Since photos and descriptions of many members’ cars have appeared in the Times over the years, I thought that as my “swan song” I would exercise my prez-idential privileges to show off my own 6107 2-door club coupe, “The Green Queen”. She’s a “late” car, built Oct. 20, 1949 and sold by Rickenbaugh Motors in Denver. (This Cadillac dealer is still in existence and participated in the Grand National in that city in 2001.) In 1974 The Queen went from the original owner to two antique car dealers in Colorado in quick succession, one of whom replaced the original Madeira Maroon paint with a generic dark green. The second dealer sold it in 1975 to a lady in Laramie, Wyoming who, 2 years later, sold it to a collector in the Chicago area. I bought it from him via an ad in Hemmings in Sept. 1984 for $5,200. (‘49s were cheaper in those good old days.) It had been undercoated when new, so was practically rust-free and, though it ran well, was a bit worn cosmetically and mechanically.
I had the motor rebuilt in 1985 and had it re-painted in 1986 another dark green (close to Dartmouth Green, a ’49 color). The next year I had the original worn-out Series 61 upholstery replaced. In 1988, The Queen appeared in the opening scenes of the film “Driving Miss Daisy”, filmed in our Atlanta neighborhood. It played the role of the car of the character Boolie, Miss Daisy’s son, who was played by Dan Akroyd. In one scene Mr. Akroyd drove the car, with Morgan Freeman, who played the character Hoke, as his passenger. If there was such a thing, it surely would have received an Academy Award as “Best Car”.
Originally equipped with Hydra-matic, shortly after I bought the Queen I had stick shift installed with a correct 3.77 ratio differential for that transmission. As she’ll cruise at interstate speeds like a ’49 should, I drive her quite a bit, including 13 trips to CLC Grand Nationals and 3 National Driving Tours as far away from my Georgia home as Maine and Texas. I took the photo below at the ’08 CLC Grand National in New Jersey, following which my wife Elaine and I drove to Manhattan where we left her in a lock-up garage on 42nd Street and then went out “on the town”.
The Queen is in excellent “driver” condition and totally stock except for a cheap Radio Shack under-dash AM/FM radio which plays through the original rear speaker. The vacuum antenna works (when it is in the mood) via a valve from an early ‘40s Cadillac that I hooked up. To enhance the look of the interior (in my humble opinion), I bought from chapter member Dennis Akerman a NOS “standard” steering wheel which is brown in color and of simple construction, unlike the fancy deluxe ivory-colored or black wheels found on most ‘49s. Dennis also sold me a NOS radio delete plate which hides the dash holes where the original radio mounted. Installing goodies like these, along with routine maintenance and occasional major repairs, is enough to keep me busy in retirement. I do much of the work in my garage-workshop, but occasionally need the help of my friends John Wright, a professional restorer, and Times editor Art Gardner for tasks requiring greater skills than my own
