#3

701341
[replacement]

                      
This car is/was owned in 2006 by enthusiast, Bob Perry
[ Photos: Courtesy Dick Shappy ]

?

700106

    
Note in the details (above) that the body sill has none of the characteristics of any regular V-16 series for 1930-31;
the bumpers appear correct for a 1930-31 V-16 model but the road lights appear to be after-market units
[ Photo: Courtesy Jim Van Loben Sels, owner ]

One survivor is owned by James Harman.   I've seen it mentioned in SS, 1972 and 1985.

    
I don't have the owner's name; it could be one of the above, or even a third party; the car looks freshly restored

One survivor is owned by Jack Nethercutt of San Sylmar, CA [Merle Norman collection]; it was featured in an article in AQ, for the fourth quarter 1984.

One survivor is owned by Jack Nethercutt of San Sylmar, CA [Merle Norman collection]; it was featured in an article in AQ, for the fourth quarter 1984. This car once belonged to film director, Cecil B. De Mille

  
Photos:  (top and left, below) Self Starter magazine, 2/2005; (right)  © Dennis Adler

I photographed the car below at a show in Pennsylvania in the early eighties. It has survived, still, and is currently in Sweden in the private collection of Anders Läck (photo below, right). I'm not sure of the engine and body numbers. However, engine number 702363 is fitted with this Fleetwood convertible coupe body style and such a car was reported in Sweden in 2000. Mr. Läck owns a number of collectible Cadillacs (and other makes too); he rents them out, with a chauffeur, for special occasions such as weddings.

   
Photo (left): © 1982, Yann Saunders; (right)  © Anders Lack

The owner of Fleetwood style 4235 convertible coupe #82 (Kjell Kraakmo of Norway), believed that this car was undergoing a complete restoration in the USA, in 2003; he did not have its engine number. Late extra [Jan., 2008]:  the car has been acquired by collector-enthusiast, Brent Merrill.  Brent said :  The car was originally destined for Uppercu Cadillac in New York, but was diverted for delivery to Plattsburgh, NY, in the summer of 1930.  The ownership history can be traced back to 1939 and we believe that, including me, there have been five owners of the car.  Two of them were long term owners (30 plus years each).  We are hoping someone might contact us to fill in the nine years we are missing between 1930 and 1939 or tell us if there was ever a Cadillac dealer in the 30's in Plattsburgh so we can trace the history to new [try contacting Knight Cadillac, Plattsburgh. NY].  The car has had a ground-up Concours quality restoration, completed three years ago by Bob Bachman in Virginia. The previous owner had the good fortune of having the original sales order for the car, so it has been kept true to original. The paint, including the pin stripes and wheels, are all the original color identified on the build sheet. One of the owners painstakingly searched out the correct colours over a period of years. The upper panels are Joselyn Gray and the lower panels and trim are Trafalgar Gray. The pin stripes and wheels are Winooski Green. Since the restoration was completed it has been driven just once. It is kept in indoor storage.  It is in EXCELLENT condition, including the paint, chrome, top, and interior. There is not a nick or scratch anywhere.  The top has never been put down, it is perfect including the bows and the fabric. Latest (3/2010):  I got this complementary information from Mr. Merrill; he wrote: ...I thought you might be interested in a funny story.  When I bought this 1930 Cadillac V16 convertible coupe ... I did a bit of investigation into the prior ownership. One of those long term 30-year owners was Willy Meffert. In our telephone conversation he asked me if I owned any other cars and I mentioned my 4335 with engine 700898. He said that he thought the number sounded familiar. He checked his records and, sure enough, he had owned this car also at one point. But had sold it once he got his model 4235. Well, isn’t it interesting that I did the same thing. Willy and I both owned the same cars and bought and sold them in the same order…I still have the 4235. Isn’t that amazing. I mean what a coincidence ... PS. I kind of regret selling the old girl, but a fellow can only have so many V16 Cadillacs!!! Maybe one day I can buy back the 4335 ... Ha ha.

    
[ Photos: © 2010 and courtesy of the owner ]

This lovely image from enthusiast Holland Wallace

    
Looks just as nice with the top up

Was offered for sale in the classifieds of the Self Starter, in June 1966, by Dave Towell, a Cadillac dealer in Akron, OH.  He described it as "one of the top cars in the country". It was beige with dark brown fenders. Anybody know where it is today ?   Could it be this one, owned by Dayton Card and featured in an article in AQ, for the fourth quarter 1984.

[ possibly this car? ]

702551

This one is included in the roster of survivors prepared by Rick LeForge. He says it was shipped to Milwaukee then on to Minneapolis on 19 August, 1930.   When Rick first saw it, in the fifties, it was a sound, complete and semi-restored car.  In 2001, it was part of the Otis Chandler collection (Vintage Museum). The first owner is not known but previous owners include Elmer Franzen of Minneapolis, MN (1961-1967), the late Cadillac Jim Pearson of Kansas City, KS (1968-1983) and Bud Tinney (1983-1997). Enthusiast Chris Cummings believes it is now (2005) owned by Jim George of Haymarket, VA. Jim provided the story of his car, as well as some lovely photos, in an article published in the April 2006 edition of the Self Starter.

        
At the Potomac Region show, Oct. 2005
[ Photo: © 2005, Dan Reed ]

    
Left: retouched designer's drawing from 1930 V-16 product brochure
Right: profile view of  Jim George's car does justice to the original design

        
[ These photos and previous row, right, courtesy Self Starter, April 2006 ]

J. Bohmer, ME [CLC Directory]  

T. Derro, MA [CLC Directory]

J. Pascoe, MI [CLC Directory]  

B. Scheef, WA [CLC Directory]  

?

?

    
The rear styling, the hood and and belt design at the windshield on this custom Fleetwood job #4257-A (?) is quite different
from the surviving "4257-H" model described below;  this car has front-hinged doors and a straight sill!

?

?

     


Compare the roof height on this touring car with the one above it;
both cars have the front-hinged rear doors ... but the lower car has a straight sill!

?

701849

The finished car - outstanding!

    
Now look at this car again; it has the straight sill (as above), but rear-hinged front doors,
note also the increased roof height of the car in the B&W factory photo and designer's drawing!
[ The actual interior roof height is 53", whereas it was usually 49-50" on regular Fleetwood  convertible models ]

#1

?

