1929 Cadillac Series 341B Eight

Cadillac was founded from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company in 1902. It derived its name from Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded Detroit, Michigan. It became part of General Motors in 1909. They built a reputation for aristocratic elegance, beauty, and individuality of style. As the 1920s were coming to a close, Cadillac had further expanded its reputation as America's most technically innovative manufacturer. The list includes the electric starter, electric lamps, an all-steel roof (prior cars had fabric roof sections), safety glass, the first dual-plane crankshaft V8, and the first synchromesh transmission.

By 1928, General Motors owned 100-percent of Fisher, and most of the bodies created by Fleetwood were for GM's products, including Cadillac, and LaSalle chassis. The majority of Cadillac and LaSalle bodies were full customs by Fleetwood. While many luxury marque's of this era outsourced coachbuilding to custom builders based on client specifications, GM's efforts to bring this work in-house and to streamline the process reduced costs, increased quality, and shortened delivery times (typically three to seven weeks). While the list of catalog bodies from Fisher and Fleetwood was extensive, Cadillac still allowed unique creations upon clients' requests. The typical delivery time for these unique creations was approximately four months.

The 1929 Cadillacs were visually similar to the 1928 models. The most noticeable visual difference was the placement of the parking lamps, which were moved from the cowl to the tops of the fenders. Mechanical changes were more significant, with the introduction of a new 'clashless' Synchro-Mesh Silent-Shift transmission, negating the need for double-clutching. New double-acting Delco shock absorbers were added to the suspension system. The new mechanical four-wheel brakes required considerably less pedal pressure than the prior setup. Shatterproof Security Plate glass became standard in all windows. The interior received fully adjustable seats as standard.

The engine dimensions were new for 1928, the first time it received a significant change since the Type 51 of 1915. Both the 341 Cadillac and the 303 LaSalle engine had offset blocks, side-by-side connecting rods, oil filter mounted on the engine, an oil level indicator behind the right-hand block, a single exhaust system, and a manifold vacuum plus vacuum pump operating fuel feed system. The 341 cubic-inch L-head three-main bearing V8 engine delivered 95 horsepower and a myriad of various body designs were offered mainly from Fleetwood and Fisher. GM's Fisher Body Division offered a total of twelve different body styles to choose from, all riding on the 140-inch wheelbase. A semi-commercial chassis was available, measuring 152 inches. The Fleetwood Body Division had more than 30 catalog choices. Customers could, however, specify a coachbuilder of their choice. The engines were backed by a selective synchromesh three-speed transmission with a twin-disc clutch, shaft drive through a torque tube, and a full-floating rear axle with spiral bevel drive. Duplex-mechanical brakes were located at all four corners, as were standard wooden artillery wheels. Wire and disc wheels were optional.

Just over 18,100 examples of the 1929 Cadillacs were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2019