[ last update: 01.10.2014 ]

The (new) Cadillac Database©

The Power Plants

Cadillac engines with
1, 4, 8, 12 and 16 cylinders


Return to The (New) Cadillac Database© Index Page
or go back to the "Miscellaneous" index page

 

Frflag.jpg (773 bytes)
(le résumé en français se trouve en bas de page)

 

This page is devoted to the various power plants of the Cadillac automobile from 1902 until the present.  I have not had time to add the basic technical specifications (bore, stroke, capacity) of all these engines; some of them may be found in the annual model descriptions and specifications pages (click here for the index page). Others, as well as representative engine photos, may be added here in due course with help from any experts out there on Cadillac power plants (my expertise, unfortunately, is limited to general Cadillac history and body styling).

 

One Cylinder
[ 1902-1908/09 ]

 

The single-cylinder engine
1902-1908

[ 5x5 inches, 98.2 cu.in. ]

ENG1902.JPG (5679 bytes)
Known as Little Hercules, the first Leyland-designed
single-cylinder engine ably powered these Cadillacs:

the 1902-1903 cars [no model name or letter given]
and (starting in 1904) the Models A, B, C, E, F, K, M, S and T

 

 

Four Cylinders
[ 1909-1914 ]

 

The four-cylinder engine
1905

Models D and H

[ 4x5 inches, 300.7 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

The modified four-cylinder engine
1906

Model L

[ 5x5 inches, 392.7 cu.in. ]

Eng04a.jpg (10657 bytes)
The beautiful, copper-clad 4-cylinder engine of some Cadillac models
built  from 1905 through 1909 and all Cadillac cars from 1910 through 1914:
Models D, G, H, L, Thirty (of 1909-1911) and  Models 1912, 1913, 1914

 

The modified four-cylinder engine
1907-1909

Model G,   Model Thirty

[ 4x4½ inches, 226 cu.in. ]

09mtr2.jpg (7059 bytes)
RH side view of 1909 4-cyl. engine

 

The modified four-cylinder engine
1910

Model Thirty

[ 4¼x4½ inches, 255.3 cu.in. ]

10mtr3.jpg (5822 bytes)    eng10.JPG (7952 bytes)    12engRH.jpg (8314 bytes)
Left: front view of 1910 engine with crankcase off

Center: sparkling, restored 1910 engine
Right: RH side of 1912 engine

 

The modified four-cylinder engine
1911-1912

Model Thirty and Cadillac 1912

[ 4½x4½ inches, 286.3 cu.in. ]

eng12b.jpg (8599 bytes)    eng10.JPG (7952 bytes)

 

 

The modified four-cylinder engine
1913-1914

Cadillac 1913 and 1914

[ 4½x5¾ inches, 365.8 cu.in. ]

13eng.jpg (8504 bytes)
The 4-cylinder engine of a restored 1913 Cadillac touring car

 

 

Eight Cylinders in Line
[ 1934-1936 ]

 

The in-line eight, or straight eight engine
used in La Salle models
1934-1936

ENG36LS8.JPG (5714 bytes)    ENGLS36.JPG (7457 bytes)

   ls34engn.jpg (7696 bytes)
These straight 8 engine power the La Salles of 1934-1936

 

 

Eight Cylinders in a "Vee"
"L-head" (side valves)
[ 1915-1948 ]

 

The eight-cylinder V-8 engine
1915-1927

Types 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, V-63 and Series 341

[ 31/8x51/8 inches, 314 cu.in. ]

FRSTV8A.JPG (6613 bytes)    15v8eng.jpg (7305 bytes)     19viccu3.jpg (7511 bytes)
Left and center: the first V8 engine - 1915
[ Photo, right:  © 2000, Yann Saunders ]

Right: RH front bird's-eye view of 1919 survivor

P25chas.jpg (7286 bytes)
1925 Cadillac chassis with V-8 engine

 

