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When the hostilities of World War II ended, the American automobile industry didn’t waste any time getting back to business. They had been preparing minor updates on the cars they were building at the beginning of the war with the intention of picking-up where they left off. This allowed for a quick return to production.
In the immediate post-War period, the luxury car companies in the United States had a significant amount of demand to fill. Cadillac, Lincoln and Packard all competed fiercely for market share of the luxury segment. At the same time, the European companies struggled to recover from the war. This meant European buyers of luxury cars were also buying American cars during this period. Cadillac quickly emerged as the dominant player world-wide.
The long wheelbase series 75 Fleetwood cars were aimed at the top of the market. They were also the most conservatively styled, a complete pre-war design with few changes. They even retained running boards, a feature gone from most cars by 1940. As the top of the line offering they came well equipped with large wheel cover disks, fender skirts, extra trim not offered on the other series, and finely crafted interiors.
Cadillac continued with their single engine offering for all series of cars. The 346 cid flat-head V8 was nearly identical to the pre-war offering. Cadillac produced this engine all through the war, using them to power tanks.
During this period, American cars were the choice of the wealthy, glamorous and heads of state all over the world. -
Company
General Motors
Make
Cadillac
Model
47-7533
Body Style
Imperial Sedan, 4-dr, 7-pass.
Body Manufacture
Fleetwood Body Company
Model year
1947
Wheelbase
136 inches
Length
226 inches
Engine
V8, L-head, 346 cid
Horsepower
150 @ 3400 rpm
Transmission
3-speed manual
Original Base Price
$4,422 base ($7,722 total this car)
Brand Production
61,926
This Car Production
1,005 -
On January 10, 1947, the Holy See placed an order with General Motors Overseas Operations in Rome for a new Cadillac limousine for the exclusive use of his holiness, Pope Pius XII. The specifications for this car were very specific: A single “throne” seat in place of the rear seat to measure 22” to 24” wide with cabinets to the left and right of the seat. Also, two auxiliary chairs facing towards the “throne”, roller curtains on all rear compartment glass, a sliding sunroof over the rear compartment, an intercom with the driver compartment and additional lighting. General Motors invoiced the cost of the modifications at $3,300 on top of the $4,422 purchase price of the car. To put this in perspective, that would total $111,458 in 2024 dollars.
GM turned to the Derham Body Company of Rosemont, PA, just outside of Philadelphia, to make the alterations. The car was delivered to Derham on March 10, 1947 and work was completed in two months. The car was then delivered to the “Garage Nobile in Citta del Vaticano” (the Vatican garage), where the crest of the pope was added to the exterior and flag holders for the flag of the Vatican were installed. The car was finally fitted with the license plate “1 SCV” , the plate reserved for the car of the pope.
After the death of Pius XII in 1958, the car was modified again to suit the requirements of his replacement, Pope John XXIII. John XXIII had a bad back and frail health, so the sliding roof was removed and the entire roof section in front of the throne was hinged so the roof could be opened and allow the pope to enter the car standing upright.
After the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963, the car was relegated to supporting uses and finally taken out of service completely. Before the car was sold, the Vatican removed all the custom features and returned the car to original factory specifications. The only thing they did not touch was the Derham emblem on the cowl. The car was subsequently sold to a collector in Italy.
In 2003, The NB Center Collection purchased the Cadillac. While in fairly good original condition, the car required a complete mechanical overhaul and some repairs to the interior. The body and paint were in good condition, with only some minor paint touch-ups evident. Most of the car still sports the original paint applied by Cadillac in 1947. The roof, that was changed several times and was repainted before the car was sold, is now showing fine cracking along the lines of the 1958 modifications.
The car now has the factory style original seating and details as modified by the Vatican prior to the sale of the car in the 1960’s. It is believed that the Vatican took this step to prevent the car becoming an icon, they were trying to downplay the history of the car. There are no plans to return the car to as it looked when built for the Pope because that would erase all the history of the car after that time. -
To understand the Vatican Limousine Collection of the NB Center you need to understand why the Vatican had American cars in the first place. In 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was created by the unification, both voluntary and forced, of the small countries and city-states that made-up the Italian peninsula. Many of the areas taken by the unification were Papal States, under the direct rule of the pope. The pope and the ruling body of the papacy, called the Holy See, retreated from these seized lands to the Leonine City on the shore of the Tiber river across from central Rome. This became the de facto headquarters of the Papacy and by extension the seat of the Catholic Church.
The new King and parliament of the Kingdom of Italy had no wish to be seen suppressing the Church or the pope, after all, the vast majority of Italians were Catholic. Through an act of the Parliament, called the “Law of Papal Guarantees”, the Kingdom of Italy granted certain powers and sovereign prerogatives to the pope. But, because this law was created by the government of the Kingdom and the pope did not recognize the rights or powers of the Kingdom, the pope did not accept this law. He declared himself a prisoner of the Leonine City, aka the Vatican, unable to leave the grounds for fear the Kingdom of Italy may seize the Vatican as their own. This stalemate, called the “Roman Question”, remained the status quo from 1861 through 1929.
The government of dictator Benito Mussolini finally negotiated an end to the Roman Question through the Lateran Pacts. This agreement, made February 1929, created the independent sovereign State of Vatican City and granted the full legal and political independence of the pope from the nation of Italy.
For the first time since 1861, the pope was free to move about outside the Vatican. Since no pope had left the Vatican since 1861, they never needed a car. While cars did exist inside the Vatican and the pope had even been given cars prior to this time, they never really had any place to go. To mark the occasion of the signing of the pact, the American Graham brothers, owners of the Graham-Paige Motor Company, donated a car to the Vatican for the use of Pope Pius XI. This 1929 Graham Paige 837 Landaulet by LeBaron became the first car for the exclusive use of a pope outside of the Vatican walls.
The car proved very reliable and comfortable. While the pope had other cars at his disposal, the Graham became the chosen vehicle. The car served both Pius XI and Pius XII before it was retired from regular use in 1947. The car can still be seen today in the Vatican museum.
In the years since the Graham entered the papal fleet, the Vatican came to appreciate that American cars were less expensive, easier to maintain and less gaudy than the offerings of most European manufacturers. In 1932, the Vatican began to purchase cars from General Motors. In that year they purchased several Buicks and a couple Cadillacs. This was followed in 1938 with the purchase of two Buicks and two Cadillacs. While other brands were purchased for various duties, all the cars dedicated to transporting dignitaries of all types, except the pope, through the end of World War II, were Buicks or Cadillacs
Immediately after the war, the Vatican placed an order for a custom Cadillac for the exclusive use of Pope Pius XII. This car was delivered in 1947 and soon followed by orders for another Cadillac, Packards and eventually Chryslers. American cars dominated the transport of dignitaries and the pope, at the Vatican until the mid-1960s.
Today, the largest collection of Vatican cars outside of the Vatican are in the NB Center collection. From a 1932 Cadillac to a 1965 Checker Marathon, including the Cadillac customized by Derham Body Company for the use of the pope starting in 1947, these cars survive because Nicola Bulgari and the staff of the NB Center set about to locate, save and preserve these artifacts while documenting their history.