Featured is a 1960 Cadillac Sedan deVille. The name was spelled DeVille, De Ville and de Ville was named on a good many Cadillac luxury automobiles.The Cadillac deVille started out in 1949 as a top trim level for the Series 62 Cadillac.
The 1960 Cadillac Sedan DeVille was a part of the first generation which were the 6200 models.The DeVille was now it’s own distinct model away from the Series 62. This new series and it’s first generation covered the 1959 and 1960 model years..
The Standard of Luxury
The traditional Cadillac was the most charismatic automobile to come out of Detroit. It’s an automobile that came out with original styling rather then trying to mimic styling from it’s U.S. competitors. The Cadillac set the standard for luxurious styling both inside and outside of the vehicle.
Cadillac offered elegant styling, excellent engineering, and a high quality reputation. Put this together with the enormous resources of GM allowed the Cadillac division ruled the U.S. luxury car market during the 1960s.
1960 Cadillac Styling
The 60 Cadillac’s had a full length grille and no front bumper guards. Standard equipment on the 1960 Cadillacs included power steering and power brakes, power windows and seats and two speed windshield wipers. The automobile had X-Frame construction.
It should be noted however that beginning with the 1960 Cadillac line-up, the design excesses of the 1950’s decade were being downplayed.
During the1950’s it seemed that each year brought a new twist on longer, lower, wider, along with the ever-taller tail fins and in addition to that ever more chrome.The Cadillac of the 1960’s didn’t usher in many engineering advances but styling did take on a more conservative approach. You couldsat that beginning in 1960 the Cadillac styling was much toned down.
The head designer for Cadillac in 1960 was Bill Mitchell. Mitchell had been an advertising illustrator prior to being hired at GM by Harley Earl in 1935. The legendary Harley Earl retired from GM in 1958 and was succeeded in the head position by Mitchell. Mitchell worked for GM until 1977 and during his long tenure there was responsible for influencing the design of over 72 million vehicles.
A classic nameplate within Cadillac, DeVille was retired by the luxury c ar brand after the 2005 model year.The Cadillac DTS replaced the Cadillac DeVille as Cadillac’s largest luxury car for the 2006 model year. The DTS stood for DeVille Touring Sedan.
1960 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Specifications
The 1960 Cadillac Sedan DeVille was built with a 389 cubic inch V-8 engine. Three configurations produced horsepower from 304 to 345. The standard V-8 was equipped with a Carter four barrel carburetor.
Transmission was a Hydra-Matic four speed automatic.
Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums.
Front suspension has upper and lower control arms with spherical joints and helical coil springs. Rear suspension includes 4-link drive and helical coil springs.
The DeVille’s wheelbase measured 130.0 inches. Overall outside length was 225.0 inches, it’s width 79.9 inches, it’s height 54.1 inches, and the car’s weight came in at 4,670 lbs.
Total model production for 1960 was 142,184. Total Deville production for 1960 was 71,000 vehicles. New car price was about $5,500.
Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below..
A good book for those wanting to learn more about the performance of the 1960’s Cadillacs is…Cadillac Automobiles, 1960-69 (Brooklands Books Road Tests Series), edited by R.M. Clarke. Other reference material includes..The Cadillac Story: The Post War Years by Thomas Bonsall…..Cadillac: A Century of Excellence by authors Robert Leicester Wagner…Cadillac: The Tailfin Years by Robert J. Headrick Jr.
Cadillac is a classic brand of American luxury automobiles and is a true icon of the American automotive industry.Current asking prices for excellently restored and highly original 1960 Cadillac Sedan DeVille’s run in a range from about $35,000-$50,000.
(Photos and articles copyright Auto Museum Online)