Photo: Barrett-Jackson
One of the most famous stunt performers in history, Evel Knievel attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps over the course of his career. He was clearly a big motorbike enthusiast, but he also drove a few interesting cars.
The Aston Martin Lagonda is arguably the most iconic vehicle he was spotted in, but that's mostly because it came with a coffin trailer attached to the rear. But he also owned an early 1970s Cadillac Fleetwood. It was featured during many of his daredevil stunts, but that's not what makes it special.
This is no regular tenth-generation Sixty Special. It's a custom-made Caddy with a station wagon body and a bespoke front grille. Most likely the only grocery getter with a Cadillac badge from the era.
Set to go under the hammer at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas on June 17-19, this 1971 Cadillac is rather unusual for a classic full-size built by the American brand. Of course, the station wagon body style is the first thing that catches the eye.
Cadillac didn't build wagons until the second-generation CTS debuted in 2007. Some coachbuilders created Cadillac wagons back in the day, but mostly hearses and airport shuttles. This is not a commercial vehicle, but a full-blown passenger car. Sure, the wagon layout kind of ruins the elegance of the Sixty Special, but it's an amazingly cool build.
The yellow paint is yet another detail that sets it apart. Seriously now, have you ever seen a yellow Cadillac? From any era? I'm no fan of white and black Cadillacs, so I actually dig the unusual color of this rig a lot. The wood trim on the sides and the brown vinyl roof spice things up even more.
The front fascia is also unique to this Caddy. The grille is narrower and taller and the frame is downright massive toward the top. The standard headlamps were replaced by smaller light units embedded into body-colored inserts. Apparently Knievel liked a big slab of chrome on the center fascia, but wasn't a big fan of the wide, wrap-around lights of the early 1970s Cadillac.
The wagon's interior is just as stylish as any Fleetwood from the era. Everything is covered in saddle brown leather and carpet, while authentic wood trim decorates the dashboard, instrument cluster, and the door panels. The wagon layout comes with enhanced seating capacity thanks to a third-row bench. However, the narrower bench is facing rearward, a sign that this wagon was also supposed to be used as a camera car during Evel's stunts.
The wagon appears to be a standard Sixty Special under the hood, where it features a 7.7-liter V8 mill. That's a huge motor, but it's actually the smallest of the two V8s that the brand offered in this car. The other one came in at a whopping 8.2 liters. The 7.7 V8 was rated at a solid 345 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) back in 1971.
Having been seating in a museum for many years, the yellow Caddy is not exactly perfect inside and out. But it can be turned into a concours piece with a bit of TLC. Apparently it's going under the hammer because the Evel Knievel museum in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is closing its doors. That's a shame, but at least this unique Cadillac is getting a second chance.
This is no regular tenth-generation Sixty Special. It's a custom-made Caddy with a station wagon body and a bespoke front grille. Most likely the only grocery getter with a Cadillac badge from the era.
Set to go under the hammer at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas on June 17-19, this 1971 Cadillac is rather unusual for a classic full-size built by the American brand. Of course, the station wagon body style is the first thing that catches the eye.
Cadillac didn't build wagons until the second-generation CTS debuted in 2007. Some coachbuilders created Cadillac wagons back in the day, but mostly hearses and airport shuttles. This is not a commercial vehicle, but a full-blown passenger car. Sure, the wagon layout kind of ruins the elegance of the Sixty Special, but it's an amazingly cool build.
The yellow paint is yet another detail that sets it apart. Seriously now, have you ever seen a yellow Cadillac? From any era? I'm no fan of white and black Cadillacs, so I actually dig the unusual color of this rig a lot. The wood trim on the sides and the brown vinyl roof spice things up even more.
The front fascia is also unique to this Caddy. The grille is narrower and taller and the frame is downright massive toward the top. The standard headlamps were replaced by smaller light units embedded into body-colored inserts. Apparently Knievel liked a big slab of chrome on the center fascia, but wasn't a big fan of the wide, wrap-around lights of the early 1970s Cadillac.
The wagon's interior is just as stylish as any Fleetwood from the era. Everything is covered in saddle brown leather and carpet, while authentic wood trim decorates the dashboard, instrument cluster, and the door panels. The wagon layout comes with enhanced seating capacity thanks to a third-row bench. However, the narrower bench is facing rearward, a sign that this wagon was also supposed to be used as a camera car during Evel's stunts.
The wagon appears to be a standard Sixty Special under the hood, where it features a 7.7-liter V8 mill. That's a huge motor, but it's actually the smallest of the two V8s that the brand offered in this car. The other one came in at a whopping 8.2 liters. The 7.7 V8 was rated at a solid 345 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) back in 1971.
Having been seating in a museum for many years, the yellow Caddy is not exactly perfect inside and out. But it can be turned into a concours piece with a bit of TLC. Apparently it's going under the hammer because the Evel Knievel museum in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is closing its doors. That's a shame, but at least this unique Cadillac is getting a second chance.
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