How to determine # of previous owners my Caddies have?

[dennisspeaks]

I am wondering where do you go to find the number of previous owners a car has.   I have a 89 Fleetwood and I have the registrations starting at 91, the original window invoice and the Freight in freight out paper.  The car was from  the local Cadillac dealer that went out of business.  I have wondered how to figure this out for my other vehicles but only now decided to find out how to get this info.

Thanks in advance!


Dennis

[J. Skelly]

Dennis,

Most states now have privacy laws that make it difficult to get that information.  Look on your Dept. of Motor Vehicles website to see if you can purchase that information.  If the 2nd owner can't help, you are probably out of luck.  When I tried to find information on my 1968 Eldorado, I went to the Cadillac dealer that sold it in 1980 to the couple I bought it from in 1999.  I was told they didn't keep records that long. 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

What's the VIN?

[dennisspeaks]

J. Skelly, The previous owner is deceased and the Cadillac dealer closed many years ago.  It was sold at the local dealership which was the dealership when I was in high school.
Modify message

Dennis,

Most states now have privacy laws that make it difficult to get that information.  Look on your Dept. of Motor Vehicles website to see if you can purchase that information.  If the 2nd owner can't help, you are probably out of luck.  When I tried to find information on my 1968 Eldorado, I went to the Cadillac dealer that sold it in 1980 to the couple I bought it from in 1999.  I was told they didn't keep records that long.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The number of owners a car had isn't private information; knowing the names of the owners is.

Most car reporting services usually provide estimates for previous owners. In cases where the car was titled by a dealer(s) makes it difficult to define the exact number of "end user" owners, as opposed to being acquired and held for resale. If you provide the VIN, I'll be happy to run an Auto Check report for you. 

[dennisspeaks]

That is the info I am looking for, not the names, just number of previous owners.  I pm'd you the vin earlier Eric.

Thanks,

Dennis

The number of owners a car had isn't private information; knowing the names of the owners is.

Most car reporting services usually provide estimates for previous owners. In cases where the car was titled by a dealer(s) makes it difficult to define the exact number of "end user" owners, as opposed to being acquired and held for resale. If you provide the VIN, I'll be happy to run an Auto Check report for you.

[Jay Friedman]

I live in Georgia and bought my '49 thirty seven years ago in 1984 from a collector in Illinois who had owned the car since 1977.  At that time state motor vehicle offices apparently were much more easygoing. 

The Illinois title that was signed over to me had on it the previous title number and that it was issued in Wyoming.  In 1984 I called the Wyoming state DMV and they told me over the phone that the WY title was issued to a woman in Laramie in 1975 and they even gave me her name.  I called the Laramie DMV office and they told me the previous title to the woman's had been issued to a dealer in Loveland, Colorado.  I called that dealer and they told me they remembered they had bought the car in 1974 from the original owner in Colorado, but they no longer had the record and couldn't remember his name or address. 

I got a photocopy of my car's October 1949 build sheet from Cadillac which said the car was shipped to Denver.  At the time Cadillac had the distributor system and I learned the Denver distributor in '49 was Rickenbaugh Motors, which still exists at the same address in that city on Broadway.  In 2018 on a visit to Denver to see relatives I visited Rickenbaugh Motors, was welcomed by the service manager and one of their mechanics who owned a LaSalle.  They gave me a Rickenbaugh license plate frame which is now frames my '49's rear license plate. 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

That is the info I am looking for, not the names, just number of previous owners.  I pm'd you the vin earlier Eric.

Thanks,

Dennis

Two estimated owners acc to AutoCheck. I sent PM.

[dennisspeaks]

Great news Eric, thanks so much.  That is the news I was hoping to hear.  The son though the dad had bought it new but he was not certain.  This makes my day!  Thanks again!

[dennisspeaks]

Pretty cool story,

Yah with the internet and scams privacy laws you can't get much.  37 years ago, WOW.  My now Fleetwood was purchased at the local Utter Cadillac which was a BIG deal to us high school students, one of the daughters went to my high school.  Nice to have a bit of that local history. 

I live in Georgia and bought my '49 thirty seven years ago in 1984 from a collector in Illinois who had owned the car since 1977.  At that time state motor vehicle offices apparently were much more easygoing. 

The Illinois title that was signed over to me had on it the previous title number and that it was issued in Wyoming.  In 1984 I called the Wyoming state DMV and they told me over the phone that the WY title was issued to a woman in Laramie in 1975 and they even gave me her name.  I called the Laramie DMV office and they told me the previous title to the woman's had been issued to a dealer in Loveland, Colorado.  I called that dealer and they told me they remembered they had bought the car in 1974 from the original owner in Colorado, but they no longer had the record and couldn't remember his name or address. 

I got a photocopy of my car's October 1949 build sheet from Cadillac which said the car was shipped to Denver.  At the time Cadillac had the distributor system and I learned the Denver distributor in '49 was Rickenbaugh Motors, which still exists at the same address in that city on Broadway.  In 2018 on a visit to Denver to see relatives I visited Rickenbaugh Motors, was welcomed by the service manager and one of their mechanics who owned a LaSalle.  They gave me a Rickenbaugh license plate frame which is now frames my '49's rear license plate.

[James Landi]

Dennis,

How about an up date on the state of your new acquistion.   Please post some pictures, as well.     THanks,   James

[dennisspeaks]

Not much to tell James, we just started working on it yesterday.  The day after I brought it home I ended up in ER with a huge bulge next to the family jewels thinking I needed emergency surgery.  It was a hernia.

Dennis,

How about an up date on the state of your new acquistion.   Please post some pictures, as well.     THanks,   James

[dennisspeaks]

Interior is great

[dennisspeaks]

Just needs to be cleaned up.

[dennisspeaks]

The old guy backed into something.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Nice color combo! Looks like a diamond waiting to be revealed.

[dennisspeaks]

Found this in the glove box with just about all the past registrations, the dealership freight in freight and shrink wrapped Cadillac cassette tape.

[dennisspeaks]

Well Eric, I can't wait to finish polishing it up to reveal it's true brilliance!

Thanks

Nice color combo! Looks like a diamond waiting to be revealed.

[dennisspeaks]

Just needs some love! 

[D.Smith]

There is your first clue.