KLEINE VUURVLINDER

LYCAENA PHLAEAS vlinder, rood/oranje, rietstengel, Zeeland, Nederland, SMALL FIRE BUTTERFLY

LYCAENA PHLAEAS butterfly, red/orange, reed stem, Zeeland, Netherlands

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Custom Roadster

 

In 1934, Fleetwood Coachbuilders, by then a division of Cadillac, published its 'Annual Book of Fleetwood' in which were featured three custom designs that could be built on a 16-cylinder chassis by special order. This was an attempt to bolster very weak sales through those depression years, but due to the economic and social woes of that era, none were built.

 

Thinking this to be one of the great styling achievements in American cars, Sam Mann decided to build this car. He made full-size drawings using a published Fleetwood rendering as reference and designed all the details, which were not apparent. Starting with a V-16 sedan as a donor car, the body was fabricated in England then shipped back to Mann for restoration. The five-year project was completed in 1998.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/852079,10282/1934-Cadillac...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Custom Roadster

 

In 1934, Fleetwood Coachbuilders, by then a division of Cadillac, published its 'Annual Book of Fleetwood' in which were featured three custom designs that could be built on a 16-cylinder chassis by special order. This was an attempt to bolster very weak sales through those depression years, but due to the economic and social woes of that era, none were built.

 

Thinking this to be one of the great styling achievements in American cars, Sam Mann decided to build this car. He made full-size drawings using a published Fleetwood rendering as reference and designed all the details, which were not apparent. Starting with a V-16 sedan as a donor car, the body was fabricated in England then shipped back to Mann for restoration. The five-year project was completed in 1998.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/852079,10282/1934-Cadillac...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Custom Roadster

 

In 1934, Fleetwood Coachbuilders, by then a division of Cadillac, published its 'Annual Book of Fleetwood' in which were featured three custom designs that could be built on a 16-cylinder chassis by special order. This was an attempt to bolster very weak sales through those depression years, but due to the economic and social woes of that era, none were built.

 

Thinking this to be one of the great styling achievements in American cars, Sam Mann decided to build this car. He made full-size drawings using a published Fleetwood rendering as reference and designed all the details, which were not apparent. Starting with a V-16 sedan as a donor car, the body was fabricated in England then shipped back to Mann for restoration. The five-year project was completed in 1998.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/852079,10282/1934-Cadillac...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Custom Roadster

 

In 1934, Fleetwood Coachbuilders, by then a division of Cadillac, published its 'Annual Book of Fleetwood' in which were featured three custom designs that could be built on a 16-cylinder chassis by special order. This was an attempt to bolster very weak sales through those depression years, but due to the economic and social woes of that era, none were built.

 

Thinking this to be one of the great styling achievements in American cars, Sam Mann decided to build this car. He made full-size drawings using a published Fleetwood rendering as reference and designed all the details, which were not apparent. Starting with a V-16 sedan as a donor car, the body was fabricated in England then shipped back to Mann for restoration. The five-year project was completed in 1998.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/852079,10282/1934-Cadillac...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

Fleetwood Limousine (Chassis 700280)

 

This vehicle was originally produced at Detroit's Fort Street plant as a Seven-Passenger Sedan with Style 4375-S bodywork. It was retrofitted by the dealer to Style 4375, Seven-Passenger Imperial Sedan specifications with the addition of a sliding glass division window and a pair of forward-facing, foldable auxiliary seats.

 

The original owner of the car was Templeton Crocker, a well-known adventurer, yachtsman and heir to a West Coast banking and railroad fortune. It was sold a year later to Lillian Remillard, the heir to her father's San Francisco brick company fortune. She was married to Italian inventor Count Alessandro Dandini for only a brief period of time. Though her marriage was brief, she retained the title 'Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini,' until her death in 1973.

 

The car would pass through several owners, yet it was fondly known as the 'Countess Dandini' car. It was found in a barn in San Jose, California during the 1960s. It was covered in the June 1965 edition of The Self Starter, the magazine of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, and is believed to have passed through two more owners prior to acquisition by the current owner in 2007.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/chassisNum.aspx?carid=11275&a...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Fleetwood Limousine has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

GENISIS

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any other available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Vanden Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York City's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

1930–1937

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 3,912 mm and a curb weight of up to 3,000 kg these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

