1964 Cadillac history

1964 Cadillac

Design revisions for '64 were minor. Even lower tailfins created a straight-through beltline, accentuating length; grilles got a body-color horizontal bar; and taillamp housings were reshaped. A new automatic heating/air-conditioning system maintained a set temperature regardless of outside conditions—a Cadillac feature ever since. More significant was a 6.4 Liter bored and stroked to 7 Liter, good for 340 bhp. Unit volume improved to near 166,000.

1964 Cadillac Fin

1964 Cadillac Notes

Cadillac introduces automatic temperature control for heat and air conditioning to maintain temperature at pre-set value
Cadillac introduces Twilight Sentinel which automatically controls the lights
Harold G. Warner was general manager
Charles F. Arnold was chief engineer
Stanley Parker became chief designer (Cadillac Studio)
Fred H. Murray was general sales manager until September
L. N. Mays became general sales manager in September

Cadillac production figures

Series 62	...	52,979	... decreased 12,894
Sedan de Ville	...	54,301	... increased 8,576
Coupe de Ville	...	38,195	... increased 6,446
Eldorado	...	1,870	... increased 45
Series 60	...	14,550	... increased 550
Series 75	...	4,064	... increased 62

1964 Automotive Notes

Chevrolet introduces the intermediate size Chevelle
Mercury introduces the Comet Caliente
Oldsmobile introduces the Jetstar 88 and Jetstar I
Studebaker introduces the Challenger
Ford introduces the Mustang
Plymouth introduces the Barracuda
All cars have front seatbelts
Hardtops are on a quarter of new cars
V-8 engines move from 66% to 69% of new cars this year
Studebaker uses GM engines
GM makes "Park-Reverse-Neutral-Drive-Low" the standard configuration for automatic transmission selector, others adopt it next year
Chevy II gets the 283-cid V-8 and 4-speed manual transmission as options
Corvair uses a transverse rear camber-compensating spring to improve handling
Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant get a 273-cid V-8
Studebaker SS Roadster prototype will become the Excalibur in 1965
Thunderbird features "Silent-Flo" ventilation
Mercury adds a Cyclone hardtop
Oldsmobile Cutlass adds the 4-4-2 muscle car
Pontiac introduces the GTO muscle car
John F. Gordon was president of GM
Frederic G. Donner was chairman of the board at GM

Top American Automobile Corporations for 1964

1. General Motors	...	4,217,407	... increased 382,398
2. Ford	...	1,928,999	... increased 70,781
3. Chrysler	...	1,274,616	... increased 196,981
4. Others	...	422,419	... decreased 82,532

Top model year production for 1964

HISTORICAL NOTES

LITERATURE & LINKS