1912 Cadillac Model 30 Touring

A refined version of the Model G, produced in 1907 and 1908, was called the Model 30 and it was Cadillac's sole offering in 1909. It was given a longer wheelbase and offered only in open-body styles. Its price tag was about two-thirds that of the Model G and it sold nearly six times as many cars as all 1908 Cadillacs combined.

The Model 30 was available as a roadster, a tourer, and a demi-tonneau. The Tonnea had a detachable tonneau and could be transformed into a runabout. The roadster and demi-tonneau had a sweeping cowl that presaged 'torpedo' styling. A windshield could be ordered and affixed to a wood dashboard fitted over the cowl.

In 1910, closed bodies, a coupe and a limousine were added to the Cadillac lineup. The following year, Cadillac gave the 'Model 30' a longer wheelbase. The Cadillacs would remain mostly unchanged through 1914, and were sold as simply 'Cadillac.'

In 1912, the automotive market took a giant leap forward with the introduction of electric starting and lighting. This Delco system, developed by engineer Charles Kettering, was not the first electric starter, but it was much smaller and simpler than previous efforts and thus more practical.

The 1912 Cadillac electric starter system used four six-volt batteries connected in series for 24-volt starting, while lighting and accessories ran at six volts.

This particular Five-Passenger Touring was shipped on March 30, 1912, to the Horton Motor Company in Mayville, North Dakota. The original owner is not known; it apparently stayed in town, for that's where John Talcott Sr. found it in 1958. Mr. Talcott had it shipped to Talcottville, Connecticut. It was transported by railroad boxcar. Upon arrival, Mr. Talcott had it repainted from the original blue and registered. It was inherited by his son John Jr., but it had not been exhumed from storage until recently.

The car still wears the black and green 1958 paint scheme, and its black leather upholstery appears to be original. The paint has white pinstriping. There is a black canvas top, and electric headlamps are by Gray and Davis and have amber lenses. The instrumentation is sparse, comprising only of a speedometer, which shows fewer than 65,000 miles, and a Phinney-Walker keyless clock. The tires are Firestone 36x4½ Non-Skid blackwalls. The engine is a 286.3 cubic-inch four-cylinder unit rated at 32.4 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission and two-wheel mechanical brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2015