Cadillac Station Wagon Information Page

The purpose of this site is to bring all the information possible about the mysterious Cadillac Station Wagons, all together into this one place.  

I'm working on starting the site, so in the meantime, enjoy the assorted pictures.

Future updates will include production estimates, a registry, and every possible piece of Cadillac Wagon History.  A complete resource.

IMPORTANT: This site's content will depend upon your support!  Of course I do not know everything about these wagons, nobody does!  But, if we put all our info together, imagine how much we all could learn.  I want to hear from you whether you're lucky enough to own one, you've just spotted one somewhere, or if your relative has one, or had one.  I'd love to hear your story, and look forward to hearing from you. 

   Please send pictures of your Cadillac Station Wagon, several pictures of it if possible!  With the pictures, include your name, year of your car, model, color, interior color, engine type, and a history of the car.  Pictures of the rear, or inside the rear, are especially useful and interesting, since that is what sets it apart from the regular Cadillac Coupes and Sedans.  If you know or can even speculate the name of the coachbuilder that built it or the production numbers (ex: 1 of 12 built) please let us know.  Remember, even if its a rumor or estimate of how many built, we'd like to hear it.

Send pictures and/or information to kevin@cadillacstationwagon.com

1941

1941 is the first year I currently have any information on Cadillac Station Wagons.  I have no pictures, only the snippet of info that Actor Charles Starrett, a star of western movies, owned a '41 Cadillac Station Wagon built by Coachcraft Ltd of Hollywood.

1951

The above station wagon was owned by country music legend Gene Autry

1953

I have no information currently on the 1st '53 model pictured above but the 2nd picture above is a reportedly one of a kind wagon by designer Brooks Stevens.   The front fender has an emblem that reads "AKM"

1955
11 built by Hess & Eisenhardt

1955 and '56 Caddy Station Wagons were, for the most part called "View Master", made by Hess & Eisenhardt, or "Broadmoor Skyview" by S&S, and, if I'm not mistaken, the easiest way you can tell the difference is the rear side window.   If it wraps around to the back like the dark silver one above, its a "Viewmaster". If it has the extra pillar and the 3 piece rear windows, as shown on the rough condition one shown above, then its a "Broadmoor". 

View Master
  They were reportedly designed by William "Bill" Hess.  These beautiful wagons are built are your average Series 62 chassis but used the Series 86 (commercial) cowl and floor pan!   The rear door is the same as a Nomad.    There were 11 H&E's built for 1955 and 7 built for 1956, rumored to be all different colors.   Most were 3 row seat, but there were some 2 row seaters.   All Custom view masters originally has woodgrain except one, the first one.    You could order it with the Eldorado engine, Sabre wheels, and even a roof rack.  Boxer Joe Louis and Earl Gamble (Proctor & Gamble) once owned one of these fine autos.   It is reported that Jay Leno owns one of these cars at present.   The black one picture above was rumored to be the Leno wagon, but that has since been said to be untrue, and that it belongs to the Dayton folks.  Interestingly Kenni and Wayne Turner of Ohio have located and restored five of these Custom Viewmasters.

Broadmoor
Broadmoors (also known as Skyview), in contrast to View Masters, were built on the longer commercial chassis.   The upper sections of the rear side doors and the quarter windows are exclusive to those cars.  The rear door was a modified hearse door with a modified stock cadillac door handle.  They have a unique 3 piece rear glass which is the same as is used on a hearse.  1955 Broadmoors had special Eldorado wheel openings and in '56 they did not have this modification.

Here is a scan of the technical specifications for S&S Skyview dated 1955.

1956
7 Viewmasters Built by Hess & Eisenhardt
12 Broadmoor Skyview Built by S&S

Again, 1955 and '56 Caddy Station Wagons were, for the most part called "View Master", made by Hess & Eisenhardt, or "Broadmoor" by S&S, and, if I'm not mistaken, the easiest way you can tell the difference is the rear side window.   If it wraps around to the back like the dark silver one above, its a "Viewmaster". If it has the extra pillar and the 3 piece rear windows, as shown on the rough condition one shown above, then its a "Broadmoor". 

The car above was spotted for sale in London in the mid 80's

This dark blue car was claimed by the owner to have been built by Sands Coachworks and is listed in a Registry as "The St. Louis Car".

