But all said and done, one has to give the devil his due. Many of the cars that came from the Land of Plenty were visually stunning with features far superior to some of the European cars of that time. In the 1950s, car designing in America reached new heights and some cars featured fantastic tailfins. The tailfins kept getting higher and higher until they practically reached the stratosphere with the Eldorado de Ville.

Nobody knew better than Cadillac how to sell cars with a winning combination of style and power. Cadillac called its cars ‘The Standard of the World,’ and indeed it did set high standards. There were year-to-year changes at Cadillac – keeping continuity in change and ensuring that their cars were always fresh in appearance.

In 1949, Cadillac introduced a new lightweight V8 with a high compression, overhead-valve engine, and this started a horsepower race among American manufacturers. Two years later, Cadillac celebrated its golden anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion the company launched the 1952 Series 62 Coupe de Ville. Among all the Cadillac models that were offered through the fifties, the golden anniversary model – the 1952 Coupe de Ville – was most popular. And that’s perhaps the reason why collector Diljit Titus loves the car so much. It commands a place of pride among a plethora of American cars that grace his museum.

The Coupe de Ville oozes grace while on the move, as well as at a standstill. Since it was the anniversary model, Cadillac gave it the royal treatment – though, at the same time, it wasn’t drastically different from the previous model. This model featured a 190bhp engine, Saginaw power steering, a four-barrel carburetor, and a new three-speed hydramatic gearbox. The model was so well received that it earned the ‘car of the year’ title in 1952.

Titus has taken pains to restore the car and it shows. It’s been restored in the original paint scheme of green and a light shade of yellow, also referred to as Cadillac yellow. The bonnet and deck are decorated with golden V-shaped emblems along with the Cadillac crest.

The rear section of this Coupe de Ville is equipped with backup lights, and it has a very stylish through-the–bumper dual exhaust system. For the 1952 model, Cadillac did away with the louvers in the rear wheel fenders. And Cadillac won’t let you forget that you’re in a Coupe de Ville with an elegant script nameplate on the rear roof pillar. The dashboard has ‘Cadillac’ scripted on it, and it also has a fine self-winding clock.

That Cadillac made good cars is beyond doubt, but their image was enhanced to a great extent by innovative advertising. Cads were placed over necklaces of diamonds, emeralds and rubies. They also had dramatic, catchy storylines. The ads featured people who wanted to buy a Cadillac proclaiming ‘no compromise this time.’ History proves that they got their message across very effectively indeed.

The Coupe de Ville is a gas-guzzler, no doubt, but who cares. When you drive a car such as this, fuel mileage is the last thing on your mind. I drove the car quite sometime ago, and I still remember it well. You really have to ‘drive’ it, and get involved in the experience – unlike some modern cars where the driver has no emotional attachment to the car. The feeling that you’re driving a large car is not lost, even with the opulence inside and the presence of power steering.

The large panoramic windscreen gives a clear, uninterrupted view of the world outside. With an equally large rear windshield, it ensures a feeling of space inside the car. For a car of its size, it’s surprisingly agile and the engine is smooth as silk. When idle, the sound from the V-8 engine is inaudible unless you pay close attention. But the purr turns into a deep-throated roar as soon as you open the throttle.

As I engaged the automatic transmission and opened the throttle, the Caddy took off smoothly with a heart-warming rumble. I put on the radio, which still works just fine but instead of music there was only incessant chatter from a number of RJs. Although there was no rock and roll music, I still had a rocking time. Driving the car is fun but while driving through a somewhat narrow road, it became an exercise in futility to try and find space to let the car behind overtake.

The Caddy picked up speed pretty fast but the brakes took their own time to bring it to a complete halt once again. In those days brake technology was not nearly as advanced as it is now. Anyway, that wasn’t the primary concern at the time – styling was. Because of the weak brakes, anyone who drives a Cadillac today will have a hard time in our chaotic traffic. In the unfortunate case of a collision, the other car would invariably come out worse off, but it’s the Caddy that would cost a huge packet to restore.

Unlike some other cars of its time, the Coupe de Ville doesn’t have a tendency to wander all over the road, and in corners it holds its line quite admirably. The suspension is so smooth that it literally glides over the average-sized potholes that litter our roads. The coil spring suspension feels like an air suspension that many modern cars use. Titus wanted a high degree of originality, and so imported the lovely white walled tyres that, other than enhancing the look, also help in ride and handling.

A lot of people who had seen Cadillacs in their youth or had their first driving experience in a Cadillac now want to buy one. Several collectors have an emotional attachment to these beautiful cars. A lot of these large land yachts lie unused, and enthusiasts are forever hunting them down. Till very recently, these cars sold for reasonably low prices but suddenly prices have shot up, and this is particularly true of the ’50s Cadillac. Serious collectors know the true value of these cars and seldom pay the ridiculously inflated prices that some greedy owners expect.

As a wise soul once said, a Cadillac is not a rich man’s car. It is a car that makes every man look rich. I certainly felt very rich that day, as I drove the Coupe de Ville and experienced the American dream right here on our shores.