Within a few hours, I’ll be on a plane heading out to Las Vegas in my annual pilgrimage to the SEMA Show. I love Vegas. In short doses, it just enough of the fringe edge of insanity and fun, even when I’m working. Most of my very cool stories come from Las Vegas…I’ve gone for a ride in one of the most violent Cobra replicas that has to exist, I’ve ridden with a Baja legend in a prerunner Ford that knew how to fly, and I had Chevrolet bring me out to Spring Mountain to sample a smorgasbord of vehicles that included two very secret-squirrel drag-prepared Camaro mules. And that doesn’t count meeting Brian Lohnes at my first SEMA eight years ago, or that because of the SEMA show and BangShift, I’m celebrating my sixth anniversary and pretty much eighth total year with my wife today. Like I’ve said, Vegas has treated me pretty good. 
Here’s the thing though: every time I’ve been in Vegas, I’ve felt that what I’m driving just isn’t appropriate. I’ve had decent power under my feet, I’ve had two-doors and four-doors, even an SUV that felt like I should’ve been picking up guests at MGM Grand one year. But Vegas requires a certain…I dunno, X factor if you want to use that term. You need to be flashy, a bit vulgar, but at the same time have a bit of class in how you do it. For years, I’ve wanted to bring a car like a 1972 Lincoln Mark IV to Sin City, but while digging through eBay this 1965 Cadillac DeVille screamed out at me. It was built ten to fifteen years ago and has some minor flaws, but right now I’d love nothing more than to hit the Strip at night with the top down just for the hell of it. The beautiful lines of a mid-1960s Caddy done up like this? No, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I am hearing a few words of wisdom in the back of my head that sound like, “for he who makes a beast out of himself…”
It runs, you can drop the top, it can be laid out or raised up on bags, you don’t have air conditioning and you don’t have a heater, and you’ll be guessing how much fuel is really in the tank. But I wouldn’t be deterred. A few days rolling in this Cadillac with an attitude like I run things and I’ll be satisfied. Whether you can live with the hangover the next morning…that’s up to you.
eBay link: 1965 Cadillac de Ville Convertible
I saw a gorgous black Caddy that sat about like this one, red leather and big spokes, up in Colorado. I don’t particularly care for Caddy’s, but it was exceptional. This one, not so much. Pretty tired of skuls and flames, skuls and flames…it’s all people seem to think about doing these days.