Cadillacs & Flying Cadillacs
May 29th 2019 and the German section of the Cadillac Owners Club was having their annual meeting and tour. Fifty-five spectacular Cadillacs came together in Wiesbaden, including cars normally based in Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. Their tour included an extended lunch-stop hosted by the Aero-Club Nastätten, so naturally the Bulldog Motor Collection needed to join their festivities, represented by the beautiful and stylish 1935 Bentley 41/4 Sports Saloon. Everybody has heard of Cadillac cars but what is less well-known is that the famous old plane, the Cessna 195, was also known as "The Flying Cadillac" and two of these wonderful old planes were also there to enjoy the fun.
Whether you are a fan of American automobilia or not, you have to see these motoring giants for what they were, a brash statement of a country and an industry that was enjoying great growth, opportunity and prosperity and they had fantastic presence. I love the earlier cars, with their massive rear wings, bumper over-riders like cruise missiles or design-ideas for Madonna's stage costumes, and huge flowing lines. The later cars remained massive but became too flat and angular for my tastes.
And here are a few pictures of the planes, both at rest and also in the air, giving a fly-past and a salute to their land-based brethren.
It was a wonderful thing to see so many beautifully maintained and presented Cadillacs in one location and to meet some proud owners. I am grateful also to the Aero Club Nastätten for inviting me to join them to enjoy this event. In the end I must leave you with a few images of the Bentley 1/4 Sports Saloon; It may not be as big as the Americans but as each make represents the pinnacle of their respective country's motor industries I must still argue for the style, interior finish and engineering excellence of the Bentley (or am I just a biased old British Bulldog?)
