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Photo Pages
Cadillac

1935  

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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

1935 was a face-lift year for all Cadillac and La Salle models.  Take away those snazzy but delicate  bi-plane bumpers of 1934 and replace them with a broad single-bar type and, hey presto! Style-wise, the model range remained basically unchanged for the three year period, 1935-1937, hence I am grouping them on this page. On the individual photo pages for 1936 and 1937 you may view also some colored images of these basic models, carried through for three years.

In 1935, all Series designations were changed although I don't believe that would suffice to dispel the buyer's idea that he was getting a warmed over "last year's model".

The 1935 models continued (since 1930) to be offered in V-8, V-12 and V-16 configuration, with "V"-type as well as flat windshields. Only the V-8 and V-12 styles are illustrated in this section.  The La Salle and V-16 production models for 1935, 1936 and 1937 may be viewed elsewhere in these pages [click on the underlined text]. 

Potential buyers were told that The motor car mode is established by Cadillac ... we sincerely believe that the 1935 Cadillac V-8, with its many new refinements and improvements ... with its unmistakable leadership in style ... and its low new price ... is without question the most exceptional fine car value of the year. Safety was enhanced in the Fisher-bodied V-8 models, starting this year, with the introduction of the "turret top", stamped out from a single piece of steel; the Fleetwood-bodied cars, including the V-12 and V-16 models followed suit later.

Sales promotion this year was very low key;  to my knowledge there were no full-color catalogs nor any folders depicting the "new" models.   I have seen three different sales brochures, all in B&W, although one of them, covering the V-8 Series 10 and 20, does have a two-tone cover.

The apparent plethora of "different" models offered on the books is impressive (six  Series 10, seven Series 20, eighteen Series 30,  eighteen Series 40, five Series 50 (LaSalle) and twenty-five Series 90, providing buyers with an apparent  choice of SEVENTY-NINE "different" models.  In fact, many of these were identical in sheet metal, most "differences" being in the wheel base (120", 128", 136", 146 and 154"), the power plant   (straight-eight, V8, V12 or V16 motors) and in thevarying luxury of the iuterior trimmings.

 

The old Fleetwood Body Works, in Fleetwood, PA from 1936 The Book of Fleetwood Metal fabrication (metalling) under way in the Fleetwood shops

 

Illustrations herein, from marketing literature of the time, are complemented with photos of designer's drawings from the factory archives as well as photos of survivors, from my own and other collections. Unfortunately, illustrations of many models are still missing. Considering the number of different models offered, in so many series, this is not surprising.  In addition, a given style that was offered on the V-8 chassis was available also on the V-12 and V-16 chassis and looked identical, with the exception of the model badges. In 1935 and 1936, the various power plants were identified by a small, rectangular plate at the forward end of the hood, just ahead of the lateral vent openings. The V8 badge on Fisher-bodied cars has a red background and is marked "CADILLAC" [above] and "MOTORS" [below]; on Fleetwood models it is yellow;. The V12 plate [Fleetwood bodies] has a black background; again, the markings were "CADILLAC" and "FLEETWOOD".  The V16 plate is red; there was no need for any other markings!

Without access to the preceding ID badges, it would be impossible to distinguish between a V-8 and V-12 model without raising the engine hood.  Therefore, in the illustrations below, the power plant is indicated only if the document was properly identified or if the particular car is known to me.

The easiest way to distinguish the 1935 V-8 and V-12 models from the rest is by looking at the front grille and bumper combination.  As may be seen in the background images, the Veed radiator grille is raked back and divided by one vertical and five horizontal bars.

Additional information on the 1935 through 1937 models and the related sales literature may be found  in The Cadillac Database© sections entitled "Descriptions and Specifications of Cadillac Cars 1932 - 1937",  "Cadillac and La Salle Sales Literature 1935 - 1939",   "Dream Cars of 1933 - 1936" and "Professional Cars of 1933-1936".

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].

I have a copy of an old Cadillac price list, from the Detroit Public Library, dated January 5, 1935; the following listing of the Cadillac V-8 and V-12 models is based on it, as also on the Master Parts List and on the 1936 Book of Fleetwood.  In the absence of production figures for 1935, itemized by model/style number, the cars are listed in ascending order of their initial cost ...which does not necessarily compare with their current value nor desirability!

 

Series 10, Body by Fisher
128"  wheel base chassis

 

Series 10, V-8 convertible coupe, style #35-718, list price $2445         Superb survivors found on Internet

 

 

Series 10, V-8 town coupe for 5 passengers, style #35-722, list price $2495 [there was no town coupe in any other Series]

 

 

Series 20, V-8, Body by Fisher
136" wheel base chassis

 

Series 20, V-8 imperial limousine for75 passengers, style #>>>>, list price $2945

 

Series 20, V-8 convertible sedan for 5 passengers, style #35-671, list price $2955; survivor (right) may be a V12 model [not sure] Convertible Sedan survivor [ Photo: Internet, 2013 ]

      

Series 30, V-8, Body by Fleetwood
[cars with flat windshield]
146" wheel base chassis

 

Series 30, V-8, Body by Fleetwood
[cars with "V" or flat windshield]
146" wheel base chassis

 

Series 40, V-12, Body by Fleetwood (1935)
[ cars with flat windshield ]
146" wheel base chassis

 

Series 40, V-12, Body by Fleetwood (1935)
[ with "V" windshield ]
146" wheel base chassis

 

Sedan for 7 passengers, style #5775-S [or #5875-S], list price $4595

 

Convertible coupe, with auxiliary seating for 2, style #5735 [or #5835], list price $4745

 

 

 

Details

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© 1996, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.
[ Background image:  1935 Cadillac front clip from two different angles ]