1947 CADILLAC SERIES 62

Formerly owned by the Ruia industrial family before it was bought by Amal Tanna of Mumbai, this exquisite Series 62 convertible has to rank right up there with the best anywhere else in the world. Tanna gave the car a thorough ground up restoration down to the most exacting detail, including having the correct plastic upholstery covers in a shade which was used for just a small run of cars (corroborated from the factory records) marked out the level of restoration. Just one look under the bonnet and the clean sanitary condition replete with the blue paint on the engine block plus the terrific plumbing and attention to detail was something which I would always recommend as a sign of a good job really well done. There was nothing over the top about the restoration and even the registration numbers were done in the old fashioned manner with specially devised punch and dies to give the three-dimensional effect. No wonder it glided away with top honours in its class.

In the years immediately after World War II, it wasn’t Rolls-Royce or Bentley or Daimler which was the standard of the world in the luxury car segment but GM’s flagship Cadillac brand which was at the forefront of the prestige car market globally and with HydraMatic transmission plus a plethora of new engines with overhead valves coming in, it was by far one of the most advanced automobiles of its time. This Series 62 convertible was the one which started it all despite being just a warmed over 1942 model with body on frame config, which itself had an exceedingly short production run thanks to Pearl Harbour. Even though the body was built by GM affiliate Fisher, it was also the first Cadillac that came with no coachwork options from specialist body builders for the simple reason that it didn’t need any further embellishments!