#2

701554

There is a long, interesting story to this car. The chassis # is 7-101(?); it is body #2 of the 85 units built and has been duly authenticated for its last but one owner (Steven Nanini of Tucson, AZ); the current owner (2012-2013) is Dennis Sobieski, named below as the owner of this or of an identical V-16 sport phaeton. This sport phaeton was Fisher order #2587; the factory build sheet lists the model (in error) as an "all-weather phaeton" whereas it is definitely a dual windshield, special phaeton. It is one of five V-16 models shipped to Copenhagen, Denmark in June, 1930 for a promotional tour through 9 European countries. Upholstery was Radel Spanish grain leather #2400, trim style 19 (or 1930?);  the entire hood, cowl and body panels were painted in R&M Indiana gray (Duco #20157), as were the wheel hubs, spokes and felloes.  The molding and the hood and cowl vents all  were painted Saxon gray (Duco? #2445519);  fenders and chassis were painted Ravenwood brown (Duco #5782). The finish moldings on top of the belt were chrome-plated. Wire wheels (six) were mounted, including two in the fenders; the original tires had black side walls.  A travel trunk was mounted in the rear. When the tour ended, the car was acquired by Paris coach-builder, Jacques Saoutchik; he removed (and disposed of?) the sport phaeton body- which is believed to have been put, later, on another V16 chassis.  Meanwhile, Saoutchik designed and built on this chassis a custom, semi-convertible sedan described more fully on this page (v6srv30b.htm) of the Cadillac Database. Many years later, the original sport phaeton body (#2 according to the factory shipping records) reappeared on another V-16 chassis and it was decided to pair the two (body & chassis) together again. The task was accomplished by Fran Roxas and Fred Weber. At that time the Saoutchik body was put on an authentic V-16 chassis  (VIN 700979) so that the sport phaeton returned to its original 1930 state. This is CLC Senior car #141.

Photo: © 1998, Yann Saunders

ex- #2

ex-
701554
now
700979

Chassis # 7-101(?) (see below - this chassis was re-bodied by Jacques Saoutchik of Paris, France - the original sport phaeton body (#2) was mounted, later, on another V-16 chassis (see preceding car)

#42

702401

Was last sold at auction in January, 2006, for $363,000 [tip from V-16 owner/enthusiast, Chris Cummings]. This car has been retrofitted with power steering. The build sheet shows it to have been delivered first to Cadillac’s Philadelphia branch. It was later diverted to New York and sold there. Owned by collector Robert Chamberlain, Maryland, in the seventies, he sold it in 1981 to the late Philip Wichard of Hauppage, New York, who had it fully restored in the late 80s. The car has scored 100 points in CCCA Grand Classic judging. Sold by Christie's in 1995, it was acquired by Charles Cauley who sold it to the current vendor in 1998. The driver’s compartment remains in show condition. Accessories include a “lo-boy” trunk, Pilot Ray driving lights, radiator stone guard, twin windshield mounted spotlights, wind wings, and metal sidemount covers. Late Extra [1/2008]:  the car is slated for sale, again, at RM Auctions’ Automobiles of Amelia Island Auction, March 8, 2008.  Estimate was between $400,000 and $500,000. The car sold for $522.000! Late Extra [8/2008] According to Chris Cummings, this car is to be sold again at the coming RM auction in Monterey, CA.

?

702406

[NEW, Dec. 2008].  This car was offered at auction by the Gooding Co. for their January 2009 venue in Scottsdale, AZ.  It has been fully documented.  Here is the auction catalog description supplied kindly by collector-enthusiast Jon Riley of Chicago: This spectacular Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton was delivered to its first owner in Brookline, Massachusetts, through the local distributor, Boston Cadillac, LaSalle and Oldsmobile. While the name of the original owner is unknown, a later owner, Richard Warren, had done much research on the car and believed that this rare Sport Phaeton was primarily used at the summer home of its original owner, located in Vergens, Virginia. By the late 1940s, the original owner had parted with his exceptional Cadillac and the car was in the care of a local garage owner. In 1950, the garage owner sold the car to a prominent collector, Harry King of Worcester, Massachusetts, for the outrageous sum of $125. Some years later Richard Warren of nearby Auburn purchased the car from King for the same price of $125. Evidently King became tired of the car by this time and simply felt that he merely receive his minor outlay in return.Warren kept the car for some time and during his ownership he installed a fresh 1932 V-16 motor to keep the car on the road. Thankfully when he sold the car to Homer Fitterling in 1955, the original engine went with the car [Mr. Fitterling still had the car in 1959; he was a member of the CLC at that time]. When Fitterling passed away in the mid-1980s, the car, along with its proper, original engine, was sold at auction to George Lucetti of Springfield, Massachusetts. Lucetti spent the next four to five years treating this important car to a comprehensive restoration. Not simply content with restoring the car cosmetically, he completely rebuilt and reinstalled the original V-16. After restoration Lucetti sold the car and for a number of years it resided in the collection of noted collector Bob Bahre. In the mid-1990s, Bahre sold the car to another noteworthy collector, Bud Lyon, who retained it for nearly a decade, a strong testament to its outstanding quality. Lyon then sold the car to Dave Kane, yet another collector of great American classics. Since Mr. Kane’s ownership, the car has had only two subsequent caretakers, the last of which has gone to great lengths to ensure it remained in pristine condition throughout. Beyond careful cosmetic upkeep, Classic and Exotic Service, Inc. in Michigan has ensured that this V-16 has been properly maintained in every respect. Today the car is beautifully presented in a very fitting color scheme for such a grand, luxury automobile, and it sports a number of desirable accessories including a pair of Pilot Ray auxiliary driving lights, dual side-mounted spares, radiator stone guard, chrome wire wheels, wind wings and the beautiful Jaeger Eight-Day trip clock and speedometer in the rear compartment – a feature only found on the prestigious Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton. The interior, with its machine-turned dashboard, uncluttered gauges and ample legroom is a truly inviting space for open touring and the whole car has a lovely feel to it, as would be expected from such a solid, well-cared-for example. The original Cadillac shipping documents support that this is one of the original, always desirable V-16 Sport Phaetons. If it was an exceptional car in its day, it is even more so over 75 years on, as so few have survived with their original bodies, chassis and engines. This example is one of the fortunate survivors, and it is one of the most important examples of the Olympian Classics produced in Detroit’s golden era. The 1930 and 1931 Cadillac V-16s are the ultimate development of the classic narrow body, flat radiator automobiles developed during the 1920s. The Sport Phaeton is, to many, the most desirable of all. This V-16 is a marvelous example of one of the most legendary cars in the history of the American automotive industry and it will continue to serve as an excellent contender in concours d’elegance competition, a faultless touring car and a proud example of General Motors’ glory years. The car is black with a red interior. The car changed hands for $632,000, which exceeded the auction estimate.

