1930 Cadillac Series 353 Eight

The Cadillac Company was founded in 1902 after Henry Ford left his self-named company after a dispute with his investors. With engineering guidance from Henry M. Leland, Cadillac quickly became a world-class luxury-car manufacturer. By the close of the 1920s, Cadillac had become a subsidiary of General Motors and part of their continued success was due to the 353 cubic-inch, overhead-valve, flathead V8.

In 1915, Cadillac first introduced its V8 engine, designated as the Series 51. The engine performed so well that it remained relatively unchanged in its lineup until 1928. When the motor was finally updated and altered for 1928, the changes were subtle. The displacement capacity was increased and the new Cadillac received styling penned by Harley Earl. The European influenced designs were done with a similar flair that had been performed with the LaSalle brand. Each subsequent year, Earl's subtle design changes refined the styling, keeping them modern and at the forefront of styling trends.

The Cadillac Motor Division of General Motors introduced its sixteen cylinder automobile in 1930, just a few months prior to the start of the Great Depression. The increase in cylinders, performance, and luxury brought the 'cylinder wars' to even greater heights and the Cadillac Company as the engineering leader of the American automobile industry. It was the V-8 Cadillac, however, that continued to be the company's bread-and-butter and earned the division its reputation as 'The Standard of the World.'

The early Cadillac V-8 engines suffered from the same period of vibration in the standard operating range as typical 4-cylinder powerplants. This was tolerable as long as open cars remained the industry standard, but the growing popularity for closed cars necessitated a solution, as the vibration was amplified through the cabin. GM's engineering genius Charles Kettering and his team were tasked with solving the problem. Their solution was a four-plane crankshaft, which placed opposing piston pairs at 90-degree intervals, effectively balancing the engine as four V-twins rather than two inline-4s. This solution made the V8 engine perfectly balanced and whisper quiet.

In 1929, improvements to the 353 cubic-inch V8 engine brought horsepower to 95 bhp. Other improvements included Delco double-acting shock absorbers, improved brakes, and safety glass. The new 'Synchro-Mesh' transmission was arguably the most advanced innovation to grace the V8 Cadillac.

The L-Head V8 engine offered 90 horsepower and was mated to a new 'clashless' 3-speed transmission with a three-quarter floating rear axle, which allowed for seamless shifting. A bewildering number of available coachwork rested on the long, 140-inch chassis. Cadillac 353s could be ordered in more than 50 different body styles, including seven standard closed-coupe variations offered by Fisher Custom. An additional 11 basic body options were offered by Fleetwood Special Custom.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2020

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