1953 Cadillac Miller Combination

I couldn't decided whether to post these photos in the Classy Cadillacs or Sad Pro-Car thread. Upon further review, I thought this car and its story deserved its own thread. I have known about this car for a number of years and have only recently gotten the chance to see it up close and personal. The photos were taken with my camera phone (sorry planning on my part) so my apologies for the quality. Also my apologies for not getting more or better angled shots.





Now, here is the story behind this car and its current state. Mr. A, who owned the local funeral home, had this car that had belonged to his dad restored at a rumored cost of $30k. A few years after the restoration was complete, Mr. A died leaving the car to his son, Mr. B. Mr. B just left it in the funeral home garage where it became a catch-all. When Mr. B built a new funeral home, the car had to be moved because there was no garage space at the new funeral home. So the car ended up being stored by Mr. Z, a local junk car dealer who did have "covered space". When Mr. Z died unexpectedly, the car was moved again, to another junk car dealer. One day, Mr. B. gets a call to come get the car. So he gets it and parks it back behind the new funeral home. After a few months there, it is moved to where it is pictured, languishing in the elements. For the most part, the car is still in pretty good shape. The back drapes and some of the interior is faded. There are a couple of drapes missing and the hubcaps are in the car. The paint appears to be pretty good although someone etched their initial on the hood.
And now for the question you are all dying to know the answer to: no, it is not for sale. Let me just leave it at that.

Wow! That's the first Miller I've seen with the 100th anniversary badge on it! THANKS for posting!!!

Believe it or not, Jeremy, that is the only coachbuilder nameplate on the outside of the car. I almost didn't find it and was pretty embarrassed at the prospect of standing next to a funeral coach and not being able to figure out who the builder was! However, there was a small "Miller" nameplate on each of the insides of the doors, so I possibly could have redeemed myself.

Still looks really nice. Why do people have these cars, won't sell them, but yet leave them rot into the ground and don't take care of them? Then, by the time they decide they want to sell them, it's too far gone to do anything with.

Shawn Blyler said:

Still looks really nice. Why do people have these cars, won't sell them, but yet leave them rot into the ground and don't take care of them? Then, by the time they decide they want to sell them, it's too far gone to do anything with.

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Agreed, especially after it's undergone a major restoration once already. Look how nice the grill & bumper are... yet it's sitting outside, in high grass, & neglected. Oh well we can't save them all, it'll sit there & sink into the ground. Once the floors rust out & the elements destroy it, they'll want to sell it.

"Classy Cadillac" for sure. Not a sad pro car (yet, let it sit there a few more years). As Dwane mentioned, I dont understand why people are like this.

The story in a way is he is not able to sell at the present time... complicated. I saw this car about 13 years ago when it was in the old funeral home with stuff piled on top of it, at the time where it was sitting the roof was reroofed and tar came through and is in parts of the door jams. That I know of it has only ran maybe 2 times since it was restored.

do the world a favor buy the man a tarp and cover the car. save the inside anyway. lots of reasons people do this by why they don't take any steps to preserve it is because they are psycho about it.