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The noble Cadillac of the failed English king

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Created on November 14, 2013

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Archiv Peter Ruch

Owner - Courtesy of RM Auctions

Owner - Courtesy RM Auctions

Archiv Peter Ruch

Owner - Courtesy of RM Auctions

Owner - Courtesy RM Auctions

Cadillac Custom Limousine "The Duchess" by General Motors (1941) - offered as lot 123 at the RM Auction "Art of the Automobile" on November 21, 2013 in New York

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Cadillac Series 62 (1940) - the V8 engine produced 135 hp

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Cadillac Convertible Coupe (1941) - open version with many ornaments

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Cadillac Series 60 Special Touring Sedan (1941) - "Five Passenger Touring Sedan" with bodywork by Fleetwood

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Cadillac Series 61 Coupe (1941) - the deluxe model for five people

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Cadillac Series 61 Touring Sedan (1941) - for five occupants, here as a deluxe model

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Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Sedan (1941) - powerful appearance

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Cadillac Series 67 Touring Sedan (1941) - also available with chauffeur windshield

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Cadillac Series 67 Touring Sedan (1941) - with orientation towards a chauffeur as driver

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Cadillac Series 75 (1941) - "Five Passenger Touring Sedan" by Fleetwood

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Cadillac Series 75 (1941) - the " Formal Sedan" by Fleetwood

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Cadillac Series 63 Touring Sedan (1941) - for five passengers, with additional rear windows

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Cadillac Series 62 Touring Sedan (1941) - only a small part of the floor space remained for the passengers

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Cadillac Series 60 Special (1942) - available with cutting disk and special armrests

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Cadillac Series 62 Touring Sedan (1942) - some design elements of the special model "Duchesse" were adopted here

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Cadillac Custom Limousine "The Duchess" by General Motors (1941) - angeboten als Lot 123 an der RM Auction "Art of the Automobile" am 21. November 2013 in New York

Summary

In 1941, General Motors delivered a very special Cadillac to the former King Edward VIII of England and his wife Wallis Simpson. It was a one-off built by Harvey Earl and his "Styling Section" and was hardly ever seen in public until a few years ago. Now, freshly restored, it can be purchased at auction in New York. This vehicle report tells the story of the special 1941 Cadillac and its owner Eduard VIII and shows it in impressive pictures, together with archive images of the series counterparts of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

A king with rough edges
Love, abdication and luxury exile
The uber-designer Harley Earl
A very special Cadillac
Technology and equipment at its best
Lost and found again
Six figures

Estimated reading time: 4min

Preview (beginning of the article)

A Cadillac was always a special vehicle, but in 1941 General Motors built a one-off for the former King of England, Edward VIII, which is regarded as a milestone in Cadillac design. As the eldest son of King George V, Edward, who was born in 1894, was the natural heir to the throne and, as was customary at the time, was brought up by the servants while the King and Queen went about their duties. The self-confident Edward lived the extravagant life of a monarch with long journeys and big game safaris, but also had an interest in social issues. After various affairs, he fell in love with the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.

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