Friday, January 2, 2015

1963 Cadillac Vista Cruiser

1963-Cadillac-Vista-Cruiser
When was the last time you saw one of these? I bet the answer was never because this seems to be the only one in existence. The seller claims that it is the holy grail of Cadillacs! I’m not so sure about that, but the combination of a Vista Cruiser’s roof line with the plush accommodations of a Cadillac make this one worth a look. You won’t be able to experience it for cheap though. The seller is asking $38k here on eBay in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. That seemed high to me, but Cadillac wagons are always intriguing so I did a little digging…

estate-sale-cadillac-wagon
Turns out that another one of these sold at a big estate sale earlier this year for $24,500. The auction house claimed that it was one 0f four, but I have a sneaky suspicion that there is actually only one and that it is the same car as the one featured here. Cadillac never built a wagon of their own, so a few coachbuilders performed their own conversions. I couldn’t find any proof that this was one of theirs though so I’m guessing that it was someone’s custom creation. That doesn’t make it any less cool, but it probably does effect the collector value.

vista-cruiser-ad
I want to believe that this was a factory offering, but the main problem with that theory is that Vista Cruiser was not released until 1964. It was known for its unique roof which featured skylights and a raised roof section. Oldsmobile must have been influenced by the futuristic Scenicruiser bus that Greyhound had been using since the fifties. I may be wrong there, but the similarities between the looks and the names of the two do make me wonder. Can anyone confirm or debunk my theory?
1963-Cadillac-Vista-Cruiser-rear
There wasn’t much information available about the car when it sold and it seems that the new owner hasn’t uncovered much more about this wagon’s origins. At least they don’t reveal the details in their auction listing. As much as I would love to own something like this, I would need to have a little more information about its pedigree before divvying up that kind of cash. The car has been on the market since September with the bidding not quite reaching $24k the first time around. Since that time it has been relisted a few times with optimistic Buy-It-Nows. So, what do you think it will ultimately sell for?
 
 Source: barnfinds.com