1940 Cadillac Series 62

On sale here is a Cadillac Series 62, manufactured in late 1939, though it was a 1940 model. We believe it is one of just 60 right-hand drive models ever produced and was shipped from the Detroit factory to Port Elizabeth in South Africa.

We know little of its early life though we gather it was restored and retrimmed before being imported into the UK in 2006.

It was first registered here in 2008 and the owner at the time obtained a Certificate of Vehicle Identity from the Cadillac Owners Club of Great Britain which is our source of information.

Our seller acquired the Caddy some five years ago with the intention of restoring her to her former glory. He has now emigrated so cannot get the project under way, so we now offer you the chance to acquire this rare slice of Americana, and in right-hand drive form too. Are you handy with the spanners?

If you trawl through our extensive photo gallery, you can see the current state of the bodywork. Some areas are better than others and you can see that the car has been restored in the past. We feel sure that most buyers will want to commission a full respray, but there is no reason why the car could not be enjoyed as it is, until the time, money and inclination can be found.

The chromework, of which there is plenty, has seen better days, so a specialist firm will be needed to restore the shine and finish. It looks complete to us right down to the hubcaps, but we may be wrong!

Some parts and trim pieces not currently fitted to the car can be found in the boxes in the car, along with three tyres, one of which is still in its plastic wrapping.

There is plenty to do! Once again, the pictures show in full detail what the current state of play is.

Look through the dust and dirt and there are some positive signs. The dash and instruments are present and correct and there are a variety of spare parts.

Headlining will need doing as will of course all the upholstery. The front seats are clearly not the originals and looking at the pedal box, we believe an attempt was being made at one stage to create a hot rod or restomod. This may well be the way forward.

The boot looks to be in sound condition, but is lacking any of the niceties such as carpeting etc. The underside of the lid looks somewhat tired.

The engine does turn over on the starter, but we haven't tried to start the car more than that. The clutch pedal doesn't move, so this car is also a project on the mechanical front. The vendor states that the car ran two years ago, but now has a fuel leak from a perished hose.

There are plenty of photographs of the car’s underside and there are some signs of corrosion in places. Once these areas have been addressed, a good clean up and application of underseal will doubtless be the way forward, especially if all year-round use is on the agenda.

The engine bay has clearly been painted during the car’s last restoration and looks to be in ok condition. Some of the engine components look somewhat jaded and we feel sure the new buyer will want to fully overhaul the mechanicals.

There are some old MoT certificates in with the paperwork, the last test being recorded as being in August 2012. An advisory-free pass was obtained, after a few minor lighting issues were addressed.

The recorded mileage then was 99,829 and the odometer still show the same reading today. We know the car has been little driven, but it is possible that the gauge is not recording now. It matters not as restoration clearly beckons.

There is a booklet entitled ‘Operating Hints for the Cadillac’ which may prove useful, and we would suggest the new owner join the Cadillac UK Club. They will be a source of help, advice, and general knowledge. There is also a ‘Shop Manual’.

An advert in the file from when the car was sold on Ebay in 2008 details some work that had been carried out previously, including new springs all round, a full brake rebuild and new stainless steel exhaust, with all parts supplied by specialists Kanter of New Jersey. At the time the chromework had also been restored, but as mentioned previously, much of this is now in need of restoration again.

Rare slice of Americana seeks new owner, one who has the time, energy, and cash to restore her to her former glory. Once done, this cool Cadillac should provide endless driving pleasure, whether that be runs in the countryside or heading to classic car shows, where you will be unlikely to see another Series 62.

And let’s not forget it is right-hand drive too which takes some of the strain out of driving a classic car on our narrow, congested roads.

We strongly recommend visiting us so you can fully assess the condition for yourself, but we hope we have given you a flavour here of what is on offer.

We expect a price between £10,000 and £15,000 will be achieved.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.