1938–1940

The V-16 "Series 90" and V-12 "Series 80 and 85", were essentially merged for 1938 with the introduction of the new L-head V-16. The new engine was an "L Head" (AKA flathead) design, and featured a wider (135 degree) v-angle, twin carburetors, twin fuel pumps, twin distributors, twin water pumps, and a nine main bearing crankshaft (compared to the OHV V-16's five bearing crank) and produced the same 185 hp (138 kW) as later versions of the original V-16 with even greater smoothness and endowed the '38–'40 Sixteens with the swiftest acceleration of any car in the world at the time regardless of weight as well as slightly improved fuel economy over the OHV V-16 cars. This engine was nearly silent at idle and turbine-smooth in operation. The wheelbase was reduced to 3,581 mm, the body remained 5,639 mm in overall length. The "Sixteens" (as Cadillac referred to them) were basically series 75 cars with the new V-16 engine although they differed from the firewall forward from the V-8 cars and had several other trim differences. The instrument panels were identical to and changed yearly with the V-8 cars from 1938 to 1940. Only the '38 Sixteens had a horn button which had "Sixteen" in art deco script; the '39 and '40 models, like the V-8, had the Cadillac crest on the button. Three hundred fifteen were sold in the first year, 138 in the next. The production of the 1940 models ended in December 1939.

 

ENGINES

Two different V-16 engines were used by Cadillac:

 

- The Series 452 from 1930 until 1937, a narrow 45° V angle OHV (overhead valve) engine that displaced 452 cubic inches (7.4 liters).

- The Series 90 from 1938 to 1940, a lower, wider 135° V angle L-head (in-block valve) engine that displaced 431 cubic inches (7.1liters).

 

CADILLAC V-16s TODAY

The Cadillac V-16 is today recognized as one of the finest automobiles of the prewar era by many authorities. The Classic Car Club of America rates all V-16s as CCCA Full Classics, a rating reserved for only the finest automobiles of the 1925–1948 period. Values reflect these opinions; particularly fine examples of the 1930 production can change hands for more than US$500,000 as of 2004. As always, convertibles are the most valued, and the earlier cars more so than the 1938–40 vehicles. A good condition 1938 sedan can sell for under US$80,000. Certain custom-bodied vehicles have sold for even more.

 

CONCEPT CAR

In 2003, Cadillac created a concept car called the Sixteen, which used a 13.6 litre V-16 engine that developed 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS). Even though it used the current "A&S" (Art & Science) style of design that is Cadillac's stylistic hallmark, it shared many small details from the classic V-16. The Sixteen is also known to have the steering wheel logo carved out of solid crystal and a Bulgari clock.

 

WIKIPEDIA

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Custom Roadster

 

In 1934, Fleetwood Coachbuilders, by then a division of Cadillac, published its 'Annual Book of Fleetwood' in which were featured three custom designs that could be built on a 16-cylinder chassis by special order. This was an attempt to bolster very weak sales through those depression years, but due to the economic and social woes of that era, none were built.

 

Thinking this to be one of the great styling achievements in American cars, Sam Mann decided to build this car. He made full-size drawings using a published Fleetwood rendering as reference and designed all the details, which were not apparent. Starting with a V-16 sedan as a donor car, the body was fabricated in England then shipped back to Mann for restoration. The five-year project was completed in 1998.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/852079,10282/1934-Cadillac...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Limousine

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

  

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Coupe

 

The Cadillac V-16 was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe hurt sales. All were finished to custom order, an the model was built in very small numbers; only 4,076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single years of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V-16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

The 1934 catalog listed 52 Cadillac V16 body styles, yet only 56 were produced.

 

This one and only example of outstanding American coachwork by Fleetwood is the graceful 1934 Victoria Styled Convertible Coupe. Long, sleek and perfectly proportioned in every detail, these Cadillacs were the largest cars produced in the U.S. at that time. The 21-foot 6-inch vehicle rides on a 154 inch wheelbase, is powered by the V16 engine producing 185 horsepower, coupled to a three-speed synchromesh transmission and weighs 6,100 pounds. Other

 

This Cadillac features telescopic bumpers, bumper guards, wheel shields, Delco master radio and a V-16 185 horsepower engine with a 3-speed synchromesh transmission (a Cadillac invention in 1927).

 

The original owner shipped this Cadillac to Paris, France several times on extended trips. This car also holds the honor of being the centerfold of the GM book, 'The First 75 Years of Transportation Products.'

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10282/Cadillac-452D-V16.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years 1930–1937

Body and chassis

Platform Series 90: D-body

Related Cadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine 452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length 1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width 1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height 1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight 5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1930 452A V16 Rollston Convertible-Coupe

 

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized.