#34

702408

The car was first shipped to Philadelphia on July 19, 1930. It is  included in the list of survivors prepared by Rick LeForge. The original owner is cited as "Senator Woods"; could this be Senator James E. Woods (1858-1931)? Woods was a lawyer, served as city councilman, mayor, commissioner of the fire department, director of the public library and school trustee. He was State representative from 1911 to 1919 then State Senator from 1919 to 1923. He died in 1931, so it is possible that the car was subsequently owned by his son. There exists an article and photos of the car; unfortunately I do not have a copy.

#33

702425

Owned by Dick Gold, article in "Torque", Jan-Feb. 1982 [this V-16 style  listed at $6150 on 1.1.1930, then $6500 on 10.15.1930]; in the CLC directory it is listed as being under the ownership of C. Selick, NY. I wonder if this is the car shown on p.29 of the Australian CLC's La Cad magazine for spring 2004; there the owner is identified as Charles Selick. Unlike other "4260" models, this one has a "43**" series scalloped hood and horizontal sill.  Is it possibly a re-body? V16 owner-enthusiast, Brent Merril., pointed to this web site by Christies's of London, where this particular car is mentioned. Here is a salient excerpt from that site whose one time owner was a Mr.Lüscher, from Germany: Mr. Lüscher's stunning V16 Cadillac is without argument one of the most impressive automobiles from his collection. There are probably around 18 original sport phaetons in existence and, as a result of their limited number, impressive engineering and sleek bodies, they are one of the most desirable models available. According to its build sheet, this car was first sold on July 22nd 1930 in New York City. We are told that the car was featured in Motor Trend magazine in 1958, although we have not seen a copy. At around this time the owner was Russell Strauch from Toledo, Ohio and by the 1960s it was in the ownership of Clarence Stalts. In around 1977 Richard G. Gold of Minnesota acquired the V16 and in all probability at this time the car underwent a meticulous restoration. In 1978 the car won a National First Prize from the Antique Automobile Club of America. The following year at the Classic Car Club of America meeting in Boca Raton, Florida it became a senior winner (no. 0873) with a perfect score of 100 points. It was featured in the March 1980 issue of The Classic Car, the club's magazine. Richard Gold was later to become the President of the Classic Car Club of America (1988-89). In the late 1980s the V16 sport phaeton was sold (as a pair with the V16 roadster, see Lot 27 in this catalogue) to another noted collector, Fred Weber from Missouri and in its last showing in the USA at the annual meeting of the CCCA in January 1990 at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, it won its senior division with a score of 99 points. Later the same year both V16s were again sold as a pair and joined the Lüscher Collection.

?

702452

[NEW - 2/2011] The story of this restored phaeton was told in the Spring edition of "Classic Car" for 2011. It was bought in 1957 by teen George W. Holman ... and sold to future CCCA Caravan chairman, Ken Fahnestock ... who resold it to George a few years later. It was not until 2008 that George decided on a full restoration that was completed in time for Pebble Beach in 2010 ... where it took FIRST PLACE ahead of a superb and newly restored Marmon Sixteen roadster owned by my friend Brent Merrill of Toronto, Canada. The full story of George's car is told in the "Classic Car" and is definitely worth a read.  

     
[ Photos: © 2010 and courtesy  "Classic Car" ]

Could it be this beauty?

#55

702478

This phaeton was delivered originally to Don Lee Cadillac in Los Angeles for the actor Richard Arlen. The original color was Talina brown and the factory invoice is dated June 13, 1930. Subsequent owners include a Mr. Brinkerhoff, then Jim Brucker, owner of Cars of the Stars, museum who customized it and loaned it out for use in the movie The Carpetbaggers, starring Alan Ladd (it was outfitted with longhorns atop the front grill, cowhide (calf skin) seat covers and six-guns as door handles). Enthusiast-historian Rick LeForge provided me in 2009 with a "fingerprint" of the body tag that he had made in the fifties; his notes to me mention that the car had poor white paint (obviously the car had not been stripped prior to painting); it was equipped with 18" wheels from a V8 model; the wrong trunk was installed in the rear; it was missing the the entire rear instrument board and crank handle; the rear-view mirror was the wrong model; "Pep Boy" sidemount mirrors had been installed; the wind wings were the wrong type; the tail-light brackets too were the wrong type; the engine compartment looked OK but lacked the splash aprons; otherwise Rick described it as a "very sound car". When the Cars of the Stars museum closed down, the car was acquired by Don Westerdale, then by "Cadillac Jim" Pearson of Kansas City, then Rick Carroll and later Donald Mayora who returned it to original factory specs around 1985 and restored it  fully in 1990. In 2002 it was owned by Ed Dauer of Coral Springs, FL (2002). It is CLC Senior car #142 [my own former '42-75 is #601]. The car is now fire-engine red; it was on show in Pennsville, NJ, in 1991). The story of this V-16 is told in CC 12/92 pp.32-37 and  CLC 4/93, pp.3-4. This particular car was offered for sale by the Kruse auctioneers as lot #655 (...but which year?).  Latest (2009/2010?): I saw this car listed as sold by "The Auto Collections" (Imperial Palace, Las Vegas).  I'm not sure of the date or the amount of the sale.

    
Two scenes from the movie, "The Carpetbaggers"

        
(Left and right) The Carpetbaggers car after a first restoration; the original color was Talina brown
and (Center) ...after a second, subsequent restoration when it was painted "prize-winning red"

        
These two photos and the one below by Dennis Adler for Car Collector magazine

?

