Eagle Ottawa interior restoration of one-of-a-kind Cadillac Coupe de Ville at Concours d'Elegance
Eagle Ottawa, among the world's oldest automotive leather suppliers, is proud to sponsor the display of the original prototype 1949 Cadillac Coupe de Ville at the prestigious Concours d'Elegance of America at Plymouth's The Inn at St John's fundraising event on Sunday, July 28.
When renowned car collector Steve Plunkett discovered the classic Cadillac he was restoring had been originally outfitted with Eagle Ottawa leather, Plunkett's restoration team requested that Eagle Ottawa recreate the luxurious leather interior. Eagle Ottawa designers, scientists and artisans replicated the uniqueness of the original leather and re-imagined the opulence the car brought to enthusiasts 64 years ago. The iconic Cadillac Coupe features a replica of the unique luxury leather Eagle Ottawa supplied to the original vehicles. The restoration includes Eagle Ottawa's pearlescent, "gunmetal" premium leather, created especially for this vehicle.
"I have restored many cars over the years," says Steve Plunkett, "but the Coupe de Ville restoration has been among the most challenging and exciting. Working with Eagle Ottawa and being able to outfit it with the closest match to its original leather upholstery was a high point in the process."
"As with all Eagle Ottawa luxury leather, we used premium hides, enhanced by our proprietary crusting process to create the supple, soft hand and fine pebble appearance," said Nathan Mullinix, Eagle Ottawa Vice President Global Product Development and Innovation. "The key to its natural appearance is a semi-translucent finish that lets the true beauty of the leather shine through."
Displayed for the first time at the 1949 Waldorf-Astoria Motorama, this Cadillac Coupe de Ville prototype was gifted to former General Motors CEO Charlie Wilson upon his departure to serve as United States Secretary of Defense in 1953. It disappeared from public view until this year, when Plunkett completed its restoration. The Cadillac Coupe de Ville will be shown under the Eagle Ottawa/Plunkett tent at the Concours d'Elegance on July 28, 2013. It is only one of three privately owned Cadillac prototypes in the world.
Eagle Ottawa commissioned artist Tom Hale, renowned for his automobile portraits, to reimage the refurbished 1949 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. His one-of-a-kind artwork will be auctioned off in the Eagle Ottawa tent during the Concours event. Auction proceeds will be donated to support Motor City Blight Busters, a non-profit charity that creates community-focused projects to help revitalize Detroit. In conjunction with its coalition of community partners, Motor City Blight Busters, claims over 120,000 volunteers, and more than 658,000 volunteer hours who have painted 684 homes, secured 379 abandoned buildings, renovated 176 houses and built 114 new home to for more than 1,160 people.
