Cadillac Series 60

This article is about Cadillac Series 60. For its derivative, see Cadillac Sixty Special.

Cadillac Series 60
Overview
Manufacturer	Cadillac (General Motors)
Model years	1936–1938
Assembly	Detroit Assembly, Detroit, Michigan
Body and chassis
Class	Fullsize luxury car
Body style	2-door club coupe 2-door convertible 4-door sedan 4-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	B-body
Related	Buick Century Buick Special Cadillac Series 65 LaSalle Series 50 Oldsmobile L-Series
Powertrain
Engine	322 cu in L-head 346 cu in L-head
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	121.0 in (3,073 mm) 124.0 in (3,150 mm)
Length	204.3 in (5,189 mm)
Chronology
Successor	Cadillac Series 61

The Cadillac Series 36-60 was Cadillac's entry-level product in the luxury vehicle market when it appeared in 1936, competing with the entry-level Packard Six. Each model year added the year prefix to the series (37-60 and 38-60) in the number hierarchy used at the time. It was replaced by the Series 39-61 in 1939, but a model that was derived from it, the Sixty Special or 60S, continued off and on through 1993.

The Series 60 was the brainchild of new Cadillac manager, Nicholas Dreystadt. Debuting in 1936, it filled a gaping price gap between the updated appearance of the successful LaSalles of which the Series 60 was the upgraded version with the "Cadillac" name, and the Series 36-70 Cadillac models. Initially it rode on a 121.0 in (3,073 mm) wheelbase and shared the B body with cars from LaSalle, Buick, and Oldsmobile. This went up to 124.0 in (3,150 mm) in 1937–1938.

The exterior featured a new Harley Earl–designed look with a tall, slender grille and split vee-shaped windshield. This body used Fisher Body's new Turret Top one-piece roof and Bendix dual-servo brakes. "Knee-Action" independent suspension, first introduced by Cadillac in 1934, was a welcome novelty for the mid-price market at the time.

Under the hood was the new (less expensive) Monobloc V8. This 322 cu in (5.3 L) engine produced 125 hp (93 kW), just 10 less than that in the larger Cadillacs. The Series 60 immediately became the company's best-selling model, making up half of all Cadillacs sold the first year.

The next year, displacement on all Monobloc Cadillacs was 346 cu in (5.7 L). This new engine produced 135 hp (101 kW), more than all V8 Cadillacs of just a few years earlier. The Series 60 was upgraded to the Series 61.

Gallery

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  1936 Cadillac Series 60
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  1937 Cadillac Series 60 convertible coupe
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  Cadillac Series 37-6027 Sport Coupé 1937
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  1937 Cadillac Series 60 2-door convertible
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  1937 Cadillac Series 60
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  1937 Cadillac Series 60
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  1938 Cadillac Series 60 Coupé