A concept car design I've always liked is that of the 1953
Cadillac Le Mans. Unusually, four were made, the final one with differing appearance. The basic design is the subject of this post.
Some concept cars are strictly "blue sky" exercises, intended to keep young stylists happy and productive, and/or showing the car-buying public how creative and future-minded the carmaker supposedly is. Others are less extreme, incorporating some styling and engineering features considered for future production. Still others fairly closely resemble designs slated for production within the next few model years. The Cadillac Le Mans is the latter kind.
As the images below reveal, the 1953 Le Mans includes important styling features of the redesigned 1954 Cadillac line. However, the Le Mans is smaller, its wheelbase being 115 inches (2921 mm) as opposed to 126 inches (3200 mm). It was also shorter, of course.
In the Gallery below, the Le Mans is compared to '54 Cadillacs. Photos of it are by General Motors.
Gallery
My subjective ranking of Cadillac front ends has the 1954 design not far behind the classic 1941 model's. That '54 front is strongly previewed on the Le Mans, but the rear considerably less so.
The Le Mans shown from a lower viewpoint. Compare to the Cadillac below.
A 1954 Cadillac 62 convertible listed for sale. From the cowling forward, the cars are the same aside from the Le Mans being sectioned, the removed area located between the headlight assembly and front wheel opening. Wraparound windshields differ above the A-pillar -- the Le Mans' frame leaning forward in the mode of GM's new 1954 B-body cars (Oldsmobiles and some Buicks). The Le Mans features a different hood ornament. Farther aft, both cars have faux- air intakes at the front of the rear fender. Well, that on the Le Mans might be functional. The '54's extends from the centerline down to the rocker panel. This shortens the design visually, but the Cadillac is a long car, so that is not really a problem. That said, I prefer the Le Mans'.
Despite its shorter wheelbase, the single-seat Le Mans features a long rear deck.
Barrett-Jackson auction photo of a '54 Cadillac 62 convertible. The only carryovers from the Le Mans are the tail fins and the bumper edges containing exhaust ports.
Another perspective. The hood seems a little too high compared to the low trunk lid. I might have raised the latter an inch or two.
Finally, an overhead view, also suggesting the the front and rear are not quite compatible.
I believe I have seen one of these cars many times. I come from New Haven Connecticut and the "Automobile Row" was Whalley Avenue. Sort of parallel to Whalley is Goffe Street. Walking on Goffe around 1956-1957 I recall seeing inside an opened door garage, what I knew to be a Cadillac, but it had strange, shorter proportions. As a young kid I did not know what to make of the car; in the Fall of 1956 I believe I started to read Motor Trend magazine and may have seen some pictures of the car.
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