Conceived by designer William “Bill” Mitchell, the Cadillac Series 60 Special was introduced in 1938. By 1940, it had joined the more exclusive Fleetwood portfolio, elevating its status within the Cadillac hierarchy. The model’s success continued in 1941, when the Series 60 Special benefited from a redesign featuring a new front end and a grille with a strong horizontal emphasis.

The car offered here is one of 3,878 Series 60 Special Sedans built for 1941. A build record copy on file notes that it was shipped on 14 January 1941 to J. Arch Butts of Wichita, Kansas, a Cadillac-LaSalle distributor and dealer who also sold other GM brands, in addition to Packards. It was originally finished in Monica Blue Metallic over a Blue-Gray Dual-Tone Bedford Cloth interior. Factory equipment included a Hydramatic transmission (an option new to Cadillac for 1941), as well as fog lights, a radio and aerial, an automatic heating system, and whitewall tires.

Though its subsequent history is not known, it may well have remained close to its original delivery destination, as it was recorded as being in the collection of Wichita-based collector Frank Aksamit by the early 1990s. Aksamit successfully showed the Cadillac at Classic Car Club of America events, earning a First Prize at the 1992 CCCA Spring Grand Classic; it still wears the associated badge, number 1684.

Under the later ownership of James M. Schloeman of Clayton, Missouri, the car was restored, including a refinish in Monica Blue Metallic. Its interior was retrimmed in blue leather, an attractive and period-correct option available for 1941. At some point its engine was replaced with a correct unit (number 6342190) from another Series 60 Special of the same model year. The Cadillac was later part of the collection of a respected figure in the car community, who prepared it for touring—a task for which Cadillacs of this era remain well-suited. He kept the car until 2014, when it was acquired by its immediate prior owner.

In 2018, the Cadillac was purchased by the consignor, who replaced the car’s fuel pump. Its older restoration shows well today, with red wheels now providing a pop of color that contrasts nicely with the dark blue exterior paint; the interior, with its richly wood-grained dashboard and window trim, as well as the elegant blue leather upholstery, is also in well-maintained condition.

A magnificent example of pre-war design, and the ideal vehicle for exhibition or touring duty, including in CCCA events, this 1941 Cadillac Series 60 Special by Fleetwood awaits its next dedicated caretaker.