This white Custom View Master was sold new in Beverly Hills.  It has the Saber Spoke wheels.

View Master
Changes over the '55 model year include the fact that the '56 model Hess & Eisenhardt model used a regular station wagon tailgate instead of the Nomad gate as used in the previous year.   As stated in the description for the '55 model year, these are called Custom Viewmasters and there were only 7 built this year as opposed to 11 for 1955.

Broadmoor
Changes to the '56 model are that the 1956 Broadmoors had normal rear wheel openings as opposed to '55 models which had special Eldorado wheel openings.

1959
Stengel Model

This 1959 was designed by Peter Stengel.  It does not have the regular and well known '59 fins because it was based upon the Eldorado Brougham of '59 which had fins more similar to a '60 model.

Eldorado Woody Wagon

I have not confirmed that the 1959 Eldorado Woody Wagon was built in 59 or is just a modern custom creation of someones.  Either way, it appears to be built on the commercial chassis.   Hotwheels models of the 59 Woody can be obtained on ebay.

1960

1963

This '63 station wagon has a roof like a Vista-Cruiser.  It was spotted at a car show in Eastern PA in 1989 or 1990.  The photographer remembers the build quality being very high and also remembers one odd thing.   It did not appear to have a working tailgate.

1965

This blue '65 wagon was offered on ebay in October 2005

Looks like there were at least 2 different versions of 65 wagons, one of which has a very unusual rear overhang.  The wagon with the overhang is definetely from Edward A. Cantor of Cadillac Wagons Limited of Linden, NJ.  It was called the "Wagon Deville".  On a postcard from Cadillac Wagons Limited dated Oct. 1, 1966, a hand written message stated "Please be advised that we are no longer making the Cadillac Station Wagon".   I recieved an e-mail from someone who lived in Edward A. Cantor's hometown of South Orange, NJ in 1965.  She stated that the Cantor's were very wealthy and his main business was chemicals, among other things.   She also told me that Edward made these from 1966 through 1970, (which goes against the hand written message above).   She remembers "There was ALWAYS one parked in his circular driveway."

1966

1967

1968

The above wagon is the earliest known FWD 2 Door Cadillac Wagon.   In 67 Cadillac introduced the ahead-of-its-time FWD Eldorado, but I do not have any record at this time of a 67 Eldo Wagon, only this 68 and the others below

The car above is a beautiful '68 wagon which is said to be one of only 4 made.   (other rumors are that there were a total of 17 made) At this time it only has 56k original miles and is one owner with bill of sale, metal warranty plate, etc.

1969
14 Built

 
The wagon above is the single reason this site is here.  This 1969 Cadillac Station Wagon belongs to me and was given to me by my grandfather on my 23rd birthday.  He always told me that he had seen a Cadillac Station wagon with his own two eyes, that they actually did exist!   When I found an ad in a North Georgia Auto Trader for this car I showed it to him and he was ready to go look at it, he purchased the car and let me drive it home!  It was originally owned by Supreme Court Judge William Lamar Rose of Fort Myers, FL.   I have a copy of the original title where Mr. Rose bought the car new from Braun Cadillac, of North Fort Myers. 

 
This '69 wagon was refinished in British Racing Green and was fitted with a 1970 grille.   It sold at auction in 2004 for $18,000.  The seller claimed it was one of five used for the Indianapolis 500 as a courtesy car to transport VIP's, corporate guests, and executives, and that all five of the Indianapolis 500 cars eventually sold at a Dallas, Texas Cadillac dealer.   This car has a sunroof.  The seller stated "Factory-authorized limited production cars from the Sixties are highly desirable and avidly-sought additions to discerning collections as well as the ideal way to pick up guests arriving by Gulfstream or Lear."

I have other reports of Cadillac Station Wagons being used initially for the 1969 Indy 500, but they are somewhat conflicting on the details.   Someone told me only 2 were used, one for the press, and one for medical support.  The person who claimed this stated he didn't have pictures of them but he DID have a picture of a '71 model built for Indy, but he didn't share it with me.

1970
12 Built (Deville)

The above car was called a Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Station Wagon by its seller and that it was built on special order from a suburban Philadelphia Cadillac Dealer.  It is a 6 passenger wagon, just 2 rows of seats instead of 3.  About 12 custom wagons were produced of this particular variety.

