Jump LinksQuick Facts About The 252-Inch Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 LimoThe 1970s was the pinnacle of the American land yacht. Back then, it seemed that whoever had the longest car had the fattest wallet, so luxury brands like Cadillac, Lincoln, and Chrysler all tried to out-do one another when it came to their respective flagship model's overall length. Fuel prices also weren't much of an issue for luxury buyers back then, either, so it didn't matter that some of these huge sedans had gigantic V8 engines and curb weights exceeding 5,000 pounds.With any competition, there's almost always a winner. The same can be said for the informal car length wars of the 1970s. That crowned model is called the Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Limousine, measuring in at 252.2 inches long. Of course, when we think of limos, we picture things like those stretched Lincoln Town Cars. However, those, and most other limos, are produced by coachbuilders and not the model's original factory. However, the Fleetwood Series 75 Limo was a factory-produced model, earning it the title of the longest American production car ever. A Long Line Of Lengthy Cars RM Sotheby's Quick Facts About The 252-Inch Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Limo Introduced in 1974 Belonged to the Cadillac Series 70's 10th generation Employed the use of an optional 500 CID V8 Seats up to eight passengers Replaced by the smaller 11th generation in 1977 The Cadillac 70 Series, to which the Fleetwood Series 75 Limo belongs, had one of the deepest sets of roots in the Cadillac hierarchy. It was first introduced in 1936 with bodies built by a company called Fischer, and served as one of Cadillac's higher-spec models of the time. However, it was priced much too high for the times, as the US was still well within the all-encompassing grip of the Great Depression. By 1938, Cadillac moved away from using Fischer-supplied body shells for Fleetwood-built ones.Mecum That same year, the Series 75 limousine was introduced. Much like many other American cars, the Series 70's production was put on hold during World War II. Following the close of the war, the Series 70 returned, with the Series 75 now standing tall as Cadillac's largest model on offer. From then on, the Series 75 was one of the most sought-after stretched cars for celebrities, government officials, and other members of the wealthy American elite alike.Mecum Come 1957, several General Motors models began to adopt the X-frame chassis design. When it came to the Cadillac Series 75, the X-frame allowed for a lower floor, meaning the entire car could sit lower to the ground. While it wasn't meant to set lap records, this allowed the gigantic car to handle a bit better under hard cornering. By 1958, the Cadillac Series 70 namesake was dropped entirely, with the Series 75 standing as the sole survivor from the original Series 70 lineup.Beginning in 1959, the Series 75 Limo would only grow longer. By 1965, the model measured in at 243.8 inches, or just over 20 feet long. By 1970, it had managed to steadily grow to 245.5 inches. The numbers kept climbing, and by 1973, the Fleetwood Series 75 limo measured 250 inches on the nose. The Longest Car... In The World RM Sotheby'sHowever, the longest American production car ever made hit the streets in late 1973 as a 1974 model, with an overall length of 252.2 inches. Translated into feet, this behemoth was 21.03 feet long. For contrast, a modern-day Chevy Suburban is only a measly 226 inches long, that means it's over two feet shorter. The limo was built at Cadillac's Detroit Assembly Plant, and carried a base MSRP of approximately $12,008 in 1974, roughly equivalent to $83,695 in today's money.RM Sotheby's While it was largely marketed towards folks in show business and high-ranking government officials, Cadillac did reach out to large families on a small scale. It could seat up to eight people, with a front and rear bench seat and two jump seats in between that could be folded into footrests for rear seat passengers when not in use. Buyers could also opt for upgrades like rear seat climate controls, a front-rear partition with a powered window, and power-operated rear seats.RM Sotheby's In 1975, Cadillac changed the Series 75's look. Instead of rounded headlights, the model gained square ones, along with a revised front grille. Rear climate control became standard, along with a pneumatic automatic leveling suspension system. 1976 saw the introduction of yet another revised grille, along with a new optional theft deterrence system. Cadillac's new "Track Master" anti-lock braking system was also offered, which pulsed the rear brakes during full brake pedal depression. In 1977, the Fleetwood Series 75 underwent a complete redesign and lost roughly eight inches of overall length, ending the limo's two-decade growth streak. Under The 21-Foot Behemoth's Skin RM Sotheby'sBeing a gigantic car, a gigantic engine was needed to move it. For the 1974 model year, Cadillac's 472 CID V8 was offered. However, for the 1975 and '76 model years, you could get a 500 CID V8, which also happens to be the largest V8 ever fitted to a production car to-date. Because strict emissions standards had taken hold of the US automotive industry by 1974, these huge mills didn't make all that much power, with the 500 CID engine not even able to muster up 200 horses by its demise.RM Sotheby's Don't expect a Muncie four-speed manual to be hooked up to those massive engines, though. Being a limo, the sole transmission on offer was a Turbo-Hydramatic TH400 three-speed automatic. Power was sent to the rear wheels via an exceedingly long, two-piece driveshaft. Along with its air ride suspension in the rear, the front end was supported by a double-wishbone independent setup. Braking was taken care of by a pair of discs up front, and drums in the rear. Want One? Here's How Much You'll Pay RM Sotheby'sWe admit, having the ability to own a 21-foot-long Caddy limo from the 1970s is a pretty cool thought, even if you have no hope of fitting it into your garage, or even a normal parking space. However, if you resign to leaving it outside and parking in the back of the parking lot, it does seem like buying one is a great idea, so long as you keep it a secret from everyone until you've actually brought it home.There's good news, too. The 1974 to 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 limo is rather cheap these days. When looking for values from Hagerty or Classic.com, only the Fleetwood Series 75 sedans are given values, but we can still accurately estimate values for the limo version. Most auction sales put the '74–'76 Series 75 Limo at an average value of approximately $14,000 to $20,000.Not bad considering you'd be afforded virtually every option, a boatload of legroom, and, if you go for a 1975 or 1976 model, the largest V8 engine ever thrown into a production vehicle. That in and of itself is worth it, at least in this author's opinion.
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