1961 Cadillac short deck disparity question

[Bill Young]

I have stumbled on a quandary. In the 1961 Cadillac Showroom sales brochure it shows the SixtyTwoSeries short deck six window sedan on page 6. However in Mr. Schneider`s book , Cadillac of the sixties reproduction of the Salesmans data ordering book it states their is no short deck Series Sixty Two sedan but rather a  Town Sedan , DeVille short deck Body Code C.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

One of the rare cases where the catalog didn't correspond to what was done.

In short, (pardon the pun) there was no Series 62 Town Sedan offered in 1961. The only "compact" model is properly called the Sedan deVille short deck and it received "deVille" front fender script. "Town Sedan" and "Park Avenue" monikers were not used until 1962.

Many price guides mistakenly refer to the short deck as "Town Sedan" in 1961 probably due to relying on factory literature. I've seen at least one factory document listing Series 62 short deck in the model lineup which had been crossed out by hand. This gives evidence the model had been planned but for whatever reason never made it into production.

On a side note, the 1960 catalog shows color keyed wheel discs were also shown on most models (which had originally been planned) but again this never happened either. That's the reason most catalogs contain a disclaimer that the depictions shown are for illustrative purposes only and ongoing changes may be different than those shown.

[Bill Young]

Thank you , Eric

[76eldo]

The 1960 accessory book shows the wheel discs available in stainless and satiin, painted black or painted white. Rare but they were done.

Brian

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The 1960 accessory book shows the wheel discs available in stainless and satiin, painted black or painted white. Rare but they were done.

Brian

That's correct - optional white or black was offered as sort of a compromise
but color keyed wheel covers in all colors were originally planned.

[jdemerson]

I'm sure some members find these issues to be trivia. I find them somewhat fascinating because of the mysteries they generate.

Eric suggested that "Town Sedan" and "Park Avenue" were not used until 1962. I had assumed that "Town Sedan" was the 1961 short deck model and that "Park Avenue" was the 1962 version. That's not quite right either.

The 1961 Data Book shows an image of a black "Town Sedan" and the caption on page 24 says:
Produced only in de Ville Series with equipment and upholstery
as specified on pages 32-A and 33. Over-all length is 215".

The 1961 Data Book does not contain any other reference to "Town Sedan" or any reference to "Park Avenue", that the search function can find. Also it does not seem to find "6399" although I don't question that Vince is right. HOWEVER...in the Body Styles section of an appendix, a printed line for 6299 is blacked out and inserted in hand writing is "6399 (style) D   Town Sedan  215 inches". It is as though Cadillac changed its mind from listing the short deck model as a Series 62 to listing it as a de Ville as Eric indicated.   Fascinating!!

The 1962 Data Book has plenty of reference to both the "Sixty Two Town Sedan" Style 6289, Manufacturer's Code A; and the "Park Avenue Sedan de Ville" Style 6389, Manufacturer's Code D.  [Long 4-window sedans are 6239 and 6339. In one place the 6239 Style is blacked out in the Data Book, as if it was not offered after all...] So it is easy to see why there would be confusion about the 1961 short deck model. Incidentally, the Data Book mentions that these shorter models both came with 21-gallon fuel tanks instead of the usual-26 gallon tanks. Wheelbases and prices are the same, respectively, whether long or short. Weight differences are just 20 pounds.

Please note: all of this describes only what the Data Books reveal, and not what is actually on the cars' identifying scripts.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac sedan 6219X   (same 215" length as the Town Sedan in '61 and '62)

[D.Smith]

On a side note, the 1960 catalog shows color keyed wheel discs were also shown on most models (which had originally been planned) but again this never happened either. That's the reason most catalogs contain a disclaimer that the depictions shown are for illustrative purposes only and ongoing changes may be different than those shown.

I've seen 1960 wheel covers in white.    I just don't think people bothered to order them.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I've seen 1960 wheel covers in white.    I just don't think people bothered to order them.

Correct but few probably even knew they were offered to begin with.

Years ago I recall there were three 1960 Cadillacs with white wheelcovers on eBay at the same time. One
of them was white with SO white leather. Hardly ever see a 1960 with black covers - save for this 1960
magazine ad.