The above '70 Eldorado Station Wagon is one of only 2 made, according to it's owner.   Other reports are that at least 4 were built.

Infamous car customizer George Barris also had his hand in the Cadillac Station Wagon industry, if you want to call it that.  He built one for quite a high profile client, Dean Martin for $18,000, not including the base price of the car!  George Barris also built one for Country Music star Glen Campbell. 

This beautiful dark blue example, as well as the gold one below, is believed to be of Custom Craft Division of Automobile Specialty Corporation (ASC)

The blue '70 wagon above now resides in Sweden.  It was bought new at Sparkie's Cadillac-Olds in Forrest City, NC on March 26, 1970

F.E.N. Enterprises of New York, self proclaimed "World Renowned Cadillac Restoration Experts" once had a 1970 Firemist Green Station Wagon with a sunroof and a white vinyl top.  It was unrestored and priced at $8500.  No pictures were available.

I had an email from a person who has a memory of a 1970 Cadillac Wagon that was parked in the "Battery Parking Garage" (which strattles the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel Exit in Manhattan) in the late 70's or early 80s, and it looked like it has been there for years and years.

1971

 
The Deville Wagon above has a cool story to go with it, the person who shared these photos states, "The doctor I worked for, purchased a new 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood from Chesapeake Cadillac in Baltimore MD. ( the photo below was taken in 1971 ) The doctor has passed away and we sold the car after 14 years of driving it, to the mechanic that worked on it at the end of it's life with us - I don't know if it is still around or not. The vinyl roof was brown ( like the leather interior) it did have a third seat which matched the other seats perfectly. I could only find these pictures - one is of the interior ( that little boy was born in 1971 !!!) which shows the color of the interior and the roof was also close to that color. The back seat was folded down for the kids to play back there while going down the road ( We'd never do that NOW !!! ) There is a picture with proof that it DID have a sunroof ( and it NEVER leaked ) The last picture was taken just before it was sold - it was pretty well rusted by then ( the fender skirts fell off a few years before ) and had 110,000 miles on it, as I recall. ( Notice the 1970 Cougar XR7 Conv. - that was the wife's car - it had a 428 CJ engine with ram air - one of 40 made ) The doctor ordered it that way because he thought it would be "neat" !!! He did NOT order the wagon, it was in the middle of the Cadillac dealerships window with many spot lights on it.  

"I talked to those "cute kids" with their heads sticking out of the sunroof - they're 37 and 39 years old now [2008] - and they found some other pictures of our 1971 Fleetwood wagon (shown above) The first shows the back and was taken in February of 1972 when it was about a year old. Just to the right of where the back window meets the tailgate, you can see the switch that operated the power window. It DID NOT have places to put your thumbs when turning it like other wagon's in later years did. After you put the window all the way up ( into the roof ) , you could then turn the key the rest of the way to the right and the tailgate would unlock and slide manually under the cargo area ( you had to push it the rest of the way down with your hand ) - it was NOT a power tailgate. The second picture shows the left side and was taken at the same time. The third picture shows the Fleetwood name on the fender and the "fancy" tires that came with the car when new. ( I think they were called: " Vogue" and were put on by the dealer ) They were very hard to cl ean with a SOS pad ( I would get about two tires on one pad !!!) The tailgate has brown vinyl on it, which is the same as the roof - it says Cadillac in the lower right corner - not Fleetwood. ( I have a close up of the word ) I'm sorry the pictures are grainy - but I zoomed in to get the detail ( and they ARE a little old !!! ) but they DO show, pretty close to the correct shade of pale yellow ( NOT beige ) that the car really was.

   

The car in the above photos is rumored to have been owned by the Jackson 5.   In an ebay auction the description stated "About five years ago or so, I bought this car from Vintage Motors of Sarasota. It was purported to be The Jackson 5 family station wagon, though no hard documentation supported the claim at that time. As I understand it, the car had been shown as The Jackson's car in a museum for many years before Vintage Motors sold it to me. After purchasing it, I had it shipped to me in California and it remains there today."

