Cadillac Model 30

The Cadillac Model 30 was introduced in 1908 and remained in production until September of 1914. When first introduced, the Model Thirty sold for $1400 and available as a three-passenger Roadster, 2-door Demi-Tonneau with seating for four, or a two-door, five passenger Tourer.

The wheelbase was 106-inches and powered by a 226.2 cubic-inch engine with five main bearings. There were three forward gears with a selective sliding transmission and a reverse gear. Mechanical brakes were on the rear wheels.

In 1910, the cost of the Model 30 increased to $1600. Additional body styles were added to the lineup, including a limousine and coupe.

For 1911, the cost continued to increase, now reaching a base of $1700. A Torpedo and four-door Touring body style was added.

In 1912, the base price increased another $100 and by 1913 the price was just under $2000.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2007Cadillac's first vehicles were single-cylinder vehicles that offered reasonable power and durability. The single-cylinder engine would stay in production for six years. The third year of Cadillac production, a four-cylinder engine was introduced offering slightly more horsepower allowing for larger and heavier bodies to be fitted on the chassis. In 1905 the Model D featured seating for five and powered by a massive 300 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine attached to a wheelbase that measured 100-inches. Only 156 examples were produced this year of the Model D, and accounted for only a small percentage of Cadillac's annual production, reaching around 4000 units. Nevertheless, the large and powerful engines in Cadillac's arsenal would continue to foster, growing into a sixteen-cylinder unit by the early 1930s.

In 1906 Cadillac offered two models with four-cylinder engines, the Model L and the Model H. The engines displaced 393 cubic-inches and provided ample amounts of power and torque. The following year, Cadillac introduced the Model G, which was a simpler version of the Model L and H. It had a 226.2 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine which produced 20 horsepower and rested on a wheelbase that was the same size as the Model D, and two inches shorter than the Model H. The Model H sold for $2400 to $3600 while the Model G, in all three bodystyles, sold for $2000.

For 1908, production of the Model G reached 1,030 units which accounted for 40-percent of Cadillac's annual total.

For 1909, Cadillac offered only one model, the Model 30, named for its 30 horsepower engien. It was a refined version of the Model G that rested on a longer wheelbase and offered only in open body styles. Its price tag was around two-thirds that of the price of the Model G. The public approved, buying nearly six times as many cars as Cadillac's annual production total in 1908.

The Model 30 was offered in three bodystyles consisting of a demi-tonneau, a tourer, and a roadster. The demi-tonneau had a detachable tonneau which could be converted to a runabout, greatly adding to the appeal and versatility of the vehicle. A windshield was optional equipment; when ordered it was attached to a wood dashboard fitted over the cowl. Closed bodystyles returned in 1910 in the form of a coupe and limousine.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007