1956 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

Susie Beaven’s beautiful silver Cadillac with its CADI 56 registration plate will be a common sight during this year’s Americarna – that’s because it features on the cover of this publication as well as on the 2025 event’s commemorative T-shirt.

And of course the 1956 Coupe DeVille will also be there in the flesh – although for a short time in recent weeks it was thought that might not be possible.

That’s because after the big pillarless hardtop began to experience engine trouble during a journey back from an event in the South Island, it was discovered its V8 engine had run a bearing. That required an engine rebuild that ran perilously close to Americarna’s registration deadline.

But the big fix made it in time, allowing Susie and her husband Dean to once again participate in a favourite celebration of American motoring muscle.

During the repair, a few interesting things were discovered about the Cadillac, which has been owned by the Beaven family for about eight years.

“We always thought the car was absolutely stock standard, with a 365ci V8 engine under the bonnet,” explains Dean. “But we discovered it actually has a 1962 390ci engine. And instead of the original Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic transmission, it has a Turbo 400 version. You live and learn, eh?”

All of which doesn’t matter to Susie, who loves her Caddy no matter what is under its bonnet. “I’d always wanted a 1950 Mercury, but when we started looking around we came across the Cadillac, and my kids said she was definitely for me. She was, too. She’s beautiful – both to drive and to look at.”

The Coupe DeVille is a classic example of the post-war period of American motoring when big and flambouyant pillarless hardtop vehicles were all the rage, especially when they featured big tail fins, lots of chrome, and conical front bumper guards that were called bullet bumpers by some, and dagmars by others – a reference to the bosom of Dagmar, a TV personality of the 1950s.

All of which explains why Susie was reduced to tears by last year’s announcement that the Coupe DeVille had named the Americarna Pick, and would feature on this year’s programme cover and the T-shirts.

“It was a total shock,” she recalls. “All those gorgeous cars participating in Americarna, but mine got selected. It was amazing.”