1972
 

This silver car was found on the internet along with the following information:   "This 1972 Cadillac Station Wagon is very rare museum piece. The Forney car museum in Denver has one on display. It has three red leather seats and new blue paint. These are the original colors. It is fully loaded and has the famous power clam shell tailgate. The rear window slides into the roof, while the lower tailgate slides into the floor. The lower tailgate needs a little help sliding the last few inches. The car has every option a loaded Fleetwood would have had. The cruise control has been repaired and works fine. It has new radial tires. It has new maroon carpet and any leather that was worn was replaced with new leather. The car has a new vinyl top. The drive train is original. The car is well on its way to being restored. The dash has cracks, the steering wheel has age cracks, and the end of the turn signal where it is plastic is cracked, etcetera. But, the beauty of this car is that other than the obvious, all these parts are the same as any Fleetwood or DeVille parts car. The weather stripping is showing wear. Some of it is cracked or brittle. There are small areas that will still need attention, but you could fly in and drive it home. If you are a collector, you know what this Cadillac is, and what it is worth! For those who know Cadillac’s, this car is quite an interesting collectors piece. I had this car restored to be a daily driver, but my interests are changing and I am out of garage space. You could fly into Denver and drive it home."

"When I bought the car, it had rust in the rear quarters, I bought a 1972 DeVille, the rear end was cut out and welded into place and then I had the car painted.  The only remnant of that is that the Deville did not have fender skirts, so one of the hooks for the fender skirts is missing.  The old piece was thrown away before the hook could be saved.  Any parts Fleetwood would have the hook and it would be a simple task to weld it on.  All original colors in both exterior and interior finish.  There are a few small cracks where the small coat of body filler was used on the seams.  The spare tire well has rust an the inside right rear corner behind the station wagon inside trim panel.  There are a few small surface spots of rust on some seams, as it has been sitting outside 365/24/7.  You can see what I am talking about on the photos.  Look at the open gas door photograph." 

 "This car has all the usual options. Including the clamshell power tailgate.  Paint is new and was clear coated.  There is orange peel in the clear and a good color sanding would help.  The interior is maroon leather and was upgraded as necessary using De Leo leathers.  The carpet is a rich maroon and is a perfect match to the original.   It has three seats.  The vinyl top was replaced 3-4 years ago.  The dash need to be replaced as it has a few cracks.  The middle seat has foot rests, and there is a roof rack.  It was built on a Fleetwood chassis."

A brochure from R.S. Harper Coachbuilders showing the "Estate Brougham Station Wagon"

This Eldorado Station Wagon was found in not-so-good condition.  I hope it was restored!

Here's a '72 Eldorado station wagon. This conversion was done by Detroit Sunroof (which is now known as American Sunroof). Being converted by an outside company, I don't really know how many were made. The owner says that when he bought the car 20 years ago he was told this company did 3, which included the Evil Kenevil car. He did track 3 that were converted by them, and his car is the only one they used the full size station wagon roof & tailgate for (the others used the Chevelle/Cutlass liftgate). It has 56K original, and is in pretty good condition. The pictures have a for sale sign, but he changed his mind and is looking at getting it back in shape, and maybe doing something with the back of the car. He doesn't like the way they handled the treatment of the license plate, so may be making a few changes back there.

This car is believed to be a '72 which ended up somehow with '73 tail lights.   Conversions sometimes took so long, a new model year has passed, and that may be the reason for the mismatched parts.

Above we have one from RS Harper, a "Custom Estate Brougham" Station Wagon.

1973
 
Wisco Built "El Classico" From an ebay auction  - "This is truly a unique Cadillac!! Sold new from Frank Kent Cadillac, Ft Worth, Texas.  Original lady owner kept car until her death in early '98 (25 years).   There are no coach company lables, but a letter from the dealer lists the car as an "El Classico".  This is not a "back yard" built wagon, but a professionally built, high quality car.  It is a 7-passenger, with the rear facing 3rd seat, leather of coarse.  The leather interior is very presentable for its age, showing very little wear.  Looks like one respray from a high end shop.  I have found no evidence of any rust.  No dents, dings, or scratches, so far.  Sunroof and all other power accessories work smoothly, with the exception of the cruise control. I drove the car over 800 miles Memorial Day weekend with no problems, except for the time at the gas stations visiting with folks amazed about such a rare sight.  The drivetrain is in great condition.  You could drive her coast to coast with confidence.  Recent maintance includes--A/C, front end bushings, driveshaft, alt., valve job, new carb., tune-up....transmission shifts smooth as silk.   The tailgate is a "2-way,'" not a clam-shell, thank goodness.  5 Michliens, spare never down.  Exterior color is Willow Gold, with chocolate brown vinyl top."