 

Cadillac's engineers were the first to get the V16 engine ready and in January 1930 the wraps were taken off the Cadillac 452 V16. With the help of a former Marmon designer, the sixteen cylinder engine was constructed using two blocks of the new Buick eight cylinder engine. The two blocks were mounted on a common crankcase at a 45 degree angle. A single camshaft mounted inside the V operated the valves by pushrods. As the type indication suggests, the engine displaced 452 cubic inches or just over 7.4 litres and produced 175 bhp and had torque in abundance.

 

The huge engine was installed in a simple ladder frame, almost identical to the one used in the V8 engined Model 51. Suspension was equally conventional and by live axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs on both ends. Stopping power for the heavy machine was provided by servo assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. Unlike many of the competitors in the high-end market, Cadillac predominantly offered complete cars rather than rolling chassis to be bodied by custom coachbuilders. Many of the 'standard' bodies were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer, which had just become part of General Motors.

 

Despite being the most expensive Cadillac ever, the V16 proved a hit in the first months of 1930. Over 2000 cars were ordered in the first seven months of that year, but then sales dropped dramatically and it would take another ten years to double that number. This was most likely caused by the looming depression and the introduction of a V12-engined Cadillac in the second half of 1930. Marmon's more advanced answer was ready in 1931, but it proved to be too late. Cadillac continued to develop the V16 with a completely new engine introduced in 1938 as the biggest change.

 

In its various forms the Cadillac V16 remained in production until 1941, but apart from the first seven months it was a failure; a very glorious one. Today it's considered as one of the finest American cars of its era and a welcome guest at concours d'elegance all over the world. All of them were constructed to custom order and it is estimated that over 70 different body variants were constructed by Fleetwood and Fischer alone. The V16's prominent position in Cadillac's history was underlined by the aptly named 'Sixteen Concept' built to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2003.

 

The one-off Rollston Convertible Coupe pictured above is one of the most striking of all Cadillac V16s. Most of them were fitted with stately four door coachwork. The three-tone paintwork and the steeply raked windshield do a very good job at masking the size of the 148 inch wheelbase. The unique V16 Cadillac is today part of an impressive collection and is pictured above at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where there was a special V16 class. Had it not been entered as display only, it would have had a good chance at winning the class and perhaps even best of show honours.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3825/Cadillac-452-A-V16-Rolls...

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1930 Cadillac 452A V16 Convertible-Coupe has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records. Or as the very first.

 

The 1930 Cadillac 452 V16 Chassis was home to many custom bodies by renown design houses, along with standard bodies from Fleetwood (laterly part of General Motors). The Coupe-Convertible shown here from the Rollston Coachbuilders. Key though, was the 452 CID V16 engine - the first production V16 in the world, beating luxury rival Marmon by over a year.

The Cadillac V-16 (sometimes known as the Cadillac Sixteen) was Cadillac's top-of-the-line car from its January 1930 launch until production ceased in 1940 as the war in Europe killed sales. All were finished to custom order, and the car was built in very small numbers; only 4076 cars were constructed in the eleven years the model was offered. The majority of these were built in the single year of 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold. This was the first V16 powered car to reach production status in the United States.

 

Genesis:

 

In 1926, Cadillac began the development of a new, "multi-cylinder" car. A customer requirement was seen for a car powered by an engine simultaneously more powerful and smoother than any hitherto available. Development proceeded in great secrecy over the next few years; a number of prototype cars were built and tested as the new engine was developed, while at the same time Cadillac chief Larry Fisher and GM's stylist Harley Earl toured Europe in search of inspiration from Europe's finest coachbuilders. Unlike many builders of luxury cars, who sold bare chassis to be clothed by outside coachbuilding firms, General Motors had purchased the coachbuilders Fleetwood Metal Body and Fisher Body to keep all the business in-house. Bare Cadillac chassis could be purchased if a buyer insisted, but the intention was that few would need to do so. One Cadillac dealer in England, namely Lendrum & Hartman, ordered at least two such chassis in even rarer right hand drive (RHD) configuration and had Van den Plas (Belgium) build first an elegant limousine-landaulet (engine #702297), then a sports sedan with unusual cycle fenders and retractable step plates in lieu of running boards (engine #702298, which was successfully shown in various Concours d'Elegance events in Europe before being bought by the young Nawab of Bahawalpur); both these cars have survived. A third RHD chassis was ordered by the Indian Maharaja of Orccha (Bhopal) and sent to Farina in Italy, in July 1931, for a boat tail body (engine between #703136 and #703152).