702514

[There may be confusion between this car and car #702797 or #702998, below]. This one is said to have been acquired by Aaron Weiss, circa 2006.  Late Extra (1/2008): The car was listed for sale at the annual RM auction that took place on January 18, 2008 (lot #138). Value estimate was between $300,000 and $350,000, the car sold [to Mr. Weiss?] for $302,500.  In the text description accompanying the catalog entry, it was stated that this car had remained with its current California owner for 20 years.  It is a re-body although the first body is thought to have been the same as this one (a sport phaeton). It was sold to the former owner [the one before Mr. Weiss?] by Fred Weber in the mid-80s.

         
[ Photos:  RM Auction web site ]

#2494
????

702515

#41

702588

According to Rick LeForge, this special phaeton was shipped first to Philadelphia on August 14, 1930. At the time Rick encountered the surviving car, in the fifties, it was owned by a Mr. Cole.

?

702751

Owned by Patrick Ferchill, TX

#70

702797?
702998?

[There may be confusion between this car and  car #702514, above] This one is owned by collector-enthusiast, Aaron Weiss, who informed me in Feb., 2008 that it was a part of his superb collection.  I am wondering if this is not the SAME or a VERY SIMILAR car as listed above, with VIN #702514? This car or (again) one very much like it was on the block at another RM venue [as lot #229]. The car sold for $495,000 [commission included]. It was said to have been restored in 1987 for Bill Lassiter and is an AACA national first prize winner. A previous owner was Rick Carroll. Christie's had sold this car in March 1999 for $299,500.

94

702877

One enthusiast wrote:  the silver and blue 30 or 31 V-16 sport phaeton is owned by two guys from Kalamazoo, MI.  They also own the tan-colored 1940 V-16 convertible coupe that sold about four years ago for $360k. Late Extra (April, 2014): Chris Cummings (always on the ball and ready to help keep the roster up-to-date) found some missing information about this car. The car was shipped first to New York City on December 24, 1930. In February 1931 it was sent back to the factory and on September 28, 1931 it was shipped to Philadelphia (and presumably sold there). It was offered at the Kruse Auburn Auction in September 1998.
 

?

702884

May not have survived; the V16 ledger excerpt, below, shows final destination as "Factory".

?

702889

May not have survived; the V16 ledger excerpt, below, shows final destination as Chicago.

?

702927

Commissioned from Cadillac in 1930 a special, Fleetwood style 4260 sport phaeton with right-hand drive. It was reportedly built for Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala¹ who subsequently gifted it to his friend, the Maharajah of  Tikari, in India. At that time it joined the Maharaja's other 151 private cars and he is reported to have used it on tiger shoots!  The car was acquired in 1938 by Maharajkumar Fatch Singh but spent most of the next 10 years in storage on account of war rationing (of tires and petrol).  It came back to the USA in 1966, after an 18-month struggle with Indian authorities to get it out of that country. No fewer than 4270 man-hours were put into its restoration by Robert Lonsdale of Montgomery, AL. Russell Head, its subsequent owner, put in another 400 hours to bring the car up to concours condition.  A multiple prize-winner, this car is considered by most as the crown jewel in one of the finest West Coast auto collections.   Enthusiast, David Hayward (e-Mail address: gmhistorian@btopenworld.com) wrote in July, 2002: The r.h.d. 1930-31 Sports Phaeton # 702927 has belonged to an acquaintance of mine, Ron Hickman, on the Island of Jersey for many years. It has also been featured on a Jersey stamp (thanks for the info, David). More reading: Fit for a Maharajah, by Arch Brown, CC&CC. Sept., 1983.
_____________________________________________________
¹ The story goes that the Maharaja of Patiala was snubbed by snooty British salesmen at a Rolls Royce showroom in the U.K.; he is reported to have got his own back by buying up the entire consignment of 50 vehicles on display and turning them into garbage trucks back home. An English paper printed a picture and the story, which sent company representatives scurrying to Patiala with an olive branch. It is interesting to note that the Maharajah  never bought another RR in his life, nor did his children. As Capt. Amrinder Singh remarked, "He hated Rolls Royces for the pomp and snobbery attached to them". The family were great fans of American Cars.

    
Photo [left]: © 1982, Yann Saunders

    
The car was a real eye-catcher at the super-Cadillac-meet organized
in England, in September 2003, by CLC member Robert Maidment;
teenager on RH photo, above is Sven, the son of Dutch enthusiast and friend, Dirk Van Dorst
[ Photos above two rows: © 2002 and courtesy Dirk Van Dorst ]

Photo:  Robert Maidment, CLC - UK

?

?

702987

Info from Rick LeForge. Only the engine remain. It was installed in a '34 Ford (article in 1946 issue of Motor Trend).

?

703060

This car was shipped to Buffalo, NY, on February 14, 1931. According to Rick LeForge, only the engine remains.

#85

703225

Formerly owned by Pete Brogea, then  Cadillac dealer Dave Towell of Akron, OH. Info from Rick LeForge who supplied a "finger print" of the body tag that he got in the 50s.