This one was also sold new at Frank Kent Cadillac, who is said to have sold six of these cars for 1973.

1974

These pictures were taken at the "Golden Girls Meet" in 1998

This El Dorado wagon was sold new to Eldon Auto Body who converted it into a custom wagon using 1974 pontiac parts.  It was purchased by the current owners (as of 2006) at that Towne Ford Museum in Sacramento, CA.  It has won numerous awards and trophies.

George Clooney was presented with a completely restored 1974 Cadillac Station Wagon at an extravaganza which was slated for a Tony Awards opener, presented by "Ocean's" Produceer Jerry Weintraub.  Clooney's date that night was Lisa Snowden.  No pictures are available.

Entrepreneur Frank McKinney is said to have a bright red 1974 Cadillac Station Wagon and has been known to drive it to many of his projects.  No pictures are available.

A '74 Cadillac station wagon with documentation proving it belonged to country music star Gene Autrey was reportedly sold at a Kruse Auction in Auburn, IN. as lot 1476.  It had leather, sunroof, wire wheels and all possible power options.   No pictures available.

1975

A page from the Wisco Catalog.   The other pages were full of pimp-tastic customizations of mid 70's cadillacs.

1976


Here is the famous Sammy Davis Jr. Cadillac Station Wagon.  It was purchased at auction from Sammy Davis Jr's estate in 1991 and showed up on ebay in 2002.  It has "Mr. D" painted on the doors and had liscense plates that rear "Mr. D 5"

This wagon is a Cadillac "Castilian".  They were produced in 1975 and 1976 by Traditional Coach Works of Los Angeles, CA  They are based on the 133" Fleetwood wheelbase and featured a large rear hatch that is hinged at the top.  There is no third seat.  The 2nd seat can be folded down for more storage space.  A large covered storage bin covers the rear of the interior.  You could order one with a moonroof too.  They sold for over $30,000 when new.

The Phaeton Coach Corp had a catalog which included photos of custom Cadillac Station wagons as well as other models.

The first picture above is from an old brochure from Traditional Coach Works.  The Evil Knievel is said to have had a Cadillac Station Wagon of this variety.

 

1976 Cadillac DeVille Sedan GS Traditional Coach Works Estate Wagon
Taken from an internet ad:
"Glass Astroroof, luggage rack, vinyl roof, Leather interior, rear facing tail gunner seats, power seats in front, w/center arm rest, new rug in passenger cabin area, picnic-tables in back seat. New contrasting rug in cargo area, Tailgate - rear access door w/right step up, 30 gallon fuel tank-regular gas, Rear seat fold for a huge cargo area. Rear air shocks, new tires, recent exhaust, Tune up 7-1-2009, special grill, am/fm cassette radio, CB radio, Radar warning system, public address system. Engine: 500 cu.in.-400 hrspwr. 550 lbs. of torque, tilt & telescopic steering wheel. The caddy is driven regularly, cruise control, A/C is climate control converted to R134. This car has not been restored but preserved. A trophy winner. A very rare original survivor, can be driven anywhere."

1977

1978
    
 

The above car was for sale on the internet. Here is the description from the ad: "1978 Cadillac Fleetwood Nine Passenger Station wagon.472 ci. V-8 Cadillac engine.Has cold factory air. Has 68,000 original miles. Factory alarm system, AM-FM with factory CB radio. Power locks,power windows,power seats,power steering, power brakes recently done, self-regulating leveling system, and 4-wheel disc brakes..I'm listing this for a friend. The owner says he knows of no mechanical problems. The tires are radial and have been on the car since he bought it in 1998. It came from Tiffin, Ohio. He has all the previous owners information and paperwork on the car for years.The car was done by Wisco Company of Ferndale, Michigan. They did these Cadillacs based on the Fleetwood Brougham chassis,took about 6 weeks to make the conversion, and they charged $13,700 above the price of the basic car.They used a GM station wagon roof and tailgate and 3rd rear facing seat. This Cadillac is on the road, with a current New York State inspection and registration. Car is in good condition. There are some paint issues on the doors, cracking in some areas. Owner suggests a repaint. Interior is nice, but there is some fade in the red carpets. I have lots of additional photos, if you want more, e-mail me and I will provide you with information. For serious questions and inspection I can give you the telephone number of the owner and you can make arrangements, Car is sold as is, where is. Buyer is responsible for any transportation from Marcellus, New York to destination. Marcellus is near Syracuse. Winning bidder must make $500 deposit within 72 hours from auctions end. Balance due in 7 days from auctions end. Owner also has a parts car, a 1978 Cadillac two door that will be included with the wagon, free, if you want it. You don't have to take it if you don't want it."