The modified eight-cylinder V-8 engine
1928-1929

Series 341 and 341B

[ 35/16x415/16 inches, 341 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

The modified eight-cylinder V-8 engine
1930-1935

Series 353, 355, 355B, 355C, 355D and Series 10

[ 33/8x415/16 inches, 353 cu.in. ]

ENG30V8.JPG (6113 bytes)
The 1930 V-8 engine, Series 353

 

The modified eight-cylinder V-8 engine
1936

Series 60

[ 33/8x4½ inches, 322 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

The modified eight-cylinder V-8 engine
1936-1948

Series 60, 60S, 61, 62, 63, 65, 67, 70, 72, 75
[ not all Series were represented each year from 1936-1948 ]

[ 3½x4½ inches, 346 cu.in. ]

ENG36CAD.JPG (7015 bytes)    ENG36-48.JPG (6344 bytes)     War_eng.jpg (6420 bytes)
The L-head V-8 remained basically unchanged
from 1936 up to 1948, including tank use in WW2 (right)

Eng_crst.jpg (5704 bytes)    orgboring.jpg (6386 bytes)
Left: engine in medallion, from the 1939 Cadillac product catalog
Right: checking cylinder bores in the mid-thirties

[ this original 1947 photo was found in an old album that the factory had discarded;
recovered in a dumpster in MI,  the album was subsequently sold on e-Bay in 2003 ]

 

 

Twelve Cylinders
[ 1930-1937 ]

 

The twelve-cylinder V-12 engine
1930-1937
Series 370/370A, 370B, 370C, 370D and Series 40, 80, 85

[ 31/8x4 inches, 368 cu.in. ]

ENGV230.JPG (5883 bytes)    EN123537.JPG (7888 bytes)
Left: this engine remained basically unchanged throughout the ten years it was in use
Right: shown with large air cleaners, from 1935-1937

 

 

Sixteen Cylinders
[ 1930-1940 ]

 

The sixteen-cylinder V-16 engine
1930-1937

Series 452/452A, 452B, 452C, 452D and Series 60 and 90

[ 3x4 inches, 452 cu.in. ]

V6eng3.jpg (18737 bytes)
The grand sixteen-cylinder engine of 1930-31
[ I seem to have lost the captions that go with this image! ]

Env6demo.jpg (6306 bytes)
Original NY Salon show demo engine

V16DISPA.JPG (8877 bytes)    V16DISPC.JPG (6898 bytes)     v6demoEng.jpg (6515 bytes)

V16DISPD.JPG (6374 bytes)    V16DISPB.JPG (7032 bytes)    FRSTV8B.JPG (6242 bytes)

V16dispEng.jpg (7197 bytes)    v6_eng2.jpg (5910 bytes)
This is V-16 engine #700425; it has been offered
for sale on Ebay a number of times in the last 8 years

V6dist30.JPG (5146 bytes)    v16distr34.jpg (6598 bytes)
(Left) Early, streamlined distributor (1930)
(Right) Regular distributor design from mid-1930 to 1937

V6eng01.jpg (9165 bytes)

V637eng.jpg (8027 bytes)    ENGV234.JPG (8097 bytes)
Above two rows:  the 1933 V-16 engine (top photo shows it with the cylinder heads off)

Env6demo.jpg (6306 bytes)    V16demo.jpg (6536 bytes)    v6demoEng.jpg (6184 bytes)
Three demo engines from the 1930-1933 salons

 v634ken4.jpg (5570 bytes)    v6shap1.jpg (6391 bytes)    V6eng.JPG (7198 bytes)
Survivors of 1932-1934

  

 

The new sixteen-cylinder V-16 engine
1938-1940

Series 90

[ 3¼x3¼ inches, 431 cu.in. ]

v6engn.jpg (6165 bytes)    V638chas.jpg (15235 bytes)
The 1938 V-16 chassis and engine

v6_38eng.jpg (8411 bytes)    v640det3.jpg (8281 bytes)    3840V6mo.jpg (17883 bytes)    v638_engS2.jpg (13224 bytes)    v639TnSdeng.jpg (8909 bytes)   

