1930 Cadillac Series 452A V16 Transformable Town Cabriolet

A Supremely Elegant Town Car
This town car has a standard Fleetwood body, style number 4312, of which only 24 were produced. Designated as a chauffeur-driven five-passenger car, it has a pair of folding opera seats in the forward tonneau. The elegant lines are set off by the rare slanted, split 'V' windshield. Typically, cars of this period had vertical windshields, which looked much more slaid. The original price was $7,0000.

As in other Fleetwood cars, the V-16's open chauffeur's compartment is upholstered in finely-grained leather. All doors on this Fleetwood body open from the front. The fine car market was stunned by Cadillac's introduction of the V-16. The competition scrambled to keep up in the cylinder race, often to their economic detriment, at the height of the Depression.

The V-16 was an engineering tour-de-force. The 45-degree cylinder angle and overhead valves kept the engine very narrow. This was the first 'styled' engine compartment, reputed to be the result of a Harley Earl mandate to match the exterior of the car. It featured hidden wiring and linkages, porcelain-coated manifolds, and brushed, ribbed aluminum valve covers.

First restored in 1992, this elegant car is considered one of the finest examples of a Cadillac V-16 extant. It was recently acquired by the present owner.

This V-16 Cadillac is one of 35 Transformable Town Cabriolets built (style number 4325) with bodywork created in Fleetwood's factory works in Pennsylvania. It has Fleetwood's Vee'd windscreen and matching trim molding along the spine of the hoodline. The Cadillac was delivered new to New York City's Uppercu Cadillac Company, and by 1946, it was registered in Los Angeles, California to J.R. Adams.

When 'Cadillac Jim' Pearson of Kansas City, Missouri, sold the car to Fred Weber, it was still an original and unrestored vehicle. While in Mr. Weber's care, the car was given a restoration with the work entrusted to Marc Ohm. Upon completion, it was shown at the 1993 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it earned a class award.

The car's next owner was John McMullen of Lapeer, Michigan, who would display it at CCCA competitions, where it would earn a top score of 99.5 points and Senior Emeritus status in 2006. It later won Best in Class awards at the Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance and Eyes on Design.

The penultimate owner purchased the car in 2007 and entrusted RM Auto Restoration to overhaul the V-16 engine. The present owner purchased the car early in 2022.

This Cadillac is powered by a 452 cubic-inch overhead valve V-16 with twin Updraft Cadillac carburetors and delivers 185 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. There is a three-speed synchromesh manual transmission, four-wheel vacuum-assisted drum brakes, and solid axles suspended by semi-elliptic leaf springs.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2023