[ last update: 02.16.2014 ]

The (new) Cadillac Database^©

Photo Pages
Cadillac

1930

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Unless otherwise specified all photos and illustrations are from Yann Saunders'
collection of Cadillac photos, advertisements and product catalogs,
reproduced courtesy of the Cadillac Motor Car Division and the Cadillac-LaSalle Club

 

What Cadillac enthusiast would not have loved to have been around - with plenty of money - in 1930 and 1931.  Can you imagine being able to visit the local Cadillac dealership and choose among some one hundred-and-forty different¹ models?

Such was the good fortune of those who had been able to keep their fortune ...after the Wall Street crash of October 1929.

Potential Cadillac buyers were confronted with a bewildering   array of models.  There were fifteen different offerings on the La Salle chassis alone (the Series 340), four of them by Fleetwood.   On the Cadillac V-8 chassis (the Series  353), there was a choice of seven different models by Fisher and fourteen special custom by Fleetwood.  On the new V-16 chassis introduced in January 1930 and built through February, 1932 (the Series 452-452A), Fisher and Fleetwood together built more than eighty different styles including thirty one-of-a-kind creations (twelve of them by Fisher and nineteen more by Fleetwood).  Finally, with the fall, came the new V-12 chassis (the Series 370) with eleven bodies each by Fisher and Fleetwood.  You do the addition! It puts to shame today's choice of only 5-6 Cadillac models!

These were the days all right ... if you had moolah!

     
Original 1930 model and pricing information (Canadian prices, right)

 

Each model Series had its own ID badge mounted on a curved stanchion between the two headlights. There were other obvious differences between them, including the design of the engine hood, body sills design, tail-lights, wheel caps, etc.

This page illustrates only the 1930 Cadillac models built on the V-8 chassis (the Series 353 - so named because of the volumetric displacement of the engine, measured in cubic inches).  For information and pictures of other 1930-31 cars (e.g. the La Salle and V-16), please refer to the appropriate Database pages linked above.

Once again the easiest way to identify 1930 Cadillac V-8 models is by the front grille ID badge (below, left) and the many vertical hood louvers stretching between the radiator shroud and the cowl (below, right); the 1929 models had fewer of these louvers, starting about midway back from the radiator).

Left: front grille badge of 1930 V-8 models Right: Cover of one 1930 product catalog

 

According to one of the sales catalogs put out that year, "Outwardly, the new cars are identified by a bold, straight-line moulding treatment from the radiator casing to the rear quarter, unbroken by cowl band or door pillars - by a wider expanse of radiator, flanked by larger headlamps; by a slightly sloping windshield with short, cadet-type visor; and by a trimly tailored valance across the rear of the car". Rear seats also were 4" wider than in previous Cadillac models, allowing three adults to share it without crowding.

Additional information on the 1930 Cadillac models and the related sales literature may be found  in The (New) Cadillac Database© sections entitled "Descriptions and Specifications of Cadillac Cars 1922 - 1931",  "Cadillac and La Salle Sales Literature 1930 - 1934"and "Dream Cars of 1930 - 1932".  Further recommended reading includes:

The "Standard Catalog of Cadillac, 1903-2000" edited by James T. Lenzke, © 2000, published by Krause Publications, Inc., 700 E. State Street, Iola, WI 54990 [ISBN #0-87341-925-1, Library of Congress #91-61301].

For this graphic presentation of the new, V-8 models for 1930 I have divided them, into two groups, below:  (a) the entry-level cars with nonetheless excellent coachwork by Fisher and (b) the more luxurious models with special custom bodies by Fleetwood. Some photos of surviving cars are interspersed with original factory photos and drawings.
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¹   By "different" models I mean those assigned a distinctive or individual job or style number by Fisher or Fleetwood

 

Bodies by Fisher
[7 styles]

The B&W artist's renderings, below, are from the 1930 catalog entitled "New Interpretations of Motoring Luxury" of which part of the cover page serves as the background image for this page.  They are listed in ascending order of their list price

Fisher style #30-158 coupe for 2 passengers List price: $3,295 (weight 4,955 lbs)

 

 

Fisher style #30-172 coupe for 5 passengers List price: $3,295  (weight 4,945 lbs) Photo:  Self Starter

 

Fisher style #30-162 sedan for 7 passengers List price: $3,795  (weight 5,170 lbs)

 

Fisher style #30-163 limousine for 7 passengers List price: $3,995  (weight 5,210 lbs) Illustration from 1930 product catalog

