You know I love these. I think it goes back to two events. One, that my Aunt Candy and Uncle Don loved watching TBS back in the early ’90s, and two, the generosity of my dad.
Candy loved TBS because back then they showed movies all the time, even in the daytime. My mom would frequently pick us kids up from school and we’d head over to Candy and Don’s. Mom and Candy would talk in the kitchen, while us kids settled in in the living room to watch TV. Frequently we’d pick up Dean’s coney dogs or a pizza or McDonald’s on the way there too. Good times.
It is because of this routine that I was introduced to and fell in love with such movies as Smokey and the Bandit, The Wraith, Duel…and License to Drive. The star of License to Drive was a spectacular Adriatic Turquoise 1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville with white vinyl roof and white Sierra grain leather.
Terrible things happened to that car during the course of the film, but I immediately imprinted on it, the looks, the presence, and that fabulous color combination. I probably watched that movie at Candy’s 25 times…and never got bored.
During that time my dad took me and my brother to an indoor hot rod show in January. One guy was selling a bunch of old brochures, and I dug through them and found 1971 Cadillac and 1971 Lincoln brochures, and Dad bought them for me.
At the time I thought it was the License to Drive car, but I was slightly off – the movie car was a ’72 with slightly different grille, parking lamps and taillights. But close enough.
Now we come to the present and your author was perusing Facebook and stumbled upon this fantastic 1972 Fleetwood Brougham, resplendent in Brewster Green with black top and black interior. While I’d slightly prefer a matching green interior, there’s no denying how imposing cars like these were, before GM decided they hate all their customers.
Anyway, per the ad, “Delivered to Helen Swanson of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1971 with 19 miles on it. It has been lovingly maintained and stored. Believed to be all original the Brewster Green Firemist paint is absolutely striking and magnificent. Nearly without flaw it absolutely gleams in the sunlight and is one of the most elegant colors we have ever seen on a Fleetwood Brougham.”
“It is complemented with a black padded roof and the interior is special order black brocade and leather. Everything on this car is magnificent. There is no pitting on the chrome, the paint is beautiful as is the vinyl top, inside the interior is without flaw. A truly impressive automobile in its own right, The Cadillac Fleetwood was the ultimate statement in grand luxury.”
It is indeed grand. But then I am hopelessly biased. But I’ll argue that even folks who don’t care for cars like these will still agree it’s a damn site more impressive than a silver silvermist 2023 XT5, ha ha!