DREAM WITH A V8 ENGINE – CADILLAC

Cadillac Kings Attending Members

Elvis knew – one of the many Cadillacs he owned was a ’65 convertible with custom wheels, a customized interior and beautiful casino gold paint. For all you know, had “The King” been alive today, he might have joined the Cadillac Kings car club.

Even without a famous member like Elvis, Cadillac Kings are certainly celebrities at many of the car shows they attend. And why not? In the words of one of the four founders of the club, Derrick Taylor, they got the inspiration to start the organization when they took a few of their Cadillacs to a car show, that had over 1,000 cars, and people flocked to their cars asking questions and sharing their own Cadillac stories.

While the large luxury cars often really stand out at a show of hot rods, the group describes itself as “a bunch of guys who love Cadillacs” – nothing more, nothing less. They enjoy taking their rides to car shows. “Even the ride to the shows is a lot of fun”, says Taylor. Driving down the freeway in a procession of de Villes, Fleetwoods and Eldorados, they get quite a bit of attention, thumbs up and might even have an affect on the traffic. Ooops.

Under the quidance of club president Wes Hornung, the group has drummed up quite a bit of interest. Initially starting with a single website and a location in the Inland Empire in 2005, there are now chapters in Ohio, Phoenix and some rumblings about a chapter starting in Europe.

What has helped is the members of the club sharing their experience on various forums and websites. By sharing their knowledge, they have created interest in collecting the brand and have brought people to the club’s website, www.cadillackingsie.com.

Elvis felt that a Cadillac was great from the factory, but add a little bit of your own style to the car and you’ve really got something. According to Derrick Taylor, the value and saleability of an old Cadillac rises with just some nicer wheels and a spiffy paint job. While convertibles retain more value when left original, the Sedan and Coupe de Villes add value with a bit of customization. This makes sense – consider that Elvis’ 1955 Fleetwood had been damaged in Texarkana and he had it painted pink when the damage was being repaired. Now the car is estimated to be worth at least $250,000 or more. But then consider how much pink paint it takes to cover a ’55 Fleetwood!

We loved seeing the 14 Cadillacs the Cadillac Kings brought to the Pomona Swap Meet held March 4th. These big, beautiful cars do make a statement wherever they go and are even more dramatic when brought as a group.

If you drive a Caddy, you might wind up your computer and check out the Cadillac Kings website. Perhaps you too, can be a part of something big and we’re not talking just tail fins here. But if you don’t yet drive a Cadillac, remember what Elvis said about hard work and its payoff. “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine. Ain’t nowhere else in the world where you can go from driving a truck to Cadillac overnight.” Thank you. Thank you veramuch. Elvis has left the building, baby.

This article was written by Tony Barthel from the Curbside Auto Column and Car Show Calendar. For auto articles, news and an on-line calendar of automotive events, please visit www.curbside.tv.

Brian Bohlier with his 1966 Cadillac

Dan Rivas with his 1961 Sedan Deville

Dustin Hawkingson and his '67 Cadillac Sedan

Gabriel Galvan and his 1656 Serries 62 Cadi

Johny Gleckner with his '66 Cadillac 4 Door

Kenny & Savannah Huffman with their '70 Coupe Deville

Patricia Porras and her '56 Sedan Deville

Ron Short with his 1947 Cadillac 4 Door

Steve Boyd with his '55 Coupe Deville

Tony Rios with his '67 Deville Drop Top