1954 Cadillac Coupe de Ville Series 62 - Minimarque 59C

The Coupe deVille (sometimes spelled Coupe Deville or Coupe DeVille) was a model of Cadillac from 1949 through 1993. The name has become famous through pop culture, with references in pop songs, movies, and other media.

The name "DeVille" ("of the city" or "town" in French) derives its name from its body styling, which featured an open chauffeur's compartment and enclosed passenger compartment. This configuration elevated the vehicle from mere transportation to a bona fide status symbol. "Town Car" was first used by Lincoln in 1922 to describe a one-off vehicle built for Henry Ford. The first Cadillac to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe De Ville, with a 4-door hardtop version appearing in 1956 (a one-off Sedan de Ville was built in 1954). Both cars were based on the Series 62.

Model history

The Coupe deVille was introduced by Cadillac late in the 1949 model year. Part of the Cadillac Series 62 line, it was a closed, two-door coupé, Cadillac's first pillarless hardtop. Intended as a prestige model, at $3,497 it was one of the most expensive models of the Series 62 line. It was luxuriously trimmed, with leather upholstery and chrome 'bows' in the headliner to simulate the ribs of a convertible top. The first-year Coupe deVille sold 2,150 units, but 1950 sales were more than double, and 1951 more than doubled those of the previous year. By 1961 it was one of the company's most popular models, with annual sales above 20,000.

Cadillac De Ville nomenclature always followed a tradition: Two doors with steel roofs were always Coupe De Ville, four doors were always Sedan De Ville until the elimination of two door models, and convertibles were always simply De Ville, as they were neither a coupe, nor a sedan by design.