 

It was not until after the stock market crash of 1929 that Cadillac announced to the world the availability of the costliest Cadillac yet, the new V-16. The new vehicle was first displayed at New York's automobile show on January 4, 1930.

 

Statistics:

 

1930–1937:

 

Generation 1 (Series 452 and 90)

 

Overview:

Model years1930–1937

Body and chassis

PlatformSeries 90: D-body

RelatedCadillac Series 370/85

Cadillac Series 355

Cadillac Series 75

Powertrain

Engine452 cu in (7.4 L) Cadillac V16

Dimensions

Wheelbase1930–31: 148.0 in (3,759 mm)

1932–33: 143.0 in (3,632 mm) and 149.0 in (3,785 mm)

1934–37: 154.0 in (3,912 mm)

Length1930–31: 222.5 in (5,652 mm)

1932–33: 216.0 in (5,486 mm) and 222.0 in (5,639 mm)

1934–35: 240.0 in (6,096 mm)

1936–37: 238.0 in (6,045 mm)

Width1931: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)

1932–35: 77.0 in (1,956 mm)

1936–37: 74.4 in (1,890 mm)

Height1931: 72.5 in (1,842 mm)

1932–33: 71.5 in (1,816 mm)

1934–37: 69.5 in (1,765 mm)

Curb weight5,300–6,600 lb (2,400–3,000 kg)

 

The new car attracted rave reviews from the press and huge public attention. Cadillac started production of the new car immediately. January production averaged a couple of cars per day, but was then ramped up to twenty-two cars per day. By April, 1,000 units had been built, and by June, 2,000 cars. These could be ordered with a wide variety of bodywork. The Fleetwood catalog for the 1930 V-16 included 10 basic body styles; there was also an envelope containing some 30 additional designer's drawings. Research by the Cadillac-La Salle Club, Inc. puts at 70 the number of different job/style numbers built by Fisher and Fleetwood on the sixteen chassis.

 

Beginning in June 1930, five new V-16s participated in a promotional tour of major European cities including Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Vienna (where they won prizes), Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich, Madrid, San Sebastian, La Baule and Angers. On the return journey from Spain, the V16 caravan stopped also in the town of Cadillac, in south-western France, although that city bears no relationship to the marque, other than its name.

 

After the peak in V-16 orders in mid-1930, production fell precipitously. During October 1930, only 54 cars were built. The lowest figures for the 452/452A cars of 1930–31 were August 1931 (seven units) and November 1931 (six units). Minimum production continued throughout the rest of the decade with a mere 50 units being built both in 1935 and in 1937. 1940 was only marginally better with a total of 51 units. Not surprisingly, Cadillac later estimated that they lost money on every single V-16 they sold.

 

Production of the original V-16 continued under various model names through 1937. The body was redesigned in 1933 as the model 452C. Innovations included Fisher no draft individually controlled ventilation (I.C.V. or vent windows).

 

For 1934, the body was redesigned again and denoted as 452D, and as 452E in 1935. The V-16 now featured the Fisher Turret Top all-steel roof, though the cars were still built by Fleetwood. This same basic design would remain virtually unchanged through 1937. With a wheelbase of 154.0 inches (3,912 mm) and a curb weight of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) these are perhaps the largest standard production cars ever produced in the United States. Combined production for the 1934 and 1935 model years was 150. It was redesignated the Series 90 in 1936 as Cadillac reorganized their model names. Fifty-two units were sold that year, with nearly half ordered as limousines. Hydraulic brakes were added for 1937, the last year of production. Fifty vehicles were produced.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

1934 452D V16 Convertible-Sedan

 

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and was first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15 inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

 

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteen's were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

 

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inche wheelbase, is 240-inches long (the longest of any American car) and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. Base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

 

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.

 

[Text taken from 'Conceptcarz.com']

 

www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414550,10282,0,0/photo.aspx

 

This Lego miniland-scale 1934 Cadillac 452D V16 Custom Roadster has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 88th Build Challenge, - "Let's go Break Some records", - for vehicles that set the bar (high or low) for any number of vehicles statistics or records.

 

The 1933-37 Cadillac V16 (model codes 452D and 452E) set the record for the 'longest overall length' series production convertible (and coupe): 6,096mm (240 in) and 'longest wheelbase' series production convertible (and coupe): 3,912mm (154in). Also 'heaviest curb weight' series production convertible (and coupe): 2,721.5–2,857.5 kg (6,000–6,300 lb).