1923 Cadillac Type 61

Cadillac embraced a single-model structure in 1909 with its four-cylinder Model 'Thirty' offered as a tourer or roadster. Additional body styles were added in the years that followed, and the four-cylinder engine would power Cadillac through 1914. In 1915, Cadillac introduced its Type 51 equipped with a 314 cubic-inch, L-head, 90-degree eight-cylinder engine. The body styles built by Fisher remained similar to the previous year's design, and the wheelbase grew slightly from 120- to 122 inches. The Type 51 was also the first left-hand drive Cadillac; all previous models had been right-hand drive, but this was continued as an option.

Cadillac's eight-cylinder engine was the world's first mass-produced V-8 powerplant. Several other manufacturers had produced V8 engines before, and most were prototypes. Only the French De Dion-Bouton company had actually marketed a production V8, starting in 1909. Cadillac's experimentation with eight-cylinder power began in 1912 when the company acquired a DeDion V8 for study purposes. A V8 Hall-Scott aero-engine was installed in a car chassis, and they later built an experimental V8 engine incorporating the best features of both designs. In 1914, British engineer D. McCall White, formerly with Daimler and Napier, was placed in charge of the project. A handpicked development team work in secrecy to create the V8, and the result was a smooth-running powerplant with excellent low-speed torque. It would be a hallmark of Cadillac's lineup for many decades.

Prior to the V-8, Cadillac introduced the first electric starter motor and precision interchangeable parts, earning it the distinction of being the 'Standard of the World.'

The similar Types 53, 55, 57, 59, and 61 lasted through 1923 when the design was substantially updated as the Type V-63 of 1924. During this time, the entire series used the GM 'A' platform and wheelbase sizes vary, with 122 inches at the low end and 145 inches as the longest.

The Type 61 of 1922 and 1923 was powered by a 314.5 cubic-inch, 90-degree V8 engine with cast iron blocks and an aluminum crankcase. The three-speed selective sliding gear transmission was built in-unit with the engine and had a multiple disc, dry plate clutch.

Both open and closed coachwork was offered including a roadster, 2- and 5-passenger coupe, victoria, sedan, limousine, Imperial limousine, Landau sedan, tourer, and phaeton. Prices ranged from $3,790 to $5,290. The Landau Sedan was a new body style for 1923 and the Victoria was updated with doors hinged at the front and more interior room.

Just over 41,000 examples of the Type 61 were built in 1922 and 1923.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022