1940 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Sedan - Model 6229 🇺🇸

Cadillac class is always notable, never more so than when looking at a body which is no longer made… The four-door convertibles, a style referred to as “phaeton”, have always held their own particular charm. Considering that this 1940 Cadillac is also extremely rare, collectors and enthusiasts are even more interested in this specimen. Only 75 of these 4-door Convertible Sedans were ever built! Today it is unknown how many of these have survived, but it is certain that this much-admired car is a testimonial to excellence. It joined the grand family of American automobiles in the Nicola Bulgari Car Collection in 2002, with the professional restoration of every single part only starting in January 2008 by Precision Motor Cars of Allentown (PA), taking two years to complete by May 2010. From the chassis to the body, the electrics to the engine and transmission, the dash to the seats, the trim to the wheels…all brought back to the splendor of 1940.

The body paint corresponds to the official Cadillac color of the era (Knickerbocker Gray), while the interior has been redone in Oxblood Red leather. The canvas top in elegant Tan and the typical livery wheel rims in red make their contribution to the color contrasts of the exterior.

Company
General Motors

Wheelbase
129in

Interior trim
Oxblood Red

Brakes
front and rear drums

Make
Cadillac

Length
216.1in

Engine
V-8 346cid

Tires
7.00x16

Model
Convertible Sedan - Model 6229

Width
77.5in

Carburetor
1 Stromberg 2-barrel

Original Price
$2,195

Body style
4-door Convertible Sedan

Weight
4230lbs

Horsepower
135hp @ 3400rpm

Production
75

Model year
1940

Exterior paint
Knickerbocker Gray/Tan top

Transmission
Selective synchro manual 3-speed

Cadillac faced 1940 with a restyling of its cars principally regarding the front end, where the grilles had horizontal and vertical elements making them appear wider than in the previous year. There was also the addition of two sets of louver bars in the sides of the engine hood.

1940 was the last year of Cadillac’s sister brand LaSalle (with the Series classified 40 and 50), a brand that unfortunately had to close down at the end of the season.

The 1940 Cadillac line up was essentially divided into four Series: the entry-level 60 (127 inch wheelbase), the intermediate and highest selling Series 62 (129” wheelbase), the more upmarket Series 72 Fleetwood (138” wheelbase), the luxury Series 75 on a long wheelbase (141”) with its endless number of Fleetwood body styles, and finally the most exclusive Series 90 that in the last year carried a 16 cylinder engine (when the Town Car model exceeded 7,000 dollars in the Cadillac price list).

In this wide range, the Series 61 took the place of Series 62 and presented four body styles: Touring Sedan 5-passenger ($1,745), Coupe 2-passenger ($1,685), Convertible Coupe 2-passenger ($1,795) and Convertible Sedan 5-passenger (introduced towards the middle of the year, it was the most expensive of the series at $2,195). The 1940 Series 62 totaled 5,903 units built, of which just 75 were produced as the Convertible Sedan model.

In Series 62 running boards were an option provided on request at no extra cost.

The model of the Series 62, the 4-door Convertible Sedan (Model 6229) was introduced as “Torpedo” with the body created by Fisher and a lower windshield.

All the Cadillacs of 1940, except the Series 90 Sixteen, had a V8 346 cubic inch flat-head type engine, reaching a maximum of 135 hp at 3400 rpm. This engine came with a classic transmission already used for some years by Cadillac.

For all the models of the year, the sealed beam headlights and turn indicators were standard equipment.
In 1940 the total production for Cadillac was little more than 13,000 units, leaping to as many as 66,000 in 1941, when no one was yet thinking what would happen just two years later (exactly on the 40th anniversary of the marque), with the interruption of civilian in favor of military production.