Meet Betty White’s Cadillac

The news of Betty White’s passing hit America hard, especially with her hundredth only birthday weeks away. The treasured actress will be on people’s minds this January as everyone grieves her passing and celebrates her life. She was 99 years old and still taken too soon. 

We at Landers Chevrolet Cadillac in Joplin want to pay our respects to White by sharing one of our favorite facts about her. Betty White drove Cadillacs. Call us biased, but we think White’s penchant for American vehicles, especially the Cadillac, makes her even more worthy of the kind and delightful memory she leaves behind. 

One of White’s most memorable Cadillacs would probably be Parakeet. 

The 1977 Cadillac Seville was a gift from White’s third husband and love of her life, Allen Ludden. The Seville was affectionately named “Parakeet,” probably due to its Seamist Green shade. Sometime during White’s ownership of Parakeet, she had an AT&T car phone installed. The mobile phone itself was situated below the radio and twice the radio’s size. 

The Seville was donated to live in the Antique Automobile Club of America “AACA” Museum. The AACA is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The museum’s goal is to provide an environment for automobile enthusiasts and guests to enjoy vintage vehicles. White donated Parakeet in 2002 to raise money for the L.A. Humane Society, and later on, Parakeet eventually made it to the AACA. In 2012, White wrote the AACA to explain that all of her cars were named after birds. (Just another way to incorporate her love of animals into her affection towards her vehicles, we assume.)

Parakeet is still on display, or available to see in the storage area, at the museum.

We hope this look into White’s life is another way to remember her impact. We encourage you to take a moment to remember her on her birthday this year and take a look at more of White’s story. 

What is your favorite thing you remember about Betty White? Was it her love of animals? Or maybe a favorite “Golden Girls” episode? Let us know in the comments! 

Betty White

1922-2021