1966 Cadillac Fleetwood 75

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £4,000, then £200 is added, making the total amount payable of £4,200.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

First things first.

This car is absolutely enormous.

We defy any domestic garage, supermarket parking space or multi-storey car park to accommodate it.

It’s quite possible that the bonnet and boot badges are in different post codes.

It’s also in really very decent condition, inside and out, save for a few largely inconsequential cosmetic flaws.

We have no history or service record for this car.

The car was delivered brand new to the Farrell Funeral Home, New Britain, Connecticut, on 3rd May 1966.

As far as we can tell, the car became part of the current vendor’s collection of static display vehicles on 4th January 2019.

We know nothing of the car’s owners or whereabouts during the intervening years.

All we know is that the odometer today reads 62,299 miles.

As with the other cars in the vendor’s collection, we haven’t been able to start or drive it and, consequently, our opinions are confined to the car’s cosmetic condition.

That said, we have turned the engine by hand and can state that it is not seized.

The shut lines are consistent and even. The panels - which are mostly the size of a barn door - are largely untroubled by any dinks, creases, folds, warps or dents of note. The doors slam home with weight and accuracy.

Most of the chrome, including the bumpers and grille, is in very decent condition.

The acres of black paint have held up well in the main, and although there are a few scuffs, scratches and flat spots here and there, the finish is mostly shiny and bright.

The lights and badging seem to be in decent fettle and the wheels, though in need of some spit and polish, appear to be basically sound.

All in all, while the bodywork could no-doubt benefit from some touching up and a good machine polish, there appears to a good deal of solidity and integrity to it wherever we’ve looked.

The interior is roughly the size of a two-bedroom flat and is in better condition than many.

The colour palette is a conservative pale grey, which gives the interior a light and airy ambience, and the seats are upholstered in fabric. The cloth is devoid of rips, tears and holes and there are only one or two stains to indicate use.

The front seats are comfortable, supportive and capacious (naturally).

The carpets are in decent nick, as are the door cards and headlining.

The steering wheel and the black and chrome instrument panel have withstood the ravages of time and use very well.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t been able to start the vehicle.

The ashtray inserts are missing from the centre console.

The rear compartment is equally well-preserved.

The rear seats are in good condition, too, as are the pop-up seats in the middle.

The trim between the roof and the front door on the driver’s side is split and pulling away. There is paint missing in places from the same area.

The massive boot is home to a spare wheel and, although the interior is a bit shabby, it’s solid.

Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere in the car reveals nothing more alarming than an entirely standard bloom of superficial rust dust.

From what we can see, the undersides are strong, sound and untroubled by anything that looks as if it might threaten the structural integrity of the vehicle. Obviously, though, you’ll want expert eyes to take a closer look.

The engine and engine bay appear to be clean and dry and, as far as we can tell, everything is in its right and proper place.

The car comes with no history, no service records and neither an MoT certificate nor a V5. What we have are facsimiles.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We think this car probably spent most of its life serving as a funeral car. At 1966, it is eligible for the Goodwood Revival classic car park (and what a tool in which to arrive!), and it's the sort of car that wouldn’t look out of place in a Godfather movie.

As such, it will have been treated with the same reverence and care as its occupants – and its appearance and condition today certainly support our hypothesis that it is likely to have led a fairly pampered and sedate life.

Clearly, as we haven’t been able to start or drive the car our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

Nonetheless, in our opinion, this seems to us to be a fundamentally sound and well-preserved example of a rare Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Sedan. Provided, of course, that the car’s engine and mechanicals prove to be in good working order.

One thing is for sure: this is a car that will get the next owner noticed wherever he or she goes.

It’s got presence like nothing else we’ve encountered to date.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £4,000 - £8,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, so to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.