[Jason Edge]

I remember struggling years back trying to put together information on the 1961 to 1963 "short decks" as part of a help page for our 1963/64 Cadillac website.  There was the issue of the never built 1961 6299 appearing in some literature, and the fact the 1961 6399 was called by at least 6 names in different books. I finally had to stop scratching my head and came up with what you see on our help age at www.parkavenue.6364cadillac.com. I have also copied it below.   It was one of the first glaring errors I found in Roy Schneider's book "Cadillacs of the Sixties". 

Here are the variations of the 1961 to 1963 "Short Deck Town Sedans"

1961 - body style # 6399, body style code 'D', 6 window Sedan deVille Short Deck- 3,756 built
   
1962 - body style # 6289, body style code 'A', 4 window Sixty Two Town Sedan - 2,600 built
1962 - body style # 6389, body style code 'D', 4 window Park Avenue Sedan deVille - 2,600 built
 
1963 - body style # 6389, body style code 'D', 4 window Park Avenue Sedan DeVille - 1,575 built
- Wheelbase      - 129.5" (same as other 62 and 63 series body styles)
- Overall length - 215.0" (vs the 223.0" length of other 62 and 63 series body styles)

NOTE: In the 1961 shop manual and 1st Edition Owners Manual a 6299 body style is listed but is not in the master parts book. It was not produced. Instead a 6399 6W short deck was produced. 

Also NOTE: Some books reference a 1961 6399 Town Sedan with body code "C'. It is my understanding that the correct body style and Code is listed above with the 'D'.
 

[Bill Young]

Thank you Jason. Would a member with  a 1961 Cadillac Short deck Sedan PLEASE tell us all what your Aluminum Body Plate says . So we can verify the Body Code letter.

[Jason Edge]

Would a member with  a 1961 Cadillac Short deck Sedan PLEASE tell us all what your Aluminum Body Plate says . So we can verify the Body Code letter.

The Body Plate will not have the Body Letter Code but will have the Body Style Number. It should be listed as 61-6399.
The body letter code is part of the VIN stamped on lower left engine block and on the frame.  VINS for these cars will be 61Dxxxxxx

UPDATE: Here is a Body Plate I found on the Mid Century Cadillacs Forums:

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

 

Here are the variations of the 1961 to 1963 "Short Deck Town Sedans"

Would probably be better to simply say "1961 - 1963 Short Deck sedans" since including "Town Sedan" is likely to add confusion
and technically only applies to 1962.

[Jason Edge]

Would probably be better to simply say "1961 - 1963 Short Deck sedans" since including "Town Sedan" is likely to add confusion
and technically only applies to 1962.

I agree and updated!   

[jdemerson]

One of the rare cases where the catalog didn't correspond to what was done.

In short, (pardon the pun) there was no Series 62 Town Sedan offered in 1961. The only "compact" model is properly called the Sedan deVille short deck and it received "deVille" front fender script. "Town Sedan" and "Park Avenue" monikers were not used until 1962.

Many price guides mistakenly refer to the short deck as "Town Sedan" in 1961 probably due to relying on factory literature. I've seen at least one factory document listing Series 62 short deck in the model lineup which had been crossed out by hand. This gives evidence the model had been planned but for whatever reason never made it into production. 

I've finally had a chance to review: the 1961 Data Book, many pieces of 1961 Cadillac sales literature, Roy Schneider's book (pp. 42-43), and Maurice Hendry's second edition (1977, production figures by individual model as researched by William R. Tite). Here are some additional facts, and we can leave it to others to interpret them and reach conclusions.

