Image credit: © conceptcarz.com (Reproduction Or reuse prohibited).
Near the close of 1929, Cadillac President Lawrence Fisher dispatched a letter to both his dealers and the motoring press on December 10th. The new 16-cylinder Cadillac was to be displayed at the New York International Automobile Show on January 4th, 1930. The car was also to appear at the General Motors Salon in the Hotel Astor and on 57th Street, just off 5th Avenue, in the two-story building that housed the permanent Cadillac Salon of Uppercu Cadillac, a dealership under the leadership of one Inglis M. Uppercu.
The coachbuilder Fleetwood had a design office located on the second floor of the aforementioned Cadillac Salon. The office housed the senior design staff along with several draftsmen who completed the final drawings of bodies and components based on specifications given to them by both designers and engineers. Twenty-five percent of all V-16 Cadillacs would be delivered to New York City buyers in 1930 and 1931
With the Great Depression settling in, it was not long before Cadillac would realize that the V-16 was the wrong car for the wrong time. Nevertheless, it did ignite the cylinder wars and put Cadillac in the lead.
The V-16 was introduced in 1930, and a V-12 model followed in 1931. The Cadillac V-8 powered models continue to sell in steady numbers, helping Cadillac's bottom line during difficult economic times.
This example is a seven-passenger Sixteen Sedan, style number 39-9023, and has no Imperial division or divider window. It has rear jump seats in the passenger compartment and is one of one-hundred thirty-eight V-16s produced for 1939 and one of just eighteen touring sedans built that year. It has its original beige cloth interior in the front and back, and it shows just 72,000 miles from new. There is a black exterior, dual side-mount spare tires, and white sidewall tires.
The car received its AACA First Junior at Hershey in 1970 and wears CCCA badge number 517, from when it was honored with a National First Prize in 1971.
The car wears an older restoration.By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2014
The coachbuilder Fleetwood had a design office located on the second floor of the aforementioned Cadillac Salon. The office housed the senior design staff along with several draftsmen who completed the final drawings of bodies and components based on specifications given to them by both designers and engineers. Twenty-five percent of all V-16 Cadillacs would be delivered to New York City buyers in 1930 and 1931
With the Great Depression settling in, it was not long before Cadillac would realize that the V-16 was the wrong car for the wrong time. Nevertheless, it did ignite the cylinder wars and put Cadillac in the lead.
The V-16 was introduced in 1930, and a V-12 model followed in 1931. The Cadillac V-8 powered models continue to sell in steady numbers, helping Cadillac's bottom line during difficult economic times.
This example is a seven-passenger Sixteen Sedan, style number 39-9023, and has no Imperial division or divider window. It has rear jump seats in the passenger compartment and is one of one-hundred thirty-eight V-16s produced for 1939 and one of just eighteen touring sedans built that year. It has its original beige cloth interior in the front and back, and it shows just 72,000 miles from new. There is a black exterior, dual side-mount spare tires, and white sidewall tires.
The car received its AACA First Junior at Hershey in 1970 and wears CCCA badge number 517, from when it was honored with a National First Prize in 1971.
The car wears an older restoration.By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2014
2014 Motor City Auction by RM Auctions
Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $60,000-USD $70,000
Sale Price :
USD $44,000
1939 Cadillac Series 90 Auction Sales
Recent Sales of the Cadillac Series 90
(Data based on Model Year 1939 sales)
1939 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE COUPE Chassis#: 3291218 Sold for USD$106,400 2023 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach | |
1939 Cadillac V-16 Convertible Sedan Sold for USD$63,800 2022 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1939 Cadillac Series 90 Sold for USD$68,200 2020 Mecum : Las Vegas | |
1939 Cadillac Series 90 V-16 Seven-Passenger Sedan by Fleetwood Chassis#: 5290094 Sold for USD$11,000 2020 RM Sothebys : Auburn Fall Auction | |
1939 Cadillac V-16 Convertible Coupe by Fleetwood Sold for USD$257,600 2020 RM Sothebys : Scottsdale Arizona | |
1939 Cadillac Fleetwood V16 Series 90 Sold for USD$99,000 2016 Russo & Steele : Arizona | |
1939 CadillacV-16 Imperial Touring Sedan Sold for USD$57,500 2015 Mecum - Rogers'Classic Car Museum 2015 | |
