(NOTE: Cadillac had a remarkable record-breaking year in 1955, producing almost 150,000 cars - therefore, a six-day work week!)

She was shipped to NEW YORK CITY and then purchased by a local NEW JERSEY funeral home for their personal car.

In the summer of 1975, my nephew, Bill, purchased her from a fellow who had purchased it from the funeral home. This fellow had intensions of restoring the car, but money problems would not permit it. So, he abandoned this idea & traded it to Bill for a 1968 DeVille Convertible that Bill was fixing up, but not yet running...

Bill had every intention of restoring the Coupe, but when he found out what costs were involved, he decided to use the car as a storage area for his band equipment.

During a visit, I spied this situation & probably cried as Bill said, "Uncle Bob, why don't you restore her?"

In March of 1977 I purchased - rather RESCUED - this tired black coupe and took her home to a warm garage.

My wife's statement was "What are you going to do with THAT PIECE OF JUNK ?!"

I replied, "I'm saving a piece of history..."

Over the last 26 years, she has been repainted, re-chromed, re-upholstered, had the upper half of the engine re-built, and had the transmission overhauled.

She also had a new front end installed along with shocks, springs, water pump, and on & on.

In 1984, I installed her full-deck CONTINENTAL KIT. Recently, I upgraded the interior with some COUPE-DEVILLE items. Last year, she got a newly re-chromed set of SABRE WHEELS.

She is truly a 50's cruiser, and at 19 feet long, probably qualifies for her own ZIP CODE.

By the way, her name is "AVA", named after the lovely actress AVA GARDNER.