1912 Cadillac Model 30 Touring

This thirty-horsepower, four-cylinder vehicle with a bore and stroke of 4.5-inch by 4.5-inch was built with a selective sliding gear transmission and was delivered at a cost of $1,890. The vehicle was capable of cruising at the rate of 40 to 45 miles per hour but a lack of quality roads precluded this ability, and in 1912, the British observer F.A. Talbot stated that the Model 30 was, 'a favorite amongst British motorists...(and)...refined and reliable as money could make them.' The 116-inch wheelbase Model 30 became one of the most sought-after vehicles for sheer reliability. This is the first vehicle to use the electric starter designed by Charles Kettering in his humble Ohio workshop, called the Dayton Electric Company. Offered to Henry Leland, President of Cadillac Motor Cars, this unique unit was designed with four 6-volt batteries which operate and are charged by the vehicle's generator. When starting the car, the parallel wiring of the batteries is mechanically changed to a series circuit producing 24 volts for the starting motor. Called a 'world wonder,' and advertised as 'The car that has no crank,' the electric starter became a most valuable asset making Cadillac the....Standard of the World!

Cadillac, which was acquired by General Motors in 1908, launched the Model 30 in 1908, the year that the company adopted its famous 'Standard of the World' slogan. All previous models were dropped, and the 'Thirty' became Cadillac's sole offering from August 1908 through September 1914. The Thirty's great contribution to automotive history came about because of a tragic incident that occurred during the winter of 1910. A woman motorist had stalled her Cadillac on a bridge to Belle Isle, MI. A dear friend of Cadillac head Henry Leland cranked the car, but it kicked back and the handle flew off, seriously injuring Leland's friend, who later died of complications from the injury. Leland was devastated and announced that an alternative to the crank had to be found. Electrical engineer Charles F. Kettering developed an electrical self-starter, and the 1912 Model 30 Cadillac was the first car to be fitted with both electric starting and lighting - the famous 'Delco' system.

This thirty-horsepower, four-cylinder engine with a bore and stroke of 4.5 by 4.5-inch was built with a selective type sliding gear transmission and was delivered at a cost of $1,890. The vehicle is capable of cruising at a rate of 40 to 45 miles per hour in a day when roads were in their mere infancy.

This is the first vehicle to use the electric starter designed by Charles Ketting, of Dayton, Ohio. His business would become a household name (Dayton Electric Company) and the electric starter (known as a 'World Wonder') revolutionized the car industry setting women behind the wheel of what would otherwise be a difficult car to start by hand cranking the engine. Cadillac was truly as their logo declared, 'Standard of the World!'

This Cadillac has the first-year Dayton Electric Company (DELCO) electric starting system designed by Charles Kettering. Recently, it was in a private collection in Florida. It previously belonged to another collector, C.E. Bradshaw, also of Florida, from the 1970s until 2006. The car was shown at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in the 100 Years of General Motors Class. It was also shown at the Ault Park Concours where it won Best in Class. It has also been displayed at the 2012 Cadillac Grand National.