Cadillac Models & History 1954
appearance improvements marked the 1954 Cadillacs. They included
- a lower, sleeker body
- a new cellular grille insert
- inverted gull-wing front bumpers
- tapered “Dagmar” style bumper guards.
Round, jet-style dual exhaust outlets were incorporated into the vertical bumper extensions and the rear bumper was entirely redesigned. An Eldorado type wraparound windshield was seen on all models. Sedans used a distinctive type of window reveal molding which created a built-in sun visor effect. For coupes, a smoothly curved wraparound backlight (i.e., rear window) was referred to as the “Florentine” style rear window. A wide ventilator intake now stretched across the base of the windshield on all models and the chrome visored headlamp look was emphasized.
Cadillac offered four models: Series 62 (including the Sedan, Sedan DeVille, and Coupe DeVille), Series 50 Special Fleetwood, Series 75 Fleetwood, and Eldorado Special.
HISTORICAL NOTES
1954 Cadillac Notes
- Assembly of 1954 models began January 4, 1954 after a 25 day halt for changeover to new production specifications.
- Fiberglass-bodied Cadillac show cars appearing at the GM Motorama this year included the Park Avenue four-door sedan, El Camino coupe, and La Espada convertible.
- Don E. Ahrens was general manager
- Charles F. Arnold was chief engineer
- Edward Glowacke was chief designer (Cadillac Studio)
- James M. Roche was general sales manager
- Cadillacs are longer, lower, wider, with up to 230 bhp — and the first with standard power steering
- Designer “Dutch” Darrin buys 100 leftover Kaiser-Darrins and install Cadillac V-8 engines
- Cadillac production figures
Series 6258,024 (decreased 12,340)
Sedan de Ville1 (prototype)
Coupe de Ville17,170 (increased 2,620)
Eldorado2,150 (increased 1,618)
Series 6016,200 (decreased 3,800)
Series 753,135 (decreased 1,070)
1954 Automotive Notes
- Harlow H. Curtice was president of GM
- Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. was chairman of the board at GM
- The horsepower race has begun
- Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson join to become American Motors Corporation, George Romney is CEO
- Studebaker and Packard join to become Studebaker-Packard Corporation
- Henry Kaiser buys Willys-Overland
- GM cars sport wraparound windshields
- Buick introduces the Century
- Dodge Royal 500 convertible has a “continental” spare tire and wire wheels.
- Last year for 6-cyl in Chrysler and DeSoto
- Ford’s low-price car has ball-joint front suspension
- Plexiglas roof panels appear on the new Ford Skyliner and Mercury Sun Valley hardtops
- Nash introduces the Metropolitan
- Packard is first to use tubeless tires, the other makers wait until 1955
- Plymouth gets PowerFlite automatic transmission to replace Hy-Drive semi-automatic
- Top American Automobile Corporations for 1954
1. General Motors2,330,235 (decreased 269,109)
2. Ford1,462,240 (decreased 131,927)
3. Chrysler799,406 (decreased 473,163)
4. Others276,460 (increased 340,325)
- Top model year production for 1954
Ford1,165,942
Mainline233,680
Customline674,295
Crestline257,967
Chevrolet1,143,561
Special129,459
DeLuxe524,222
Bel Air486,240
Corvette3,640 (up 3300)
Plymouth463,148
Plaza113,266
Savoy199,517
Belvedere150,365
Buick442,903
Series 40 Special190,884
Series 50 Super118,630
Series 60 Century81,982
Series 70 Roadmaster50,571
Series 100 Skylark836
Oldsmobile354,001
8872,861
Super 88187,817
Ninety-Eight93,265
Pontiac287,744
Chieftan Six22,670
Chieftan Eight149,986
Star Chief115,088
Mercury259,305
Custom85,067
Monterey174,238
Dodge154,648
Meadowbrook15,444
Coronet Eight74,401
Royal64,803
Chrysler105,030
Windsor Deluxe43,877
New Yorker19,319
New Yorker Deluxe34,323
Town & Country1,750
Custom Imperial5,661
Crown Imperial100
Cadillac96,680
Series 6258,024
Sedan deVille1
Coupe deVille17,170
Eldorado2,150
Series 6016,200
Series 753,135
Nash91,121
Rambler36,200
Statesman20,200
Ambassador21,400
DeSoto76,580
Powermaster19,204
Firedome57,376
Studebaker68,708
Champion51,431
Commander30,499
Hudson50,660
Jet/Super Jet14,224
Wasp11,603
Hornet Special24,833
Italia20
Lincoln36,993
Cosmopolitan7,441
Capri29,549
Packard31,291
Clipper Special1,882
Clipper DeLuxe10,416
Clipper Super10,775
Clipper comm.120
Cavalier2,580
Packard comm.205
Patrician2,760
other2,553
Metropolitan13,162
Willys11,856
Kaiser8,539
Darrin435
Manhattan4,110
Special4,425
Henry J1,123
Corsair800
Corsair DeLuxe300
