At age 16, Gary Kanekkeberg first laid eyes on what became his dream car: a sleek, aerodynamic 1949 Cadillac Model 62.
His object of automotive desire was owned by his neighbor, which probably set him back between $3,500 to $4,000 in 1949 — a spendy price for a vehicle that was out of the financial reach of most Americans in those days.
It certainly wasn’t a common sight on Kitsap County highways, Kanekkeberg remembered. He believes there weren’t more than a handful driving in the Puget Sound region. “Not too many people had them here,” he says. “I thought to myself, ‘One day I’m going to have that car.”
True to his word, Kanekkeberg, who owns Port Orchard Plumbing, now has one parked in his South Kitsap home’s driveway. The creme-colored beauty is used to being treated gently. With just 42,000 original miles registered on its odometer, the Cadillac has never been restored. Its engine is original and nothing else has been changed, he said.
“It’s never even had a flat tire,” he said, and then opened the trunk of the fastback luxury car. Inside is a spare tire that’s original. A tire jack sits inside its original box awaiting a tire change that has never been needed. And on the floorboard in the back, the original owner’s manual sits, also in pristine condition.
The two-door sedan, which will be one of the featured cars at the CRUZ 2016 car show Aug. 14, has been owned by just three owners. Kanekkeberg said the two previous owners put minimal miles on the Cadillac and kept it in pristine condition.
The two-door sedan, which will be one of the featured cars at the CRUZ 2016 car show Aug. 14, has been owned by just three owners.
Kanekkeberg said the two previous owners put minimal miles on the Cadillac and kept it in pristine condition. “It runs perfect,” he said.
The longtime Saints Car Club member, who was born in Manchester, has one of the largest — if not largest — auto collections in Kitsap County.
He has a large commercial-size garage on his property that houses about two dozen vintage vehicles, including a stately black 1930 LaSalle, considered the “poor man’s Cadillac” at the time.
While the Cadillac 62 is his favorite car, a 1952 Chevrolet owns a big piece of his heart. Bought brand-new in Bremerton, Kanekkeberg eloped with his wife-to-be in the car 58 years ago.
He also houses in his garage a 1965 Mustang, built during the Ford muscle car’s first production year.
Kanekkeberg’s 1949 Cadillac 62 will be on featured display at CRUZ 2016, along with a 1953 GMC two-door modified cherry red truck, a 1932 Ford Coupe and a Seahawks-emblazoned truck.
