1938 Cadillac Series 90 Convertible Sedan

Cadillac built 308 Sixteens for 1938 (not including bare chassis and test/development cars) and thirteen of those were five-passenger convertible sedans. This example joined John O. Bohmer's collection of prewar automobiles in January 1963 when he purchased the V-16 for $1,000 from Paul Walter of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Mr. Walter had acquired the car from a Long Island, New York, used-car lot in July 1954 and applied $300 worth of service work to have it road-registered.

After the purchase, Mr. Bohmer and several friends drove the V-16 back to Brooten, Minnesota. For the next three decades, the Cadillac remained unused; it was eventually restored to its current condition. The restoration included bodywork, a new paint finish, an engine rebuild, and methodical service to the Cadillac's various systems.

This Cadillac is powered by a 431 cubic-inch L-Head V-16 engine producing 185 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. There is a three-speed synchromesh manual gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. At the front is an independent suspension with coil springs, while the live rear axle is suspended via semi-elliptical leaf springs.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023