1936 Cadillac Series 80

The Cadillac Eight

The 1936 Cadillac model lineup included both eight-, twelve-, and sixteen-cylinder models. The 36-60 Eight was priced at $1,645 to $1,725, had a 121-inch wheelbase, and came equipped with a 322 cubic-inch L-head engine with a cast-iron block, three main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a Stromberg carburetor, and 125 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. The three-speed selective, synchromesh transmission was similar to the LaSalle. The Series 36-70 was offered as a coupe, convertible coupe, touring sedan, and convertible sedan all resting on a 131-inch wheelbase. Prices ranged from $2,450 to $2,750. The Series 36-75 Eight had a 138-inch wheelbase with prices that ranged from $2,650 to $3,400. Body styles included a sedan, touring sedan, formal sedan, and convertible sedan with five-passenger seating. Seven passenger sedans, Imperial sedan, Touring Sedan, Imperial Touring Sedan, and Town Car were also offered. Both the 36-70 and the 36-75 employed a 346 cubic-inch engine with three main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a Stromberg carburetor, and developed 135 horsepower.

The Cadillac Twelve

The Cadillac twelve-cylinder models included the Series 36-80 on a 131-inch wheelbase and the Series 36-85 on a 138-inch wheelbase. The 368 cubic-inch engine had overhead valves, a cast-iron block on an aluminum crankcase, a Dual Detroit lubricator carburetor, four main bearings, and delivered 150 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed selective, synchromesh transmission with a single disc clutch, and hydraulic brakes were on all four wheels.

The Series 36-80 Coupe was priced at $3,300, the convertible coupe at $3,400, the touring sedan at $3,150, and the convertible sedan at $3,450 (the same as the Series 36-70 Eight). The body styles on the 36-85 were the same as the eight-cylinder 36-75.

The Fleetwood, all-steel Turret Top bodies, had vee windshield styles, a narrow radiator shell, a new louver-style 'Convex vee' grille, and forward opening cowl vents. The 'touring' body styles, convertible sedans, and town sedans had built-in trunks. Convertible coupes and stationary coupes had rumble seats plus an additional door for the spare tire. The headlights were positioned on the radiator shell and the parking lights were located inside the headlights. The new fender designs incorporated a crease along the center line.

Distinguishable features between the eight- and twelve-cylinder models were limited to emblems, as the dual exhaust pipes no longer identified the V-12.

The Cadillac Sixteen

The large, powerful, and luxurious sixteen-cylinder models were similar to the previous years and were built on a per-order basis. The Fleetwood-built bodies used the all-steel Turret Top and vee windshields. The wheelbase measured 154 inches and had a length of 238 inches. The engine had overhead valves, a cast-iron block on an aluminum crankcase, a dual Detroit Lubricator carburetor, five main bearings, and produced 185 horsepower at 3,800 RPM.

Production

The Packard 36-60 followed a similar formula as the LaSalle, with an affordable price, elegant styling, Fisher bodies, and Cadillac quality. Although a new model for 1936, sales were rather impressive with 6,712 examples of the 36-60 constructed. Cadillac built 5,248 examples of the 36-70 and 36-75.

901 examples were twelve-cylinder Cadillacs and 52 were sixteen-cylinder models.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Fleetwood

Henry M. Leland, known as the master of precision, brought his precision manufacturing techniques with him when he founded Cadillac in 1902. His exacting standards prompted the motto by which Cadillac has been guided over the years - 'Craftsmanship A Creed - Accuracy A Law.'

For attention to quality and innovation, the Royal Automobile Club of England awarded the prestigious Dewar Trophy to Cadillac twice....first in 1908 for achieving perfect interchangeability of parts and again for introducing electric self-starters, electric lighting, and ignition system on 1912 models. Cadillac is the only American manufacturer to win this honor and the only manufacturer in the world to win it twice.

This Fleetwood V12 coupe is a masterpiece of streamlined design. Some styling details such as the teardrop door handles were inspired by the advanced custom design of special Aerodynamic Coupes of 1933-1937 of which 20 were made to special order.

The 1936 V12 Cadillac (the series 36-80 and 36-85) shared some of the dimensions of the 1936 V8 Cadillac. The overhead-valve V12 featured a 45-degree arrangement of a cast-iron block. A three-speed synchro transmission linked the engine to a semi-floating rear axle. 1936 marked the first year Cadillac introduced four-wheel hydraulic brakes on their V-12 series. The body by Fleetwood sat atop a 131-inch wheelbase.

A total of 901 Cadillac V-12s were produced in 1936, and the Fleetwood 2-door coupe totaled 250 units with a price of $4,095.

by LeMay Museum

Coupe by Fleetwood
Chassis number: 4110325

The twelve-cylinder Cadillac made its debut in 1930 with its arrival coinciding with the onset of the Great Depression. The ultra-exclusive V-12 engine was reported as being identical to Cadillac's V-16 except for having four fewer cylinders and a lower price tag. The 365 cubic-inch twelve-cylinder unit had overhead valves, mechanical valve lifters with hydraulic silencers, four main bearings, and a single-barrel Dual Detroit carburetor. The 150 horsepower at 3,600 RPM was sent to the rear wheels via a Selective Synchromesh three-speed transmission fitted with a single-disc clutch. Hydraulic brakes on all four wheels provided the stopping power.

