Beschreibung:

"The Cadillac is a vehicle manifestly intended to cover long distances at a high cruising speed whilst demanding the absolute minimum of effort from the driver and imposing the smallest possible distraction upon the passengers." It is abundantly clear from the foregoing that Motor magazine found much to commend in the Series 62 Cadillac when testing Briggs Cunningham's personal car early in 1950. Indeed, a Cunningham-entered Cadillac Coupe De Ville finished tenth at Le Mans that year driven - in lounge suits - by the Collier brothers. Although the body style featuring GM styling chief Harley Earl's Lockheed P38-inspired tailfins had made its debut the preceding year, 1949 was nonetheless a landmark year for Cadillac, this season’s models being the first to benefit from the company's new 5.4-litre, overhead-valve V8. Replacement for Cadillac's long-running 5.7-litre sidevalve unit, the new engine was untypical in having over-square bore/stroke dimensions and, despite the overhead valve gear, managed to be both more compact and lighter than its predecessor. A maximum output of 160bhp meant that 100mph was within the reach of most models, with comfortable cruising between 80 and 90. Revisions for the succeeding few seasons were chiefly limited to styling changes. Hydraulically operated ‘power’ windows was a feature of the Convertible and Coupe DeVille by this time, while Hydra-Matic automatic transmission was standardised from 1950 on all Series 62 models. The Series 62 was the larger of the two mainstream Cadillac model lines, being positioned between the ‘small’ Series 61 and the long-wheelbase Series 75 reserved for the Fleetwood-bodied limousines. Victor Ribeiro acquired this beautiful Cadillac, once owned by the singer, Christophe, via one of the latter’s friends acting as intermediary. The French singer, famous for his song Aline, enjoyed a lifelong passion for large American cars and is well known for his superb collection of jukeboxes, one of Europe’s most important. The singer once explained the reasons behind his love of collecting in an interview: ‘Surely not to age too quickly, to try to escape from adulthood. I especially love the physical form of these objects. For me these exuberant Cadillacs are sculptures representing the era of excess with their over generous use of chrome. When driving these convertibles one lives a different lifestyle; to go to Barbizon on Sunday becomes a festival; the landscape, even the passengers, takes on another dimension.’ Victor Ribeiro agrees: ‘Its chrome symbolises the extravagance of automotive engineering in post-war USA.’ This Cadillac is equipped with a sublime, red leather interior, while the roar from its V8 engine suggests the voice of a gospel-singing baritone. The car is presented in superb condition, boasting re-plated brightwork and a fully revised engine. It is offered with Portuguese registration documents and (copy) article on the collections of Christophe. Victor Ribeiro acquit cette superbe Cadillac, propriété du chanteur Christophe, par l'intermédiaire de l'un des amis de ce dernier. Le chanteur, célèbre pour sa chanson Aline, a toujours entretenu une passion pour les grandes voitures américaines et il est connu pour sa superbe collection de juke-boxes, l'une des plus importantes d'Europe. Le chanteur a expliqué un jour lors d'un interview les raisons qui présidaient à son amour de la collection : “ Certainement pour ne pas vieillir trop vite, pour tenter d'échapper à la condition d'adulte. J'aime spécialement l'aspect physique de ces objets. A mes yeux, ces Cadillac exubérantes sont des sculptures qui représentent une époque d'excès avec leur profusion de chromes. Au volant de ces cabriolets, on vit une autre existence. Aller à Barbizon un dimanche devient une fête. Le paysage, même les passagers prennent une autre dimension. ” Victor Ribeiro acquiesce : “ Ses chromes symbolisent l'extravagance du style automobile dans l'Amérique de l'après-guerre. ” Cette Cadillac