#33
or
#71

703249

Rick LeForge's listing shows the body number as 71 and the owner as Ray Jones. This is the second to last V-16 of the 452-452A series; it  was brought to my attention by the current owner, in October 1999. It was sold originally by Cadillac's Ohio dealership to the first owner, Joseph Vanmeter of Piketown, OH who is reported to have kept until the early fifties. Subsequent owners are not known until 1984, when the car was owned by aficionado,  Fred Weber [Fred has been involved with at least one other style "4260" phaeton, above]. Fred sold the car to Steven Nanini of Tucson, AZ, who had the car fully restored by Tom Sparks and subsequently sold it back to Fred; subsequent owners include Pat Ryan of Montgomery, AL, the Hogan family and ultimately Ray Jones. Late extra [April, 2007]: the car changed hands again at Amelia Island, in March 2007 [sold by RM Auctions for $561,000]. Thanks to Chris Cummings for this update. Here is the rather lengthy, but justified description of the car, as published in the RM Auction catalog [paragraph spacing eliminated to save entry space]: Although constructed in 1931, car #703249 was not sold until 1932, when it was transferred to an Ohio Cadillac dealer, who arranged delivery to its first owner, Joseph Vanmeter of Piketown, OH. The Vanmeter family kept the car for many years – reportedly well into the 1950s. Subsequent ownership history is not known, but by 1984 the car was in the care of Cadillac V16 aficionado Fred Weber, of St. Louis, MO. In 1985, Weber sold the car to Tucson collector Steve Nanini, who immediately sent the big V16 to Tom Sparks, a noted Hollywood, CA based restorer. Sparks reported that upon disassembly, 703249 proved to be in remarkable original condition. Nonetheless, he embarked on a comprehensive, professional restoration to the highest standards. It was a true “nut and bolt” restoration, including a full mechanical rebuild and the installation of a high speed rear axle to permit relaxed touring at modern highway speeds. Among V-16s, 703249 is instantly recognizable by its stunning color combination – a rich, dark blue that appears black at first glance, accented by a lovely blue leather interior. The combination clearly impressed the judges at Pebble Beach as well, as the car won its class – first time shown. Multiple concours victories followed while Nanini and Sparks continued to refine the restoration; their efforts were rewarded the following year at the prestigious Meadow Brook Concours d’ Elegance, where the car not only won its class, but brought home best in show honors as well. Club judging results were equally impressive, with the car earning its AACA National First Senior award, as well as scoring a perfect 100 points in CCCA judging. Unable to resist the car, Fred Weber repurchased the V-16 from Steve Nanini, although circumstances led him to sell it shortly afterwards to Montgomery, Alabama collector, Pat Ryan. Ultimately, Ryan sold the car to the Hogan Family Foundation, from whom the vendor acquired the car about three years ago. An extremely detail-oriented and highly focused businessman, the vendor commenced a program of upgrades to what many would have said was already a perfect car. In total, he spent more than $50,000 with noted restorer Steve Babinsky on a host of improvements, including engine work, a new tan top, correct sidemount covers and mirrors, chrome updates (including all the top bows), and a comprehensive program of detailing intended to return the car to the very highest echelon of competitive concours cars. The result was another string of accolades, including top awards in 2005 at both the Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance and the Concours d’ Elegance of the Eastern United States. Although the restoration is now nearly twenty years old, the vendor’s updates have achieved the desired goal - the car still presents beautifully, and gives little sign of the years that have passed since the restoration was completed – a reflection of both the quality of the workmanship and the high regard its owners have felt for this astonishing sixteen-cylinder masterpiece. It is important to note that even under close examination it seems that the V-16 also retains all of important original components, including all gauges and instrumentation. The driver’s compartment remains in show quality condition, fitted with the correct Jaeger eight-day trip clock and speedometer, while the rear compartment features an additional speedometer and chronograph – a feature completely unique to the V-16 Sport Phaeton. Accessories include chrome wire wheels with stainless spokes and wide whitewall tires, Pilot Ray driving lights, a radiator stone guard, twin windshield mounted spotlights, dual side mounted spare wheels with the extremely rare correct metal covers, accessory mirrors, and a correct Cadillac Heron radiator mascot. As one of just eighteen original V-16 Sport Phaetons remaining, this beautiful and correct original-bodied example is one of the most sought after classic cars from the period. The quality of the restoration, and the care taken in its preservation make it quite possibly the finest example of its kind extant.

         
Since the previous owner kindly supplied these photos, the car has acquired a new tan top, authentic, Cadillac V-16
metal side-mount covers [below] as well as a new "Heron" hood ornament in lieu of the original "Goddess"

This car? Possibly, but note the metal spare wheel cover

?

This one is currently owned by the Cadillac Division of GM;  called the Red Devil on account of its red-red-red color scheme (originally Satan red with Puritan white wheels), it was donated to the Division in 1973 by the original lady owner, Mrs. Little.  At the time she acquired the car, she had a private 'plane painted in an identical color scheme. There are articles about the car in Torque, the SS and  AQ

The old and the new ...Cadillac "Sixteen" (1930 and 2003)

?

?

Owner anyone?  This one looks very much like an updated "Red Devil" (like the red-red-red style 4260 special phaeton that was donated to the Cadillac Motor Car Division by the widow of the original owner, back in the 70s- (see previous entry)  

[ Photos in above two rows were taken at the GM Museum in Detroit ]

?

?

?

?

P. Schinnerer, CA [CLC Directory].   Is THIS the car? It was shown at the 2006 Grand National in Anaheim,. CA, where it was photographed by Dave Armbruster, director of the St. Louis Missouri region CLC.   The hood was wired shut for transport so Dave was unable to get the numbers off the body tag. Paul has also a style 4280 AWP.

Photo: © 2006 and courtesy Dave Armbruster

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?

Mike Alabaster, Australia [CLC Directory] - Many B&W photos to be seen in Australian CLC's La Cad magazine for Summer 2004 / 2005; Aussie CLC member John Hewitt who kindly supplied the photos, below, mentioned that Mike had built this BEAUTIFUL car from the ground up. I shall try to get more details (donor car, numbers, restoration photos, etc.)

        
[ Photos: © and courtesy John Hewitt, CLC Australia ]

Could this be the body tag from the parts car that Mike used for his reconstruction job?
The engine and drive train were sold by Paul Schinnerer "to an Australian collector" in 1993

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(1931) Owner:  Thomas La Rue, of Thomas Cadillac, Los Angeles (SS, cover 9/96); this car was offered for sale at auction in the nineties [lot #1051 - which year, which venue?]; it was described as a fabulous concours quality body-off restoration of an outstanding car with original paint and one of 18 documented originals. AACA National first and CCCA Senior... No sale ensued at that particular auction, where the car was bid up to "only" $325,000.

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Dennis Sobieski, Downers Grove, Illinois ? [The Classic Car, Autumn, 2001 and winter 2006] ... or is it the former car restored by Fran Roxas for Fred Weber (see VIN 701554, above)

    
I wonder if this might be also the former La Rue car (same color)?

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Owner, anyone? This is an older, color PC and probably shows a museum car.

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Owner, anyone?  This is an older PC image.

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[unidentified]

        
Possibly one of these two (?) unidentified cars - note that one of them has got chrome hood vent doors
[ Photo:  RM Auction catalog ]

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...>>>>> to be completed

Before restoration

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R. Benach, IL [CLC Directory]

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C. Harper, NH [CLC Directory]

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R. Ritterbeck, OH [CLC Directory]

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Offered for sale in the Self Starter classifieds for Nov.-Dec. 1966 by Don Cole of Columbus OH, who said it had been bought new by his father.  He said, "it looks horrible, but it is excellent".  It may be one of the cars listed above.

