Jay Leno is showing off another outstanding vehicle from his collection. This time, it’s a 1957 Cadillac Coupe DeVille given to him by a Guadalcanal veteran who was the vehicle’s original buyer back in the late fifties.
Leno showcases the 1957 Cadillac Coupe DeVille in a new video, giving a tour of its features, the updates his crew made, and peppering the whole narrative with amusing anecdotes as he eventually takes the Caddy for a drive.
Once the grouchy ex-Marine who owned the vehicle persuaded Leno he would rather give the Coupe DeVille to the collector rather than his nephew, the new owner had to decide what to do with the vehicle. Leno decided to repaint it from its original color – Buckskin Beige – which he found ugly, and to replace the cheap Tijuana vinyl seat upholstery.
Twenty years after acquiring the Cadillac Coupe DeVille, Leno brought the vehicle out as a restoration project. He chose not to do a restomod, but to keep the DeVille fairly close to its original setup, although with modern updates such as a freon-free air conditioner, seat belts, and a rebuilt engine that provides approximately the same output as the remarkable-for-its-time 300 horsepower of the 365 cubic inch OEM powerplant.
Leno matched an original Cadillac blue and describes how “mission creep” took over, with ever more detailed restoration plans evolving from what was originally going to be a simple project. He claims the vehicle needed about $20,000 worth of new chrome to restore the original brightwork, while specialty shops provided the high-quality blue seating upholstery, a digital air conditioner that hooks up to the original mechanical controls, and other features.
The Coupe DeVille also shows off what was generally seen as remarkable technology for its day, including power windows and an automatic high beam dimming system known as the Autronic Eye. You can sit back, relax, and watch Leno’s detailed video, offering plenty of intriguing detail, anecdotes, and views of the Caddy negotiating traffic, below:
