1911 Cadillac Model 30 Demi-Tonneau

This Cadillac Model 30 Four-Passenger Demi-Tonneau left the factory on April 28th of 1911, bound for Boston, Massachusetts. It was apparently diverted from an earlier order, apparently canceled, from the Cadillac Company of Illinois in Chicago. The exterior wore a blue paint scheme and rode on cream-colored wheels.

Cadillac's history with building four-cylinder cars dates to 1905, and the single-cylinder model continued through 1909, the year that the four-cylinder unit became the sole offering. That year, it gained a new nomenclature, the Model 30, for its horsepower rating. It was a refinement of the 1907 and 1908 Model G, resting on a longer wheelbase but offered only in open body styles. Nearly six times as many Model 30s were sold compared to the rest of the 1908 Cadillac line, fueled by its price - despite selling at approximately two-thirds that of the Model G.

Cadillac Model 30 body styles included a Tourer, Demi-Tonneau, and a Roadster. The Demi-Tonneau had a detachable tonneau which, when removed, converted it to a runabout. The Roadster and Demi-Tonneau had a sweeping cowl that presaged 'torpedo' styling. Closed bodies returned in 1910, including a Limousine and a Coupe.

When buyers selected the optional windshield, it was affixed to a wood dashboard fitted over the cowl.

Production of the Model 30 continued through September of 1914, with nearly 67,000 examples built during that time. The Model 30 was replaced by the Type 51 V8.

This particular Model 30 was owned by Joseph and Helena Murchio for over two decades. The Murchio's operated the Murchio Antique Auto Museum in Greenwood Lake, New Jersey. While in their care, it is believed that the Cadillac appeared in the 1955 Columbia Pictures film The Long Gray Line, starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara.

The Cadillac was sold by the Murchio's in 1970 and it had three subsequent owners. The car was used extensively on various touring events and to that end, received an electric starter, halogen headlights, directional signals, all-new whitewall tires, and a new leather clutch. The carburetor has been replaced by a modern item, but the original is included with the car.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021