1939 Cadillac Series 90 Limousine Chassis#: 5290046 Sold for USD$42,000 2014 Mecum : Anaheim | |
1939 Cadillac Sixteen Sedan by Fleetwood Chassis#: 5290045 Sold for USD$44,000 2014 Motor City Auction by RM Auctions | |
1939 Cadillac Series 90 V-16 Convertible Sedan Sold for USD$138,600 2013 Auctions America - Auburn Fall | |
1939 Cadillac V-16 Convertible Coupe Chassis#: 5290093 Sold for USD$231,000 2010 Gooding and Company : The Amelia Island Auction | |
1939 Cadillac Series 90 Chassis#: 5290067 Sold for USD$170,500 2009 Worldwide Auctioneers : The Houston Classic Auction | |
1939 CADILLAC V16 CONVERTIBLE SEDAN Sold for USD$181,500 2008 Worldwide Auctions - The Auburn Auction 2008 | |
1939 Cadillac Series 90 Sold for USD$170,500 2008 Automobiles of Amelia Island, RM Auctions | |
1939 Cadillac V16 Convertible Coupe Chassis#: 5290093 Sold for USD$330,000 2008 RM Auctions - Automobiles of Arizona | |
1939 Cadillac V-16 Formal Town Car Sold for USD$148,500 2002 Michigan Fall Classic Car Auction - The Kughn Collection | |
1939 CADILLAC V16 CONVERTIBLE SEDAN Sold for USD$94,600 2002 Barrett-Jackson - Scottsdale 2002 | |
1939 CADILLAC V-16 LIMOUSINE Sold for USD$42,000 2002 Kruse Auction - Ft. Lauderdale, FL | |
1939 CADILLAC 90 SERIES LIMOUSINE Sold for USD$65,000 2001 Kruse Auction - San Antonio, TX |
Cadillac Series 90s That Failed To Sell At Auction
1939 Cadillac Series 90's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1939 Cadillac Model 39-7533 Imperial Limousine | 2012 Leake Auctions Tulsa | $39,000 | |||
1939 Cadillac Series 90 Sixteen Formal Sedan | 2012 Bonhams Greenwich Concours d'Elegance: Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia | $75,000 | $100,000 | ||
1939 Cadillac V-16 Convertible Sedan | 5290067 | 2011 RM Auctions Automobiles of Amelia Island | $185,000 | $250,000 | $300,000 |
1939 Cadillac Series Series 90 V-16 Convertible Sedan | 2009 Bonhams Bicentennial Pavilion at Hotel Murano | $200,000 | $225,000 | ||
1939 Cadillac Series 90 V-16 Limousine | 2004 The Florida Collector Car Auction | $48,000 | |||
1939 CADILLAC 90 SERIES LIMOUSINE | 2001 Kruse Auction Scottsdale Arizona | $53,000 | |||
1939 CADILLAC 90 SERIES LIMOUSINE | 2001 Kruse Auction Ft. Lauderdale, FL | $39,000 |
Vehicles With Comparable Market Values
Similar sales to the $122,195 range.
1960 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE Chassis#:00867S105838 Sold for $123,200 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
1966 FORD BRONCO CUSTOM SUV Chassis#:U13FL747764 Sold for $121,000 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS/SS CUSTOM COUPE Chassis#:123379N671531 Sold for $123,200 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
2005 LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO Chassis#:ZHWGU11M85LA02508 Sold for $121,000 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
2018 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT DEMON Chassis#:2C3CDZH98JH102124 Sold for $123,200 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Chassis#:7t02c156803 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Houston | |
2017 Acura NSX Chassis#:19unc1b0xhy000876 Sold for $123,200 2024 Mecum : Houston | |
1956 Chevrolet Nomad Chassis#:vc56a079251 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Houston | |
1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Chassis#:1494h Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Glendale | |
1968 Ford Mustang Fastback Chassis#:8r01c165503 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Glendale | |
1969 Dodge Super Bee A12 Chassis#:wm23m9a284121 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Glendale | |
1970 Dodge Charger R/T Chassis#:xs29u0g137368 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Glendale | |
1957 Chevrolet 210 Chassis#:vb57j180842 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Glendale | |
1972 BMW 3.0 CSi Coupe Chassis#:2263084 Sold for $121,000 2024 Mecum : Glendale | |
2023 BMW M4 CSL Chassis#:WBS63AZ08PCL76487 Sold for $123,200 2024 RM Sothebys : ModaMiami | |
1987 Ferrari Testarossa Chassis#:ZFFSG17A3H0069013 Sold for $123,200 2024 RM Sothebys : ModaMiami | |
2005 Ferrari 575M Maranello Chassis#:ZFFBV55A250140519 Sold for $123,200 2024 RM Sothebys : ModaMiami | |
2008 Ferrari F430 Spider Chassis#:ZFFEW59A480159310 Sold for $123,200 2024 Broad Arrow Auctions : Amelia | |
1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda Chassis#:113.044.10.017202 Sold for $123,200 2024 Broad Arrow Auctions : Amelia | |
1959 Stanguellini Formula Junior Monoposto Chassis#:00137 Sold for $123,200 2024 Broad Arrow Auctions : Amelia |
1939 Cadillac Series 90
• Additional valuation insight and sales data• History
• Specifications
• Image gallery
• Other Cadillac Series 90 model years