Fleetwood (USA) (???) built this custom, air-conditioned Series 75 landau for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for their 6-week long state visit to Canada, starting on June 18, 1959.  My friend Jean-Michel Roux from Switzerland (currently [2008] working out of Hong Kong) kindly provided me with such a vast number of period photos of this unique car, from his own private collection, that I decided to create a separate page for it in the Cadillac Database.  Photo also in McC p.333.

Here is a news release [also from J.-M Roux collection, 8/93] published at 10 a.m., June 12, 1959, reads:

"Ottawa - An air-conditioned Cadillac limousine with a detachable Plexiglas 'bubble' over the rear seats for use by Queen Elizabeth and The Prince Philip during their Canadian tour was placed at the disposal of the Royal Tour Committee by General Motors of Canada.

The car features a maximum of comfort, convenience and luxury for the passengers with the greatest possible outside-inside visibility for the millions who will line the coast to coast parade routes.
The upper portion of the car quarter panel has been removed from the rear door post on back. It has been replaced with a removable Plexiglas canopy that will permit onlookers the opportunity to view the royal procession even if the weather fails to co-operate [I can see what the copy-writer meant, but his style and construction are lousy!] It is anticipated that in most parade points the car will operate with the top removed in the true landau concept.

The roof is further modified with the addition of a 24-inch by 43-inch sliding panel. Electrically operated, the roof panel can be opened or closed from both the rear and front compartments.

The Royal shield is mounted on the leading edge of the roof, centered above the windshield. A special mast will fly the Royal Standard. Individually powered rear seats are installed with controls for the horizontal and vertical movement located on the individual arm rests [in the right-hand armrest, the Queen's side, was also located a knob for remote-control of the car's radio]. (This marks the first time that an automobile has been built with four-way power rear seat). The seats are tailored in [silver gray] McLaughlin Carriage cloth [with matching cushions] in a distinctive square biscuit and button design. The floor is carpeted with luxurious mouton which extends up the doors.

To provide an even greater measure of air-conditioned comfort, two additional outlets are installed in the rear compartment. The two new air-conditioned outlets are on the back of the front seat.
Other special appointments include mouton covered hassocks, a lap robe carrying a hand embroidered crest of the royal household [in hues of red and gold] and special lights to illuminate the Royal Couple during after-dark processions.
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The dimensional specifications of the Queen's landau limousine remain the same as on other Cadillac Series Seventy-Five Limousines. It has an over-all length of 224.8 inches and the width is 80.2 inches.
In order to keep up with the Royal Couple, who will fly between many points in the tour, the car will be loaded into an RCA C-119 Flying Boxcar and transported to the next stopping point at which it is needed.

June 1959.

Late extra (June, 2003):  Cadillac and Cadillac Eldorado Brougham aficionado, Jean-Claude Franchitti, reports that the bubble-top limousine has survived and was undergoing a full restoration in Sandusky, Ohio, in 2002, at the shop of one of my friends who is probably the world's most avid collector of '59 Cadillacs.

       

   

   

 

           
Two-man operation to remove the Plexiglas "Bubble" top

   
Two bird's eye views of the passenger compartment, with bubble-top removed
The British royal standard was affixed to the front of the roof

    
Close-up of the royal standard and flag pennant

           

       
Controls for operating individual (twin) rear seats are located in either armrest

       
Two wide-eyed kids attend a photo shoot of the new, state limousine;
(lower row, right) Uniformed attendant shows kids the silk umbrella, stored in a tubular compartment under the driver's seat

           
The little girl on the back seat of the bubble top car (lower row, right) is the same one we saw
admiring the Cadillac Cyclone in another part of the Database.  She is Anne Turnes; the
two-tone shoes, ankle socks and bangs all are the same, right?  Who was she?
Perhaps the daughter of some Cadillac big-wig, or just a kid who happened to be around
with her buddy (or brother) the day the pictures were shot? Were these and the Cyclone
photos [Dream Cars section] taken on the same day? Does Anne still model? 
Anne, where are you? We  want an updated picture!

   
I believe this was photo taken at a press conference prior to the arrival in Canada of the royal British couple

The royal couple somewhere in the province of Ontario in late June, 1959

 

The royal limousine was transported from the main stopping points aboard an RCA C-119 Flying Boxcar
[ here are some photos of the delicate unloading operations at one destination on the 6-week tour ]

           

   

  

       
The car was flown from one venue to the next during the royal tour;  thank you, CLC member Jean-Michel Roux
of Switzerland, for sharing with us these superb photos of one such unloading operation

 

       
President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Bouvier-Kennedy
later used the bubble-top limousine for official parades in the early sixties