Last Year for Standard Transmission?

[hudson29]

I have never cared for automatic transmissions. Even though the modern computer controlled ones work fairly well, I just do not enjoy the process of driving such a "transportation module."

One of the things that has always stopped me from buying postwar cars is the lack of manual gearboxes. When did Cadillac last offer a standard transmission? Are they tough to find?

Vintage Paul, still swappin cogs . . .

[Walter Youshock]

Well, technically you can buy a new Cadillac and get a standard.  The last manual was in the Series 75 sedans and limousines and the 86 series commercial chassis from around 1952.  I have to check the books for the exact year but I'm sure somebody will beat me to it.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Last year for manual transmission was 1951 on standard series Cadillacs; 1952 on Series 75.

I do know of at least one case in which a woman specially ordered a stick shift Cadillac - either on a 1952 or 1953.

Standard shift wouldn't again be available on a Cadillac product until 1982 - on Cimarron.

[Walter Youshock]

I knew you would have the answer.  What's a Cimarron?

[hudson29]

Thanks guys! How common or uncommon are post war Caddies with a manual transmission? Was overdrive needed as it was on many other makes? Does a car equipped with a manual command a higher or suffer a lower price compared to its autobox brethren?

Vintage Paul, droolin over that '50 Caddie Coupe in the for sale section . . .

[Walter Youshock]

I would say that as the reliability of the HydraMatic improved and was proven to be the best automatic on the market--even Lincoln and Rolls-Royce used them--that the popularity of standards fell way off.  A luxury car that does everything for you but shift gears during the gadget-crazy '50's just wasn't going to fly.  When the HydraMatic plant burned in '53, Cadillac had to rely on Buick's DynaFlows to meet demand, not manual gearboxes.  By '54, all Cadillacs came with automatic transmissions.

[hudson29]

Shifting cogs had no romance for most motorists who just wanted to get to work with as little trauma as possible. I knew a guy who was in high school right after the war. He said they used to cruise the town starting in first gear and going right into high - not using second gear at all! An autobox is a natural for folks like this.

I like to put the gearbox in the gear I think it should be in rather than let the trans make the choice. I still like manual chokes too . . .

Vintage Paul

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Thanks guys! How common or uncommon are post war Caddies with a manual transmission? Was overdrive needed as it was on many other makes? Does a car equipped with a manual command a higher or suffer a lower price compared to its autobox brethren?

Vintage Paul, droolin over that '50 Caddie Coupe in the for sale section . . .

As Walter has mentioned, manual transmission would have been antithetic to everything Cadillac stood for - especially at the time when the Cadillac name had been synonymous the latest technological advancement.

Approximately 30% of 1941 Cadillacs were ordered with Hydramatic - the first year. By 1947 the figure had swelled to 92%, so to answer your question, the answer would be yes, a manual transmission in a postwar Cadillac is quite rare. 

Other than a curiosity item, I don't feel that a manual transmission contributes much to the value of a postwar Cadillac, if at all. 

[Bob Schuman]

2014 Cadillacs are available with six speed manual transmissions, if you select the 556 hp CTS-V model, or if you select an ATS with the Turbo 4 cylinder, and maybe in some of the 2014 CTS models, not sure about that,

In 1953 the Series 75 was last available with the three speed manual transmission. The 1950-51 Series 61 cars could be ordered with a manual transmission. Some 1950 cars exist, and I would be interested to learn if any 1951 Series 61 cars with a factory-installed manual exist.
Bob Schuman, CLC#254

[Bob Schuman]

I forgot to mention that the 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V was built ONLY with a six speed Tremec manual transmission. While I owned one, it frequently amazed people to learn that Cadillac was offering a new car that was not available with an automatic transmission. They wanted potential purchasers to know that this was not the same type of car that the upper-priced Cadillacs of the past had been.
Bob Schuman

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Here's an older CLC thread on the subject.

http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=93984.0

It seems there's often some confusion whenever this subject is raised. My source claims 1953 Series 75 was standard with either Dynaflow Automatic or Hydramatic.

Anybody have the Master Parts Book for 1953?

[hudson29]

Well, I guess that pretty well puts PAID to that issue. Few Caddies were made after the war without the autobox. I can't recall having ever seen one. I imagine Buick would be about the same story?

