1939 Cadillac Series 90

On December 10th 1929, Cadillac President Lawrence Fisher dispatched to his dealers and the motoring press a letter announcing the arrival of a new 16-cylinder Cadillac, soon to be displayed on January 4th, 1930 at the New York International Automobile Show. Additionally, the car was to appear at the General Motors Salon in the Hotel Astor and on 57th Street, near 5th Avenue, in the high-class two-story building that housed the permanent Cadillac Salon of Uppercu Cadillac, a dealership under the dynamic leadership of one Inglis M. Uppercu. In the automotive world, this was the 'shot heard round the world,' igniting the cylinder wars into full swing. This announcement would be detrimental to the competition, the 'final blow' coming a short time later with the twelve-cylinder Cadillac.

The sixteen-cylinder Cadillacs wore coachwork by Fleetwood, who conveniently had a design office located on the second floor of the aforementioned Cadillac Salon. Along with a team of senior designers, there were several draftsmen who completed the final drawings of bodies and components based on specifications given to them by both engineers and designers. New York City was an important location for Cadillac, as approximately twenty-five percent of all V-16 Cadillacs would be delivered to buyers in the 'Big Apple' in 1930 and 1931.

Indeed, the V-16 Cadillac was the wrong car for the wrong time, as sales were hindered by the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression. Its development, however, was done during the late 1920s, when Cadillac had the time and resources to design and build such a grand masterpiece. Its arrival signaled the end for most of its rivals, having to battle the Depression, a lack of resources, and devoid a vehicle that could equal the elegance and grandeur of the mighty Cadillac.

Despite the economic downturn, the cylinder wars continued. After introducing a V-16 in 1930, Cadillac added a V-12 model for 1931. While the flagship V-12s and V-16s would garner all the fanfare, the V-8-powered models were the 'bread-and-butter', selling in steady numbers and helping Cadillac's bottom line during difficult economic times. Cadillac was further fortified by the vast resources and diversification of the General Motors empire.

The Cadillac V-16 remained in production from 1930 through 1940 with a total of 4,076 (some sources state 4,378 examples) examples built, the majority constructed in its debut year prior to the Great Depression. Approximately 2,500 examples were built in 1930, 750 a year later, and 300 the following year. From 1935 to 1937, just 49 examples were produced.

The V-16 engine
The Cadillac V-16 was powered by a narrow 45-degree, V-angle, V-16 with overhead valves and a 452 cubic-inch displacement. It was the first true sixteen-cylinder engine to be designed and purpose-built from scratch with clandestine development beginning in 1926, led by Owen Milton Nacker and GM Engineering chief Charles Kettering. Bugatti had already produced a sixteen-cylinder engine, but its design paired two inline eight-cylinder engines together. Marmon and Pierce-Arrow would later build sixteen-cylinder engines, but Cadillac was the first 'true' purpose-built sixteen. It was also the first to be 'styled' with hidden wiring and the use of polished aluminum, porcelain, and a pair of valve covers with brushed aluminum ridges prominently featuring the Cadillac emblem. It used a silicon-aluminum crankcase and five main bearings supporting the large, well-balanced forged crankshaft. It had external manifolds, evenly-spaced firing intervals, five-point engine mounts, a single distributor with two sets of breaker points controlled by two separate ignition coils, and whisper-quiet operation courtesy of the hydraulic valve-silencers.

The wheelbase initially measured 148 inches and its length of 222.5-inches, replaced in 1932 by 143- and 149-inch wheelbase options with lengths of 216- and 222 inches. The 1934 to 1937 wheelbase measured 154 inches and the length had grown to 240 inches (238 inches in length for 1936 and 1937).

The 1939 eight-cylinder Cadillac
Cadillac's 1939 model lineup included the Fleetwood series 39-60S and the 39-75, and the Fisher Series 39-61 all powered by an eight-cylinder engine. At the top of the range was the sixteen-cylinder Series 90 Fleetwood Cadillac.

The 1939 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 39-60S Eight used a 127-inch wheelbase and was priced in the low-$2000s. The Fisher Series 39-61 had a 126-inch platform and prices range from $1,700 to $2,270. The Fleetwood Series 39-75 Eight had a 141-inch platform and was priced from $3,200 to $5,250. The eight-cylinder Cadillacs used a 346 CID unit that produced approximately 135 horsepower. It had cast iron blocks with the blocks cast enbloc with the crankcase, hydraulic valve lifters, three main bearings, and a Stromberg carburetor. The engine was backed by a selective synchromesh manual transmission and stopping power was provided by hydraulic brakes on four wheels.

Series 90
Cadillac introduced a new L-head V-16 engine in 1938 and essentially merged the V16 'Series 90' and V12 'Series 80 and 85' production into a single model. The 431 cubic-inch V16 had a wider 135-degree V-angle, twin carburetors, an in-block valve design, twin distributors, twin water pumps, twin fuel pumps, and a nine main bearing crankshaft. It produced the same 185 horsepower as later versions of the original V-16 engine but with enhanced smoothness, quieter operation, and slightly improved fuel economy. At the time, it offered the swiftest acceleration of any car in the world. The engine was backed by a three-speed selective synchromesh manual transmission with a single disc clutch and gearshift controls on the column. The disc wheels measured sixteen inches and hydraulic brakes were at all four corners.

The wheelbase was reduced to 141 inches and the 222-inch length was retained. They were essentially Series 75 cars with several trim differences, the new V-16 engine, and differed from the firewall forward from their V-8 siblings. On the inside, the instrument panels were identical and would change yearly from 1938 to 1940 with only the 1938 model year having a horn button that had 'Sixteen' in art deco script. The 1939 and 1940 V-8 and V-16 models had the Cadillac crest on the button. The generator was relocated high in the vee and belt-driven, the fender skirts were fully chromed, spears were on the hood, and minor updates were made to the taillights and bumpers.

The 1939 Fleetwood Series 39-90 Sixteen was priced from $5,240 to $7,300 in 1939. The sedan was priced at $5,240, the Imperial sedan at $5,315, the seven-passenger sedan at $5,375, and the Imperial Sedan with seating for seven at $5,525. The Formal Sedan with seating for five or seven was priced at $6,165. The five-passenger Town Sedan was $5,800 while the seven-passenger Town Car tipped the scales at $7,300. The coupe listed for $5,545, the convertible coupe at $5,545, and the convertible sedan at $6,100.

Optional equipment included a spotlight, fog lights, windshield washer, heater, radio, seat covers, and automatic battery filler.

Once again, the introductory year proved the most popular, with 315 examples sold in 1938, followed by 138 in 1939 and 61 in 1940, although production ceased in December of 1939. This was certainly a halo model for Cadillac, and due to its limited production, it is unlikely Cadillac ever realized a financial profit from the model, rather its true value was in the prestige for the marque.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2021