Arrival

Disassembly

Strip & Metal Fab

Body & Paint

Finish

The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe De Ville, a prestige trim level of the Series 62 luxury coupe. The De Ville was redesigned for 1965 but rode on the same 129.5-inch (3,290 mm) wheelbase.  The elevated tail-fins were removed, with fins planed flat, and sharp, distinct body lines replaced the rounded look.  Also new were a straight rear bumper and vertical lamp clusters.  The headlight pairs switched from horizontal to vertical, thus permitting a wider grille.  Curved frame-less side windows appeared, and convertibles acquired tempered glass back-lights   New standard features included lamps for luggage, glove and rear passenger compartments and front and rear safety belts.  Power was still supplied by the 340 horsepower 429 cu in (7,030 cc) V8, which would be replaced by the 472 cu in (7,730 cc) for 1968.  Perimeter frame construction allowed re-positioning the engine six inches forward in the frame, thus lowering the transmission hump and increasing interior room.  Pillared sedans appeared on the De Ville series for the first time, while six-window hardtop sedans were dropped.  A padded vinyl roof was a $121 extra-cost option on the hardtop model.  All four De Ville models had small “Tiffany-like” script nameplates on the ends of their rear fenders just above the chrome side molding.