to Eldorado standards and similarly priced. As usual, the standard four-door 62 sedan was seven inches shorter than the other cars in the same series. Both cars in the Eldorado sub-series were slightly longer this year.

1956 Cadillac Fin

I. D. NUMBERS



1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille

Model Number Body Style Doors Model Seating Factory Price Shipping Weight Production Total
55-62 6219(X) 4-door Sedan 6 4241 4430 26,222
55-62 6219(X) - Export Sedan 6 4241 4430 444
55-62 6239DX - Sedan DeVille 6 4698 4550 41,732
55-62 6237(X) 2-door Hardtop Coupe 6 4146 4420 26,649
55-62 6237DX - Coupe DeVille 6 4569 4445 25,086
55-62 6267X - Convertible Coupe 6 4711 4645 8300
55-62 62 - Chassis only - - - 19
ELDORADO (SUB SERIES)
55-62 6237DX - Coupe Seville 6 6501 4665 3900
55-62 6267SX - Convertible Biarritz 6 6501 4880 2150


NOTE: The symbol X in brackets after Body Style Number indicates hydraulic window lifts optional; without brackets indicates this feature standard.

1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille

SERIES 62 ENGINE

Feature Standard Engine Optional Engine
Type V-8: Overhead valves
Block Cast iron block
Displacement 365 cubic inches
Bore and stroke 4.00 x 3.63 inches
Compression ratio 9.75:1
Horsepower rating 285 @ 4600 rpm 305 @ 4700 rpm
Main bearings Five
Valve lifters Hydraulic
Carburetor Carter WCFB four-barrel, Model 2370S Two (2) Carter WCFB four-barrel, Model 2371S

CHASSIS

Feature Series 62 Sedan Other Series 62
Wheelbase 129" 129"
Overall Length 214.9" 221.9
Front Tread 60" 60"
Rear Tread 63.1" 63.1"
Tires 8.00 x 15 8.00 x 15
Exhaust Dual exhaust


CONVENIENCE OPTIONS


HISTORICAL