 

  Bodies by Fleetwood
[14 special custom styles]

Although each of these bodies carried its own, specific job number, they were identified in merchandising literature by a fancy-sounding name beginning with "Fleet...", all reminiscent of bucolic (if imaginary) English hamlets: Fleetdowns, Fleetway, Fleetwind, Fleetdene, Fleetmere, Fleetdale, Fleetwick, Fleetcrest and Fleetbourne; (in  addition, on the La Salle chassis, were also the Fleetcliff, Fleetlands and Fleetshire models); in fact, the cover of each folder in the large, prestige, Fleetwood color portfolio for 1930 carries an art-deco drawing of typical English country scenes. Similar scenes are painted in the 1930 catalog "The Picture Book of Cadillac".

All these bodies, and more, were available also on the V16 chassis (Series 452-452A) in 1930 and 1931; however, none of the fancy "Fleet..." names were used.  I guess the copywriters would have been hard pressed to find fifty or more  of these fancy names for the numerous new styles available.  The V-8 bodies were mounted also on the new V12 chassis (Series 370), starting in September 1930, but there is no reference to these "Fleet..." names in any of the V-12 literature I have seen.  Of course, the V-12, Series 370, was essentially a 1931 model, although it made its first appearance in October, 1930.

The artist's drawings below are from the extremely rare, and [today] very costly prestige color portfolio of Fleetwood styles on Cadillac and La Salle chassis for 1930. I have seen pristine examples offered for sale in recent years in the $2000-2500 range! To illustrate this page of the Database, I was fortunate to be able to borrow a magnificent example from a fellow literature collector in Washington, D.C. , Mr. Taylor Vinson. 

Only the basic selection of Fleetwood styles is shown here, where possible in ascending order of list price.  There were many more variations on these basic themes; indeed, Fleetwood catered to individual desires and would frequently build-to-order for its moneyed clients.

 

 

Fleetwood custom style #4150, all-weather phaeton In his excellent book, Fleetzwood - the Company and the Coach Craft, author James Schild includes for 1930 a custom Fleetwood style #3350 All-Weather phaeton, which I assume to be similar to this model,  but was mounted on a chassis with a wheelbase of  152 inches, as was 1928 Fleetwood style #3208-C, below; two more Fleetwood town car designs were mounted on that long chassis (styles #3412 and #3435); these used for the Series 341-B production of 1928 as well as the Series 353 in 1930

 

Fleetwood custom style #4160 Phaeton

 

Fleetwood custom style #4160A Phaeton

 

Fleetwood custom style #4160B Phaeton

 

Fleetwood custom style #4161 sedan cabriolet [ NOT BUILT ] This is a modified version of the original Fleetwood style #4161 (above); it was built on the V-16 chassis in 1930-31, with and without chauffeur division; it had a straight sill, flat slanting windshield and belongs to the "Madame X" group of closed V-16s Fleetwood had built a similar style, but with landaulet roof  (#3208-C) in 1929, on a chassis with 152" wheel base, reportedly "for a prominent motor-car official"  (Alfred P. Sloan, Larry   Fisher, Harley Earl - who knows?) I believe that car was shown at the 1929 Paris Salon and became known as the "French Brougham"

 

Fleetwood custom style #4164 Town Brougham [NONE BUILT ] This modified version of Fleetwood style #4164 was mounted on the 1930 sixteen-cylinder chassis; it was numbered 4264-B]

 

Fleetwood custom style #4176 Coupe [ NONE BUILT ]

 

Fleetwood custom style #4185 Convertible Victoria [ NONE BUILT ]        This is a similar but modified version of the original Fleetwood style #4161 (above); two units were built on the V-16 chassis in 1930-31

 

Mystery Cars This model is  described as a "dual-cowl phaeton"; Cadillac usually described an open car with secondary, folding cowl as a "sport phaeton"; this lovely image is printed on silk and featured on a "kitschy" birthday greeting card I got from Gita, some twenty years ago This is an older, color PC and probably shows a museum car

 

 

Details

From L-R:  (1) Thermostatic radiator shutters, (2) the 1930 V-8 instrument board, (3) folding trunk rack      (Left) 1930, 353ci V-8 engine,  (right)   ¾-floating rear axle     Two different restored instrument panels for 1930

 

 

Dropping the engine onto the chassis Manufacturer's body plate

 

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© 1996, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.
[ Background image:  ¾-front view of a 1930 Cadillac V-8 sedan, the Series 353 ]