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 The Packard Six was a series of luxury automobiles built over several generations by Packard from 1913 until 1947. The name was originally used to describe the car in general terms, while Series numbers were initially used and changed every year t ...

. 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 wheelbase and shared the B body with cars from LaSalle, Buick, and

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it pro ...

. This went up to in 1937–1938. The exterior featured a new

Harley Earl Harley Jarvis Earl (November 22, 1893 – April 10, 1969) was an American automotive designer and business executive. He was the initial designated head of design at General Motors, later becoming vice president, the first top executive ever ...

–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."Knee-Action Front Wheels" GM ad
''Popular Science Monthly'', March 1934, first introduced on Pontiac automobiles with the Straight-Eight engine Under the hood was the new (less expensive) Monobloc V8. This 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 . 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

File:Cadillac 1936 Series 60 Five Passenger Touring Sedan.jpg, 1936 Cadillac Series 60 File:Cadillac 37 60 Convertible Coupe 1937.jpg, 1937 Cadillac Series 60 convertible coupe File:Cadillac Series 37-6027 Sport Coupe 1937.jpg, Cadillac Series 37-6027 Sport Coupé 1937 File:Cadillac 37 60 Convertible Coupe 1937 2.jpg, 1937 Cadillac Series 60 2-door convertible File:Cadillac 1937 Series 60 Four-Door Touring Sedan.jpg, 1937 Cadillac Series 60 File:Cadillac 1937 Series 60 Front End View.jpg, 1937 Cadillac Series 60 File:1938 Cadillac Series 60 Coupe.jpg, 1938 Cadillac Series 60 Coupé

References

External links

{{Cadillac timeline 60 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Cars introduced in 1936 1930s cars