• The initial 1961 Cadillac showroom brochure and the prestige brochure show a Series Sixty-Two Short-Deck Sedan. Interestingly, they do not say "Town Sedan". Eric, Jason, and others are right that this model was never produced.
• Two later large mailer brochures for '61 models refer to a deVille Town Sedan, and the small illustrations that accompany show six-window sedans.
• A later non-color small brochure explicitly introduces the short-deck sedan and calls it the Cadillac Town Sedan. The ad copy makes it clear that it is a deVille and not a Sixty Two. The name of this brochure is "Announcing A New Addition to Cadillac's Royal Family of Motor Cars". Thus Cadillac explicitly introduced the model # 6399, body style code 'D', 6-window deVille short deck as the Cadillac deVille Town Sedan.
• Another non-color small brochure was called "Cadillac-Wisest Investment in the Fine Car Field". This one too identifies the short -deck model as the Town Sedan. This somewhat unusual brochure has a forward by Cadillac General Sales Manager, F. H. Murray.
• In a 1961 appendix to the Data Book called “1961 CADILLAC BODY STYLES”, a printed line for 6299 is blacked out. A correction is inserted in hand writing "6399 (style) D   Town Sedan  215 inches". (It is as though Cadillac changed its mind from listing the short deck model as a Series 62 to listing it as a deVille Town Sedan.)
• The references to the short-deck model by Schneider and by Hendry both identify the 1961 six-window short-deck model 6399 as a deVille called Town Sedan. Thus they agree with the four later Cadillac sales brochures I referred to above.
• No source that I have seen calls the 1961 short-deck model the Sedan deVille; instead it is Town Sedan or deVille Town Sedan.

Question for an owner of a 1961 short-deck model: Is there any identification of the model in lettering on the car other than deVille?  Does it say Town Car anywhere? Or does it say Sedan deVille anywhere?

I believe that the excellent descriptions for the 1962 and 1963 short-deck models, as provided by Jason above, are entirely consistent with the Cadillac Data Books and sales brochures for those years.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X short deck 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The reason the use of "Town Sedan" across the board is misleading is because in the
1962 model year it specifically refers to the Series 62 version of the short deck while
"Park Avenue" denotes the Series 63 (DeVille) variant of the short deck.

The Town Sedan was dropped for 1963 leaving the (DeVille) Park Avenue the
only short deck.

Exterior identification on the short deck in 1961 consisted only of the front fender
"DeVille" scripts, same as used on other DeVille models. The only year "Town Sedan"
identifying script was used was in 1962 which is the only year and model which the name
properly applies.

[Glaswegian]

No idea if this helps with anything but I own a 62 Park Avenue and this is it's body plate.

[Jason Edge]

It is fun learning about the history of these cars and if I were more into the 61/62 model years this would probably consume a lot of my time! LOL. I did just a bit more digging and noted in that the 1st edition 1961 owners manual includes the never produced 6299. I had to pull up the GM Heritage site scan as I do not have the 1961 data books, spec book or owners manual ... I do have a shop manual. I do know in 1963/64 they had several editions of each owner's manual with corrections and changes each time and curious what the other 1961 owner manual editions stated?  I have attached a screen capture of the 1st Edition. Perhaps others can share their info if they have 2nd, 3rd or later editions.
I think the Town Sedan nomenclature is confusing because there are obvious references to a "town sedan" type car regarding the 1961 6339 short decks, but there was a formal "Town Sedan" in 1962 with it's own script, just as their was a "Park Avenue".   So, I sort of look at the 1961 literature as a informal reference to a town sedan vs the formal 6289 "Town Sedan" introduced in 1962. Either way, Cadillac didn't have their ducks in a row in terms of naming as the 1st 1961 6399 rolled out to the showrooms. Could you imagine buying a 1961 6399 and looking in your owners manual and not even finding that particular car. I would guess the 1st edition owners manual was short lived.. and one reason I would be curious to see what and when revised editions came out. 

[James Landi]

I owned and drove two lovely '56 short deck Cadillacs during the mid-60's to early 70's, and  during those years, I thought I owned "Park Avenue" sedans, HOWEVER, I was driving entry level "62" models, in spite of the fact that both had a/c, fog lights, and electric windows/front seat.  All this and the present conversation leads me to speculate that Cadillac adminstrators did not wish to point out that a somewhat smaller sized car was part of their brand portfolio, and thus, were loath to point this out in any substantial way. I can only imagine that quietly marketing a "smaller Cadillac" was left to dealers who would point this out to folks who came to the showroom.  I also recall that my owner's manual pictured a female driver of the '56's, and I suspect (speculate) that with an increasing number of women "taking to the wheel" that a smaller car would be less daunting for those living in urban areas who might otherwise be intimidated to the larger models.   All speculation--   James