Vintage Paul

[austingta]

Well, I guess that pretty well puts PAID to that issue. Few Caddies were made after the war without the autobox. I can't recall having ever seen one. I imagine Buick would be about the same story?

Vintage Paul

No, Buick offered standard transmissions in almost all cars until 1978. After that, the X car did too.  A three-on-the-tree was standard on all but Electra, including Wildcat, LeSabre, Skylark all through the '60's and into the 70's. Got a 1966 Wildcat GS Convertible, 425 dual-quad Nailhead with a 4-speed? You have the holy grail.

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

For what it's worth, I have seen three postwar Cadillacs with standard shift. One was a 1950 ambulance I saw in a junkyard about thirty years ago. I also saw a 51-61 sedan with standard shift in a different yard at about the same time.

At the 2008 Grand National, there was a 1949 Cadillac Series 61 club coupe with standard shift and a radio delete. The car also had the non-deluxe steering wheel, the only one I have ever seen after WWII.

Personally, given the choice, I would prefer a stick shift Caddy. In my opinion, the right customer would pay a premium for one over a Hydramatic car.

[Jay Friedman]

I originally posted this info in a 2007 thread on this topic based on some research I did on stick shift Cads in the early Hydramatic era for a 2004 Self Starter article.  Here is an update:

1949 was the last year a manual transmission was standard equipment on all Cadillac models with Hydra-matic being an extra-cost option.

Beginning in 1950, Hydra-matic was standard equipment on Series 60 and 62, with stick shift only available on Series 61, Series 75 (limos) and Commercial Chassis vehicles (hearses, etc.).  Beginning in 1952, Hydra-matic was standard equipment on all except Series 75 limousines and Commercial Chassis vehicles.  From 1954 Hydra-matic was standard equipment on all Series and, excepting the Cimarron, all Cadillacs had automatic transmissions until the CTS was introduced in 2002. 

In 49 about 3.5% of Cadillacs of all models were bought with stick shift.  In 50 and 51 it was about 2%.  I could not find any data for 52.  Erstwhile Self Starter Technical Editor Matt Larson did some research on 53 Cadillacs and found that 19 passenger cars, some special ordered and some Series 75, were bought with stick, as were about 1,000 Commercial Chassis vehicles (about half of those made), totaling less than 1% of all Cadillacs made that year.

BTW: I think it was my '49 that Alan Harris saw at the '08 Grand National.  I prefer them with stick shift too; reason 1 being they are more fun to drive and reason 2 is that I can fix it myself.

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

Jay-I am glad to find out that that was your car I saw. It really is very nice and also quite unique.

I agree with you about stick shifts being more fun to drive. I really enjoy driving my 1940 LaSalle because it is the only car I own that I get to shift.

[Jay Friedman]

Alan, Actually, my car's transmission is not that unique.  I'm aware of a dozen or so '49 Cadillacs with stick shift and there must be some more out there.   

[J. Skelly]

Buick offered the 4-speed transmission on the Wildcat and LeSabre only from 1963-1965.  I recently saw a picture of the Buick GS Nationals show where the owner of a '66 Wildcat GS installed a 4-speed from an intermediate Buick.  Almost anything was possible in those days before emissions and standard option packages if you knew how to circumvent the standard ordering process.  Oldsmobile offered a 4-speed on the Starfire, Jetstar 1, and 88 series from 1964-1966.  Pontiac had it on their full-sized cars from 1960-1968, while Chevy had it from 1959-1969.  Cadillac was the only GM division not to offer it in the 1960s.   

[hudson29]

I've always like some of the post war Buicks in the '46 to '53 range. How common was the standard trans in these? Were they sold in the same low percentages that held for Cadillacs of the era?

Vintage Paul

[Jay Friedman]

Buick didn't introduce Dynaflow until 1948, and then only on the Roadmaster series.  It was offered on all series beginning in '49 and from then on it was standard equipment on Roadmasters.  Once Dynaflow was introduced very few Buicks had stick shift.  I don't know of any data on this but my impression is that while I've only seen a few over the years it is a slightly higher percentage than Cadillac.  My high school's driver's ed car in the mid-'50s was a '56 Special with 3-speed column shift and a college classmate of mine had a '59 LeSabre with the same.  Every once in a while there is a '50s Buick with stick shift for sale in Hemmings.