1955 Cadillac ‘Lamesa landmark’ removed after 40 years by father and son

A 1955 Cadillac Coupe deVille that has spent at least 40 years perched atop a Lamesa, Texas, business is finally back on earth, reported the Lamesa Press-Reporter.

The Lamesa Press-Reporter said the Cadillac was removed by crane the morning of April 21 and sold to a father-and-son team who plan to restore the car.

Few advertising cars enjoy a happy ending; most succumb to the elements or time before they are finally removed from their pole high in the sky or building rooftop where they’ve called to customers. The 1955 Cadillac that has been on the roof of The Country Store is the uncommon exception.

“For those who live in Lamesa, rest assured this car will not be that far away and we plan on bringing it back sometime for display here,” Billy Cork told the Lamesa Press-Reporter on Tuesday.

Cork also told the newspaper that he grew up keeping an eye on the car every time that he traveled through Lamesa. He had tried to buy the Cadillac from the building’s previous owner 30 years ago, but it was apparently not for sale.

The black 1955 Cadillac had originally had “Old Cars” (no connection) painted on its side and was employed to advertise a display of collector cars owned by Gordon Waldrop. The car display has long since been out of the building.

Once on the ground, a rusted 1974 dealer license plate helped date the Cadillac’s rise to the building top. The black paint and white “Old Cars” lettering had also faded and peeled, but Cork told the newspaper that they were both “extremely pleased” with the condition of the car.