The 1936 Cadillac V-12 was offered in two different wheelbase sizes with the Model 80 resting on a 131-inch wheelbase platform and the Model 85 receiving a 138-inch wheelbase. The parking lights were moved inside the headlights and the headlights were repositioned on the radiator shell. The new fender designs wore a crease along their center line.

Cadillac produced just over 900 examples of its V-12 model (Series 80 and 85) in 1936. Sales fell significantly a year later, prompting Cadillac to end production of its V-12.

This Fleetwood Series 80 five-passenger Convertible Sedan body was given a full restoration years ago and is finished in deep blue over dark tan leather upholstery with a tan fabric soft-top. Among the many options include the dual fender-mounted spare tires with covers and rearview mirrors, bumper-mounted driving lights, and Cadillac's Goddess hood ornament. The 16-inch disc wheels with polished full covers are wrapped with wide whitewall tires. The interior carries a clock, speedometer, and an optional radio and heater. Mounted below the dash is a period Cadillac-branded Motor Car Radio speaker.

by Dan Vaughan

The Cadillac Series 75 was the marque's flagship V8 from 1936 onwards, though the lower-priced series easily outsold it. Production of the full-size V8 powered Cadillac's would continue from the 1930s through the 1950s. It served as a replacement for the outgoing 355-D and was introduced around the same time as the less-expensive Series 60 model. Outwardly, the Series 80, including the 85, were similar in appearance with the main difference being underhood. The Series 80/85 featured a V12 engine while the Series 70/75 had a V8. The V8 produced 135 horsepower while the V12's output was 150 hp.

In 1941, the short wheelbase Series 70 was replaced by the Series 62 and the long-wheelbase Series 75 was integrated into the Fleetwood line. Cadillac would continue the '75' name until the mid-1960s.

The V8 Series 70 of the mid-1930s were powered by a Monoblock V8 engine that displaced 346 cubic-inches and produced 135 horsepower. A total of 5,248 examples were sold in 1936. There were three body-styles available for the Series 70 from 1936 through 1937 consisting of a 131-inch wheelbase for the 36-70, a 138-inch version of the 36-75 and a large 156-inch platform for the 36-75 Commercial version.

There was a wide variety of body-styles to select from and all wore badges of Cadillac's in-house coachbuilder Fleetwood. The list ranged from two-passenger coupes to seven-passenger town cars with 14 cataloged styles offered.

The Fleetwood Metal Body Company had a history that dated back to 1905 when they were formed in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. During their early years, some of their best customers were Packard, Pierce-Arrow, and Cadillac. Lawrence Fisher, head of GM's Fisher Body Company and later president of Cadillac was pleased with Fleetwood's coach-building work and felt the union between the two companies was appropriate. The company was purchased by Cadillac in 1925 and the sales and design offices were moved to Detroit. Additional plants were built in Pennsylvania for body production and Fleetwood continued to accept body-requests from non-GM companies.

A Fleetwood plant was built in 1929 in Detroit, adjacent to the Fisher Body facility, and by 1931 all production had migrated to this location. Later, the production was absorbed by General Motors Art & Colour and Fisher Body. The Fleetwood name persisted for many decades, often referring to limited and low-production styles.

In 1939 the Cadillac V8 models were given a new frontal look with a matching textured grille. On either side were two side grilles. The engine still displaced 346 cubic-inches but further tuning had increased the horsepower output and its compression.

The Series 72 was a Fleetwood car that rode on a shorter, 138-inch wheelbase.

Production ceased during the Second World War and resumed in 1946. When it did, the Series 75 became Cadillac's largest model offered; now riding on a 136-inch wheelbase. The 346 L-head V8 engine was the same as was most of its basic styling. Just like most other automakers, a 'new' model would not be introduced for several years.

For the Series 75, this did not occur until 1950. It had a 146.7-inch wheelbase with seating for seven. Engine options included a 346- and 365-cubic-inch V8.

The wheelbase size was again increased by 1954, now measuring 149.8 inches. To carry the extra weight Cadillac increased the horsepower to 230. The following year it rose again to 250 hp, with an optional dual-four barrel carburetor version offered that produced 270 horsepower. 1956 saw another increase in horsepower, now ranging from 285 to just over 300.

Another restyling occurred in 1957 and would remain until 1965. By now, the name '75' had all but disappeared. Horsepower hovered around the 300 to 325 range depending on the engine and the setup. The long version of the Fleetwood became known as the Series 6700 in accordance with the new Cadillac naming scheme.

by Dan Vaughan