 

 

Modern Times

Eight Cylinders in a "Vee"
"OHV" (overhead valves)
[ 1949-up to the present ]

 

The new eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1949- 1955

Series 61, 62, 60S, 75
[ not all Series were represented each year from 1949-1955 ]

[ 313/16x35/8 inches, 331 cu.in. ]

49ENGNA.jpg (6416 bytes)    49ENGNB.jpg (7524 bytes)
New, high-compression OHV engine starting in 1949

53engPho2.jpg (6069 bytes)
LH side view of the 1953 power plant

 

The modified eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1956-1958

Series   60S, 62, 70, 75
[ not all Series were represented each year from 1949-1955 ]

[ 4x35/8 inches, 365 cu.in. ]

Eng56Eld2.jpg (7416 bytes)
The Eldorado engine for 1956
[ Photo: © 2008, Jeff Hansen ]

 

The modified eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1959-1963

Series   60S, 62, 63, 64, 67, 69 [ex-75] and 70
[ not all Series were represented each year from 1959-1963 ]

[ 4x37/8 inches, 390 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

The modified eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1964-1967

Series   60S, 62, 63, 67, Calais, de Ville and Fleetwood
[ not all Series or model designations were represented each year from 1964-1967 ]

[ 41/8x31/10 inches, 429 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

The modified eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1968-1969

Calais, de Ville and Fleetwood Series

[ 4.30x4.06 inches, 472 cu.in. ]

p68engn.jpg (4902 bytes)    eng_gold.jpg (7738 bytes)
The 1968 V-8 engine [...and demo model, right]

 

 

The modified eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1970-1976

Calais, de Ville and Fleetwood Series

[ 4.30x4.304 inches, 500 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

The new eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine
1970-1976

Seville Series

[ 4.057x3.385 inches, 350 cu.in. ]

 

[ image ? ]

 

Inputs, modifications, corrections and engine photos are eagerly sought to complete this page, up to and including the years 2002-03 (Cadillac's 100th Anniversary year)

 

e.g.

 

The Cadillac diesel engines

 

The infamous HT-4100, V4 - 6 - 8 engine

enHT4100.jpg (8526 bytes)    v8-6-4.jpg (8285 bytes)

 

Others ???

e.g.

 

 

The "Northstar"
1991-up

93NOSTAR.JPG (8551 bytes)
Vortec 5300 (2001, 5.30 Northstar V8 LM7 with electronic throttle control)
2002 345HP Vortec 6000 V8

 

 

"100th Anniversary Sixteen"
Detroit Motor Show, 2003

 

ENG03V16.JPG (6905 bytes)    05Sixteen2.jpg (7490 bytes)
(Left)  Experimental V-16 engine for 2003 prototype Sixteen
(Right) The power plant, as installed in the car for the 2003 Detroit Motor Show

16engines2.jpg (8899 bytes)
A "Sixteen" of the thirties on display
beside the "New Millennium Sixteen", in 2003

 

 

Experimental Engines

 

67v12.jpg (8649 bytes)
Experimental V-12 engine from 1967
exhibited in Cadillac Museum, Warren, MI

 

 

Marine Engines

 

    
These are from the mod-50s and were used
(inter alia) on Italian-made Riva boats

    

 

 

 

 

 

Frflag.jpg (773 bytes)
(résumé en français)

Cette page est consacrée aux divers moteurs qui ont équipé les automobiles Cadillac
de 1902 à nos jours. Texte et autres dessins et photos viendront progressivement s'y ajouter.

 

 

Return to The (New) Cadillac Database© Index Page
or go back to the "Miscellaneous" index page

 

© 1999, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.
[ Background image: one cylinder and  sixteen cylinder Cadillac engine exhibit, 1934 ]