1966 Cadillac Deville Convertible

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At Cadillac in 1966, the DeVille series was in its second year, and a convertible along with a pillared sedan were a part of the great  series from GM’s top car – the “Standard Of The World.”

At a massive 129.5″ wheelbase, the DeVille series replaced the Series 62 in 1965 and would continue with this basic design until 1968.

This DeVille weighed between 4,500 lbs, which seems like a lot until you consider that a 6,000 lb SUV is the norm these days! Hard to imagine a 129.5″ wheelbase luxury car that weighed 4,500 lbs as a relative lightweight!

The DeVille cost between $5,537 and $5,580 (that’s $43,956 – $44,297 in 2019 dollars – roughly equivalent to a lower end luxury car these days).  And the Cadillac had all the basic goodies that we take for granted these days as standard – automatic transmission (3 speed Turbo Hydra-Matic), power steering and power brakes. Things like power windows, power seat, power door locks and air conditioning were extra-cost items for the big Caddy.

How many 1966 DeVille Convertible Coupes were made? Overall, Cadillac manufactured 196,685 cars in 1966 (with 134,502 Cadillacs made just 10 years earlier), including 19,200 convertibles like the one you see here.

The 472 cubic inch  V8 engine with 375 horsepower and 480 Ft-Lbs of torque was the industry’s largest engine for 1966 – you couldn’t get a bigger displacement engine! But you could certainly get more horsepower from virtually any other manufacturer. But the Caddy wasn’t in the horsepower race. Note the almost 500 Ft-Lbs of torque

Just by looking at this 1966 Cadillac DeVille convertible you can understand why Cadillac was always “The Standard of The World.” Superb styling with classically stacked headlights that give the grille a nice, wide look, with a touch of fin at the rear completed the timeless look. The hood was a whopping 8.5″ longer that the previous model – mostly to conceal the windshield wipers.

Something interesting to note – curved, frameless side glass appeared for the first time in this series, and the convertible here has a tempered rear glass instead of plastic. Of course, Cadillac was behind the times in one way – the 1963 Rambler Ambassador had curved side glass in 1963!

And not surprisingly, Cadillac engineering was busy for 1966, delivering such important developments such as a variable ratio power steering gear (the ratio increased as the wheel was turned, giving the car a more nimble feel. Also, you could order optional front seats with a carbon cloth heating pad built-in. Just the thing for a frost winter morning when some immediate heat applied to the backside could warm the entire body!

And with GM engineering and their meticulous attention to detail, the Cadillac Deville Convertible was a car for the best of the best!

The Caddy Convertible is all classic convertible in the largest form possible.

And the great news about these old Cadillac ragtops is that prices are still reasonable for a mid to late 1960’s convertible, with a #3 car being valued at Hagerty at $23,400 in 2019.

 

See Cadillac DeVille Convertibles For Sale!

 

1959 Cadillac DeVille Convertible

1959 Cadillac DeVille Convertible