Prime Find of the Week: All American

Variety is of course the spice of life. With so many fabulous classic cars out there to be enjoyed and experienced, why would you insist on sticking to just one marque – maybe even one specific model? This is a reality which our very own Claus Ebberfeld has embraced better than most during his self-imposed educational journey through the world of classic cars. However, his travels aren’t over yet, as he still longs for an American classic to add to his long list of diverse cars he has owned during the past 15 years or so.

And to address that, Claus came up with this of all things: the Buick Reatta…? But why Claus? Just, why? Now I too can easily recognise many of the Reatta’s virtues, but surely this just won’t do if you are on a mission to own your first American? If you want to taste America, you really need to go full-fat! We’re talking big V8 engine, extravagant styling, XXL dimensions, and luxury and comfort like no other. So this week’s Prime Find is entirely devoted to Claus.

Corvettes, muscle cars and huge 4×4’s are all great, but let’s be honest, nothing flies the Star-spangled Banner in your face quite like a Cadillac. And that’s precisely what we’ve got here. It’s even from the sixties too, just to ensure proper classic car status. So with no further ado, let me introduce the 1968 Cadillac Sedan de Ville Hardtop.

Cadillac’s third-generation de Ville was introduced for the 1965 model year. Of course, this was the era where all American manufacturers would introduce fairly significant changes for each new model year, and the de Ville was no exception. So those in the know will easily identify a ’65 from a ’66, a ’66 from a ’67 and so forth. However, the 1968 was significant in that it was the last year to sport those prominent stacked dual headlights which gave it such presence. Among multiple other changes, it was also the first year of the enlarged 472 cu in V8 engine – that’s a stonking 7.7-litres for us Europeans! Like I said, this is indeed a proper Yank Tank. Yet despite all of its vastness – more than 5.7 meters in length and weighing in at well above 2 tons – the Bill Mitchell design is still crisp, sharp and outright elegant. Besides, has there ever been anything cooler than a pillarless sedan?

Now if I must say so myself, I’ve been quite cunning here. We all know what’s going to happen next: excuses. Claus can’t buy a classic car unseen from the USA, then there’s the cost of shipping, and even worse is of course those dreaded Danish import taxes which are so unfairly imposed on all car enthusiasts residing in Denmark. Well, that’s why I’ve made sure that this particular ’68 Cadi is in fact for sale in Denmark and comes with all taxes paid and a full Danish registration.

According to the private vendor, his Cadillac spent most of its life in California. It’s an older restoration which was resprayed about 10 years ago – before it was imported into Denmark in 2017. It’s a fully specced car which even has functioning air condition. The vendor has recently treated it to all new brakes and new tyres as well, and reports that it drives as it should and is in good condition. If the pictures are anything to judge by, they certainly back that up, and the de Ville looks fab in its stunning turquoise metallic paintwork and white vinyl roof. Such a statement! – erhm… Claus, an AMERICAN statement! These pictures have been borrowed from the advert:

Claus my dear friend, this truly is a proper American. No Reatta is ever going to educate you as will a ’68 Cadillac Sedan de Ville Hardtop. And all of this glory can be yours for D.kr. 185,000 currently equating to approximately £ 21,250 or Euro 24,800. The vendor even says he will entertain serious offers. If you, dear ViaRETRO reader, plan on beating Claus to the Cadi, you’ll need the details in the full advert: 1968 Cadillac Sedan de Ville

 

 

With our Saturday instalment of Prime Find of the Week, we’re offering our services to the classic car community, by passing on our favourite classic car for sale from the week that passed. This top-tip might help a first-time-buyer to own his first classic, or it could even be the perfect motivation for a multiple-classic-car-owner to expand his garage with something different. We’ll let us inspire by anything from a cheap project to a stunning concours exotic, and hope that you will do the same.
Just remember – Any Classic is Better than No Classic! We obviously invite our readers to help prospective buyers with your views and maybe even experiences of any given model we feature. Further to that, if you stumble across a classic which you feel we ought to feature as Prime Find of the Week, then please send us a link to primefindoftheweek@viaretro.co.uk