1930 Cadillac Series 452A V16 Roadster

The first owner of this Roadster by Fleetwood was Floyd E. Becker who placed the order on January 2nd of 1930. His order requested the V-16 roadster with map pockets in the doors, a top made of the same shape as on the Beckers' previous Cadillac, no trunk rack, dual rear-mounted spares, four artillery-type 20-inch wooden artillery wheels all around with spokes painted the body color, dual rear-mounted spare tires, wind wings with chrome brackets, special door pockets, and special Cannon Smoke paint color, interior trim, and monograms. The total price came to $5,896.40. Other options include an extended seat cushion and backrest, and a hand brake handle the same height as the gear shift lever.

The Beckers retained the Cadillac until 1948, when it was sold to Harry Travis of Livingston, New York for $400. The next owner was S. Prestley Blake. Mr. Blake eventually traded the car in 1959 to Briggs S. Cunningham as part of a transaction on a 1914 Rolls-Royce.

The roadster remained in the Cunningham Museum at Costa Mesa, California, until the museum closed at the end of 1986. The car was later sold to Miles Collier. Seven years later, it was sold to another owner who kept it for eight years before it was acquired, through RM Classic Cars, by the present owner.

The car was subsequently fully restored by RM Auto Restoration to exactly its original condition.

In 2001, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours where it earned a 3rd in Class and a 2nd in Class in 2012.

Mr. Floyd E. Becker, of Roseland, NJ, placed the original order for this car on January 27, 1930, and it was delivered on May 16, 1930. The order specified a V-16 engine (452 cubic-inch displacement, 175 HP, and 320 ft-lbs torque), 20-inch wood spoke wheels painted the same color as the body (Cannon Smoke with Aztec Red double hairline striping), two rear-mounted spares, 3.92:1 rear axle ratio, special door pockets, windshield wings, and special seats. The total price was $5,896.40 and included two spare coils, condensers, and points. A complete restoration was completed in June 2001, with 3,392.5 man-hours of labor.

Engine
Newly designed for 1930, the series 452 V16 engine is rated at 452 cubic inches and produces 165 HP It utilizes dual carburetors and dual vacuum tanks for fuel delivery. This was one of the first engines designed with panels to hide components and also utilized the industry's first hydraulic valve lash adjuster.