1941 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine
This 1941 Cadillac originally belonged to Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi the daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The lineage of this Cadillac could be traced back through countless family outings but most significantly it was used during Countess Szapary’s wedding in 1949. Three years after the wedding the car received its last oil change and has not been driven more than two miles since then.
The winter following her social debut Gladys Vanderbilt met her future husband, Count László Széchényi at a ball at the American Embassy in Berlin. Their engagement was announced from the Breakers on October 3rd, 1907. As Gladys set about introducing her fiancé to the Newport set, the couple was followed relentlessly by the press. They were reported to be out often driving, seen near the casino, on the road to her brother’s Oakland Farm in Portsmouth, and by the seaside. The press was rife with speculation about when and where the wedding would be held. Much to Newport’s disappointment, they were wed in New York on January, 27th 1908.
The Count and Countess Széchényi began their married life in his home country of Hungary. His diplomatic work eventually brought the family back to the States, living in Washington DC and spending time here in Newport at The Breakers. This 1941 Cadillac was bought new by the family in 1941, and was used regularly both in Newport and New York until the car was parked in the Breakers Stable where it sat for decades, until it was rescued by the Audrain Museum.
Cadillac’s full sized V8 cars spanning six decades were the Series 70 and Series 75 models. For 1941, the Series 75 was available as a sedan, imperial touring sedan, and a formal sedan body. There were a variety of body configurations from which to select and all wore Fleetwood nomenclature. Fleetwood was the in-house coachbuilder for Cadillac. This Fleetwood Series 75 Touring Imperial was a hand-crafted limousine built in the Cadillac tradition. In 1952 the car found its resting spot in the barn of The Breakers where it remained untouched for 64 years until its resurrection in 2016.
Specifications:
Configuration: front engine, rear wheel drive
Engine: 5.7 L V8
Horsepower: 150 hp
Torque: 283 lb-ft
Transmission: 3-Speed-Manual “On the Tree”
