Cadillac decided in 1955 to take another stride by introducing an exclusive, model-specific line of dress-up wheels with a dramatic finned theme that incorporated a cast-aluminum center riveted to a steel rim, with a separate crested center cap.  That was a highly unusual manufacturing technique 50-odd years ago, but then, this wheel, which came quickly to be known as the "saber," was a unique piece.  Today, it’s one of the most highly prized Cadillac accessories of the 1950s.  Finding, and reviving, a set of sabers can exact a heavy price in both funds and physical effort.

The saber was offered by Cadillac (only) from 1955 through 1958.  It was standard equipment on all Eldorado models.  It was also included as a standard item for the Series 75 in 1955 only. 

Cadillac lists it as a "turbine wheel," not as the sabre-spoke, in the parts manual.  Cadillac offered the sabre-spoke wheel option in 1955 at a cost of $325 for 5 wheels.  $325 =  a whopping 7.55% of the original $4,305 sale price of the Coupe DeVille back in 1955!  $325 also equates to a $2,585.22 (2008 dollars) option.  My 1959 parts manual lists the price of the chrome turbine wheel at $129 each.  Market demand must have supported this significant price increase in four short years?   It is also important to appreciate that in adddition to the wheel itself, one needed to purchase a hub cap and center medallion.  Acquiring these necessary items further increased the cost of the sabre-spoke wheel option.

One of the unique foibles of Cad-dom in the middle ’50s was that in 1956, the Eldorado line was bifurcated.  That year, the convertible Eldorado became known as the Eldorado Biarritz.  The two-door hardtop version of the car, which was based, after a fashion, on a Motorama show car called the Cadillac Celebrity, was then named the Eldorado Seville.  In 1956, Cadillac buyers could order the Eldorado with either the optional "silver" or "gold" packages, referring to the finish of the car’s scripting and its saber wheels.  Today, saber wheels anodized in gold from that year are among the rarest Eldorado items extant.

This is a good place to make clear that there are actually two designs of saber wheels, one specifically for 1955 and 1956 Cadillacs, and one for cars built during 1957 and 1958.  The wheels’ offsets differ, and they’re not directly interchangeable with one another.

To get smart about their care and feeding, we spoke to Elsa Nicodemus, owner of Cadillac restoration specialists FEN Enterprises in Wappingers Falls, New York.  She explained to us that, "One of the greatest concerns you have with these wheels is that the center is made of aluminum, and they generally did not hold up very well.  They’re very subject to both corrosion and pitting."  That said, the gold-anodized wheels appear to be more pit-resistant than the chrome units.  Not only that, but replating chrome over the saber’s cast aluminum is a specific process and can be very costly, because the chrome has to be absorbed deeply into the texture and metallic structure of the aluminum casting.  During a restoration, the rest of the wheel is typically finished in gray powdercoating, she said.

Her technician, Mark Senatore, told us, "The 1957 and 1958 wheels are by far the rarest, nearly impossible to find, and very expensive to find as a set."  Here at Hemmings, we’ve seen costs that can lead to spending close to $1,000 for a salvageable saber wheel, and a similar expenditure to refurbish it.  Rather than searching for one at a swap meet, your best bet to find a set may be to contact a supplier like FEN that stocks restorable sabers.  And even though they’re partly aluminum, sabers aren’t the easiest wheels to mount; given their weight and the fender skirted rear wheel openings.

One needs to buy the correct sabre wheels for your model year; one size does not fit all!
See below for information about the differences among the production years.

GROUP 22.0010 Wheel Assembly, Less Tire

Description                                                         Part #                  List Price           Specifications                                                                  

55-60S, 62  56-60S, 62	146 3918	$129.60	Aluminum, Turbine Type, Chrome
55-75, CC  56-75, CC	146 4759	135.00	Aluminum, Turbine Type, Chrome
56-60S, 62	146 5348	121.00	Aluminum, Gold Finish, Turbine Type
56-75, CC	146 5353	136.65	Aluminum, Gold Finish Turbine Type
57-60S, 62  58-60S, 62	146 6798	140.40	Aluminum, Turbine Type, Chrome
57-75, CC  58-75, CC	146 6799	140.40	Aluminum, Turbine Type, Chrome

CC = Commercial Chassis
— It does appear that the Gold Sabre was factory correct only for the 1956 model year?
— And, it further appears that, at least in 1959, the cost for a 1956 gold anodized sabre was less than for the chrome?

Kelsey Hayes #38612 “split rim” design - Chrome only.
The '55 sabre-spoke wheel does requires a spacer and longer studs when used on 1957-58 front wheels.

1956 Model Year:
Kelsey Hayes #39786 - 39787 - 39796 “clad rim” design. (wheel manufacturing process modified)
2 VERSIONS: Chrome (Cadillac Part Number 146 3918) and Gold (Cadillac Part Number 146 5348).
The '56 sabre-spoke wheel does requires a spacer when used on 1957-58 front wheels.

1957-58 Model Years:
Kelsey Hayes #41098 “clad rim” design (slight wheel offset change required for larger 12" front drums)
Chrome only (Cadillac Part Number 146 6798).

The Gray Lady's sabre-spoke wheels.

The chrome wheel with gold cap (on the right) is somewhat of an anomaly as it mixes, and does not necessarily match?