Equipped with the newly available sealed-beam headlamps and factory turn signals, this seven-passenger Imperial sedan was one of just 20 made in the last season of Cadillac V-16 production, and is one of five known survivors.

Sold new by the D.B. McDaniel Cadillac Company of Houston, Texas, the car has a history known back to 1963, when it was sold by Adrian L. De Jong to James Tagliabue. Mr. Tagliabue was a Houston funeral director and early Full Classic enthusiast, with a particular passion for limousines and formal sedans. In 1970 he elected to liquidate his collection, and reached out to the famed Harrah’s Automobile Collection to inquire if they would be interested in purchasing any cars. They bought the Imperial sedan, and it remained in the Collection, largely unrestored and left as-acquired, until 1979.

At the 1979 Harrah’s auction the Cadillac was bought by Mariposa, Inc., of Reno; later owners were Dr. Rick Zeiger of California and Thomas Pontius.

By the time of the Calumet Collection’s acquisition, the car had been fully restored to its present appearance, with high-quality Antoinette Blue paint over straight, true “solid Texas” bodywork, and a properly finished leather and cloth interior with the original push-button AM radio, lighters, and other accessories. Typical of the cars in this collection, it has been well maintained in excellent overall condition, while also still being occasionally driven and enjoyed. Authentic attention to detail extends to the correct windshield washer bottle under the hood, an original service badge inside one of the doors, and an “A” ration sticker on the windshield.

Offered with its extensive Harrah’s history and information file, a copy of its build record, and an owner’s manual for the model, this is a particularly lovely second-generation V-16, from the most desirable model year.