CHRISTMAS CHRISTINE…A 1963 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE STEALS THE SHOW IN A CHICK FLICK

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MyStarCollectorCar is dedicated to the old car hobby and will head down many avenues in hot pursuit of a good article for our readers.

Typically, that road does not involve a Christmas chick flick created for a Hallmark viewing audience, but a holiday movie that co-stars a 1963 Cadillac convertible got our attention in a big way.

JIM SUTHERLAND

We at MyStarCollectorCar spend little time (check that–no time) on women’s channels during the course of any given year, but a stylish Caddy with a family history that drew the past owner’s daughter back to the car is a big part of the story line we have encountered from vintage vehicle owners on many occasions over the past 11 ½ years.

The movie was entitled ‘Christmas on Wheels’, a label that also captured our interest because of its automotive theme. The plot was standard issue Christmas fare because it was based upon a woman’s return to her small hometown for the holidays from her new life in the big city. The twist was clearly the car, formerly owned by her late mother and eventually sold out of the family by her uncle after he saw no need to keep it and the car owner’s daughter (his niece) was seemingly uninterested in the car.

The uncle explained how the car was falling into neglect and required repairs before it was even roadworthy. He added his field of expertise did not include automotive repair and necessitated the sale.

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The next owner was also unable to get the car running again, nor was the person who got the Caddy free of charge from that owner. The no-charge car was offered to the latest owner largely because of his happy Christmas memories about the car when the woman’s mother delivered presents to underprivileged kids in it–including him.

Christmas movies require a suspension of reality and this movie was no exception. The opening sequence included a flashback moment in which the woman’s mother completed her annual Christmas deliveries in the Caddy with the daughter riding shotgun as a young girl. The big issue for car guys? The top was down on the convertible–even though an abundant amount of snow was clearly falling on the two passengers in the vintage Caddy.

Few car guys of sound mind would ever subject a rare 1963 Cadillac convertible to this kind of winter abuse and would be highly disturbed by the opening sequence. The movie was a 2020 production so the timeline would indicate the car was already a rare collector car when the flashback sequence was created for the flick. A pristine ’63 Caddy drop top would not be driven for the winter-let alone being driven with the top down during a snowfall–even during the movie’s timeline as it related to the main female star’s current age.

We at MyStarCollectorCar do not want to go full-on Grinch here, but very few car guys would give away a 1963 Caddy convertible to somebody because that person was sentimentally attached to the car. In fact, they would factor in the emotional ties and bump the price.

Also, tailpipe replacement is not a critical component of a build process in the real world, mainly because there are so many genuine critical issues on the list, including starting the car. The happy ending in this Christmas story was the woman was able to fire up the car because it appeared to be haunted by her mother and she approved of her daughter’s reconnection with the Caddy–so Ma finally allowed the car to start under her watch.

Bear in mind the car never ran for any of its previous owners after the woman’s mother died, despite the best efforts of local mechanics.

The happy ending? The woman was able to resurrect the Caddy Christmas gift delivery tradition in her late mother’s old convertible. With the car’s top down of course.

Jim Sutherland

BY: Jim Sutherland

Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section. 

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