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The owner of this dual-cowl phaeton contacted me in  May, 2004, pointing out that the car was in his family's collection since 1958. He reports that it entered the renowned collection of D. Cameron Peck in 1941; the current owner, Patrick Ferchill, TX, retains a copy of the title in that name. Around 1947 the car was sold to a Raymond Utter of Shawnee, OK before being acquired by Mr. Ferchill's dad in 1958.

#25

702677

Body #25 of 85, in fact this is one of three sport phaetons built by Fleetwood with a folding secondary cowl and equally folding secondary windshield (regular 4260 styles had a crank-down secondary windshield); it was owned for many years by our friends Ray and Dorothy Radford of Portland, OR, then later by Bob Laravee; there is an article about this V-16 in AQ. This car may have been owned also by Ted Hohman of Grand Rapids, MI [mentioned in CLC 1/96, p.12]  Rick LeForge's records show the car was shipped to San Francisco on 30 August 1930.  Late Extra (July 2012).  V16 researcher extraordinaire  Chris Cummings, discovered the car for sale at auction by RM at its Monterey, CA venue in August 2012. The full story may be viewed in RM's catalog description; here are some salient excerpts for those who do not have time to read it all: 1931 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Special Dual Cowl Phaeton by Fleetwood [...] sold for $465,000 [...]  One of three examples originally built with dual cowls [...]  built to order with folding rear cowls [...] ordered on April 30, 1930, through the famous Don Lee Inc. distributorship of San Francisco, California. “Double Cowl” can be seen specified under the “Extra Equipment” field [...] Ray and Dorothy Radford acquired the car in 1962 [...] letter from the parts department of the Cadillac Motor Car Division to Mr. Radford [...]  (sold to) Robert Larivee Sr., of Pontiac, Michigan, in 1979  [...] (a later full restoration cost) a then-staggering $115,000  [...]  (there is) Another authoritative article by historian and noted expert cutaway artist David Kimble (Volume 23, No. 1 of Automobile Quarterly), along with a detailed, illustrated cutaway of the entire car  [...] equipped with Pilot-Ray steering headlights, a radiator stone guard, dual Klaxon horns, a trunk rack, dual taillights, fanned tips on the dual exhaust, and full metal covers with pedestal mirrors on the side-mounts  [...] a mere three of these were originally equipped as dual cowl examples.

Cutaway of the special, dual-cowl sport phaeton by Ron Kimball for Automobile Quarterly

The D/C phaeton at the time it was owned
by Ray and Dorothy Radford of Portland, OR
[ Photo: ©1973-74,  and courtesy Ray and Dorothy Radford ]

     
[2nd row, above]: the car prior to its restoration by Bob Larivee
Lower row (left): possibly from an auction catalog of the eighties
Lower row (right): © Automobile Quarterly
[ Note how the car was repainted "award-winning"red ! ]

    
[ Photos (these 3 rows):  RM Auction web site ]

#1?

700001

According to enthusiast-historian, Rick LeForge, who kindly donated all his historical notes to the Cadillac Database in May 2009, this was the first (or second) V-16 to leave the factory. It was shipped on December 28, 1929, bound for the Astoria Hotel in NYC, venue of the 1930 Motor Show. It's fate is unknown.

[#14]

[703164]

