By the mid-1950s, America had settled into a prosperous, happy calm. Cadillac’s advertising reflected this, with advertising that featured elegantly dressed women, draped in designer gowns and jeweled necklaces, presenting the “Standard of the World” as truly the only name in personal luxury cars.

The 1957 models lived up to the division’s sterling reputation, with their lightly updated bodies and trim defining them as new models. A wide array of extra equipment was the big news, with a roster of accessories that, to the Rocket Age buyer, must have seemed more like the specifications of your family’s new ranch house than an options list for a car. The Cadillac was designed for and sold to affluent Americans who were beginning to view luxury as more than leather and chrome: they wanted the latest in technology, which proved that one not only had to have superbly tuned taste, but also one that was keeping in touch with the pleasures afforded by an ever-changing world.

The Series 62 Convertible Coupe offered here from the collection of Richard and Linda Kughn underwent a high-point professional cosmetic and mechanical restoration several years ago, during which the car was refinished in the original color scheme of Alpine White over a complementary two-tone black and white leather interior, which is correct to this car, as verified by the original cowl tag. Its roster of accessories includes the heater/defroster, an electric clock, and an AM radio that Cadillac buyers had come to expect, as well as a raft of power gadgetry, including the top, windows, seat, steering, and brakes. Correct EZ-Eye tinted glass, just as was used by the factory in 1957, allows the driver and passengers to enjoy sunny-day driving without annoying glare. Beautiful chrome wheels, shod in wide whitewall tires, are the finishing touch.

The car has been only lightly driven since restoration, with the 65,300 miles recorded quite possibly actual mileage since new. Accordingly, it still presents extremely well throughout, and since it has not been shown while in the Kughn Collection, it is ready to appear once again at local events. It is an honest, impressive car, with all the comfort and all the glamour that a 1957 Cadillac carried home with it back when it was new, and it would be an attractive addition to any assembly of America’s finest automobiles.