I’m back home after another 1,500+ mile jaunt on America’s highways, and this time in a different vehicle, the late-model Tahoe that belongs to my mother-in-law. Overall, the Tahoe did great: I was pretty impressed with it’s overall fuel range (mileage, not so much), loved sitting up instead of lower like I do in the Chrysler, and certainly enjoyed having all the legroom I could ever want. But it’s still a four-door SUV, a vehicle that I’m not really a fan of. Useful, yes, but not my taste. I’d rather be driving an old-school wagon…same legroom, same power, same horrific mileage, and pretty similar cargo capacities, but with some style, some substance, and some big-ass sofas for seats instead of the Tahoe’s hard buckets.
Tell me that doesn’t look like a great place to kill a few hours if you have to be on the road for any amount of time. Not much can walk with an early 1970s Caddy for overindulgent luxury at a fairly reasonable price, but this isn’t just any Caddy: this is one of five DeVille-based station wagons commissioned by Cadillac in 1969 for VIP transport duties for the 1969 Indianapolis 500 that year. The coachbuilder is unknown, but the wagons were based off of the DeVille sedan, optioned out completely and prepared to impress. After their duty was up, were sold to the public via a dealership in Dallas, Texas. This particular car got a restoration in the late 1990s, where it got painted British Racing Green, got trimmed out with fake alligator leather, and got a 1970 nose put onto the front end, but otherwise is intact and ready to go, air conditioning and all.
A pillarless four-door station wagon with 472 cubic inches of torque-on-command power? Yes, please.
ebay Link: 1969 Cadillac DeVille station wagon conversion
There are at least two nice original running Caddy station wagons in my area. I’m not sure if 1 of 5 is for a specific year or trim package, but they are super rare. I think a Ford Durango (based on a Fairmont) is more rare.
Just the thing for the Wise Guy with the oh so busy whack schedule…..
I’d rock it!
I’m not sure I buy the Indy story. Why would they need a Caddy wagon when Chevy had pacing duties that year and they had plenty of Kingswood Estate wagons available. I have a pick from 1969 showing 6 – 1969 Chevy wagons and Suburbans along with the Camaros. Not a Caddy in sight.
Sweet Ride! Saw one at the Volo Car Museum in Illinois in 2015. Similar to this, same year or early seventies. They said it was a special order for Elvis.
That Ford Durango? Never heard of that! You can see how the Fairmont body really lends itself to the Ranchero concept, not bad