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Production of the sturdy little Cadillac
runabout and tonneau models continued in 1904. These were newly
designated Model A to differentiate them from the 1904 cars (above)
designated Model B, which got a smart,
new, dummy hood, providing ample storage for
tools and maintenance supplies as well as a package or two; optional
gearing was available (10-34, 10-38 or 10-45); the 1904 product brochure tells us that
this nippy little runabout
may be geared up until it is capable of speeds enough to satisfy the most
reckless driver!
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Original photo from the early part
of the twentieth century
Unlike the Model A,
the new Model B runabout was not convertible to a 4-passenger touring car with
the addition
of a removable tonneau; the Model B touring car was a completely new
catalog offering; the latter (as well as
the Surrey, below, both were convertible to 2-seater capacity by the removal of
the rear body and the addition
of a rear deck, supplied at a cost of only $10; tools, tire pump and repair kit were the
standard options;
the costly, brass gas lamps (seen here) had to be ordered from the manufacturer, Gray
and Davis
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Surviving Model B runabout (left) and
touring car (center and right)
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The party in the LH (period) photo are
showing off their "new" Cadillac Model B; the gent in the fancy
costume (far left) appears to be dressed up as "Sieur Cadillac" himself;
The couple in th RH photo are showing off this lovely survivor that belongs (2010) to Les
& Roberta Holden of NC; it could even be one
of the 2 cars at the
left?
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Possibly the same car,
50 years later (left) and 100 years later (center and right);
the car at far right is Cadillac #13 of a total production of 2498 units in 2003
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Two more survivors on color postcards
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A survivor at Pebble Beach, 2002
[ Possibly the car belonging to Peter Wysocki of Haworth, NJ ]
This lovely survivor is in Australia
[ Photo: courtesy "LaCad", magazine of the Australian CLC ]
Oddity
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This 1903-04 runabout has been updated
with the dummy hood from a 1905 Cadillac
Rarities
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Here are a couple of rare, period photos
showing family and business outings in a 1903-04 runabout with detachable
tonneau;
in the photos (center and right), I'm guessing the guy in the striped sweater
is the driver, the one on his left is possibly a mechnaic
and the two gentlemen in the rear tonneau probably are the (wealthy) owner and a
buisiness acquaintance
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[Left] A survivor photographed in the '50s
[Right] Possibly the same car, belonging to C.G. Moyer
who participated in the 1954 Glidden Tour
[ Photo from the tour ]
Trivia : In
February, 2005, the Centenary Dunlop Reliability Trial, held in Australia was won by a
1904 Cadillac runabout. The trial covered 500 miles in 4½ days and followed as closely as
possible the original route that had been set 100 years earlier [info: Mark Hewitt,
Sydney]
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