The Cadillac Series 62 was produced from 1940 to 1964. Like every American automaker of that era, Cadillac paused car production during World War II. The Series 62 is best remembered for its tailfins. When fins appeared on the 1948 Cadillacs, they were widely credited as the first tailfins on an American car. They were also a controversial design innovation. GM styling chief Harley Earl said the fins were inspired by the famous World War II fighter plane, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. However, it was designer Franklin Hershey who drew them, and Earl at first ordered them removed. Cadillac’s management liked the fins, and they stayed.
The original 1940 body style was nicknamed the “torpedo.” It was low and sleek, with chrome trim around the windows, a more slanted windshield and a curved rear window. The body wasn’t unique to Cadillac. General Motors shared it with the Buick Roadmaster and Super, the Oldsmobile Series 90 and the Pontiac Custom Torpedo. Do you think it is common practice for cars to share body designs? It was then, and it still is. Carmakers today share platforms across brands to save money, much as GM did in 1940.
Cadillac Series 62: 1940-1964
The Cadillac Series 62 was a very popular automobile for the company right from the start. In its first year, Cadillac sold 5,903 of them, about 45% of all the Cadillacs it sold. That’s impressive, since, as with all Cadillacs, the car was relatively expensive. The two-passenger coupe started at $1,685, or almost $39,000 in 2025 dollars. The touring sedan cost a little more at $1,745, while the four-door convertible sedan went for $2,195. Cadillac’s rivals in the luxury market included Packard and the brand-new Lincoln Continental.
The car got a new look in 1941. The one-piece hood sat lower at the front and stretched out to the fenders. The headlights moved into the front of the fenders, which was new for Cadillac. Rectangular parking lights sat in the upper corners of the grille, and there was room under the headlights for optional fog lights. The position of the lights moved several times during the life of the car.
This was a powerful car. Every Cadillac used the same 346-cubic-inch V8. It made 135 horsepower in 1940, and a compression increase raised that to 150 horsepower for 1941. You got that power for your money, along with an innovative design.
The car was very successful. In 1941, Series 62 sales jumped about fourfold to 24,734, or 37% of all Cadillacs. That year, Cadillac as a whole beat the company sales record it had set in 1926-27, with help from the Series 62 and the new, lower-priced Series 61. It seems the “torpedo” style was a hit with buyers.
The 1942 model brought more changes. The grille grew bigger and bolder, starting the “egg crate” look that Cadillac would use for decades. Round parking lights replaced the rectangular ones, and the fog light sockets became rectangular. Cars built in the final weeks before the shutdown in February 1942 even had painted trim instead of chrome, since chrome was restricted for the war effort. However, before the car moved into the future, there was a production pause for World War II.
After the war, the first Cadillac to roll off the line was a Series 62, on Oct. 7, 1945. For several months, it was the only Cadillac being built. Then came the fins in 1948, and the Series 62 kept evolving through seven generations. It also gave birth to some famous names. The Coupe de Ville debuted as a Series 62 in 1949, and the Eldorado followed in 1953. Both later became models of their own.
The engine grew as well. A new 331-cubic-inch overhead-valve V8 arrived in 1949, and by 1964 every Cadillac had a 429-cubic-inch V8 with 340 horsepower. This was a large car with a large engine.
Sales peaked in 1956, when Cadillac sold 134,502 Series 62s. That was 86.4% of all Cadillacs sold that year, an all-time record. The 1964 model year was the last for the Series 62 name. For 1965, Cadillac renamed its entry-level car the Calais, which stayed in the lineup through 1976.
Conclusion
Cadillacs are known for their luxury, and the Cadillac Series 62 was no exception. This was a powerful car that was both expensive and successful. At its peak, it made up most of what Cadillac sold. It helped bring the tailfin to American cars and launched the Coupe de Ville and Eldorado names. So, it was a trendsetter. As such, it is a very important part of American automotive history.
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