Cadillac Models & History 1947

Althoughthere was little change from ’46, the quickest way to distinguish a ’47 was the Cadillac name written in script on the front fenders. And while spartan rubber stone guards had been used on the leading edge of the rear fenders for ’46, they were made of stainless steel in 1947. A full wheelcover, which came to be called the “sombrero” because of its size and shape, replaced the diminutive standard ’46 hubcap. The housings for the fog lamps and parking lights were combined for ’47 and one of the horizontal bars of the grille was eliminated. The trunk emblem, meanwhile, sprouted LaSalle-like wings (except on the Sixty Special). Overall, the effect of the ’47 styling was a bit more “Cadillac” than in 1946.

 

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1947 Cadillac 2-door

Mechanically, the ’47 engine was toughened with hardened ball seats as a component of the hydraulic valve lifters. Cadillac considered this improvement important enough to phase it in on the late ’46s. Sixty-Two convertibles and the Seventy-Fives were now equipped with Hydro-Lectric window lifts as standard equipment. This was a complicated hydraulic system that requires careful attention to long-term maintenance for the collector who owns a Cadillac so fitted.

 

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1947 Cadillac convertible

By the end of the 1947 model year, Cadillac was back on its peacetime track. The number of cars produced reached 61,926 units, more than twice that of ’46. And while Packard had regularly outproduced Cadillac in the prewar years (largely on the strength of its junior cars), and edged out Cadillac by 1579 units for ’46, Cadillac beat Packard by a solid 10,840 units in 1947. Packard would enjoy an edge again in 1948 and ’49, while Cadillac was tooling up its new postwar styling and sensational overhead-valve V-8.

 

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1947 Cadillac convertible

But when Cadillac showed up for 1950 with new styling again, it left Packard in the dust, never to look back again. The “Standard of the World” reigned supreme in America, and it wasn’t until the late Eighties that Cadillac would again face a formidable domestic competitor, this time Lincoln.

 

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1947 Cadillac convertible

But during the Forties, Cadillac not only consolidated its engine and model offerings, but it also managed by decade’s end to consolidate its hold on the luxury car market. And it did this by giving its owners a “Rich Reward”: quality, style, and performance.

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1947 Cadillac convertible

Once again four models were offered:

HISTORICAL NOTES

1947 Cadillac Notes

  • Division windows between front and rear windows were available on some Fleetwood models for limousine use.
  • Commercial and business chassis were provided to Professional car makers.
  • Prices rise $150-$200
  • The Classic Car Club of America recognizes all 1947 Series 75 models as classic cars.
  • John F. Gordon was general manager
  • Edward N. Cole was chief engineer
  • William Mitchell was chief designer (Cadillac Studio)
  • Don E. Ahrens was general sales manager
  • Cadillac production figures
Series 618,555 (increased 5,554)
Series 6239,835 (increased 21,269)
Series 608,500 (increased 2,800)
Series 755,036 (increased 3,109)

1947 Automotive Notes

  • Charles E. Wilson was president of GM
  • Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. was chairman of the board at GM
  • Demand for cars outstrips production
  • Prices continue to rise
  • Production reaches 3,555,792 cars of which 164,492 are convertibles and 82,665 are station wagons
  • Kaiser-Frazer buys assets of Graham-Paige Motor Corp. and launches two models
  • Outside sunvisors return as an option
  • Packard offers hydraulic power seats and windows
  • The Tucker Torpedo is revealed
  • Henry Ford (1863-1947) dies
  • A new synthetic rubber is developed by Phillips Petroleum Company
  • Chrysler uses Goodyear’s “Super Cushion” low pressure tires
  • Crosley adds a station wagon
  • Fluid Drive semi-automatic transmission is standard on Dodges
  • Eight cyl. Pontiacs outsell the 6-cyl. cars
  • Top American Automobile Corporations for 1947
1. General Motors1,430,794 (increased 594,662)
2. Chrysler831,710 (increased 253,350)
3. Others564,213 (increased 324,107)
4. Ford536,517 (decreased 34,758)


  • Top model year production for 1947
Chevrolet671,546
Stylemaster193,021
Fleetmaster265,584
Fleetline213,938
Ford429,674
Deluxe55,438
Super Deluxe349,827
Plymouth382,290
Buick272,827
Series 40 Special33,034
Series 50 Super160,826
Series 70 Roadmaster78,967
Dodge243,160
Pontiac230,600
Torpedo Six67,125
Streamliner Six42,336
Torpedo Eight34,815
Streamliner Eight86,324
Oldsmobile193,895
Special 6654,001
Special 6819,432
Dynamic Cruiser 7649,366
Dynamic Cruiser 7833,948
Custom Cruiser 9837,148
Studebaker161,496
Champion105,097
Commander56,399
Chrysler119,260
Nash101,000
Hudson92,038
Super Six49,276
Commodore Six25,138
Super Eight5,076
Commodore Eight12,593
DeSoto87,000
Mercury85,383
Kaiser70,474
Special65,062
Custom5,412
Frazer68,775
Standard36,120
Manhattan32,655
Cadillac61,926
Series 618,555
Series 6239,835
Series 608,500
Series 755,036
Packard51,086
Clipper Six14,949
Clipper Deluxe 823,855
Super Clipper4,802
Custom Super Clipper7,480
Lincoln21,460
Lincoln19,891
Continental1,569
Crosley19,344