1979 - 6 Built

From an article directly from Hemmings Motor News - 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood Seville Brougham Wagon "Now wait a minute," you might be saying to yourself, "Cadillac never built a station wagon!" And you're right - sort of. In what could be viewed as a return to the days when Cadillac offered a variety of custom bodies through coachbuilders like Fleetwood, Murphy, Ghia, Pinin Farina and others, during the late'70s and early '80s, one could get a custom-built Cadillac wagon. That is, if one knew the right dealer and was willing to shell out an ample amount of greenbacks. This particular example, based on a 1979 Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance sedan, is one of about six or seven custom wagon-bodied Caddies built that year. If you're familiar with the story of Heinz Prechter and his American Sunroof Corporation (ASC), (responsible for everything from the sunroofs in the '68 Mercury Cougar XR-7s to specialty vehicles like Mustangs and turbocharged Grand Ams in the 1980s), then you may recognize the workmanship evidenced by the flawless integration of a station wagon rear half into the traditional Cadillac sedan body style depicted here. However, rather than being a product of ASC, these particular conversions were carried out by one of ASC's former employees, the talented Steve Harper. Though not visible, when viewed from the rear, all the trademark Cadillac styling cues are present. The tall, vertical taillights of the period are proportionally correct to the extended quarter-panel, the roof-back and bumper are identical to the production versions of the sedan, and even the C-pillar incorporates the opera window found on the Brougham d'Elegance. Given that a fully-optioned 1979 Brougham d'Elegance four-door sedan carried a sticker price of just under $20,000, it is understandable that only a handful of these conversions were carried out, as they pushed the sticker price over the $37,000 mark. Talk about sticker shock! Just imagine the husband and wife out shopping for a $7,000 '79 Caprice Classic wagon and stopping by a Cadillac dealership to give one of these the once-over! Over the years, about three dozen Cadillac station wagons were constructed. The level of craftsmanship displayed in these conversions is befitting of the car known as the "Standard of the World." Now just try and find one!

From an internet ad: "This 1979 Cadillac wagon was a Christmas gift from Jack Harris to his wife when new and was later used by her famous Harris’ Steak House in San Francisco. It still has its original paint and interior, and wears Harris Ranch logos on both doors. The builder is not known for sure, but it is believed to be 1 of 6 created by Hess & Eisenhardt. It is available in Sausalito, California for $10k. Contact us at mail@bringatrailer.com if you are interested.This wagon has a full-length vinyl top and a rear facing 3rd row seat. The body and trim are in fantastic condition with 135k original miles. It has new radial tires and is ready to drive and tow.

If you have ever driven Interstate 5 through California you will recognize this logo. The wagon body works well with the Caddy dimensions, and the upper roof rails and wind deflector are likely sourced from a sister GM wagon. The blue color prevents it from looking too hearse-like. The gray interior is all stock and in good condition. It features a sweep speedometer and an original two knob radio. Out back the interior is finished in equal quality, with plush gray carpeting and a hidden third seat.

This is a rare item and it would make a great vacation cruiser or tow car. The stock condition and good color scheme are plusses, and the Harris connection makes for a good story. A copy of his biography is included which makes mention of the car."

1981

1985

1987

1989

This is the newest of the traditional Cadillac Station wagons that I know of.

Cadillac Station Wagon Toys

Cadillac Station Wagon Literature
 

I have compiled these pictures over time from all over the internet.  If you feel that your image should not be used on this page, please let me know and I will remove it immediately.