Cars

Johnny Cash bought this Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham for his birthday in 1975 and today it still looks incredible

Published on Aug 31, 2025 at 7:55 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson

Last updated on Aug 29, 2025 at 3:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Molly Davidson

Cake, candles, and a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham – that’s what was on the menu for Johnny Cash’s 43rd birthday.

On February 26, 1975, the Man in Black walked into a dealer and drove out in a Fleetwood Brougham – the biggest, boldest Caddy you could buy. 

Nearly 50 years later, the very same car is still kicking. 

Still black, still bold, and still every inch the monument it was on day one.

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Johnny’s Cadillac, preserved in time

Back then, the Fleetwood Brougham sat at the top of Cadillac’s lineup. 

Longer wheelbase, whisper-quiet ride, and an interior trimmed like a private lounge.

Under the hood, a 500-cubic-inch V8 churned out 190 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque, paired to a Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission. 

It’s not quick by today’s numbers, but what it lacks in speed it’s always made up for in presence.

Johnny Cash marked his 43rd birthday by buying a black-on-black 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham — and nearly five decades later, the same car still looks like a monument on wheels
Lou Costabile / YouTube
Johnny Cash marked his 43rd birthday by buying a black-on-black 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham — and nearly five decades later, the same car still looks like a monument on wheels
Lou Costabile / YouTube

Back then the Caddy set Cash back $10,414, which translates to around $62,500 today. 

The musical legend kept it for about a year before it slipped into museum life. 

By 2006, it crossed the Barrett-Jackson auction block with just over 50,000 miles and full documentation, selling for $23,220.

Now it lives in collector Steve Plunkett’s Cadillac shrine in London, Ontario. 

He’d seen it for years at Nashville’s Cars of the Stars museum and jumped when the collection was dismantled. 

Johnny Cash marked his 43rd birthday by buying a black-on-black 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham — and nearly five decades later, the same car still looks like a monument on wheels
Lou Costabile / YouTube

Since then, he’s only added about 1,600 miles. 

The car remains a time capsule: tilt wheel, wood trim, Cadillac’s rectilinear clock, even the original eight-track that might’ve blasted ‘Folsom Prison Blues.’

The glovebox carries a signature from W.S. ‘Fluke’ Holland, Cash’s drummer for more than 30 years, sealing its authenticity. 

Johnny Cash marked his 43rd birthday by buying a black-on-black 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham — and nearly five decades later, the same car still looks like a monument on wheels
Lou Costabile / YouTube

Cadillac’s golden era

The Fleetwood name had been Cadillac’s crown jewel since 1934, reserved for its most luxurious builds. 

By the mid-70s, cars like Cash’s were rolling fortresses – nearly three tons of chrome and vinyl, designed for silence and comfort, and survival.

Plunkett himself tells of once surviving a truck crash in another Cadillac, the car hauled out of a swamp with little more than a chipped fender. 

Johnny Cash marked his 43rd birthday by buying a black-on-black 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham — and nearly five decades later, the same car still looks like a monument on wheels
Lou Costabile / YouTube
Johnny Cash marked his 43rd birthday by buying a black-on-black 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham — and nearly five decades later, the same car still looks like a monument on wheels
Lou Costabile / YouTube

Today Cadillac builds sharp, tech-heavy machines chasing performance. 

But back then, bigger meant bolder. 

And Johnny’s Fleetwood Brougham was proof on wheels.

For Cash, it was just another car he drove for a year. 

For fans, it’s become a rolling reminder of the Man in Black’s legacy. 

Nearly five decades on, it still makes a statement every time it glides down the street.

To see this car in all its glory for yourself, head over to Lou Constabile’s YouTube channel.

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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.