1948 Cadillac Convertible by Saoutchik

French carrossier Saoutchik, active 1907-1955, is best known for outrageously flamboyant designs.   Those were mostly built from the late 1930s onward.

Nearly all of Saoutchik's custom bodies were on French and other European platforms.  An exception is today's featured design: two bodies based on 1948 Cadillac convertibles (some background here.)

As the Sotheby's link states, one car was built for publicity purposes, being displayed at the 1948 Paris Salon de l'Automobile in October of that year.  The car shown in most of the images below was commissioned by a man who wanted a duplicate of the show car.  Both cars survive and are in the United States.

Gallery

1948 Cadillac 62 Convertible - Mecum photo
Cadillacs and Oldsmobile 98s received General Motors' first post- World War 2 redesigned bodies for model year 1948.

1948 Cadillac 62 Convertible - for sale photo
The famous Cadillac tail fins appeared for the first time.

A fine example of GM styling and the basis for Saoutchik's custom effort.

1948 Cadillac 62 Convertible by Saoutchik, Paris show car - unknown photo source
Saoutchik's version is totally changed.  Note the covered front wheels and the lack of tail fins.

Saoutchik show car Cadillac at dealer's shop in Los Angeles when new
Paint colors on both Saoutchik Cadillacs varied from restoration to restoration, though the basic scheme remained the same.

1948 Cadillac 62 Convertible by Saoutchik - via RM Sotheby's
This is the featured version.  Stock '48 Cadillacs had a two-piece curved windshield; here is a one-piece windshield that's flat or virtually so..

The Cadillac's practical bustle-back trunk now has a lower, less practical profile.

Very racy lines.  Though those large chrome accents would have been an improvement were they less wide.  At least they scream Saoutchik!!!, pleasing the coach builder's sales staff.

1948 Cadillac 62 convertible by Saoutchik - Mecum photo
Aside from the V shape at the top of the grille and what seems to be a crest, there is no visual clue that the basic car is a Cadillac.

Jazzy chrome and color panels aside, the body is nicely shaped abaft of the rather old-fashioned front end.

Overhead view.  Hard to see, but the Cadillac instrument panel is preserved.  The windshield seems flat from this angle.