JUNE 28, 2013 (JULY 2013): 1960 CADILLAC COUPE DEVILLE: IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR DAD

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There are real life stories and there are car stories.

 

MyStarCollectorCar was founded on the principle that the best car stories intertwine with real life stories.

 

This 1960 Cadillac is a classic example of a perfect intersection between real life and an old car.

 

 

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Marcel Robin literally grew up with this big Caddy as he recalled, “My Dad bought it in 1966 from a Pontiac dealer. He had a ’58 Buick that he traded in on the Caddy. He always liked cars. He thought about this car for awhile because my mom wasn’t too fussy about him getting this car”.

 

Clearly Marcel’s father was a car guy but like most bona fide car guys, his cars had to do more than look good, “Dad never liked guys passing him and Mom would get mad when he’d take it up a notch so she’d tell him to stop it”.

 

 

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Marcel spent some great years with his dad in the old Caddy, “He drove it quite a bit when he first got it. I remember Dad getting it up to 110 miles per hour, no problem. He liked to drive and this car could handle it”.

 

The old Cadillac never left the family although its role changed dramatically as Marcel added, “I remember chasing cattle with it back on the farm so it wasn’t a daily driver by then”.

 

Farm vehicles have a much different future after they pass the point of “practical” but it’s not always bleak. City people trade,give or haul away vehicles past their prime but farm folk tend to tuck them away in some forgotten area of their property.

 

 

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This is typically a “back 40” scenario where the neglected old ride is so far away the sun sets between the car and the farmhouse. The Cadillac was in a better place as Marcel recalled, “It was sitting in a shed, my Dad didn’t know I was going to take it”.

 

Despite the time in the shed, the Coupe De Ville was still showing a distinct barn find quality as he remembered,“The tires were flat, and mice were getting into it so I bought it off Mom”.

 

 

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Marcel knew the car was important to his father, “The last time he had it out was for a wedding in 2000, he had it painted 6 years ago and he passed away 4 years ago but he never got rid of the car”.

 

He’s had it for three years in 2013 and he’s done a few things to the car, “The floors needed a little work and I did the valve covers to add a little color. There are few things like a rebuilt water pump but it’s pretty good for an old car”.

 

 

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Marcel is in an enviable position because he gets to experience time behind the wheel of the same car his father loved, “We do some short trips in it. My son’s in Portland Oregon so that’sa good road trip it but  you always worry about a break down plus the car doesn’t have air conditioning”.

 

 

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Despite the limitations, Marcel loves the adventure found in his dad’s old Caddy, “It’s great,,very comfortable on the road, no problem for speed on the highway and the fins let you look out the back window to see if your taillights are working”.

 

The underlying theme to this Caddy is a succession plan and Marcel is clear on his, “When I go I want to pass it along to my kids”.

 

 

Grandpa would want it that way.

 

 

Jerry Sutherland

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