It is believed that none of the original, six Fleetwood style #4264-B razor-back town broughams survived; only three of these featured the French cane finish applied to the rear body. Designed in October 1929, this Fleetwood style listed between $9,700 and $10,275. This particular car is a conversion from a Fleetwood style #4291 town car [listed below]; that car had silver leaf pin striping and six stainless-steel spoked wheels. The conversion work was completed over a period of more than twenty years (from 1965 to 1985) for Dave Holtzman of Birmingham, MI, a wealthy real estate developer and owner of several classic cars. Dave commissioned Herb Brown of Farmington Hills, MI to do the conversion [Herb owned the restoration shop that serviced Mr. Holtzman's cars]. I saw and photographed the fabulous "finished product" in 1994, at the home of its then owner, in Ohio. Later, I saw it listed in a Kruse auction [year ???] as lot #705. In April 2002 the car was again offered for sale in the Self-Starter for $365,000!  V16 enthusiast, James McLynas, contacted me in February 2008 and provided much of the historical background to this car.  Here are some excerpts from his long Email: "I was at the Concours d'Elégance at Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester Michigan in the late 80’s when this car was present and shown. It won an award that day and was introduced [wrongly] as THE New York Auto show car [actually, two V-16s were on display at the NY Salon in January 1930; one was a Fleetwood Madame X  landaulet, style #4108-C, the other was one of the six AUTHENTIC style 4264-B town broughams - NOT this conversion]   ... Back in the late 70’s I worked for Herb Brown who was commissioned by Dave Holtzman to replicate the New York show car from a clean, open front V-16 Towncar with a rounded rear roof design. The [donor] car was originally all black [as confirmed by the build sheet] and was in remarkable condition, including the original needlepoint interior [that the Ohio owner showed me, in 1994; the build-sheet shows that special trim as Wiese #3035, with needlepoint medallions] ... Herb had a master craftsman named Ron [Clark?] who did the actual body transformation. They had all of the original photos enlarged and made full size drawings (from the photos) of the body and roof. The original car was also converted to the "half coach" sill design during the transformation ... at the time I worked there I remember thinking how sad it was to cut apart that wonderful original car with its original paint [James believed the "donor" car might have been owned by the Wrigley Gum family; in fact it was the property of a West Virginia businessman - more below] ... I remember filing smooth those wonderful door handles that were recast out of solid brass. Ron had also replicated the lower running board compartment door chrome bezels out of solid brass too. One of my tasks was to sand the sheaths that were placed over the rear leaf springs ... Herb diligently worked on a replica of the original tool used to apply the cane-work. He only had pictures of the tool to work from. It was kind of like a cake-icer with wheels that would somehow squeeze the thick paint out of an orifice leaving it in a half-round configuration as it went along. The trick was laying the lines even and letting one line dry before applying others over it [regrettably, the "cane" was applied wrongly, with the double lines diagonally through the single lines instead of the opposite] ... The car was still in Herb's shop, off of Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills Michigan, when I left ... I remember feeling sad about the demise of the original open front V-16 towncar, a rare and desirable car in and of itself.  James believes - but is not 100% sure - that the donor car had the solid rear quarters (no rear windows); in fact the build sheet shows that it was most definitely one of the 14 Fleetwood style #4291 town cars built that year]. Late Extra [4/2008]: Thanks to V-16 sleuth, Chris Cummings, I learned that the car had been offered for sale in Hemmings Motor News, May 2008 (on-line version); no price was shown. The caption to the color photo read 1981 [1931?]  Cadillac Town Brougham - Cane Bodied Town Car, the most expensive V-16 produced, the only known example (the ad lists a phone number in Ohio). Even later [June, 2008]: Chris Cummings sent me a copy of the build-sheet he had got for the car, as well as a brief history of it. The original town car was ordered through Thackston Motor Co. of  Huntington, WV, on August 12, 1931 and delivered on October 8, 1931.  The buyer was Charles Wellington Watts, a prominent local figure. Mr.Watts was a successful business man. He had risen from bookkeeper to president of one of Huntington's leading wholesale houses. Born at Webster, OH, in 1867, he was the son of James M. and Nancy (Collis) Watts; his father, who had spent most of his active life in the iron industry at Jackson, OH, was a Virginia native and his mother was from Maryland. Charles was the second in a family of three children. He was schooled locally. In 1887, at the age of 20, he was keeping books for a firm at Point Pleasant, WV. The following year he came to Huntington where he was for two years bookkeeper for the Barlow-Henderson Company that was succeeded by Biggs, Watts & Company. In 1906, the company became the Watts-Ritter Company, wholesalers of dry goods, with Mr. Watts as president. He was a director of the First National Bank of Huntington and member of the executive committee; he was president also of the Blue Jay Manufacturing Company, overall manufacturers; he was vice-president of the Empire Furniture Company and a director of several other companies in Huntington. In 1895 he married a Miss Elizabeth Biggs, from KY; unfortunately, she died in 1904. He re-married in1916 to Ouida Caldwell, daughter of prominent Huntington banker and capitalist, James L. Caldwell. Ouida had completed her education at the Mary Baldwin Seminary, in Staunton, Virginia. The car had been purchased by Mr. Watts for his wife. The late "Cadillac Jim" Pearson of Kansas City, MO, was the next owner. When he sold it in 1962 to Dave Holzmann, it had a reported 12K miles on the odometer. The restoration was begun in the shop of Ray Jones, most of the work being done by Herb Brown, as reported above. Around 1969 the car was moved to LaSalle Body under the direction of Ron Clark. As work progressed, it was moved to Fran Roxas' shop in Chicago. The upholstery work is credited to Chris Nurstheimer [or Nierstheimer?]. The project was overseen by the late Dave Holls former GM Vice-President of design. The car was completed in 1988 in the shops of  Classic and Exotic Services, in Troy, MI, by Mr. Brian Joseph. Late extra [Jan. 2009]: These additional comments are from James McLynas who also got to work on this fabulous car: I read your updated account of the Fleetwood style #4264-B razor-back town brougham. What a wonderful read. I commend your efforts to compile the history of these fine cars. You stated "The restoration was begun in the shop of Ray Jones, most of the work being done by Herb Brown, as reported above. Around 1969 the car was moved to LaSalle Body under the direction of Ron Clark." A little more clarification to set the record straight. Yes, Ron Clark WAS the master craftsman that had overseen the reconstruction details of the conversion while I was at Herb's. I could not remember his last name until I read it in your article. He had a large mustache and was friendly, but a serious kind of guy. You stated below that around 1969 the car was moved to LaSalle Body under the direction of Ron Clark. Sorry, but there was no way that Herb Brown, Ron Clark OR Mr. Holtzman would have allowed LaSalle Body Shop to touch that car. LaSalle Body Shop was the shop that was right next door to Herb's shop and as Herb would say, they were "Cake Icers", which was a term used to describe body shops that would slather their cars with bondo and carve a wavy panel from the mess. It was a dusty, dirty typical production body shop and Herb or Ron would never have "supervised" any form of work done in those conditions. LaSalle’s only claim to old car expertise was a late 30’s 6-door woody airport limo that Herb said they had "butchered" and did look very rough that they would park out front for advertising. Herb's shop was behind the lighting fixture store next door to LaSalle behind a private gate. If you didn't know it was there you would never guess that there was a Bugatti or an Isotta Fraschini or a Stutz or this V-16 hiding behind those doors. Perhaps someone drove by and looked at the addresses and assumed that LaSalle was somehow involved in the restoration since the lighting store did not look like a restoration shop. The lighting store owner also had a black E-type that Herb would work on occasionally. Furthermore, I apprenticed at Herb’s shop from about 1977-1979. The town brougham was there the entire time, therefore it could not possibly have been at LaSalle’s in 1969. The bodywork was complete, the car was painted and the re-assembly was well under way with the chassis complete, the engine in place and running and all but the fenders hung on the car while I was there. The fenders were painted in Lacquer and had been hanging in the attic for over 8 years "curing" so that they would be rock hard for sanding and buffing. During that time we cut and fit the glass, made new handles and chrome fixtures for the car, fabricated the running board aprons, lower compartment doors and dash gauges and concentrated on general assembly. Work was VERY slow and methodical. If it did not come out absolutely perfect, it was started over. I hope this helps put the accurate pieces together for your historical record. Herb was connected to Barney Pollard and helped him work on several of his rare finds. But at the time I was with him he mainly worked on Mr. Holtzman's cars and a few others. Later still [March, 2012]: The car was offered at auction on Ebay  - by Peter's Motorcars, 4915 State Route 601, Norwalk, OH  44857 - with a starting bid of $635,000. The following excerpts from the vendor's description complements the preceding information:  1931 Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood 4264B Town Brougham. Open Front Town Car. The Cane Body Town Car. The most expensive of all V-16 Cadillac's ever produced of 4386 over 11 years. Classic Car Club of America Full Classic. Exceptional Automobile. Multiple Concours d'Elégance Winner. Many Best in Show Wins. The Only example [a recreation] known to exist. Cadillac built only three examples [as well as three more without the canework applied to the rear body]. Restored for David Holtzman by a Dream Team of Automotive Historians and Craftsmen, Over a period of twenty years. The team included Ray Jones, Herb Brown, Ron Clark, Chris Nurstheimer, and Brian Joseph. Under the direction of renowned Automotive Designers Fran Roxis [Roxas] and David Holls (Director of Corporate Design, General Motors Corporation. ) Mr. Holtzman wanted to restore a 4264B open front town car for many years. After an extensive search yielded no 4254B open front town car to restore, a 4291 open front town car was found and restored to 4264B open front town car standards. Chassis 703164 with Known Ownership History from new. This Cadillac was delivered 10-8-1931 as a early Christmas present for Mrs. Ouida Watts by her husband Charles Watts of Huntington West Virginia. Mr. Watts was a Capitalist involved with Coal, Banking, and Dry Goods. Copy of original build sheet from General Motors Historical Services ... Excellent road manners. Ready to drive and enjoy on the open road. Ready to wow the crowd at any show. As its resumé proves, 1994 Eyes on Classic Design: Best of Show, interior. 1996 Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance: “Most Elegant” trophy. 1998 Eyes on Design: Honored Coach Builder Class, Designer’s Choice Award. 2001 Eyes on Design: The Salon Experience, Designer’s Choice Award – Interior. 2002 Concours d’Elegance of the Eastern United States, Best Closed Award: pre 1940 and Anniversary Marquis Award: Cadillac. 2004 Cranbrook Concours d’Elegance: Sweet “16” Group. Ready for the next show today. This Cadillac was measured by Jo-Han Models David Low and is now [actually since the mid-60s] a 1/25 scale model kit. It is featured on the dust cover of Richard Burns Carson's "The Olympian Cars" [since 1976]. Walter M.P. McCall's "80 Years of Cadillac LaSalle" had this to say about the 4254B "Probably the most ostentatious Cadillac ever built." One of the Most important automobiles in existence.

