1942 Cadillac 60 Special Derham Town Car

From the late 1930s through the 1970s, he name“Sixty Special”denoted some of Cadillac’s most luxurious and exclusive production cars. Originally intended to fill a gap between the entry level Series 60 and the more opulent Series 62, he first generation of Sixty Specials were built between 1938 and 1941 and featured sleek, ill Mitchell-designed bodies with no running boards, steeply raked windscreen and somewhat sporting coupe-like lines. Sales were acceptable, ut Cadillac buyers still demanded big luxury automobiles. So for 1942, he Sixty Special was heavily reworked and took on a new position in the Cadillac line. Riding on the longest wheelbase of all non-limousine Cadillacs, he Sixty Special took on the role of the top traditional luxury offering, llowing wealthy clients to choose from a Standard Sedan or the divider window-equipped Imperial Sedan.

One such wealthy client was W. Deering Howe, ounder of Transair Inc. and a well-known Long Island socialite. In the fall of 1941 he was set to be married to Elizabeth Shevlin Smith, ho was described as a strikingly beautiful woman and daughter of a famous former Yale football star who hailed from a prominent Northwest timber family. Deering Howe chose a very special gift for his bride-to-be, n the form of this elegant, oachbuilt 1942 Cadillac Series Sixty Special Town Car by Derham. Originally ordered through a New York dealer, t was immediately shipped to Derham’s coachwork shop in Rosemont, ennsylvania to be converted to the Town Car configuration it wears today. Derham had actually planned to build four of these Sixty Special Town Cars, ut records indicate just two were completed before the outbreak of war ended automobile production prematurely in 1942. For an Imperial Sedan to become a Town Car, erham significantly modified the Cadillac with an open driver’s compartment with occasional weather equipment, itted a padded formal rear roof with small backlight, nd retrimmed the rear interior compartment in luxurious Bedford Broadcloth upholstery. A separate radio for the rear passenger was also included as a “special request” from Fleetwood.

With war looming, resident Franklin D. Roosevelt had issued a moratorium on the deliveries of any new cars after January 2nd1942, nd this opulent wedding gift almost didn’t happen - but given Mr. Deering Howe’s social standing, e was able to secure priority status with the local bureaucrats and thus the Cadillac was finally delivered to Elizabeth later in 1942. The Cadillac remained part of Mrs. Howe’s life until 1951, hen, hree years after Mr. Howe’s untimely passing, t was replaced with a used Rolls-Royce, iven by her third husband. It subsequently passed to Frank Low in 1958 and, ater, o Norman “Bill” McIntosh, wner of a classic limousine service in Detroit, ho sold it in 1974 to the most recent owner, longtime and active CCCA member. Upon acquiring Mrs. Deering Howe’s Cadillac, n exhaustive restoration effort followed, ith the engine rebuilt using new-old-stock components, he body refinished in maroon with matching genuine leather upholstery for the chauffeur, nd the rear compartment upholstered in plain tan broadcloth (a replacement for the unavailable Bedford Broadcloth).

The car has been regularly driven over many years, ncluding in three CCCA CARavans in 1986, 994, nd 2005, nd it achieved its Primary Custom First Place award in CCCA competition in 1997. It has appeared in The Classic Car, everly Rae Kimes’s 1990 book on the CCCA, n a prominent two-page spread in which the owner described it as being “a unique glamorous as well as dependable car.” More recently, t has been displayed at America’s Car Museum in Tacoma and it is offered with a set of original manuals. Driving the car belies the age of the restoration, he car drives fabulously, nd is simply one of the best driving 1940’s cars we’ve ever had the privilege to offer. It presents today in beautiful condition inside and out. It is eminently usable, nd as many CCCA and Cadillac club members will attest for cars of this era, ould make a wonderful tour car. This is one of only two cars of its kind built by Derham and represents a tremendously rare opportunity to acquire one of the last great coachbuilt American Pre-War classics.

If interested please contact me at 760-216-7999