1949 Cadillac DeVille Coupe Coupe Green

1949 Cadillac DeVille

Rare all original 1949 Coupe Deville! Newly rebuilt motor!

Vehicle Details

Here is a rare opportunity to bid on an all original 1949 Cadillac Coupe Deville! This rare car is one of only approximately 2,100 ever produced, meaning these don’t come up for sale often. And this one has been well cared for and maintained in beautiful condition. I have records of everything done to this car since the early 1990’s when the gentleman I purchased it from bought it. Since I purchased it several years ago, I have had a lot of mechanical work done on the car to get it into its current great condition. This included a full rebuild of the engine by a master mechanic here in Cincinnati who has extensive experience with the Cadillac 331 motor. The engine is now in like new condition with only about 1,200 miles on it since the rebuild. I am happy to send you the shop’s contact info for information about the re-build and their expertise with vintage automobiles. I have records of all the work done by them to include.

Many other important repairs were done including brake work, rear suspension rebuild, new tires, new battery, new electronic ignition. All work was done to original specs keeping the car original except for a few modern fixes for better functionality including the addition of an alternator (looks like an original generator) and an electronic fuel pump (neatly tucked away out of sight and original mechanical pump left in place to maintain its original look). The radiator was rebuilt/re-cored, so it still looks 100% original, but is totally new inside. I still have the original generator to be included in the sale.

Most everything still works on the car including the power front seat, power windows, radio, interior lights, etc. It does not have power steering or a/c. It includes a high-quality cloth cover which fits it very well.

The previous owner did a full exterior restoration when he bought it in the 90’s. He had it repainted (very high-quality job) and all the chrome was re-done at that time as well. It is all still in very good shape. When the car rolled off the line in 1949, it was black, but since then it was painted in its current two tone green (using original Cadillac colors). The interior has not been touched by me or the previous owner. I do not know if the interior is the factory original or not, but I suspect it is not. It was probably re-done sometime in the 80s, if I had to guess, but I have no record of this. If it was re-done, they did it to the original design and it looks nice.

The car is not “perfect” by any means, but it is very, very nice. It still has some work that needs to be done, but at this point, that work is minor in comparison, and it won’t take much to get it done. The transmission is likely due for a rebuild. It drives fine but has some issues with not down shifting at appropriate times and it upshifts a bit too early at other times. That’s the only bigger ticket item it still needs. Other smaller issues…the passenger side window glass is de-laminating and will need replacement (see photo). The hydraulic antenna doesn’t go up currently. One of the rear quarter windows doesn’t go down. The heater is currently by-passed (was like this when I purchased it) so it was probably leaking and needs to be sent out for rebuilding. The gas tank might need attention…if you fill it all the way up to the brim, it leaks a little, but then stops, so I suspect one of the seals up high might need replaced. I just don’t fill it all the way and it is fine. The one hub cap has some surface damage after it popped off one day while driving. One of the white walls has some scuffs on it. There are a couple of minor cosmetic flaws as well including a paint chip next to the hood (pictured) and one of the chrome trim pieces is a little raised and needs to be fixed back down.

Please ask questions before you bid, and I will do my best to answer them fully and to the best of my knowledge. I tried to include everything I could think of about the car here. I cannot offer any guarantees on this car. Keep in mind that it is a true antique. It is over 75 years old and many of the parts are still original. It is a rare car that you will not often see on the road, let alone have a chance to own. I am pricing it in accordance with its rarity as well as what I have invested into it.