    
Factory photos of Fleetwood town car style #4291 (left),  the donor car, and Fleetwood's town brougham style #4264-B with canework (right)
[ note that the buyer ordered the donor car in conservative black and specified   blackwall tires all round ]

Conversion work under way in the mid '60s   

             
The completed car in 1994
[  Photos (above two rows): © 1994, Yann Saunders ]

         
The converted car, as completed
[ Photos (left): Internet, (right)  © 1999, Steve Brown]

    
Unfortunately, the restorer applied the double French cane strips diagonally (left) instead of  vertically (right), per the manufacturer's recommended designs
At right (above) are samples of French cane in sizes "55" and "90" from the French L'Auto-Carrosserie (circa 1919)
When correctly applied, the double beads of paint lie horizontally and vertically, while the single bead runs diagonally through them

As offered on Ebay in March, 2012

         
[ Photo (centre): "horn" phone receiver, by chauffeur's left ear; (right) Umbrella receptacle on RH side of chauffeur's compartment ]

     
[ Photo (left): RH opera seat faces rear; LH one (not shown here) faces right; RH photo illustrates ceiling mounted package nets, silk roller blinds and small, oval backlight ]

    
The original seat back inserts, with the ornate  petit point motif
typical of this model, have been saved

    
Style of distributor cap suggests an earlier motor than VIN #703164;
we must assume that the original motor from car #4391 was replaced?
 

#47

702414

This 7-pass. limousine was shipped originally to London, UK, on July 21, 1930.  According to Rick LeForge, who kindly provided a "fingerprint" of the body tag he had taken in the fifties, the car later returned to the USA and was owned  at one time by a Mr. George Muddlestone. Rick described it is a "very good" car with RH drive.

#411
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703108

Nicknamed "Blue Boy", he car was owned formerly by "Cadillac Jim" Pearson of Kansas.  Now Ben LeForge, CA [CLC Directory, 2002]; Ben is the son of enthusiast-historian Rick LeForge.

#17

702246

This entry is based on the "fingerprint" that Rick Le Forge took of the car's body tag, back in the '50s. He mentioned that the engine might have been replaced. Late Extra (3/2010):  Interestingly, owner-enthusiast and impassioned V-16 researcher, Chris Cummings, informed me that a blue series "4376" coupe [the version with the straight sill] with black fenders and with this same engine number was owned by the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. It was reputed to have been owned formerly by singer/songwriter Neil Young. It had the optional V-16 step plates installed on the running boards. My curiosity having been piqued,  I went to the Museum's home page and cropped out the image below; I think this car has the curved or coach sill of style #4276, and not the straight, horizontal sill that would identify it as a "4376".  Of note is the fact that the Museum is closing its doors at the current location.  I wonder where they will  move the collection.  Latest (7/2010): Enthusiast Denis Lutman informed me that this car still resides in Maggie Valley in the museum Wheels Through Time. The museum has elected to stay there and is currently open. 

    
Left:I cropped this image from a larger one on the Museum's home page
Right: This photo was supplied kindly by a CLC member on the Club's "Message Forum"

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702261

This car was shipped to Buffalo, NY, on July 3, 1930. Formerly owned by the late "Cadillac Jim" Pearson of Kansas City, MO, it is included in Rick LeForge's list of survivors.   Apparently the body was destroyed; only the engine remains.

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702291

Nice original in white and black (originally all black), brought to my attention in October, 2004, by Norwegian enthusiast Kjell Kraakmo.

#54

702486

This one was first shipped to Portland, ME, on August 1, 1930.  It was later registered in California, some time in 1931. Rick LeForge sent a "fingerprint" of the body tag that he had made on a used car lot in California. A former owner was Dean Brown.

#71

702594

According to Rick LeForge, this car was shipped to Buffalo, NY, on August 14, 1930. Rick provided me with a "fingerprint" of the body tag that he took in the fifties.  Initially owned by a Mr. R. Blake, subsequent owners were Wayne Merriman and  Dean Brown. Info from Rick LeForge, 2009.

#32

703132

One of these was owned in July 1970 by William A. Johnson (SS, 7/70); it may have been sold to one of the other owners, below.

Thanks to Ross, in Perth, Australia, for this excellent shot

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Story in older CC (same car as above ?)

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E. Petter, FL [CLC Directory, 2002]

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700847

An entry like this one breaks my heart.   Only THREE of these beautiful, custom Fleetwood styles were built.  This one apparently was for a time in Mike McManus' wrecker's yard and broken up for parts !!! Info from Rick LeForge.

#13

703000

#14

703164