Raymond Loewy, often referred to as the father of industrial design, is appreciated and respected for his legendary styling, demonstrating speed, beauty, and simplicity. His motto, "never leave well enough alone," was exemplified throughout his life and made him one of the most famous stylists of our time. His most well-known automotive design was the Studebaker Starliner and Avanti.
Loewy's 1959 one-off Cadillac Coupe de Ville was his car from 1959 to 1970. It was purchased new and delivered to his coach builder Pichon-Parat of Sens, France, where it was redesigned and transformed into this stylish and elegant coupe, then shown at the 1959 Paris Salon Auto Show.
Quite a find, and even though it's in a bit of rough shape, it looks complete. Check out how the grille is perforated into the front of the hood — I never saw that trick before.
Loewy and his family used it in Europe, then shipped it back to the States, where it spent time in New York and Palm Springs, California. In 1970, it was sold to Loewy's next-door neighbor, a car collector named Mimo Zaccuri, then was subsequently lost until its recent find a few years ago.
Designed by Raymond Loewy
Coachwork by Pichon-Parat
Source: www.barrett-jackson.com
Images: carcatalog1.free.fr; www.rodsnsods.co.uk; www.barrett-jackson.com
