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Cadillac Car History

Started by Larry M. Furlong, August 22, 2005, 06:07:56 PM

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Larry M. Furlong

Greetings from the Mother Country England. I have just imported a beautiful 1976 Fleetwood from California.  This looks like it was first registered by the Hillcrest Motor Co (Cadillac Dealership) in Beverly Hills. Can someone please advise me how I can check on the history of the cars ownership over the last 30 years.


Yann Saunders, 12588

You cant ...unless your car was first titled in California and spent the rest of its life in that one US state.  

In that case, with a bit of luck, you might be able to check back through all the titles issued for the car by the appropriate California DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)... provided that appropriate records were duly and carefully kept by them.

Might I return the question :  if I were to buy, say, a Jag or a Daimler in England, that was first registered in 1976.  Is there any way I could check on the history of the cars ownership over the last 30 years?

John Tozer #7946

Yann,

Jag or Daimler???? Why would you want to?

Regards,


John Tozer

Yann Saunders, 12588

O-my-gosh-aroo!

Did I mis-spell Cadillac and LaSalle again ?

Bruce Reynolds # 18992

Speaking of Jaguar, if only I could find a good Left Hand Drive Steering Box for a 1950 Mark V Jaguar, my mate in New York would be a happy chappy.

Where are they all.

Bruce,
The Tassie devil(le),
60 CDV

Richard Sills - CLC #936

Sometimes a little bit of independent detective work can pay off in identifying prior owners.  The person you bought the car from can identify at least one previous owner -- the person from whom he bought it.  Even when a car goes through a dealers hands, the dealer usually has a record of the cars most recent private owner.  In the case of a well-preserved 76, the chances are it has had relatively few owners.

You may find an oil change sticker in the car, or a receipt for some type of mechanical service.  Someone at that garage or dealership may remember the car, especially if the work was done when the car was old enough to be unusual.  Even a gasoline station receipt could lead to someone who remembers the car.

Another approach is to write to the dealership where the car was sold new, to see if anyone in the sales or service department remembers it.  Also, you could write to the directors of the CLC Regions in California and ask them to put a note in their newsletter asking whether any club member is familiar with the car.  

One advantage in tracing the history of a car that was sold new in California and stayed there all its life is that it probably had the same license plate number from brand new until the time it left.  California issues registration plates that remain for the life of the car, despite changes in ownership, which I believe is also the case in England.

Happy hunting!

Richard Sills

Larry M. Furlong

REPLY:

Very many thanks Richard for your advice and guidance.


Laurence (Liverpool, England)

Larry M. Furlong

REPLY: Re Cadillac 1976 Fleetwood Brougham 60 Special. Reg; 358 RCO


Very many thanks Yann for your advice and guidance.

Laurence(Liverpool, England.)

Larry M. Furlong

REPLY:


From the owners manual it looks like my car was first registered by the Hillcrest Motor Company of Beverly Hills in 1976. It has remained in L.A. since until I purchased it in April 2005. The licence plate shows it to be taxed until July 2005 (Z 77256345)and has only 50.000 miles.  The car is very distinctive in that the original or subsequent owner has customised it tastefully. 1) It is Black with a beautiful chrome Rolls Royce type radiator grille, with flying lady hood ornament. 2) It has specially made all chrome wheels  3) It has an imitation (Lincoln type) Cadillac chrome spoked wheel set in the trunk  4) It has a mirror moon roof  5) It has a broad 3 inch chrome band stretching across the top and sides separating the moon roof from the rear section which is leather, incorporated in this is two side opera lights. 6) It has a Gold coachlining throughout the length of the car.  I have owned a 76 Cadillac previously, but this is something that would probably turn heads even in California. Im hoping this description might prompt some further response from Cadillac enthusiasts, hopefully from previous owners.  

With fuel in the U.K. now rapidly rising towards $7 gallon my friends here think I should be certified for buying an 8 litre car, but I feel it is important to keep these beautiful cars alive.  
 

Kind Regards


Larry (Liverpool, England) Cadillac Owners Club of Great Britain.



Richard Sills - CLC #936

Larry,

When someone comments on the gas consumption of your 1976 Cadillac, you may point out that your car is not depreciating at all, and therefore it is an economically sound proposition.  Generally, the depreciation cost on a non-descript new car far exceeds the incremental gasoline cost of driving an old Cadillac, but people dont think of this, because the depreciation cost is not paid out of pocket on a weekly basis.

Richard

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

Hillcrest Motors made a pretty nice profit on that unit considering all the dealer add-ons.

Rich Sullivan CLC #11473

The car you describe may have been listed on e-Bay Motors withing the last few months--I seem to remember having seen a similar all Sable Black 1976 Fleetwood with the chrome roof band, chrome wheels, etc. If my memory serves me correctly, it was stated to have been Erroll Garners car (the musician who was known for the song "Misty" and his fine piano skills)--those details, from my perusal of the ad, seem to stick in my mind. Does anyone else recall the listing?

Dick Heller

The title should have the original California plates, which follow the car every time it is re-titled, try calling the CA motor vehicle division.
 
 
 
 
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bruce joslen

Hi Larry,
      welcome to the trying to trace history club. Im in
Christchurch New Zealand and have a 78 Hillcrest Cadillac
Fleetwood limousine with the RR grille, faux continental kit,
chrome wire wheels, and purple tinted rear glass.
      supplied by Hillcrest, owner uncertain, serviced by
Dixon Cadillac Sunset Boulevarde Hollywood, till sold into
Nevada in 1988 and so I have nevada history but no California,
other than Ben Reynolds [dec] who may or may not have been the
original owner. Car is 100percent original and complete but seriously
sunburnt.
  author Len Deighton describes Hillcrest as the place where folks
from Bel Air go when they get rich.
     interested in sharing b/s and pics ?  bruceej@ihug.co.nz
                cheers,   Bruce

Mike Josephic #3877

Yann:

I had some dealings with California Department of Motor Vehicles some years ago.  I was trying to trace my 55 Eldorados origins.  Unfortunately, California keeps their receords for only 20 years after which they destroy them.

Mike

Barry M. Wheeler #2189

Larry, Congratulations on obtaining the car, but your quest is impossible. NO ONE cares who had your car prior to you officially, and when it was new, there was no thought of its being a collectors item. State officials, dealers, etc, could care less. Who caused the flatuance that hit the seats is lost to history. I have had one of these, and they are a wonderful car to enjoy, but no one in the colonies has the job of maintaining such records as you are wanting. Just think, paying a minimum wage to ten people in just one state to monitor this information would get into the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Times 50 states, will get it into the millions of dollars per year, and over thirty years will get the cost well towards billions, all in the hope that someday, someone will make an inquirey such as you want. Well, MAYbe the FBI or the NSA does have someone doing this...They want to know everything else that we do.
Please forgive me for the slight ragging, and enjoy the car.